Lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle airbag

Abstract

The application discloses a lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle safety air bag and belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle equipment. The safety air bag comprises a triggering device and an air source device. The triggering device comprises a shell, a shell cover plate, an electric heating wire, an electric heating wire fixing plate, a spring, a needle, a needle fixing block and a traction wire. The air source device comprises a latex capsule body, a first layer air bag and a second layer air bag. The electric heating wire fixing plate fixes the electric heating wire, and the electric heating wire melts the traction wire under power supply. After the traction wire is melted, the spring is released, the needle is pushed out to pierce the latex capsule body through the needle fixing block, and the latex capsule body is filled with liquid reagent. Powder reagent is arranged in a first region surrounded between the first layer air bag and the latex capsule body, the powder reagent can react with the liquid reagent in the latex capsule body to release gas, and a second region surrounded between the second layer air bag and the first layer air bag surrounds the first region and the triggering device. The safety air bag is high in reliability, light in weight and quick in response.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment technology, and more specifically, to a lightweight UAV airbag. Background Technology

[0002] Airbags can be used to protect high-value and valuable items, such as drones, unmanned underwater vehicles, high-value and high-precision instruments, and any high-value and valuable items used in scenarios where there is a risk of bumping, falling into water, or impact.

[0003] Currently, there are no protective devices specifically designed for drones. Typically, only impact-resistant netting is installed around the blades to reduce damage from collisions. However, if a drone falls into water, it may suffer minor damage such as circuitry and battery failure, or even be completely lost and unrecoverable. Furthermore, existing protective airbags are usually heavy or bulky, making them unsuitable for drones to carry.

[0004] Therefore, existing technologies need to be improved to provide safer, more reliable, and more convenient drone protective airbags. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a lightweight drone airbag, including a triggering device and an air source device. The triggering device drives the air source device to generate gas, thus putting the airbag into a protective state. The triggering device includes a shell, a shell cover plate, a heating wire, a heating wire fixing plate, a spring, a spike, a spike fixing block, and a traction wire. The air source device includes an inner capsule body, a first airbag, and a second airbag, wherein: The outer cover plate is disposed on the outer casing and is used to fix the traction wire; The housing serves to guide the needle, mount the spring, and secure the heating wire; The needle fixing block is disposed between the needle and the spring for fixing the needle; The heating wire fixing plate is used to fix the heating wire and is provided with positive and negative terminals for connecting to an external power supply mechanism. The heating wire melts the traction wire when powered. The spring is used to provide elastic potential energy. After the traction wire melts, the spring is released and pushes the needle to extend and puncture the emulsion capsule body via the needle fixing block. The emulsion capsule body contains liquid reagent. The first airbag and the milk capsule body form a first enclosed area. The first area contains a powder reagent that can react with the liquid reagent inside the milk capsule body to release gas as a gas source. The second airbag and the first airbag form a second enclosed area, which surrounds the first area and the triggering device.

[0006] In one embodiment, the traction wire is made of an acid and alkali resistant material.

[0007] In one embodiment, the powdered reagent is sodium bicarbonate, and the liquid reagent inside the milk capsule is a saturated aluminum sulfate solution. The reaction releases carbon dioxide as a gas source, and the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to aluminum sulfate solution ensures that the aluminum sulfate solution reacts completely.

[0008] In one embodiment, the milk capsule body is made of natural latex.

[0009] In one embodiment, the traction wire is made of high-strength 200D ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber.

[0010] In one embodiment, the melting point of the traction wire is between 140 and 150 degrees Celsius.

[0011] In one embodiment, the heating wire is a nickel-chromium alloy wire with a diameter of 0.1 mm.

[0012] In one embodiment, the device to be protected is a drone or an unmanned underwater vehicle.

[0013] In one embodiment, the second airbag has higher strength and toughness than the first airbag.

[0014] In one embodiment, the airbag is attached to the drone or mounted on the drone via an adapter.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of the present invention are that it provides a light, small, reliable, fast-responding, low-cost, and widely applicable airbag, and solves the problems of existing safety protection devices being large, heavy, and unable to adapt to the needs of drones.

[0016] Other features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a lightweight drone airbag including a triggering device and an air source device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a traction wire and a heating wire according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3This is a simplified schematic diagram of a lightweight drone airbag according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a triggering device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0020] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0021] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0022] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0023] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0024] The drone airbag provided by this invention includes a triggering device and an air supply device. Under normal circumstances, the airbag is in a retracted state and can be installed in a predetermined small space within the drone. In the event of an accident such as the drone falling into water or colliding, the triggering device can drive the air supply device to generate gas, putting the airbag into a protective state.

