A drone combined separation mechanism

Abstract

The present application belongs to the field of aircraft manufacturing, and particularly relates to a combined separation mechanism of unmanned aerial vehicle. The combined separation mechanism comprises a first combined separation unit, a stepping motor and a second combined separation unit. The first combined separation unit and the second combined separation unit are completely identical in structure and symmetrically arranged on two sides of the stepping motor I. A roller A is connected to one end of the stepping motor I. A cable is wound on the roller A. The cable is connected with a male head I after passing through a sleeve I. The male head I is connected with the sleeve I and a sleeve II respectively. The combined or separated connection of the male head I with the sleeve I and the sleeve II is realized by changing the internal connection structure of the male head I. The flexibility of task execution is improved. The technical problems of the prior art, such as the difficulty in combining and separating the aircraft through the connection of intelligent materials and the high manufacturing cost, are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of aircraft manufacturing, and in particular relates to a drone assembly and separation mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of science and technology, drone manufacturing technology is now very advanced. However, single drones still have great limitations in terms of endurance and payload. For example, solar-powered drones rely on sunlight, and their performance drops sharply in cloudy or rainy weather. Lithium-ion battery drones are limited by the battery, have short endurance, and require frequent battery replacements.

[0003] Since 2010, many countries have developed detachable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Detachable UAVs can not only overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings by allocating the main unit and sub-units according to endurance and payload requirements, thus improving resource utilization efficiency, but also enhance the aircraft's survivability and resilience, and increase the flexibility of mission execution.

[0004] Most existing separable drones release the sub-drones through hatches, catapults, or drop-offs. While these methods can deploy the sub-drones, they cannot recover them. Furthermore, combining and separating the drones using smart materials is technically difficult and costly. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Purpose of the invention Therefore, designing a drone combination and separation mechanism that allows the main unit to both deploy and retrieve drones in mid-air, while also being simple in structure, easy to control, and low in manufacturing cost, remains a problem to be solved.

[0006] Technical solution A drone assembly and separation mechanism includes a first assembly and separation unit, a stepper motor, and a second assembly and separation unit. The first assembly and separation unit and the second assembly and separation unit have the same structure and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the stepper motor I. A roller A is connected to one end of the stepper motor I, and a cable is wound on the roller A. The cable passes through a sleeve I and is connected to a male connector I. The male connector I is connected to both sleeve I and sleeve II. By changing the internal connection structure of the male connector I, the male connector I can be assembled or separated from both sleeve I and sleeve II.

[0007] Furthermore, the male connector I consists of internal motors II and III, shaft I, shaft II, and shaft III, and external ejector pins I and II, impact valve I, and impact valve II. Motors II and III are fixed to shaft I. Impact valves I and II are connected to motors II and III via shafts II and III, respectively. Shafts II and III have threads, allowing them to control the movement of impact valves I and II along shaft I when motors II and III are operating.

[0008] Furthermore, the internal structure of the sleeve consists of a pair of symmetrical latches, springs, and a magnet at the rear. The bottom end of the latches is hinged to the bottom of each sleeve interface, and the middle of the latches is fixedly connected to the spring, forming a structure with a large bottom opening and a small top opening that is slightly larger than the bottom of the impact valve. The spring is located between the latches and the sleeve, with one end of the spring fixedly connected to the latches and the other end fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sleeve.

[0009] Furthermore, during locking, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate, causing impact valves I and II to separate from ejector pins I and II respectively. When sleeve III approaches ejector pin II, the magnet inside the sleeve attracts ejector pin II, causing it to engage with sleeve III. Upon engagement, the locking tongue inside sleeve III is compressed, compressing the spring behind it. Once ejector pin II is fully inside sleeve III, the spring returns to its original position, and ejector pin II is then secured by the locking tongue inside sleeve III. Subsequently, motor I rotates to retract the cable. After the cable reaches its end, ejector pin I engages with sleeve I. The locking tongue inside sleeve I is compressed, compressing the spring behind it. Once ejector pin I is fully inside sleeve I, the spring returns to its original position, and ejector pin I is then secured by the locking tongue inside sleeve I, completing the assembly operation.

