Mooring unmanned aerial vehicle system
By using a vertical winding bracket and guide design, combined with guide grooves and tilting guides, stable flight and precise landing of tethered drones are achieved, solving the traction and stability problems caused by cable winding in existing technologies, and reducing system weight and cost.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-25
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-28
AI Technical Summary
Existing tethered drones suffer from traction and stability issues during flight and landing due to cable winding, which affects flight accuracy and safety. Furthermore, non-conformal cable winding may compress the cable cross-sectional area, increasing costs and failure rates.
The design employs a vertical winding bracket and guide components. Through the cooperation of guide grooves and inclined guide parts, the UAV landing gear cooperates with guide grooves and guide support seats to achieve automatic detachment and storage of cables, reduce frictional resistance, and prevent cables from becoming tangled. Combined with drive components and rolling parts, friction is reduced, enabling precise self-positioning landing.
It improves the flight stability and landing accuracy of tethered drones, reduces the overall weight and cost of the system, solves the stability and accuracy problems during cable winding, and avoids the high cost of using sensors.
Smart Images
Figure CN121929358A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more particularly to a tethered UAV system. Background Technology
[0002] Tethered drones connect to the ground control station via a cable, typically using a horizontal reel for cable deployment and retrieval. Tightly wound cables on the reel can compress the cross-sectional area of the liquid chamber, reducing fluid flow or preventing drainage. While conformal cables solve this problem, they are expensive and heavy, impacting flight stability.
[0003] Furthermore, during tethered drone operations (such as high-altitude firefighting), the drone first unwinds the cable from the reel. Because the cable has numerous turns on the reel, and the reel itself is quite heavy, the cable and reel exert significant traction on the drone, reducing flight stability, affecting operational accuracy, and potentially causing it to crash. During landing, factors such as wind and the accuracy of the control system can lead to positioning errors. While adding high-precision sensors can improve landing accuracy, it also increases manufacturing costs and the failure rate. Summary of the Invention
[0004] This invention provides a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system that improves the accuracy and stability of tethered UAVs during flight missions, enhances the landing accuracy of tethered UAVs, and solves the defect of excessively tight winding of non-conformal cable during cable winding, which compresses the cross-sectional area of the cable.
[0005] The present invention provides a tethered drone system, comprising: a tethered drone, a cable, a storage basket, a reel, a guide, a drive assembly, and a drone positioning device.
[0006] The storage basket includes a vertical roll-up bracket, and the drone positioning device includes a coarse positioning component and a fine positioning component. The coarse positioning component includes a first guide bracket and two second guide brackets arranged at intervals along the circumference, and the fine positioning component includes a guide support seat.
[0007] The vertical winding bracket, the winding reel, and the guide support are coaxially arranged. The winding reel is rotatably mounted on the top of the vertical winding bracket, and the guide support is located above the winding reel. The drive assembly is located in the storage basket, and the output end of the drive assembly is connected to the winding reel to drive the winding reel to rotate. A cable cavity is formed inside the guide member, and the lower end of the cable cavity is located above the side of the vertical winding bracket. The cable passes through the cable cavity, and one end of the cable is connected to the tethered drone.
[0008] The first guide bracket has a guide groove, the second guide bracket has an outwardly inclined first guide portion, and the guide support seat has a diameter that gradually decreases from bottom to top to form a second inclined guide portion on the side of the guide support seat. The first guide bracket and the two second guide brackets are all located on the periphery of the guide support seat.
[0009] The bottom of the tethered drone is provided with a drone landing gear. The bottom of the drone landing gear is used to cooperate with the first tilting guide part. The bottom of the drone landing gear is provided with a guide rod for cooperating with the guide groove. The drone landing gear has a mating part for cooperating with the second tilting guide part.
[0010] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the guide support includes a support ring, a guide ring, and multiple third-side connecting rods. The support ring is disposed on the top of the storage basket, and the multiple third-side connecting rods are disposed circumferentially between the support ring and the guide ring. The diameter of the guide ring is smaller than the diameter of the support ring, so as to form a second inclined guide portion on the side of the guide support through the multiple third-side connecting rods. The upper end of the cable cavity is located inside the guide ring.
