Catenary inspection unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of catenary maintenance, in particular to a catenary inspection unmanned aerial vehicle. An unmanned aerial vehicle body of the overhead line system inspection unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a host; the host is provided with a power unit for flying and an image unit for collecting images; an undercarriage is arranged below the main machine, and an obstacle removing mechanism located in the view field of the image unit is arranged at the undercarriage; the obstacle removing mechanism is used for being matched with the unmanned aerial vehicle body during moving, so that obstacles on the contact net can be separated. The obstacle removing mechanism can be combined with an existing unmanned aerial vehicle to remove obstacles on the contact network; compared with manual hand-held equipment, long-distance inspection along the railway track is easier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of overhead contact line maintenance technology, and more specifically, to an overhead contact line inspection drone. Background Technology

[0002] The overhead contact system is a special high-voltage transmission line that is erected above the railway line to provide continuous power to electric locomotives or EMUs. It consists of multiple subsystems, including the contact suspension system, support system, and support column system. The contact suspension system mainly includes the catenary, droppers, and contact wire that works with the train's pantograph. The support system and support column system are mainly used to stabilize the contact suspension system above the rails.

[0003] Railway maintenance personnel regularly inspect the overhead contact line to prevent obstructions from affecting train power supply and safety. Common obstructions include balloons, kite strings, plastic films used in daily life or agriculture, and netting. These obstructions can hang or become entangled on the contact line, seriously affecting the coordination between the pantograph and the contact line.

[0004] Overhead contact line inspection is usually done manually with tools. People walk along the track to observe whether there are any obstacles on the overhead contact line and remove them with hand tools. However, due to the long length of the railway and the height of the overhead contact line, it is quite troublesome for people to walk long distances and remove obstacles with hand tools. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This invention provides a contact wire inspection drone that can overcome some or all the defects of the prior art.

[0006] According to the present invention, a contact network inspection drone includes a main unit; the main unit has a power unit for flight and an image unit for image acquisition; The main unit is equipped with landing gear, and a clearing mechanism is located at the landing gear, which is within the field of view of the imaging unit. The clearing mechanism is used to work with the UAV body when it is moving to remove obstacles on the contact wire.

[0007] The obstacle removal mechanism of this invention can be combined with existing drones to remove obstacles from the overhead contact line; it is much easier than manual handheld devices for long-distance inspections along railway tracks.

[0008] Preferably, the obstacle removal mechanism includes a support frame for mounting with the landing gear; the support frame is provided with a cutting assembly for destroying the obstacle structure; the cutting assembly is also provided with a fork assembly for lifting the obstacle.

[0009] In this invention, the cutting component and the front fork component are designed to allow the cutting component to dismantle the obstacle in a destructive manner, and then the front fork component can lift and remove the dismantled obstacle or push it directly off the contact wire, thereby efficiently clearing the obstacle.

[0010] Preferably, the cutting assembly includes a mounting bracket; the mounting bracket includes a T-shaped third mounting plate; the upper end of the third mounting plate is detachably connected to a support frame; a mounting frame is provided at the lower end; a cutting machine is provided at the mounting frame; the cutting machine has a blade horizontally positioned below the mounting frame for destroying obstacle structures.

[0011] In this invention, by setting up a cutting machine and its blades, when a drone detects an obstacle on the contact line, it can place the horizontally set blades above the contact line and then control the drone to fly along the length of the contact line. In this way, the horizontally set blades can cut the obstacle on the contact line.

[0012] Preferably, the fork assembly includes a base; the upper end of the base is provided with a fourth mounting plate for detachable connection with the mounting frame; the base is provided with openings through both sides and receiving grooves communicating with the openings; a blade extends into the receiving groove and its outer edge extends out of one side of the opening of the base; one side of the base is provided with fork shanks located on both sides of the opening; the end of the fork shank away from the base is pointed, and the pointed end is used to pierce obstacles.

[0013] In this invention, the base and fork allow the blade to maintain a certain distance from the contact wire via the base, preventing the blade from damaging the contact wire. After the blade cuts the obstacle, some of the obstacle falls from the contact wire to the ground, while the other part remains on the contact wire. This allows the drone to be controlled to use the fork to fork away or pry away the remaining obstacle.

[0014] Preferably, a limiting block is provided at the opening where the blade extends from the base.

[0015] In this invention, by setting a limiting block, the position of the blade extending out of the opening on the base side can be partially blocked, thereby preventing the blade from detaching from the opening.