[0010] Furthermore, during separation, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate, causing impact valves I and II to connect with ejector pins I and II respectively. After connection, each impact valve has a larger top and a smaller bottom, and the surface of each ejector pin can form a transition with the surface of the impact valve. Impact valve II compresses the locking tongue, making the opening of the locking tongue larger. Finally, impact valve II and ejector pin II are pulled out together, thus completing the separation operation.

[0011] Furthermore, the cables on rollers A and B are of the same length.

[0012] Furthermore, the spring force should be sufficient to ensure that ejector pin I or ejector pin II can return to its original position after disengaging from the locking tongue.

[0013] Technical effect This invention not only separates the main unit and sub-units of a drone, but also allows the main unit to recover the sub-units in mid-air. This invention boasts advantages such as simple structure, low manufacturing cost, and ease of control. The core benefit of this drone combination and separation mechanism lies in its synergistic effect, achieving a multiplier effect greater than the sum of its parts. By dynamically combining and separating a long-range platform with a dedicated mission module, it greatly expands the mission boundaries of drones, providing unprecedented flexibility, survivability, and advantages, representing one of the important directions for future drone technology development.

[0014] The separation mechanism of this invention eliminates the need for solar energy to illuminate the drone, thus freeing it from dependence on solar power. Its performance remains unaffected by cloudy or rainy weather, and it avoids the limitations imposed by lithium-ion battery drones, such as short flight time and the need for frequent battery replacements. By allocating the main unit and sub-units according to flight and payload requirements, it improves resource utilization efficiency, enhances the aircraft's resilience and survivability, and increases mission flexibility. It also solves the technical problems of existing technologies that use mechanical deployment but cannot recover the sub-units, while relying on intelligent material connections for aircraft separation is technically difficult and costly to manufacture. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a front view of a drone assembly / disassembly mechanism proposed in this application; Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the male connector; Figure 3 This is a structural diagram of the sleeve; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the locking state of the male connector and the sleeve; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the male connector and sleeve separated. Figure 6 This is a diagram of the male connector structure of the drone assembly / separation mechanism; Figure 7 This is a diagram of the internal structure of the male connector of the UAV assembly / separation mechanism; Among them: stepper motor (1), roller A (2), sleeve I (3), sleeve III (4), sleeve II (5), sleeve IV (6), male head I (7), male head II (8), ejector pin I (9), ejector pin II (10), impact valve I (11), impact valve II (12), motor II (13), motor III (14), shaft II (15), shaft III (16), shaft I (17), locking tongue (18), spring (19), magnet (20), roller B (21). Detailed Implementation

[0016] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, the present invention proposes a drone assembly and separation mechanism, including motor I (1), cable (2), sleeve I (3), sleeve II (5), sleeve III (4), sleeve IV (6), male head I (7), male head II (8), and roller B (21). Motor I (1) is installed inside the main unit. Roller B (21) is connected to both ends of motor I (1). Cable (2) is wound on roller B (21). Sleeve I (3) is located outside the main unit. Cable (2) passes through the inside of sleeve I (3). The farthest end of cable (2) is fixedly connected to male head I (7). Sleeve II (5) is located outside the sub-machine. Each sleeve contains a pair of symmetrical locking tongues and springs, as well as a magnet at the rear.

[0017] The male head I (7) consists of internal motor II (13), motor III (14), shaft I (17), shaft II (15), shaft III (16) and external ejector pin I (9), ejector pin II (10), impact valve I (11), and impact valve II (12). Among them, motor II (13) and motor III (14) are fixed on shaft I (17), motor II (13) is fixedly connected to shaft II (15), impact valve I (11) is fixedly connected to shaft II (15), motor III (14) is fixedly connected to shaft III (16), and impact valve II (12) is fixedly connected to shaft III (16). When motor II (13) works, impact valve I (11) moves back and forth along shaft II (15). When motor III (14) works, impact valve II (12) moves back and forth along shaft III (16). The surfaces of ejector pin I (9) and ejector pin II (10) can form a transition with the surfaces of impact valve I (11) and impact valve II (12).

