Integrated and automatic auxiliary device for unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle

Abstract

The invention belongs to the technical field of inspection unmanned aerial vehicles, and particularly provides an integrated and automatic auxiliary device for an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle, which comprises a bearing base, a lifting platform, a lifting driving part, a charging module and a locking module. Wherein the bearing base is fixed on the roof of the inspection vehicle, and a vertical sliding rail is arranged on the bearing base; the lifting platform is in sliding fit with the sliding rails; the lifting driving part is used for driving the lifting platform to move up and down; the charging module is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform; the locking module is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform and used for clamping and fixing the unmanned aerial vehicle. Full-automatic lifting, charging and clamping of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the inspection vehicle are achieved, and the automation degree, the operation efficiency and the equipment safety of vehicle-aircraft collaborative operation are improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The application belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle inspection, and specifically relates to an integrated and automated auxiliary device for an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicle inspection technology has wide application in the fields of power inspection, traffic monitoring, emergency rescue and agricultural and forestry surveying. Unmanned aerial vehicles are limited in size and battery technology, and have limited endurance, resulting in a small inspection range of the unmanned aerial vehicle. In order to improve the inspection range, there is an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection mode of "vehicle-machine cooperation" in the prior art, that is, a vehicle is used as a mobile base station and a command center, an unmanned aerial vehicle is carried to a work area, and then the unmanned aerial vehicle is lifted to perform a specific task. When the unmanned aerial vehicle returns due to insufficient power, the vehicle can be used as a parking platform for the unmanned aerial vehicle to charge the unmanned aerial vehicle, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle can work for a long time.

[0003] The work mode of vehicle-machine cooperation has gradually become an important way to improve the inspection efficiency. The mode can effectively expand the inspection range and improve the work flexibility by using a vehicle to carry an unmanned aerial vehicle to a work area to perform a task. However, the existing vehicle-machine cooperation work mode still has some deficiencies, for example, the unmanned aerial vehicle depends on manual operation during the process of being picked up and put down, especially when the vehicle is running or in bad weather conditions, the operation is risky and inefficient; when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked on the roof of the vehicle, there is no automatic locking mechanism after the unmanned aerial vehicle lands, and the shaking of the vehicle can easily cause damage to the equipment or cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to fall off. SUMMARY

[0004] Based on the above technical problems, the application provides an integrated and automated auxiliary device for an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle to solve the technical problems that the unmanned aerial vehicle is picked up and put down by manual operation and the unmanned aerial vehicle easily falls off the roof of the vehicle when the vehicle shakes in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the technical scheme adopted by the application is to provide an integrated and automated auxiliary device for an unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle, comprising:

[0006] A bearing base is fixed to the roof of the inspection vehicle, and a vertical sliding rail is arranged on the bearing base;

[0007] A lifting platform is arranged above the bearing base and is in sliding cooperation with the sliding rail;

[0008] A lifting driving member is arranged below the lifting platform and is used to drive the lifting platform to move up and down;

[0009] A charging module is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform; and

[0010] A locking module is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform and comprises two clamping blocks opposite to the charging module, and the two clamping blocks can approach or move away from each other.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the bearing base is provided with a shock-absorbing pad below.

[0012] In a possible implementation, the upper surface of the lifting platform is further provided with a positioning target on one side of the charging module, and the positioning target is a high-contrast pattern or a reflective mark.

[0013] In a possible implementation, the upper surface of the lifting platform is further provided with a visual sensor, which is a camera or a laser radar.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the bearing base is provided with an openable protective cover above.

[0015] In a possible implementation, the protective cover is provided with a temperature control unit and a humidity control unit inside.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the charging module is a contact-type charger with metal contacts or a wireless charger.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the lifting drive is one of an electric telescopic rod, a hydraulic cylinder or an air cylinder.

[0018] In a possible implementation, two lifting drives are symmetrically arranged with respect to the lifting platform.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the lifting platform is provided with a position sensor, which is in communication connection with the locking module, and when the unmanned aerial vehicle is parked on the lifting platform, the position sensor generates an induction signal, and the two clamping blocks of the locking module are close to each other to perform clamping action.

