Butt joint structure of wireless charging unmanned ship and unmanned ship

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of unmanned surface vehicles, in particular to a butt joint structure of a wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle and the unmanned surface vehicle, the butt joint structure comprises a hemispherical shell, and the opening end of the hemispherical shell is provided with a tangent plane; the rotating shaft is arranged on the outer wall of the hemispherical shell, and the axis of the rotating shaft is located in the tangent plane and penetrates through the sphere center of the hemispherical shell. A butt joint structure is designed to be a hemispherical shell and is integrated at the tail of the boat body, and a traditional externally-arranged trumpet-shaped butt joint device which is abrupt in shape is replaced. According to the unmanned ship, the water flow can be effectively guided, the water resistance of the unmanned ship during sailing is remarkably reduced, and therefore the cruising ability is improved, through arrangement of a lifting plate, when the unmanned ship needs to release the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned ship, the lifting plate is made to be horizontal by rotating a hemispherical shell, and the unmanned aerial vehicle in the unmanned ship is lifted; therefore, a lifting platform is provided for the unmanned aerial vehicle at the tail of the boat body, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can fly and recover conveniently.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned surface vessel (USV) technology, and in particular to a docking structure for a wirelessly charged USV and the USV itself. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned surface vessels (USVs) are widely used in marine exploration, environmental monitoring, and security patrols. As mission complexity increases, collaborative operations involving multiple USVs are becoming increasingly common, creating a pressing need for automated energy replenishment technologies between USVs. Wireless charging technology, with its advantages of eliminating the need for physical plugging and unplugging and its excellent sealing properties, has become an ideal solution for energy transfer between USVs.

[0003] Currently, achieving wireless charging between unmanned surface vessels (USVs) typically requires the installation of specialized docking guidance mechanisms on the exterior of the vessel. These mechanisms often employ funnel-shaped or conical structures to compensate for positional and angular deviations during docking. However, this external docking structure not only increases the overall size and volume of the USV, but the protruding external structure also significantly increases water resistance during navigation, leading to reduced maneuverability and energy efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In this section, as well as in the abstract and title of this application, some simplifications or omissions may be made to avoid obscuring the purpose of this section, the abstract, and the title of this application, and such simplifications or omissions shall not be used to limit the scope of the invention.

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, one objective of this invention is to provide a docking structure for wireless charging unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and the USV itself.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a docking structure for a wireless charging unmanned surface vessel, comprising a hemispherical shell, wherein the open end of the hemispherical shell is provided with a cross-section; a rotating shaft is disposed on the outer wall of the hemispherical shell, wherein the axis of the rotating shaft is located within the cross-section and passes through the center of the hemispherical shell.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment of the docking structure of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel of the present invention, the interior of the hemispherical shell is provided with a guide cavity, which is a guide structure that gradually narrows from the opening inward.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of the docking structure for the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel described in this invention, the cross-section of the guide cavity is arc-shaped.

[0009] As a preferred embodiment of the docking structure of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel described in this invention, the cross-section of the guiding cavity is a multi-level stepped convergent structure.

[0010] In a preferred embodiment of the docking structure for the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel described in this invention, the cross-section of the guide cavity is conical.

[0011] As a preferred embodiment of the docking structure of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel of the present invention, a lifting plate is provided at the open end of the hemispherical shell, and the lifting plate is rotatably connected to the hemispherical shell.

[0012] As a preferred embodiment of the docking structure of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel of the present invention, a telescopic rod is provided inside the guide cavity, and one end of the telescopic rod is connected to the lifting plate.

[0013] The present invention also adopts the following technical solution: a wireless charging unmanned surface vessel (USV), including a docking structure for the USV, and a hull, the tail of which is connected to a hemispherical shell via a rotating shaft; a power component for driving the hemispherical shell to rotate; the power component is disposed in the lower half of the hemispherical shell, and includes a motor disposed inside the hull, the output end of which is provided with a rotating roller; a charging component for generating a high-frequency changing magnetic field; the charging component includes a solar film disposed on the surface of the hull, a battery disposed inside the hull and connected to the solar film, and an inverter disposed inside the hull and connected to the battery, the transmitter of which is in close contact with the hemispherical shell.