[0018] The assembly process is as follows: Motor I (1) rotates the drum B (21) to release the cable (2). The male end I (7) on the cable (2) separates from the sleeve I (3). After separation, the motors II (13) and III (14) inside the male end I (7) work to drive the shafts II (15) and III (16) to rotate, causing the impact valves I (11) and II (12) to separate from the ejector pins I (19) and II (10). When the ejector pin II (10) approaches the sleeve II (5), the magnet inside the sleeve II (5) generates an attraction force on the ejector pin II (10), causing the ejector pin II (10) to connect with the sleeve II (5). When the two connect, the magnet inside the sleeve II (5) generates an attraction force on the ejector pin II (10). When the locking tongue (18) is pressed, the spring (19) behind the locking tongue (18) is compressed. After the ejector pin II (10) is fully inserted into the sleeve II (5), the spring returns to its original state. At this time, the ejector pin II (10) is fixed by the locking tongue (18) inside the sleeve II (5). Then the motor I (1) rotates and retracts the cable (2). After the cable (2) is retracted to the end, the ejector pin I (9) and the sleeve I (3) are connected. The locking tongue (18) inside the sleeve I (3) is pressed, which compresses the spring (19) behind the locking tongue (18). When the ejector pin I (9) is fully inserted into the sleeve I (3), the spring returns to its original state. At this time, the ejector pin I (9) is fixed by the locking tongue inside the sleeve I (3), thus realizing the combined operation.

[0019] The separation process is as follows: when motor II (13) and motor III (14) work, they drive shaft II (15) and shaft III (16) to rotate respectively. Impact valve I (11) and impact valve II (12) gradually separate under the drive of the shaft and connect with ejector pin I (9) and ejector pin II (10) respectively. After the connection is completed, the top of each impact valve is large and the bottom is small, and the surface of each ejector pin can form a transition with the surface of the impact valve. Impact valve II (12) compresses the locking tongue to make the opening of the locking tongue larger. Finally, impact valve II (12) and ejector pin II (10) are pulled out together to realize the separation operation.

[0020] Example To address the aforementioned shortcomings of the prior art, this invention proposes a drone combination and separation mechanism, comprising a first combination and separation unit, a stepper motor 1, and a second combination and separation unit. The first combination and separation unit and the second combination and separation unit have identical structures and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the stepper motor 1. The roller A2 is connected to one end of the stepper motor 1, and a cable is wound on the roller A2. The cable passes through the sleeve 1 (3) and is connected to the male head 1 (7). The male head 1 (7) is connected to the sleeve 1 (3) and the sleeve 2 (5) respectively. By changing the internal connection structure of the male head 1 (7), the male head 1 (7) can be combined or separated from the sleeve 1 (3) and the sleeve 2 (5) respectively.

[0021] In one embodiment of the present invention, the male head I (7) is composed of internal motor II (13), motor III (14), shaft I (17), shaft II (15), and shaft III (16) and external ejector pin I (9), ejector pin II (10), impact valve I (11), and impact valve II (12). Among them, motor II (13) and motor III (14) are fixed on shaft I (17), and impact valve I (11) and impact valve II (12) are connected to motor II (13) and motor III (14) respectively through shaft II (15) and shaft III (16). Shaft II (15) and shaft III (16) have threads. When motor II (13) and motor III (14) are working, they can control impact valve I (11) and impact valve II (12) to move back and forth along shaft I (17).

[0022] In one embodiment of the present invention, the internal structure of the sleeve consists of a pair of symmetrical latches (18) and springs (19), and a magnet (20) at the rear. The bottom end of the latches is hinged to the bottom of each sleeve interface, and the middle part of the latches is fixedly connected to the spring, forming a structure with a large bottom opening and a small top opening that is slightly larger than the bottom end of the impact valve. The spring is located between the latches and the sleeve, with one end of the spring fixedly connected to the latches and the other end fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sleeve.