[0011] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the guide ring is provided with a plurality of first rolling elements, and the upper and lower ports of the guide ring are each provided with a plurality of second rolling elements.
[0012] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the side of the guide support is provided with a plurality of rolling guide mechanisms spaced apart along the circumference.
[0013] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the cable cavity is inclined toward the center of the winding reel, and the diameter of the vertical winding support gradually decreases from bottom to top.
[0014] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the guide groove includes a guide section and a limiting section, the end of the guide section is connected to the beginning of the limiting section, and the limiting section is located below the guide section.
[0015] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system provided by the present invention, the UAV landing gear includes an upper fixed ring and a lower fixed ring arranged coaxially and spaced apart in the vertical direction, wherein the diameter of the upper fixed ring is smaller than the diameter of the lower fixed ring; a plurality of fifth side links are provided between the fixed ring and the guide ring, so as to form the mating part on the side of the UAV landing gear through the plurality of fifth side links.
[0016] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the drive assembly includes a drive motor, a friction wheel, and an adjustment mechanism; the adjustment mechanism includes a fixed bracket, an adjustment spring, and a telescopic adjustment assembly, the fixed bracket is connected to the side of the storage basket, the first end of the adjustment spring is connected to the drive motor, the drive end of the telescopic adjustment assembly can move vertically to compress the adjustment spring, the friction wheel is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the friction surface of the friction wheel abuts against the take-up reel.
[0017] According to the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention, the adjustment mechanism further includes an adjustment plate and a guide post; the second end of the adjustment spring is connected to the inner surface of the adjustment plate, and the driving end of the telescopic adjustment assembly is located on the side of the outer surface of the adjustment plate; the guide post and the fixed bracket slide vertically together, the adjustment plate is connected to the guide post, the adjustment spring is sleeved on the guide post, the side wall of the guide post is provided with an abutment plate, the first end of the adjustment spring abuts against the abutment plate, and the guide post is connected to the drive motor.
[0018] According to the tethered drone system provided by the present invention, the storage basket further includes a base and an outer protective frame, the vertical winding bracket and the outer protective frame are both disposed on the base, and the drive assembly is disposed on the outer protective frame; the vertical winding bracket is located inside the outer protective frame to form a storage space for storing cables between the vertical winding bracket and the outer protective frame.
[0019] The tethered drone system provided by this invention, by setting up a tethered drone, cable, storage basket, take-up reel, guide, drive assembly, and drone positioning device, allows the drone to automatically detach from the vertical unwinding support when performing aerial flight missions. During this process, the tethered drone pulls the cable, causing the take-up reel to rotate at its rotational connection point with the vertical unwinding support, simultaneously rotating the guide. This causes the cable wound around the vertical unwinding support to automatically detach. The tethered drone is only subjected to the cable's own weight and minimal frictional resistance (including frictional resistance between the take-up reel and the vertical unwinding support, and frictional resistance between the cable and the guide), eliminating the need for the entire take-up reel to rotate, significantly improving the drone's flight stability. During cable winding, the drive assembly drives the take-up reel to rotate in a set direction, simultaneously rotating the guide. The cable falls under its own weight and, under the guidance of the guide, gradually winds around the vertical take-up support from bottom to top and from the inside to the outside. During winding, the take-up reel and guide only guide the cable, preventing it from becoming tightly wrapped around the vertical take-up support. This method effectively prevents different parts of the cable from squeezing each other (adjacent cable loops are only squeezed by their own weight, and the force has minimal impact on the liquid spraying of the integrated hydroelectric and optical cable), prevents compression of the cable's internal cross-sectional area, and eliminates the need for conformal cable. Once the cable is retracted to a certain extent, the tethered UAV enters the landing process. During landing, the bottom of the UAV's landing gear first contacts two second guide supports. The first inclined guide on the second guide support drives the UAV to move towards the center of the set position. Simultaneously, the guide rod on the UAV's landing gear, guided by the guide groove on the first guide support, returns the UAV to its correct position. Then, the mating part on the UAV's landing gear engages with the second inclined guide on the side of the guide support seat. The entire process only requires positioning the UAV above the UAV positioning device. Subsequently, precise self-positioning landing of the UAV can be achieved without the use of any sensors for auxiliary positioning. This solves the problem of high cost associated with improving UAV landing accuracy by setting multiple high-precision sensors in existing technologies. The tethered drone system provided by this invention improves the accuracy and stability of tethered drones when performing flight missions, improves the landing accuracy of tethered drones, and solves the defect of excessively tight winding of non-conformal cable during winding, which compresses the cross-sectional area of the cable.