[0014] As a preferred embodiment of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel of the present invention, a sealing ring is provided inside the hull, and the sealing ring is in close contact with the outer surface of the hemispherical shell.

[0015] In a preferred embodiment of the wireless charging unmanned surface vessel of the present invention, a friction pad is provided on the hemispherical shell, and the friction pad is in close contact with the rotating roller.

[0016] The advantages of this wireless charging unmanned surface vessel (USV) are as follows: The docking structure is designed as a hemispherical shell and integrated into the stern of the vessel, replacing the traditional external, abruptly shaped horn-shaped docking device. This makes the USV more conform to hydrodynamic principles, effectively guiding water flow and significantly reducing water resistance during navigation, thereby improving its endurance.

[0017] This invention, through the setting of a lifting plate, allows the unmanned surface vessel to launch its internal drones when it needs to do so. By rotating the hemispherical shell, the lifting plate is leveled, thereby providing a lifting platform for the drones at the stern of the vessel, facilitating the launch and recovery of the drones. Attached Figure Description

[0018] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings used in the following description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0019] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the hemispherical shell of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 These are schematic diagrams showing different forms of the guide cavity of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the hemispherical shell and lifting plate of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the opening of the lifting plate of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the hull of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the power component of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unmanned surface vessel of the present invention during operation.

[0026] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure during docking of the unmanned surface vessel according to the present invention.

[0027] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the unmanned surface vessel (USV) for launching and recovering the UAV.

[0028] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the hemispherical shell and the hull of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0030] The terminology used in this invention is that which is currently widely used in the art in consideration of the function of the invention; however, these terms may vary according to the intent of those skilled in the art, precedent, or new technology in the art. Furthermore, specific terms may be chosen by the applicant, and in such cases, their detailed meanings will be described in the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, the terms used in this specification should not be construed as simple names, but rather based on their meanings and the overall description of the invention.

[0031] Reference Figure 1This embodiment provides a docking structure 100 for a wireless charging unmanned surface vessel, including a hemispherical shell 101 and a rotating shaft 102.

[0032] The open end of the hemispherical shell 101 is provided with a cut surface 103. The rotating shaft 102 is provided on the outer wall of the hemispherical shell 101, and the axis N of the rotating shaft 102 is located in the cut surface 103 and passes through the center O of the hemispherical shell 101.

[0033] The geometric relationship where the axis N of the rotating shaft 102 is coplanar with the tangent plane 103 and passes through the center O of the sphere ensures smooth operation of the structure without interference. If the rotating shaft 102 is eccentrically positioned (i.e., axis N does not pass through the center O), the motion trajectory of the opening edge of the hemispherical shell 101 will be a complex spatial curve when the power assembly 300 drives it to rotate. This would cause motion interference between the outer edge of the hemispherical shell 101 and the mounting interface at the stern of the hull 200 during rotation, leading to jamming and preventing the hemispherical shell 101 from smoothly rotating to a horizontal or vertical position.

[0034] By setting the rotating shaft 102, it is ensured that the hemispherical shell 101 avoids structural conflict with the hull 200 when rotating around the shaft, and realizes smooth rotation at a large angle without interference in the limited tail space. By setting the hemispherical shell 101 at the tail of the hull 200, the unmanned surface vessel is more in line with the principles of hydrodynamics, can effectively guide water flow, significantly reduce the water resistance of the unmanned surface vessel during navigation, and thus improve the endurance.

[0035] Reference Figure 2 The interior of the hemispherical shell 101 is provided with a guide cavity 101a, which is a guide structure that gradually narrows from the opening inward.

[0036] The guide cavity 101a is formed within a recessed cavity on the inner wall of the hemispherical shell 101, providing a gradually narrowing guide channel. When other unmanned surface vessels (USVs) or docking equipment approach from behind, regardless of whether their initial position deviates horizontally or vertically, their front end or docking joint, upon contacting the guide cavity 101a, can be automatically and gradually corrected in course by this continuous, smooth curved surface during subsequent travel, ultimately converging and guiding them to the predetermined docking position located at the bottom center of the guide cavity 101a. This reduces the requirements for initial docking accuracy and improves the docking success rate in complex sea conditions.