[0025] This invention starts with a triggering device and combines it with a suitable air source device to design a safety airbag that can be remotely controlled or controlled based on unexpected events, has a rapid response, small overall size, high reliability, and light weight. Due to its ultra-lightweight and small size, the designed airbag is particularly suitable for drones or other small aircraft, and will not affect the normal flight of the drone.

[0026] The triggering device can be constructed using a small-sized spring, needle, housing, traction wire, and heating wire. The spring can be similar in size to that in a ballpoint pen or even smaller. The needle can be similar to a lancet, and the housing can be a lancet housing or a custom-designed housing of other sizes or shapes. The overall size of the designed triggering device is small, such as only 10mm*10mm*30mm in length, width, and height, or the product can be made even smaller and lighter through a custom-designed housing. This design improves the reliability of the airbag, such as its long service life, high temperature resistance, impact resistance, and waterproofing, and makes the triggering device lightweight, for example, only 6.8g or even less, and smaller in size.

[0027] Furthermore, existing airbags typically use compressed gas cylinders as their gas source. Using cylinders as a gas source has several drawbacks. First, the cylinders themselves are heavy and have a lower safety factor; for example, they cannot withstand impacts or be used at high temperatures. Second, the triggering device required to puncture the cylinder demands significant output power and is large and heavy because puncturing the cylinder's membrane requires considerable force. Therefore, the corresponding triggering device also needs substantial energy to puncture the cylinder, resulting in a complex and bulky device. Based on this, the present invention further designs a gas source device that matches the triggering device, also featuring lightweight, small size, and high reliability.

[0028] The gas source can be a reagent that is highly safe, stable, and non-toxic. For example, a mixture of reagents AB, an alkaline reagent sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), and an acidic reagent aluminum sulfate (alum) can be used to produce carbon dioxide as the gas source.

[0029] Al2(SO4)3+ 6NaHCO3→ 2Al(OH)3↓ + 3Na2SO4+ 6CO2 (1) The triggering device and gas source device designed in this invention enable the airbag to weigh approximately 10g, with a small size for easy installation. Furthermore, the required current for triggering the airbag in protective mode is only 0.6A, achieving instantaneous triggering. When the airbag is installed on a drone, it can be powered by the drone's power supply and controlled simultaneously. In the event of an emergency (crash / water fall), power is supplied to the heating wire, which melts and releases the traction wire, causing the spring to puncture the capsule containing alum saturated solution. The alum solution rapidly reacts with the baking soda powder, generating gas, inflating the airbag. This provides cushioning upon landing or allows the airbag to float on water after a fall.

[0030] Specifically, in combination Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the lightweight drone airbag system includes a triggering device and an air supply device. The triggering device includes positive and negative terminals 1, a housing cover 2, a housing 3, a heating wire fixing plate 4, a spring 5, a needle fixing block 6, a needle 7, a traction wire 11, and a heating wire 12. The air supply device includes an emulsion capsule body 8, a first-layer airbag 9, and a second-layer airbag 10.

[0031] Positive and negative terminals 1 (positive and negative) are used to connect to an external power supply mechanism, which can be the drone's main control board or battery, or a separate, compatible controller. Taking the application of an airbag to a drone as an example, the power supply mechanism can be a battery or control board shared with the drone. Depending on the drone model, the plug module for positive and negative terminals 1 can be replaced. The power supply mechanism provides power to the heating wire 12, and can be powered by 3.7V or two AA batteries.

[0032] The outer cover 2 is disposed on the outer cover 3, and the outer cover 2 can be used to fix the traction wire 11.

[0033] The outer casing 3 is the outer casing of the overall triggering device, which can provide guidance for the needle 7, installation of the spring 5, and installation and fixation of the heating wire 12.

[0034] The heating wire fixing plate 4 is used to fix the heating wire 12 and provides a wiring position for connecting the positive and negative terminals 1.

[0035] Spring 5 provides elastic potential energy. After the traction wire 11 breaks, spring 5 is released and pushes the needle 7 to extend through the needle fixing block 6 to puncture the milk capsule body 8.

[0036] The needle fixing block 6 is used to fix the needle 7, compression spring 5, etc.