[0020] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description
[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0022] Figure 1 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0023] Figure 2 This is the second schematic diagram of the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection of the storage basket, reel, guide, and guide support in the tethered drone system provided in this embodiment of the invention.
[0025] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the connection between the storage basket and the reel in the tethered drone system provided in this embodiment of the invention.
[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the storage basket in the tethered drone system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0027] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the take-up reel in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0028] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the guide component in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0029] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the drone positioning device in the tethered drone system provided in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0030] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the coarse positioning component in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0031] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the precision positioning component in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0032] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the first guide bracket in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0033] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the second guide bracket in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] Figure 13This is a schematic diagram of a drone in the tethered drone system provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0035] Figure 14 This is one of the schematic diagrams of the drive components in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in the embodiments of the present invention.
[0036] Figure 15 This is a second schematic diagram of the drive component in the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided in this embodiment of the invention.
[0037] Figure label: 10. Tethered UAV; 110. UAV landing gear; 111. Guide rod; 112. Upper fixing ring; 113. Lower fixing ring; 114. Fifth side connecting rod; 20. Cable; 30. Storage basket; 310. Vertical winding bracket; 311. First annular bracket; 312. Toothless slewing support; 313. First side connecting rod; 320. Base; 330. Outer protective frame; 331. Second annular bracket; 332. Second side connecting rod; 40. Winding reel; 50. Guide component; 510. Second rolling component; 60. Drive assembly; 610. Drive motor; 620. Friction wheel; 630. Adjustment mechanism; 631. Fixed bracket; 632. Adjusting spring; 633. Telescopic adjustment assembly; 6331. Threaded adjusting component; 6332. Adjusting nut; 63 4. Adjusting plate; 635. Guide column; 636. Linear bearing; 70. UAV positioning device; 710. Coarse positioning assembly; 711. First guide bracket; 7111. Guide groove; 7111a. Guide section; 7111b. Limiting section; 7112. First fixing plate; 7113. First guide support; 712. Second guide bracket; 7121. First inclined guide part; 7122. Second fixing plate; 7123. Second guide support; 720. Fine positioning assembly; 721. Guide support seat; 7211. Second inclined guide part; 7212. Guide ring; 7213. Third side connecting rod; 7214. First rolling element; 7215. Reinforcing connecting rod; 7216. Fourth side connecting rod; 7217. Third rolling element; 7218. Support ring. Detailed Implementation
[0038] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this invention.
[0039] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on the embodiments of the present invention. In addition, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0040] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected" and "linked" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the embodiments of the present invention according to the specific circumstances.
[0041] In embodiments of the present invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can mean that the first feature is in direct contact with the second feature, or that the first feature is in indirect contact with the second feature through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "on top of," and "over" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature can mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.
[0042] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.
[0043] The following is combined Figures 1 to 15 This invention describes the tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system provided by the present invention.
[0044] See Figures 1 to 4 As shown, the tethered drone system provided in this embodiment of the invention includes: a tethered drone 10, a cable 20, a storage basket 30, a reel 40, a guide 50, a drive assembly 60, and a drone positioning device 70.