[0020] Compared with the prior art, the integrated and automated auxiliary device for the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle has the following advantages:

[0021] In the present application, the bearing base is fixed on the top of the inspection vehicle, which can provide stable support. The bearing base is provided with a sliding rail, which cooperates with the lifting drive to make the lifting platform stably ascend or descend, realizing the controllable vertical transfer of the unmanned aerial vehicle between the top of the vehicle and the working height. The charging module provides instant energy supply for the landed unmanned aerial vehicle. The locking module with clamping blocks is arranged on both sides of the charging module, which can clamp the landing gear or the lower part of the fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle from both sides after landing, effectively preventing the unmanned aerial vehicle from rolling, sliding or falling when the vehicle moves or bounces, and significantly improving the parking safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the vehicle-mounted state. The present application realizes the automatic lifting, charging and clamping of the unmanned aerial vehicle on the inspection vehicle, and improves the automation degree, operation efficiency and equipment safety of the vehicle-aircraft cooperative operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0022] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments or prior art description will be briefly introduced as follows. Obviously, the drawings in the following description only some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor based on these drawings.

[0023] Figure 1 An assembly exploded view of the integrated and automated auxiliary device for the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present application is provided.

[0024] Figure 2 A perspective view of the integrated and automated auxiliary device for the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present application is provided.

[0025] Figure 3 An assembly exploded view of the integrated and automated auxiliary device for the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle provided by the embodiments of the present application is provided. Figure 1 A front projection view of the assembly exploded view.

[0026] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] 1, inspection vehicle; 2, shock pad; 3, bearing base; 4, slide rail; 5, locking module; 6, charging module; 7, visual sensor; 8, lifting driving part; 9, positioning target; 10, lifting platform; 11, computing center system; 12, protective cover. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial effects of the present application more clearly understood, the present application will be further described in detail below in combination with the drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present application and not to limit the present application.

[0029] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0030] It should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present application.

[0031] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this application, "multiple" or "several" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains.

[0033] Please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 3 The following describes an auxiliary device for an integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) inspection vehicle 1 provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0034] This application provides an integrated and automated auxiliary device for a drone inspection vehicle 1, including a support base 3, a lifting platform 10, a lifting drive component 8, a charging module 6, and a locking module 5.

[0035] A support base 3 is fixed to the roof of the inspection vehicle 1, and a vertical slide rail 4 is provided on the support base 3. A lifting platform 10 is located above the support base 3 and slides in cooperation with the slide rail 4. A lifting drive component 8 is located below the lifting platform 10 and is used to drive the lifting platform 10 to move up and down. A charging module 6 is located on the upper surface of the lifting platform 10. A locking module 5 is located on the upper surface of the lifting platform 10 and includes two clamping blocks opposite to the charging module 6, which can move closer or further apart. A computing center system 11 is located inside the vehicle and is used to control the coordinated operation of the various components.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the integrated and automated auxiliary device for the unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle 1 provided in this application embodiment are:

[0037] In this embodiment, the support base 3 is fixed to the top of the inspection vehicle 1, providing stable support. A slide rail 4 is installed on the support base 3, and the slide rail 4 works in conjunction with the lifting drive component 8 to ensure the stable rise and fall of the lifting platform 10, achieving controllable vertical transport of the drone between the vehicle roof and the working height. The charging module 6 provides immediate energy replenishment for the drone after landing. Clamping locking modules 5 are located on both sides of the charging module 6, which can clamp the drone's landing gear or lower fuselage from both sides after landing, effectively preventing the drone from tipping over, sliding, or falling when the vehicle moves or experiences bumps, significantly improving the parking safety of the drone in vehicle-mounted mode. This embodiment realizes automatic lifting, charging, and clamping of the drone on the inspection vehicle 1, improving the automation level, operational efficiency, and equipment safety of vehicle-machine collaborative operations.