[0016] Preferably, the sharp end of the fork is provided with an interference fit and elastic sleeve; the two sleeves are connected to a connecting plate.

[0017] In this invention, the sleeve and connecting plate are designed so that the tip of the fork can be covered by the sleeve to prevent injury to personnel when there is no inspection. The connecting plate can connect two sleeves at the same time to prevent them from being easily lost.

[0018] Preferably, the support frame is n-shaped, with second mounting plates fixed at both ends for detachable connection with the landing gear; the upper end of the third mounting plate is detachably connected to the upper end of the support frame; and a rubber gasket is provided between the third mounting plate and the support frame.

[0019] In this invention, the space between the landing gears can be used reasonably by setting up the n-shaped support frame, without affecting the contact between the landing gear and the ground. The rubber gasket can reduce the impact of the cutting machine's vibration on the drone.

[0020] Preferably, the power unit includes multiple mounting rods connected to the outside of the main unit; a motor is provided at the end of the mounting rod away from the main unit; the motor is driven to connect to the rotor; and a protective mechanism for protecting the rotor is provided at the mounting rod.

[0021] In this invention, the rotor can be protected by the protective mechanism, thereby preventing the drone from crashing when the rotor collides with the overhead contact line structure while flying in the complex structure of the overhead contact line.

[0022] Preferably, the protective mechanism includes two symmetrically arranged semi-circular protective plates; the two protective plates together form a ring and surround the motor and rotor; each of the two protective plates has a first mounting plate at one end opposite to the other, and they are detachably connected by fasteners.

[0023] In this invention, the arrangement of two symmetrically positioned protective plates makes the protective mechanism easy to assemble and replace.

[0024] Preferably, the inner wall of the protective plate is provided with a connecting rod extending toward the motor; the end of the connecting rod is provided with a stop plate that fits against the motor wall; and the end of the protective plate is provided with a hole for the mounting rod to pass through.

[0025] In this invention, the design of the abutment plate and the insertion hole ensures that the two protective plates remain stable after being connected, thereby enabling the protective mechanism to provide stable protection in the event of a collision. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the drone body in Example 1; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the protective mechanism after disassembly in Example 1; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the obstacle removal mechanism after disassembly in Example 1; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the bottom of the drone body in Example 1; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the protective mechanism in Example 1; Figure 6This is a schematic diagram of the obstacle removal mechanism in Example 1; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the disassembled front fork assembly in Example 1; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the front fork assembly in Example 1. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To further understand the content of this invention, the invention will be described in detail with reference to the embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments are merely illustrative and not limiting of the invention.

[0028] Example 1 like Figure 1-8 As shown, this embodiment provides a contact network inspection drone, whose drone body 100 includes a host 110; the host 110 has a power unit 120 for flight and an image unit 130 for image acquisition; The main unit 110 is provided with a landing gear 111 below it. The landing gear 111 is provided with a clearing mechanism 150 that is within the field of view of the image unit 130. The clearing mechanism 150 is used to cooperate with the UAV body 100 when it is moving so that obstacles on the contact wire can be removed.

[0029] The obstacle clearing mechanism 150 in this embodiment can be combined with existing drones to clear obstacles on the overhead contact line; it is easier than manual handheld devices for long-distance inspections along railway tracks; the host 110, power unit 120 and image unit 130 are common drone structures with image acquisition functions in the prior art, and also include flight control, remote control and other structures. The image unit 130 achieves multi-angle shooting through gimbal and camera structures.

[0030] In this embodiment, the obstacle removal mechanism 150 includes a support frame 651 for mounting to the landing gear 111; the support frame 651 is provided with a cutting component 652 for destroying the obstacle structure; the cutting component 652 is also provided with a fork component 653 for lifting the obstacle.

[0031] The cutting component 652 and the fork component 653 in this embodiment enable the cutting component 652 to dismantle obstacles in a destructive manner, and the fork component 653 to lift and remove the dismantled obstacles or push them directly off the contact wire, thereby efficiently clearing the obstacles.

[0032] In this embodiment, the cutting assembly 652 includes a mounting frame 7520; the mounting frame 7520 includes a T-shaped third mounting plate 7521; the upper end of the third mounting plate 7521 is detachably connected to the support frame 651; the lower end is provided with a mounting frame 7522; a cutting machine 7523 is provided at the mounting frame 7522; the cutting machine 7523 has a blade 7524 horizontally arranged below the mounting frame 7522 for destroying obstacle structures.