[0045] The storage basket 30 includes a vertical retractable bracket 310, and the drone positioning device 70 includes a coarse positioning component 710 and a fine positioning component 720. The coarse positioning component 710 includes a first guide bracket 711 and two second guide brackets 712 arranged circumferentially, and the fine positioning component 720 includes a guide support seat 721.
[0046] The vertical winding bracket 310, winding reel 40 and guide support 721 are coaxially arranged. The winding reel 40 is rotatably mounted on the top of the vertical winding bracket 310. The guide support 721 is located above the winding reel 40. The drive assembly 60 is located in the storage basket 30. The output end of the drive assembly 60 is connected to the winding reel 40 to drive the winding reel 40 to rotate. A cable cavity is formed in the guide member 50. The lower end of the cable cavity is located above the side of the vertical winding bracket 310. The cable 20 passes through the cable cavity. One end of the cable 20 is connected to the tethered drone 10.
[0047] A guide groove 7111 is formed on the first guide bracket 711, and an outwardly inclined first inclined guide portion 7121 is formed on the second guide bracket 712. The diameter of the guide support seat 721 gradually decreases from bottom to top, so as to form a second inclined guide portion 7211 on the side of the guide support seat 721. The first guide bracket 711 and the two second guide brackets 712 are all located on the periphery of the guide support seat 721.
[0048] The bottom of the tethered drone 10 is provided with a drone landing gear 110. The bottom of the drone landing gear 110 is used to cooperate with the first tilt guide 7121. The bottom of the drone landing gear 110 is provided with a guide rod 111 for cooperating with the guide groove 7111. The drone landing gear 110 has a mating part for cooperating with the second tilt guide 7211.
[0049] The tethered drone system provided by this invention improves the accuracy and stability of the tethered drone 10 when performing flight missions, improves the landing accuracy of the tethered drone 10, and solves the defect of the cable 20 being wound too tightly and compressing the cross-sectional area of the cable 20 when the non-conformal cable is wound.
[0050] Specifically, when the UAV performs an aerial flight mission, the tethered UAV 10 pulls the cable 20, and the take-up reel 40 rotates at its rotational connection point with the vertical take-up bracket 310, which in turn drives the guide 50 to rotate synchronously, causing the cable 20 wound on the vertical take-up bracket 310 to automatically detach. During this process, the tethered UAV 10 is only subject to the weight of the cable 20 and a small amount of frictional resistance (including the frictional resistance when the take-up reel 40 rotates with the vertical take-up bracket 310 and the frictional resistance between the cable 20 and the guide 50), without having to drive the entire take-up reel 40 to rotate, which greatly improves the stability of the UAV during flight. When the cable 20 is wound up, the drive assembly 60 drives the winding reel 40 to rotate in a set direction, and drives the guide 50 to rotate synchronously. The cable 20 falls under its own weight and, under the action of the guide 50, is gradually wound around the vertical winding bracket 310 from bottom to top and from the inside to the outside. During the winding process, the winding reel 40 and the guide 50 only guide the cable 20 and do not cause the cable 20 to be tightly wrapped around the vertical winding bracket 310. This effectively prevents different parts of the cable 20 from squeezing each other (adjacent turns of cable 20 are only squeezed by their own weight, and their force has minimal impact on the liquid sprayed from the integrated water, electricity and light cable 20), prevents compression of the cross-sectional area inside the cable 20, and eliminates the need to use a conformal cable 20. When the cable 20 is wound up to a certain extent, the tethered drone 10 enters the landing process. The bottom of the drone landing gear 110 first contacts the two second guide brackets 712. The first tilting guide part 7121 on the second guide bracket 712 drives the drone to move toward the center of the set position. At the same time, the guide rod 111 on the drone landing gear 110 returns the drone to the correct position under the guidance of the guide groove 7111 on the first guide bracket 711. Then, the mating part on the drone landing gear 110 engages with the second tilting guide part 7211 on the side of the guide support seat 721. The whole process only requires positioning the drone above the drone positioning device 70. Subsequently, the drone can achieve precise self-positioning landing without the use of any sensors for auxiliary positioning. This solves the problem of high cost in the prior art, which improves the landing accuracy of the drone by setting multiple high-precision sensors.