[0038] The bearing base 3 can be made of high-strength aluminum alloy profiles or steel plates welded together and fastened to the pre-set mounting points on the roof of the inspection vehicle 1 by bolts. Reinforcing ribs can be arranged inside the base frame to improve rigidity. The bearing base 3 is provided with sliding rails 4, which are preferably high-precision linear sliding rails 4 or cylindrical guide rods made of hardened steel and equipped with linear bearings or sliding blocks. The length of the sliding rails 4 should be greater than the full stroke of the lifting platform 10 to ensure smooth lifting without jamming.

[0039] The lifting platform 10 is a direct bearing surface for the UAV and can be made of aluminum alloy plates or composite material panels with a non-slip surface treatment (such as attaching rubber pads or processing anti-slip patterns). The lifting platform 10 has a sliding part that cooperates with the sliding rails 4. The lifting drive 8 is installed and fixed on the bottom crossbeam of the bearing base 3, and its output end (such as the top end of the push rod) is hinged or ball-jointed to the bottom of the lifting platform 10 to allow small amplitude deflection and avoid structural internal forces.

[0040] The locking module 5 includes two clamping blocks that can be installed on the linear guide rails on the upper surface of the lifting platform 10 and driven by separate drives (such as miniature electric push rods, screw nut transmission pairs or other driving structures) to move towards or away from each other. Soft rubber or polyurethane pads can be embedded inside the clamping blocks to accommodate different sizes of UAV landing gear and prevent injury.

[0041] The charging module 6 should be installed in a position that ensures that when the UAV is locked in the standard position, its charging interface can be accurately aligned with the charging module 6. The charging module 6 is a contact charger with metal contacts or a wireless charger.

[0042] In some possible embodiments, a shock-absorbing pad 2 is provided below the bearing base 3. The shock-absorbing pad 2 can be made of high-damping rubber, polyurethane elastomer or composite vibration isolation material, with a thickness that can be selected within the range of 15mm to 40mm, and a shape that matches the bottom plate of the bearing base 3. The shock-absorbing pad 2 can be fixed between the roof and the base by adhesion or combined with bolts (such as using lock washers). Its shock-absorbing performance can be selected according to the vehicle suspension characteristics and the expected shock-absorbing effect.

[0043] The shock-absorbing pad 2 in this embodiment can effectively isolate and attenuate low-frequency vibrations and high-frequency impacts caused by road unevenness during vehicle driving. This isolation protects the components from fatigue damage or precision degradation caused by continuous vibration, and provides a relatively stable microenvironment for the UAV parked on the lifting platform 10, which helps to improve the stability of the charging contact and the reliability of the electronic components inside the UAV.

[0044] In some possible embodiments, the upper surface of the lifting platform 10 is also provided with a positioning target 9 on one side of the charging module 6. The positioning target 9 is a high-contrast pattern or a reflective marker that assists the UAV in autonomous landing and positioning.

[0045] Positioning target 9 is printed or pasted on the flat area of the lifting platform 10, beside the charging module 6 (such as the front or side), to ensure that it is within the field of view of the UAV's onboard downward-looking camera. The target pattern can be a black and white checkerboard with high contrast, concentric circles, an I-shaped marker, etc.

[0046] The material of the positioning target 9 needs to have weather resistance, wear resistance, and anti-glare properties. The size of the target needs to match the recognition distance of the UAV and the resolution of the camera, such as 200mm to 500mm in length or diameter.

[0047] The positioning target 9 provides a clear and stable ground reference point for the UAV's onboard vision system, allowing the UAV to accurately place the landing gear in the pre-set locking and charging area. The UAV can be automatically controlled by cruise software or manually controlled by an operator.

[0048] In some possible embodiments, the upper surface of the lifting platform 10 is also provided with a visual sensor 7, which can be a wide-angle high-definition camera, an infrared camera, or a small laser radar, installed on the edge or corner of the lifting platform 10, providing monitoring data from a second perspective. The data is fused with the UAV's own positioning data or subjected to redundant verification, thereby enhancing the reliability of the landing guidance system under complex conditions and providing an additional safeguard for safe landing.