[0037] The cross-section of the guide cavity 101a is arc-shaped.

[0038] like Figure 2 As shown in Figure a, the cross-section of the guide cavity 101a can be arc-shaped. When the docking equipment contacts the arc-shaped guide surface, the guiding force it receives is continuous, gradually changing, and smoothly changing in direction, which can effectively reduce the impact and vibration during the docking process.

[0039] The cross-section of the guide cavity 101a is a multi-level stepped convergent structure.

[0040] like Figure 2 As shown in b, the cross-section of the guide cavity 101a can adopt a multi-level stepped convergent structure. Specifically, firstly, a primary rectangular cross-section space is formed on the inner wall of the hemispherical shell 101; then, at the bottom of this space, a first-level conical cross-section space is formed inward; subsequently, at the bottom of this conical space, a secondary rectangular cross-section space with a smaller size is formed again; and this process can be repeated as needed to form more levels of alternating combinations of trapezoidal and rectangular spaces.

[0041] The final result is a composite guide surface with a stepped inner wall that converges inwards layer by layer. Each level of conical inclined surface undertakes the main guiding and correction functions, while each level of rectangular straight surface serves as a temporary stabilization and adjustment zone, allowing the docking equipment to stabilize its attitude before entering the next level of more precise guidance. This breaks down a large, potentially impactful, one-time deviation correction into multiple, continuous, small-amplitude, progressive corrections. This makes the docking process smoother and more controllable, reducing the impact on equipment and structures.

[0042] The cross-section of the guide cavity 101a is conical.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown in c, the cross-section of the guide cavity 101a can be conical. The conical bevel provides the most direct and fastest path correction. Once the docking device contacts the conical surface, a definite guiding force pointing towards the center is immediately applied, resulting in high correction efficiency and direct response.

[0044] Reference Figure 3 A lifting plate 101b is provided at the open end of the hemispherical shell 101, and the lifting plate 101b is rotatably connected to the hemispherical shell 101.

[0045] The lifting plate 101b is rotatably connected to the opening edge of the hemispherical shell 101 via a hinge or rotating shaft mechanism. The lifting plate 101b is a functional hatch; its opening and closing state determines the opening and closing of the guide cavity 101a, thereby enabling the three main operating modes of the unmanned surface vessel: Reference Figure 9 and Figure 10Mode 1 is the drone take-off and landing platform mode. When the unmanned surface vessel (USV) needs to release or recover a drone, the power unit 300 first drives the hemispherical hull 101 to rotate around the rotation axis 102 until its opening faces upward. At this time, the lifting plate 101b is also adjusted to a horizontal state. Thus, the lifting plate 101b constructs a drone take-off and landing platform extending from the stern of the hull 200. This eliminates the complexity and space occupation of installing an additional dedicated take-off and landing deck, greatly facilitating the launch and recovery of drones.

[0046] Reference Figure 8 Mode 2 is the docking and charging mode. When the unmanned surface vessel (USV) needs to wirelessly charge other USVs or underwater devices such as submarines, the power unit 300 drives the hemispherical shell 101 to rotate to the horizontal position of its opening. The telescopic rod 101c drives the lifting plate 101b to rotate outward and open, thereby fully exposing the entrance of the guide cavity 101a. The USV or submarine can then gradually approach and finally dock with the wireless charging transmitter located at the bottom of the guide cavity 101a through the opened guide cavity 101a.

[0047] Reference Figure 7 Mode 3 is the underwater driving mode. When the unmanned surface vessel is driving underwater, the hemispherical shell 101 is in a vertical position, and at the same time the lifting plate 101b closes the entrance of the guide cavity 101a, making the unmanned surface vessel more in line with the principles of hydrodynamics and improving its endurance.

[0048] Reference Figure 4 A telescopic rod 101c is provided inside the guide cavity 101a, and one end of the telescopic rod 101c is connected to the lifting plate 101b.

[0049] The opening and closing of the lifting plate 101b is driven and controlled by a telescopic rod 101c located in the guide cavity 101a. One end of the telescopic rod 101c is hinged to the inner side surface of the lifting plate 101b, and the other end of the telescopic rod 101c is rotatably connected to the surface of the guide cavity 101a.