[0051] In addition, the drive assembly 60 can also be used to assist in the unwinding of the cable 20. Specifically, during the unwinding process of the cable 20, the drive assembly 60 can drive the reel 40 to rotate along the unwinding direction of the cable 20 to assist in the unwinding of the cable 20, which can further reduce the traction effect of the cable 20 on the tethered drone 10 and improve the stability of the tethered drone 10 during flight.
[0052] It should be noted that after the cable 20 is wound up by the reel 40, it is wound onto the side of the vertical reel 310 in a bottom-to-top and inside-to-out manner. During unwinding, the vertical reel 310 remains fixed. When the tethered drone 10 takes off, it uses its own power to pull the cable 20 away from the vertical reel 310, without having to rotate the vertical reel 310 (and the remaining cable 20 wound on the vertical reel 310). This significantly reduces the traction force on the tethered drone 10 during flight.
[0053] See Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the storage basket 30 also includes a base 320 and an outer protective frame 330. Both the vertical winding bracket 310 and the outer protective frame 330 are located on the base 320, and the drive assembly 60 is located on the outer protective frame 330. The vertical winding bracket 310 is located inside the outer protective frame 330, forming a storage space for storing the cable 20 between the vertical winding bracket 310 and the outer protective frame 330. The outer protective frame 330 can provide an installation position for the drive assembly 60 and other components. Simultaneously, the outer protective frame 330 can also protect the cable 20 wound around the vertical winding bracket 310.
[0054] The vertical winding support 310 includes a first annular support 311, with a toothless rotary support 312 at its center. The first annular support 311 and the toothless rotary support 312 are connected and fixed (e.g., by welding) by multiple top connecting rods evenly distributed circumferentially. The center of the winding reel 40 is rotatably connected to the vertical winding support 310 via the toothless rotary support 312 (e.g., a bearing). The first annular support 311 and the base 320 are connected and fixed (e.g., by welding) by multiple first side connecting rods 313 evenly distributed circumferentially. The multiple first side connecting rods 313 form a side space for winding the cable 20.
[0055] The outer protective frame 330 includes a second annular support 331 and multiple second side connecting rods 332, which are evenly distributed circumferentially between the second annular support 331 and the base 320.
[0056] By setting the storage basket 30 as a frame structure, the structure of the storage basket 30 can be made simple, with less material and lighter weight, while ensuring the structural stability of the storage basket 30, making it easy to process, manufacture and assemble.
[0057] The drone positioning device 70 is used to automatically position the tethered drone 10 to a designated landing position when it lands. The coarse positioning component 710 is used to perform preliminary positioning of the tethered drone 10, guide the tethered drone 10 to the set landing position, and correct the orientation of the tethered drone 10. The fine positioning component 720 is used to further position the tethered drone 10 so that the tethered drone 10 can be accurately positioned on the top of the storage basket 30.
[0058] Specifically, the guide groove 7111 includes a guide section 7111a and a limiting section 7111b. The end of the guide section 7111a is connected to the beginning of the limiting section 7111b, and the limiting section 7111b is located below the guide section 7111a. By setting the guide groove 7111 as an interconnected guide section 7111a and limiting section 7111b, the guide section 7111a can be used to straighten the drone, and the limiting section 7111b can be used to circumferentially limit the drone, preventing it from rotating during subsequent positioning or fixing processes and ensuring its stability.
[0059] When the guide rod 111 of the UAV landing gear 110 reaches the bottom of the limiting section 7111b, the mating part of the UAV landing gear 110 precisely mates with the second tilting guide part 7211. At this time, the first guide bracket 711 and the guide support seat 721 can simultaneously provide support for the UAV.