[0033] With the cutting machine 7523 and its blade 7524 configured in this embodiment, when the drone detects an obstacle on the contact line, it can place the horizontally positioned blade 7524 above the contact line and then control the drone to fly along the length of the contact line. In this way, the horizontally positioned blade 7524 can cut the obstacle on the contact line. For example, if there is kite string wrapped around the contact line, the blade 7524 of the cutting machine 7523 can cut the kite string along the top of the contact line. When a string is cut, it will be divided into multiple short strings, which will lose their ability to wrap around and can then detach from the contact line. The cutting machine 7523 is a handheld wireless cutting machine 7523 in the prior art. When it is necessary to clear obstacles, the cutting machine 7523 can be started in advance before takeoff. The outer edge of its blade 7524 is smooth and sharp without serrations to prevent the yarn from being stuck by serrations and causing the blade 7524 to jam.

[0034] In this embodiment, the fork assembly 653 includes a base 8530; the upper end of the base 8530 is provided with a fourth mounting plate 8532 for detachable connection with the mounting frame 7522; the base 8530 is provided with an opening through both sides and a receiving groove 8531 communicating with the opening; the blade 7524 extends into the receiving groove 8531 and its outer edge extends out of the opening on one side of the base 8530; a fork 8533 is provided on one side of the base 8530, located on both sides of the opening; the end of the fork 8533 away from the base 8530 is sharp, and the sharp end is used to pierce obstacles.

[0035] The base 8530 and fork 8533 in this embodiment allow the blade 7524 to maintain a certain distance from the contact wire via the base 8530, preventing damage to the contact wire by the blade 7524. After the blade 7524 cuts an obstacle, some of the obstacle falls from the contact wire to the ground, while the other part remains on the contact wire. The drone can then use the fork 8533 to remove or pry away the remaining obstacle. For example, if a plastic film is directly placed on the surface of the contact wire, it can be directly removed by the fork 8533. If it becomes entangled, it can be removed by breaking it with the blade 7524 and separating it with the fork 8533. The distance between the blade 7524 and the bottom of the base 8530 can be set between 3-5 mm. The blade 7524 is parallel to the bottom of the base 8530. When clearing obstacles, the drone flies with the base 8530 in contact with the contact wire, allowing the blade 7524 to maintain a distance from the contact wire to prevent contact.

[0036] In this embodiment, a limiting block 8534 is provided at the opening of the base 8530 where the blade 7524 extends.

[0037] By setting the limiting block 8534 in this embodiment, the position where the blade 7524 extends out of the opening on the side of the base 8530 can be partially blocked, thereby preventing the blade 7524 from detaching from the opening.

[0038] In this embodiment, the sharp end of the fork 8533 is provided with an interference fit and an elastic sleeve 8535; the two sleeves 8535 are connected to a connecting plate 8536.

[0039] The sleeve 8535 and connecting plate 8536 in this embodiment enable the sleeve 8535 to cover the tip of the fork 8533 to prevent injury to personnel when there is no inspection. The connecting plate 8536 can connect two sleeves 8535 at the same time to prevent them from being easily lost.

[0040] In this embodiment, the support frame 651 is n-shaped, and its two ends are fixed with a second mounting plate 7510 for detachable connection with the landing gear 111; the upper end face of the third mounting plate 7521 is detachably connected to the upper end of the support frame 651; and a rubber gasket 7511 is provided between the third mounting plate 7521 and the support frame 651.

[0041] The n-shaped support frame 651 in this embodiment allows for the reasonable use of the space between the landing gear 111 without affecting the contact between the landing gear 111 and the ground. The rubber pad 7511 can reduce the impact of the vibration of the cutting machine 7523 on the drone.

[0042] In this embodiment, the power unit 120 includes a plurality of mounting rods 523 connected to the outside of the main unit 110; a motor 521 is provided at one end of the mounting rod 523 away from the main unit 110; the motor 521 is connected to the rotor 522; and a protective mechanism 140 for protecting the rotor 522 is provided at the mounting rod 523.

[0043] The protective mechanism 140 in this embodiment protects the rotor 522, thereby preventing the drone from crashing when it collides with the overhead contact line structure while flying in the complex overhead contact line structure.