[0023] In one embodiment of the present invention, during locking, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate, causing impact valves I and II to separate from ejector pins I and II, respectively. When sleeve III approaches ejector pin II, the magnet inside the sleeve attracts ejector pin II, causing ejector pin II to engage with sleeve III. When they engage, the locking tongue inside sleeve III is compressed, compressing the spring behind the locking tongue. When ejector pin II is fully inserted into sleeve III, the spring returns to its original state, and ejector pin II is then fixed by the locking tongue inside sleeve III. Subsequently, motor I rotates to retract the cable. After the cable is retracted to its end, ejector pin I engages with sleeve I. The locking tongue inside sleeve I is compressed, compressing the spring behind the locking tongue. When ejector pin I is fully inserted into sleeve I, the spring returns to its original state, and ejector pin I is then fixed by the locking tongue inside sleeve I, thus completing the assembly operation.

[0024] In one embodiment of the present invention, during separation, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate, causing impact valves I and II to connect with ejector pins I and II respectively. After connection, each impact valve has a larger top and a smaller bottom, and the surface of each ejector pin can form a transition with the surface of the impact valve. Impact valve II compresses the locking tongue, making the opening of the locking tongue larger. Finally, impact valve II and ejector pin II are pulled out together, thereby completing the separation operation.

Claims

1. A drone assembly and separation mechanism, characterized in that, The system includes a first combined separation unit, a stepper motor, and a second combined separation unit. The first and second combined separation units have identical structures and are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the stepper motor. Roller A is connected to one end of the stepper motor, and a cable is wound around roller A. The cable passes through sleeve I and connects to male connector I. Male connector I connects to both sleeve I and sleeve II. By changing the internal connection structure of male connector I, it can be combined or separated from sleeve I and sleeve II. Male connector I consists of internal components including motor II, motor III, shaft I, shaft II, and shaft III, and external components including ejector pin I, ejector pin II, impact valve I, and impact valve. The system consists of valve II; motors II and III are fixed on shaft I, and impact valves I and II are connected to motors II and III via shafts II and III respectively. Shafts II and III have threads, and when motors II and III operate, they control the forward and backward movement of impact valves I and II along shaft I. The internal structure of the sleeve consists of a pair of symmetrical latches, springs, and a magnet at the rear. The bottom end of the latches is hinged to the bottom of each sleeve's interface, and the middle of the latches is fixedly connected to the spring, forming a structure with a large bottom opening and a small top opening slightly larger than the bottom of the impact valve. The spring is located between the latches and the sleeve. One end is fixedly connected to the locking tongue, and the other end is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the sleeve. When locked, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate respectively, causing impact valves I and II to separate from ejector pins I and II respectively. When sleeve III approaches ejector pin II, the magnet inside the sleeve attracts ejector pin II, causing ejector pin II to engage with sleeve III. When the two engage, the locking tongue inside sleeve III is compressed, causing the spring behind the locking tongue to be compressed. When ejector pin II is fully inserted into sleeve III, the spring returns to its original state, and ejector pin II is then fixed by the locking tongue inside sleeve III. Subsequently, motor I rotates to retract the cable. After the cable is retracted to its end, ejector pin I and sleeve III... When sleeve I is connected, the locking tongue inside sleeve I is compressed, causing the spring behind the locking tongue to be compressed. When pin I is fully inserted into sleeve I, the spring returns to its original state, and pin I is then fixed by the locking tongue inside sleeve I, thus completing the assembly operation. During separation, motors II and III drive shafts II and III to rotate, causing impact valves I and II to connect with pin I and pin II respectively. After connection, each impact valve has a larger top and a smaller bottom, and the surface of each pin can form a transition with the surface of the impact valve. Impact valve II compresses the locking tongue, making the opening of the locking tongue larger. Finally, impact valve II and pin II are pulled out together, thus completing the separation operation.

2. The separation mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The cables on rollers A and B are of the same length.

3. The separation mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The spring force should be sufficient to ensure that ejector pin I or ejector pin II can return to its original position after disengaging from the locking tongue.

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