[0037] The needle 7 is used to puncture the milk capsule 8. The milk capsule 8 contains a liquid reagent, for example, a saturated aluminum sulfate solution.

[0038] The first air sac 9 is used to store a powdered reagent that can generate gas when it reacts with the liquid reagent inside the capsule 8. For example, the powdered reagent is sodium bicarbonate (or baking soda powder), which reacts with aluminum sulfate solution to produce carbon dioxide.

[0039] The area between the first airbag 9 and the emulsion capsule 8 is designated as Zone 1. The first airbag 9 can be punctured. Zone 1 stores the aforementioned powdered reagent. When the emulsion capsule 8 ruptures, the solution and powdered reagents rapidly fuse within a small area, generating gas. Once a certain amount of gas is produced, it will break through the first airbag 9 and enter Zone 2. Zone 2 is the area between the second airbag 10 and the first airbag 9.

[0040] The second airbag 10 is the main body of the airbag. After the released gas enters the second area, it quickly inflates the second airbag 10, thereby providing cushioning during the collision or buoyancy after falling into the water.

[0041] It should be noted that the area enclosed by the first layer of airbag 9 restricts the reaction space between the powder and liquid reagents, preventing the liquid reagent from not reacting fully due to the powder scattering. At the same time, the ratio of liquid to powder reagents must also ensure that the liquid reagent can react fully, for example, by placing an excessive amount of powder reagent.

[0042] The second airbag 10, as the outermost layer of the airbag, can be adjusted according to the actual size of the drone. In addition, as the main body of the safety airbag, the second airbag 10 is made of materials with higher strength and toughness than the first airbag 9. That is, because the first airbag 9 and the second airbag 10 have different functions, the first airbag 9 needs to be easy to rupture, while the second airbag 10 is not easy to rupture.

[0043] The traction wire 11, as an important component of the triggering device, is used to pull the needle 7 to compress the spring 5.

[0044] As an important component of the triggering device, the heating wire 12 generates heat rapidly after being energized, producing high temperature, which melts the traction wire 11 and releases the spring 5.

[0045] In one embodiment, the latex capsule 8 is made of natural latex. This latex capsule 8 is elastic and, when it contains the liquid reagent, it is in an "open" state. When punctured, the latex capsule 8 shrinks very small, thereby achieving rapid release of the liquid reagent and allowing the liquid reagent to fully contact the powder reagent for reaction.

[0046] In one embodiment, the traction wire 11 is made of a material resistant to acids and alkalis with a low melting point. Acid and alkali resistance extends service life, while the low melting point allows the traction wire 11 to melt easily, improving the reliability and response speed of the airbag. For example, the traction wire 11 can be made of high-strength ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber (such as 200D, i.e., 200 fine filaments twisted together), and its melting point is low, such as around 140 to 150 degrees Celsius. This material selection results in minimal deformation, a long service life, and high reliability.

[0047] In one embodiment, the heating wire 12 can be made of nickel-chromium alloy wire with a diameter of approximately 0.1 mm. Appropriate material selection for the heating wire 12 and the traction wire 11 ensures that the spring can be released by melting the traction wire 11 with relatively low voltage and power. For example, 3V voltage, 0.6A current, and 1.8W power are sufficient to trigger the device.

[0048] The airbag size can be adjusted to suit the actual size of the drone to effectively protect it in protective mode. The airbag can be mounted on the drone using an adapter or directly attached to it. Connectors can be customized for different drone models.

[0049] The airbag provided by this invention is adaptable to various types and sizes of drones or aircraft, and is applicable in any scenario where there is a risk of collision, water impact, or crash. For example, when a drone encounters danger, remote control powers the triggering device, the heating wire generates heat, the traction wire melts, the spring is released, the spring pushes the piercing needle forward, the piercing needle punctures the capsule, and the saturated aluminum sulfate solution inside the capsule flows out. In zone one, it fully fuses with excess sodium bicarbonate powder to generate gas. The gas breaks through zone one and enters zone two to continue reacting, filling zone two and forming a full protective bladder, thereby providing cushioning or buoyancy for the drone.