[0060] See Figure 9 and Figure 11 As shown, the first guide bracket 711 includes a first fixed plate 7112 and two first guide supports 7113. Each first guide support 7113 has a first inclined section and a first straight section, with the end of the first inclined section connected to the beginning of the first straight section. The two first guide supports 7113 are symmetrically arranged on the first fixed plate 7112, with a guide section 7111a formed between the two first inclined sections and a limiting section 7111b formed between the two first straight sections. By setting the first guide bracket 711 as a frame structure, while ensuring structural stability, the first guide bracket 711 has a simple structure, uses less material, and is lightweight, making it easy to manufacture and assemble.
[0061] The first inclined section and the first straight section can be formed by bending metal rods / pipes / profiles. The two ends of the metal rods / pipes / profiles can be connected to the upper surface of the first fixing plate 7112 by welding or other methods. During installation, the first fixing plate 7112 can be fixed in a set position (such as a drone take-off and landing platform) by screws or other components.
[0062] See Figure 10 and Figure 12 As shown, the second guide bracket 712 includes a second fixing plate 7122 and a second guide support 7123. A second inclined section and a second straight section are formed on the second guide support 7123. The end of the second inclined section is connected to the beginning of the second straight section, and the end of the second straight section is connected to the second fixing plate 7122. Similarly, by setting the second guide bracket 712 as a frame structure, while ensuring structural stability, the second guide bracket 712 has a simple structure, uses less material, and is lightweight, making it easy to process, manufacture, and assemble.
[0063] Similarly, the second inclined segment and the second straight segment can be formed by bending metal rods / pipes / profiles, and the two ends of the metal rods / pipes / profiles can be connected to the upper surface of the second fixing plate 7122 by welding or other methods. During installation, the second fixing plate 7122 can be fixed in a set position (such as a drone take-off and landing platform) by screws or other components.
[0064] See Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Figure 9 As shown, the first guide bracket 711 is arranged opposite to the two second guide brackets 712. By arranging the first guide bracket 711 and the two second guide brackets 712 opposite to each other, when the UAV lands, the tail of the UAV landing gear 110 is guided by the two second guide brackets 712, causing the UAV to move towards the center of the set position. At the same time, the guide rod 111 at the end of the UAV landing gear 110 is guided by the guide groove 7111 to straighten the UAV. During this process, the stability of the UAV during guidance can be ensured, and the position deviation of the UAV during guided landing can be prevented.
[0065] Preferably, in this embodiment, the first guide bracket 711 is arranged opposite to the two second guide brackets 712, and the two second guide brackets 712 are respectively located on both sides of the central axis of the guide groove 7111.
[0066] See Figure 10 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the guide support 721 includes a support ring 7218, a guide ring 7212, and multiple third-side connecting rods 7213. The support ring 7218 is disposed on the top of the storage basket 30. The multiple third-side connecting rods 7213 are disposed circumferentially between the support ring 7218 and the guide ring 7212. The diameter of the guide ring 7212 is smaller than the diameter of the support ring 7218, so that a second inclined guide portion 7211 is formed on the side of the guide support 721 through the multiple third-side connecting rods 7213. The upper end of the cable cavity is located inside the guide ring 7212. By configuring the guide support 721 as a structure consisting of a support ring 7218, a guide ring 7212, and multiple third-side connecting rods 7213, the support ring 7218 can fix the entire device to the top of the storage basket 30. The multiple third-side connecting rods 7213 can connect the wire ring to the support ring 7218 and support and fix the guide ring 7212 at a set height from the top of the storage basket 30. Furthermore, the multiple third-side connecting rods 7213 can form an inwardly inclined guide slope on the side of the guide support 721. This guide slope can match the landing gear of the tethered drone 10, guiding it during landing and providing stable support after guidance. Because the diameter of the guide ring 7212 is smaller than the diameter of the support ring 7218, the guide ring 7212 can limit the cable 20 during unwinding, preventing significant swaying of the cable 20 during circumferential unwinding.