[0050] In mode one, the telescopic rod 101c can provide auxiliary support or locking to ensure the stability of the platform during drone take-off and landing. In mode two, the telescopic rod 101c actively moves to control the opening angle of the lifting plate 101b, so that the opening angle of the lifting plate 101b is greater than or equal to 90 degrees, ensuring that the guide cavity 101a is fully opened.

[0051] The telescopic rod 101c is located inside the guide cavity 101a, which ensures the sealing of the hemispherical shell 101. If the telescopic rod 101c is placed on the outer surface of the hemispherical shell 101, the rotation of the hemispherical shell 101 will cause the telescopic rod 101c to damage the sealing gasket, affecting the underwater navigation of the unmanned surface vessel.

[0052] Reference Figure 5 This embodiment provides a wireless charging unmanned surface vessel (USV), including a docking structure 100 for the USV, a hull 200, a power unit 300, and a charging unit 400.

[0053] The stern of the hull 200 is connected to the hemispherical hull 101 via a rotating shaft 102. The power unit 300 is used to drive the hemispherical hull 101 to rotate. The charging unit 400 is used to generate a high-frequency changing magnetic field.

[0054] The power unit 300, acting as the actuator, has its output end in contact with the outer wall of the hemispherical shell 101 via a transmission component (such as a rotating roller 302). Friction drives the hemispherical shell 101 to precisely adjust its attitude around the rotating axis 102, thereby enabling switching between various operating modes such as navigation, docking, and launch. The electrical energy generated by the charging unit 400 powers the power unit 300 and is converted into high-frequency alternating current by the inverter 403. This alternating magnetic field is then generated at the transmitter to provide non-contact energy transfer to the successfully docked submersible or unmanned surface vessel.

[0055] Reference Figure 6 The hull 200 is equipped with a sealing ring 201 inside, which is in close contact with the outer surface of the hemispherical shell 101.

[0056] The sealing ring 201 is located near the opening of the hemispherical shell 101. When the unmanned surface vessel (USV) is diving, the tight contact between the sealing ring 201 and the hemispherical shell 101 prevents seawater from entering. When the USV is on the water surface and needs to launch drones, even if the hemispherical shell 101 is rotated 90 degrees so that the opening faces upwards, the sealing ring 201 can still seal the lower half of the hemispherical shell 101, ensuring the airtightness of the USV.

[0057] The power assembly 300 is located in the lower half of the hemispherical shell 101. The power assembly 300 includes a motor 301 located inside the hull 200. The output end of the motor 301 is provided with a rotating roller 302.

[0058] The power assembly 300 is located in the lower half of the hemispherical shell 101 to ensure that the rotating roller 302 can still be in close contact with the surface of the hemispherical shell 101 when the hemispherical shell 101 is rotated to a horizontal position. If it is located in the upper half of the hemispherical shell 101, the rotating roller 302 may detach from the hemispherical shell 101 when the hemispherical shell 101 is rotated to a horizontal position, which will affect the use of the device.

[0059] The motor 301 serves as the core drive source, and its output shaft transmits power to the rotating roller 302 via a coupling or reduction mechanism. The surface of the rotating roller 302 maintains close contact with the outer contour of the lower half of the hemispherical shell 101. When the motor 301 starts, it drives the rotating roller 302 to rotate, and the static friction generated between the rotating roller 302 and the outer wall of the hemispherical shell 101 drives the hemispherical shell 101 to rotate around the rotating shaft 102.

[0060] A friction pad 303 is provided on the hemispherical shell 101, and the friction pad 303 is in close contact with the rotating roller 302.

[0061] The hemispherical shell 101 has grooves for mounting the friction pad 303, ensuring a smooth outer surface without unevenness and guaranteeing the sealing effect of the sealing ring 201. The friction pad 303 is positioned on the contact path between the rotating roller 302 and the hemispherical shell 101. When the power assembly 300 is operating, the rotating roller 302 continuously presses against and rubs the friction pad 303, increasing the friction between them and concentrating the main wear on the replaceable friction pad 303, effectively protecting the main structure of the hemispherical shell 101 from wear.