[0044] In this embodiment, the protective mechanism 140 includes two symmetrically arranged semi-circular protective plates 541; the two protective plates 541 together form a ring and surround the motor 521 and rotor 522; each of the two protective plates 541 is provided with a first mounting plate 542 at one end opposite to the other, and is detachably connected by fasteners.

[0045] The arrangement of two symmetrically arranged protective plates 541 in this embodiment makes it easy to assemble and replace the protective mechanism 140.

[0046] In this embodiment, the inner wall of the protective plate 541 is provided with a connecting rod 543 extending toward the motor 521; the end of the connecting rod 543 is provided with a stop plate 544 that fits against the wall of the motor 521; the end of the protective plate 541 is provided with an insertion hole 545 for the mounting rod 523 to pass through.

[0047] The abutment plate 544 and the insertion hole 545 in this embodiment enable the two protective plates 541 to remain stable after being connected, so that the protective mechanism 140 can provide stable protection when a collision occurs.

[0048] It is readily understood that those skilled in the art can combine, split, or reorganize the embodiments provided in this application to obtain other embodiments, all of which do not exceed the protection scope of this application.

[0049] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above illustratively. This description is not restrictive, and the embodiments shown are only part of the embodiments of the present invention. The actual structure is not limited thereto. Therefore, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, they should all fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A contact network inspection drone, characterized in that: The UAV body (100) includes a main unit (110); the main unit (110) has a power unit (120) for flight and an image unit (130) for image acquisition. The main unit (110) is provided with a landing gear (111) below it. The landing gear (111) is provided with a clearing mechanism (150) within the field of view of the image unit (130). The clearing mechanism (150) is used to cooperate with the UAV body (100) when it is moving so that obstacles on the contact wire can be removed.

2. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The obstacle removal mechanism (150) includes a support frame (651) for mounting to the landing gear (111); the support frame (651) is provided with a cutting assembly (652) for destroying the obstacle structure; the cutting assembly (652) is also provided with a fork assembly (653) for lifting the obstacle.

3. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The cutting assembly (652) includes a mounting bracket (7520); The mounting bracket (7520) includes a T-shaped third mounting plate (7521); the upper end of the third mounting plate (7521) is detachably connected to the support frame (651); the lower end is provided with a mounting frame (7522); the mounting frame (7522) is provided with a cutting machine (7523); the cutting machine (7523) has a blade (7524) horizontally positioned below the mounting frame (7522) for destroying obstacle structures.

4. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The fork assembly (653) includes a base (8530); the upper end of the base (8530) is provided with a fourth mounting plate (8532) for detachable connection with a mounting frame (7522); the base (8530) is provided with openings through both sides and receiving grooves (8531) communicating with the openings; a blade (7524) extends into the receiving groove (8531) and its outer edge extends out of the opening on one side of the base (8530); a fork (8533) is provided on one side of the base (8530) located on both sides of the opening; the end of the fork (8533) away from the base (8530) is pointed, and the pointed end is used to pierce obstacles.

5. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The base (8530) has a limiting block (8534) at the opening where the blade (7524) extends.

6. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The sharp end of the fork (8533) is provided with an interference fit and elastic sleeve (8535); the two sleeves (8535) are connected to a connecting plate (8536).

7. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support frame (651) is n-shaped, and its two ends are fixed with a second mounting plate (7510) for detachable connection with the landing gear (111); the upper end face of the third mounting plate (7521) is detachably connected to the upper end of the support frame (651); and a rubber gasket (7511) is provided between the third mounting plate (7521) and the support frame (651).

8. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power unit (120) includes multiple mounting rods (523) connected to the outside of the main unit (110); a motor (521) is provided at one end of the mounting rod (523) away from the main unit (110); the motor (521) is connected to the rotor (522); a protective mechanism (140) for protecting the rotor (522) is provided at the mounting rod (523).

9. The contact wire inspection drone according to claim 8, characterized in that: The protective mechanism (140) includes two symmetrically arranged semi-circular protective plates (541); the two protective plates (541) together form a ring and surround the motor (521) and rotor (522); each of the two protective plates (541) is provided with a first mounting plate (542) at one end opposite to the other, and is detachably connected by fasteners.

10. A contact network inspection drone according to claim 9, characterized in that: The inner wall of the protective plate (541) is provided with a connecting rod (543) extending toward the motor (521); the end of the connecting rod (543) is provided with a stop plate (544) that fits against the wall of the motor (521); the end of the protective plate (541) is provided with a socket (545) through which the mounting rod (523) passes.

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