[0049] In some possible embodiments, a protective cover 12 is provided above the bearing base 3. The protective cover 12 can be made of lightweight aluminum alloy, glass fiber reinforced plastic, or engineering plastic, and has a box-shaped or dome-shaped overall shape that matches the profile of the bearing base 3. The opening and closing modes can use existing structural forms such as side sliding (driven by slide rails 4 and motors), flipping (driven by hinges and electric push rods), etc. The edges of the protective cover 12 that come into contact with the bearing base 3 should be provided with sealing strips to achieve a rain and dust-proof sealing effect. The motor or actuator that drives the opening and closing of the protective cover 12 should be linked to the vehicle-mounted control center.

[0050] In some possible embodiments, the protective cover 12 is provided with a temperature control unit and a humidity control unit. The temperature control unit can include heating elements (resistance heaters) and cooling elements (such as small semiconductor refrigeration plates), in combination with temperature sensors and controllers, to form a closed-loop temperature control system. A cooling fan is used to balance the internal air and dissipate the heat from the cooling plate.

[0051] The humidity control unit can include a dehumidification module (such as a small rotary dehumidifier or a semiconductor refrigeration dew dehumidifier) and a humidity sensor. A simple humidifier (such as an ultrasonic humidifier) can also be integrated for extremely dry environments. The control unit can automatically start and stop related components according to pre-set thresholds to maintain a suitable temperature and humidity range within the protective cover 12.

[0052] In some possible embodiments, the lifting drive 8 is one of an electric telescopic rod, a hydraulic cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder.

[0053] In some possible embodiments, two lifting drives 8 are symmetrically arranged relative to the lifting platform 10, and the operation is more stable.

[0054] In some possible embodiments, a position sensor is arranged on the lifting platform 10, and the position sensor is in communication connection with the locking module 5. When the UAV is parked on the lifting platform 10, the position sensor generates a sensing signal, and the two clamping blocks of the locking module 5 are close to each other to perform the clamping action. The position sensor can be a pressure sensor, a laser distance sensor or other sensors capable of detecting the relative position of the UAV. The position sensor serves as a trigger condition to ensure that the locking action is only performed after the UAV has landed stably, thereby avoiding the false action caused by the UAV not being parked stably or mistakenly entering the detection area. This linkage control makes the entire take-off and landing process without manual judgment and intervention, truly realizes the full automation from landing to fixing, and improves the continuity and safety of the operation process.

[0055] The device is installed on the roof of the inspection vehicle 1. First, the bearing base 3 is fixed on the roof body by bolts, and a shock pad is laid at the bottom. The lifting drive 8 is an electric telescopic rod, which is vertically installed on the bearing base 3, and the lifting platform 10 is connected with the lifting drive 8 through the slide rail 4. The positioning target 9 is a bright yellow icon, which is pasted on the platform surface, and the visual sensor 7 is arranged at the four corners of the platform. The mechanical clamping block is installed on the edge of the platform, and the position sensor is embedded in the inside of the lifting platform 10. The charging module 6 is installed in the center of the lifting platform 10, the protective cover 12 is installed above the bearing base 3, and the inside is integrated with a temperature and humidity control unit. The top of the protective cover 12 has an openable hatch, which is driven to open and close by a pneumatic cylinder or an electric cylinder. The computing center system 11 is installed in the vehicle, and is connected with each component through a cable.

[0056] The working process is as follows: when the UAV returns, the hatch of the protective cover 12 is opened, the lifting drive 8 drives the lifting platform 10 to rise to the outside of the protective cover 12, the visual sensor 7 recognizes the position of the UAV, and guides it to land on the lifting platform 10. After the position sensor detects that the UAV lands, the locking module 5 automatically locks the landing gear of the UAV. Then the charging module 6 is connected for charging, the lifting drive 8 drives the lifting platform 10 to descend and reset, the hatch of the protective cover 12 is closed, and the temperature and humidity control is started. During operation, the hatch of the protective cover 12 is opened, the lifting platform 10 is raised, and the UAV is unlocked and takes off autonomously. After the UAV takes off, the lifting platform 10 is reset to the initial position.

[0057] The above embodiments only illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, and are not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application.