[0062] Reference Figure 5 The charging assembly 400 includes a solar film 401 disposed on the surface of the hull 200 and a battery 402 disposed inside the hull 200 and connected to the solar film 401.

[0063] Among them, the solar thin film 401 is a flexible solar thin film. The main structural materials of the flexible solar thin film are all polymer materials. The front and back of the flexible solar thin film are covered with weather-resistant ETFE film, and the edges are sealed with butyl rubber. The flexible solar thin film is applied to the upper surface of the hull 200 in a lamination manner to efficiently convert solar energy into electrical energy. The battery 402 serves as an energy storage and management unit. It is electrically connected to the solar thin film 401 through cables and control circuits to store and stabilize the electrical energy generated by the solar thin film 401, and to rationally allocate it according to the system's power demand.

[0064] The charging assembly 400 also includes an inverter 403 disposed within the hull 200 and connected to the battery 402, the transmitter of the inverter 403 being in close contact with the hemispherical shell 101.

[0065] The inverter 403 is connected to the control circuit and the battery 402 via a cable at its input end, and is used to convert the DC power output by the battery 402 into high-frequency AC power. The inverter 403 is equipped with a wireless charging transmitting coil at its transmitting end. The wireless charging transmitting coil is in contact with the outer surface of the hemispherical shell 101. When the submersible or other equipment is successfully docked, the high-frequency alternating magnetic field generated by the transmitting coil can penetrate the hemispherical shell 101 to transmit electrical energy to the equipment in a non-contact manner.

[0066] Finally, it should be noted that the methods and devices described in detail above are merely embodiments, and those skilled in the art can modify these embodiments in different ways as long as they do not depart from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A docking structure (100) of a wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle, characterized in that: Comprising, a hemispherical shell (101), the open end of the hemispherical shell (101) is a tangent plane (103); a rotating shaft (102) is arranged on the outer wall of the hemispherical shell (101), the axis (N) of the rotating shaft (102) is located in the tangent plane (103) and passes through the center (O) of the hemispherical shell (101).

2. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 1, wherein: The inside of the hemispherical shell (101) is provided with a guide cavity (101a), which is a self-opening inwardly tapered guide structure.

3. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 2, wherein: The tangent plane of the guide cavity (101a) is arc-shaped.

4. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 2 or 3, wherein: The tangent plane of the guide cavity (101a) is a multi-stage stepped convergent structure.

5. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 2 or 3, wherein: The tangent plane of the guide cavity (101a) is conical.

6. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 2 or 3, wherein: The open end of the hemispherical shell (101) is provided with a lifting plate (101b), and the lifting plate (101b) is rotatably connected with the hemispherical shell (101).

7. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 6, wherein: A telescopic rod (101c) is arranged in the guide cavity (101a), one end of the telescopic rod (101c) is connected with the lifting plate (101b).

8. A wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle, characterized by: The docking structure (100) of the wireless charging unmanned boat further comprises, a boat body (200), the tail of the boat body (200) is connected with the hemispherical shell (101) through a rotating shaft (102); a power assembly (300) for driving the hemispherical shell (101) to rotate; The power assembly (300) is arranged in the lower half of the hemispherical shell (101), and the power assembly (300) comprises a motor (301) arranged in the inside of the boat body (200), and a rotating roller (302) is arranged at the output end of the motor (301); a charging assembly (400) for generating a high-frequency varying magnetic field; The charging assembly (400) comprises a solar film (401) arranged on the surface of the boat body (200), a storage battery (402) arranged in the boat body (200) and connected with the solar film (401), an inverter (403) arranged in the boat body (200) and connected with the storage battery (402), and the emitting end of the inverter (403) is in close contact with the hemispherical shell (101).

9. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 8, wherein: The inside of the boat body (200) is provided with a sealing ring (201), and the sealing ring (201) is in close contact with the outer surface of the hemispherical shell (101).

10. The wireless charging unmanned surface vehicle of claim 8 or 9, wherein: A friction pad (303) is arranged on the hemispherical shell (101), and the friction pad (303) is in close contact with the rotating roller (302).

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