[0050] The airbag designed in this invention is reliable. This is because sodium bicarbonate and aluminum sulfate are both stable acid-base reagents, inexpensive, non-toxic, heat-resistant, and stable, and the large amount of carbon dioxide gas produced by the reaction is also non-toxic and harmless. Furthermore, the emulsion capsule containing the liquid reagent is preferably made of natural latex, which can withstand significant tensile force. To facilitate rapid solution release, the emulsion capsule is in an expanded state. The traction wire itself is also made of acid- and alkali-resistant material, with a melting point of, for example, around 145 degrees Celsius—neither too high nor too low—covering the needs of various application scenarios without being too difficult to melt due to an excessively high melting point.

[0051] In addition, the designed airbag is lightweight, with the entire device weighing only about 10g, significantly less than the air cylinders of traditional protective devices. It is also small in size, making it easy to install, and will not burden equipment such as drones, filling the gap in the lack of lightweight airbags for drones.

[0052] To further verify the effectiveness of the invention, reliability tests were conducted. It was verified that under a 3V voltage drive, the heating wire can reach over 150 degrees Celsius within 50ms, melting the traction wire, ejecting the piercing needle, and puncturing the airbag to generate gas, all within 30ms. The time required for the airbag to fully deploy depends on its size; for example, a 10cm*10cm airbag can fully deploy and achieve effective protection in approximately 400ms. Furthermore, the components of the airbag can be custom-made or commercially available. Considering only material costs, the cost of one airbag set can be controlled to within a few yuan. The verification results show that the airbag provided by this invention, in its normal stowage state, ensures stability without the risk of damage, and in unexpected situations, can respond quickly to achieve effective protection, and is adaptable to different types of drones.

[0053] In summary, the airbag provided by this invention is lightweight (approximately 10g), small, reliable (long shelf life, waterproof, high temperature resistant), has a rapid response (ms-level response), is low in cost, and has a wide range of applications. Furthermore, the function and effectiveness of the airbag have been verified using existing materials.

[0054] It should be noted that, without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention, those skilled in the art can make appropriate changes or modifications to the above embodiments. For example, the reaction between the liquid and powdered reagents can produce non-toxic and harmless gases. Similarly, the materials used for the traction wire and heating wire can ensure rapid triggering. Furthermore, the application of airbags in other equipment, such as unmanned underwater vehicles and the transportation of high-value, high-precision instruments, is not excluded.

[0055] The various embodiments of the present invention have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) airbag, comprising a triggering device and an air source device, wherein the triggering device drives the air source device to generate gas, thereby putting the airbag into a protective state, characterized in that, The triggering device includes a housing, a housing cover plate, a heating wire, a heating wire fixing plate, a spring, a needle, a needle fixing block, and a traction wire. The air source device includes an emulsion capsule body, a first air bladder, and a second air bladder, wherein: The outer cover plate is disposed on the outer casing and is used to fix the traction wire; The housing serves to guide the needle, mount the spring, and secure the heating wire; The needle fixing block is disposed between the needle and the spring for fixing the needle; The heating wire fixing plate is used to fix the heating wire and is provided with positive and negative terminals for connecting to an external power supply mechanism. The heating wire melts the traction wire when powered. The spring is used to provide elastic potential energy. After the traction wire melts, the spring is released and pushes the needle to extend and puncture the emulsion capsule body via the needle fixing block. The emulsion capsule body contains liquid reagent. The first airbag and the milk capsule body form a first enclosed area. The first area contains a powder reagent that can react with the liquid reagent inside the milk capsule body to release gas as a gas source. The second airbag and the first airbag form a second enclosed area, which surrounds the first area and the triggering device; The second layer of airbag has higher strength and toughness than the first layer of airbag.

2. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction wire is made of acid and alkali resistant material.

3. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The powdered reagent is sodium bicarbonate, and the liquid reagent inside the milk capsule is a saturated aluminum sulfate solution. The reaction releases carbon dioxide as a gas source, and the ratio of sodium bicarbonate to aluminum sulfate solution ensures that the aluminum sulfate solution reacts completely.

4. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The milk capsule body is made of natural latex.

5. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power supply mechanism is the main control board of the drone, the drone's battery, or a separate controller.

6. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The traction wire is made of high-strength 200D ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber.

7. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating wire is made of nickel-chromium alloy and has a diameter of 0.1 mm.

8. The lightweight drone airbag according to claim 6, characterized in that, The melting point of the traction wire is between 140 and 150 degrees Celsius.

9. The lightweight unmanned aerial vehicle airbag according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airbag is attached to the drone or installed on the drone via an adapter.

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