[0058] It should be noted that the technical scheme of the present application aims to provide a vehicle integrated auxiliary platform serving unmanned aerial vehicle inspection operation. Those skilled in the art should understand that the "unmanned aerial vehicle" mentioned in the scheme refers to the existing industrial or multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle with autonomous flight and landing control capability. The structure (such as the fuselage, arm, rotor, landing gear) of the unmanned aerial vehicle itself, the flight control system, the on-board visual identification system, the energy system (including the battery and the charging interface), and the communication module all belong to the common knowledge or prior art in the technical field. The specific implementation details of these unmanned aerial vehicle prior arts are not the innovative points of the present application, and the implementation of the present application does not depend on any specific improvement of the structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle itself.

[0059] The core innovation of the present application lies in the innovative mechanical structure of the auxiliary device itself, the spatial layout of each functional module, and the connection and cooperation relationship between them for realizing specific functions. Specifically, it is through the specific integrated mode and cooperative working method of the lifting and folding mechanism composed of the bearing base 3, the lifting platform 10 and the lifting driving member 8, the positioning guide and locking mechanism composed of the positioning target 9, the visual sensor 7 and the locking module 5, the environmental cabin composed of the protective cover 12, and the computing center system 11, etc. An operation platform capable of automatically, safely and efficiently completing the whole process of receiving, parking, protecting, charging and re-launching the unmanned aerial vehicle on the mobile inspection vehicle 1 is constructed. The present application solves the technical problems of low efficiency and high risk of manual folding and unfolding of the unmanned aerial vehicle, unstable parking on the vehicle, inability to automatically supply energy, and lack of environmental protection, etc. Therefore, even if the present application does not detail the specific structure and control logic of the unmanned aerial vehicle, those skilled in the art can understand, implement and achieve the technical effects of the technical scheme claimed by the present application on the premise of knowing the existing unmanned aerial vehicle technology.

[0060] It can be understood that the parts in the above embodiments can be freely combined or deleted to form different combined embodiments, and the specific content of each combined embodiment will not be described here. After the above description, it can be considered that the present application has described each combined embodiment and can support different combined embodiments.

[0061] The above only describes the preferred embodiments of the present application and does not limit the present application. Any modification, equivalent replacement and improvement made within the spirit and principle of the present application shall be included in the protection scope of the present application.

Claims

1. An integrated, automated, unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device, characterized by, The utility model relates to a kind of unmanned aerial vehicle docking station, including: Bearing pedestal (3) is fixed to the top of inspection vehicle (1), vertical slide rail (4) is equipped on the bearing pedestal (3); Lifting platform (10) is equipped above the bearing pedestal (3) and is slidably connected with the slide rail (4); Lifting drive element (8) is equipped below the lifting platform (10), for driving the lifting platform (10) to move up and down; Charging module (6) is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform (10); And Locking module (5) is arranged on the upper surface of the lifting platform (10), including two clamping blocks opposite to the charging module (6), two clamping blocks can be close to or away from each other.

2. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The lower side of the bearing pedestal (3) is equipped with shock pad (2).

3. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the lifting platform (10) is further equipped with positioning target (9), and the positioning target (9) is located on one side of the charging module (6), and the positioning target (9) is high-contrast pattern or reflective mark.

4. The integrated and automated auxiliary device for UAV inspection vehicle according to claim 3, wherein, The upper surface of the lifting platform (10) is further equipped with visual sensor (7), and the visual sensor (7) is camera or laser radar.

5. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The upper side of the bearing pedestal (3) is equipped with openable protective cover (12).

6. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 5, wherein, The protective cover (12) is equipped with temperature control unit and humidity control unit.

7. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The charging module (6) is contact charger with metal contact or wireless charger.

8. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The lifting drive element (8) is one of electric telescopic rod, hydraulic cylinder or air cylinder.

9. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The lifting drive element (8) is symmetrically provided with two about the lifting platform (10).

10. The integrated and automated unmanned aerial vehicle inspection vehicle auxiliary device of claim 1, wherein, The lifting platform (10) is equipped with in-place sensor, and the in-place sensor is communicatively connected with the locking module (5), when unmanned aerial vehicle is parked to the lifting platform (10), the in-place sensor generates sensing signal, and the two clamping blocks of the locking module (5) are close to each other, and clamping action is carried out.

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