[0067] See Figure 7 and Figure 10 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the guide ring 7212 is provided with a plurality of first rolling elements 7214, and the upper and lower ports of the guide member 50 are each provided with a plurality of second rolling elements 510. By providing the first rolling elements 7214 and the second rolling elements 510, the sliding friction between the cable 20 and the guide ring 7212 and the upper and lower ports of the guide member 50 can be converted into rolling friction, which greatly reduces the frictional force on the cable 20 during unwinding or rewinding, reduces the traction effect of the cable 20 on the tethered UAV 10, and improves its stability during flight. In addition, it can also prevent the cable 20 from directly contacting and wearing with the guide ring 7212 and the upper and lower ports of the guide member 50.
[0068] The first rolling element 7214 and the second rolling element 510 can be rolling elements such as balls, rollers, or roller shafts. Preferably, in this embodiment, the first rolling element 7214 is a ball and the second rolling element 510 is a roller shaft.
[0069] See Figure 10 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of rolling guide mechanisms are provided circumferentially spaced on the side of the guide support 721. The rolling guide mechanisms are used to cooperate with the side of the UAV landing gear 110. By providing rolling guide mechanisms on the side of the guide support 721, when the guide rod 111 returns the UAV to its correct position under the guidance of the guide groove 7111 on the first guide bracket 711, the rolling guide mechanisms can convert the sliding friction between the guide support 721 and the UAV landing gear 110 into rolling friction, greatly reducing the resistance encountered by the UAV when returning to its correct position.
[0070] Preferably, in this embodiment, a reinforcing connecting rod 7215 is provided between at least some adjacent third side connecting rods 7213, and a plurality of fourth side connecting rods 7216 are provided between the reinforcing connecting rods 7215 and the lower fixing ring 113. The rolling guide mechanism includes a plurality of third rolling elements 7217 disposed on the fourth side connecting rods 7216. By providing the reinforcing connecting rods 7215 and the fourth side connecting rods 7216, the third rolling elements 7217 can be installed using the fourth side connecting rods 7216 while ensuring the structural strength of the guide support 721.
[0071] Similarly, the third rolling element 7217 can be a rolling element such as a ball, roller, or shaft. Preferably, in this embodiment, the third rolling element 7217 is a ball.
[0072] It is foreseeable that, in some embodiments, the third rolling element 7217 may also be directly sleeved on the third side connecting rod 7213.
[0073] See Figure 6 and Figure 7As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the cable cavity is inclined towards the center of the take-up reel 40, and the inclination angle of the cable cavity is 10° to 45°. During winding, as the cable 20 falls under its own weight and is wound to the side of the vertical take-up support 310 under the drive of the take-up reel 40, the cable cavity inclined towards the center of the take-up reel 40 can guide the cable 20, allowing the cable 20 to slide towards the side of the vertical take-up support 310, which facilitates the winding of the cable 20. At the same time, by setting the cable cavity to be inclined towards the center of the take-up reel 40, the upper end of the cable cavity is close to the center of the take-up reel 40. When the take-up reel 40 rotates, the portion of the cable 20 located at the upper end of the cable cavity is closer to the center of the take-up reel 40, which can prevent the upper end of the cable 20 from swinging significantly and improve the stability and efficiency of the device during winding. During unwinding, the cable 20 gradually detaches from the vertical winding support 310 under the action of the drone. Under the action of the winding reel 40 and the guide 50, the part of the cable 20 located at the upper end of the guide 50 will swing in a circular motion. By setting the cable cavity to be tilted towards the center of the winding reel 40, the upper end of the guide 50 can be made closer to the center of the winding reel 40, reducing the swing amplitude of the part of the cable 20 located at the upper end of the guide 50, reducing the restraining effect of the cable 20 on the tethered drone 10, thereby improving the stability of the tethered drone 10 during flight.
[0074] Meanwhile, by setting the tilt angle of the cable cavity to 10° to 45°, the cable cavity can effectively guide the cable 20 while preventing the cable 20 from bending too much and increasing the friction between the cable 20 and the port of the cable cavity.
[0075] See Figure 5 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the diameter of the vertical winding bracket 310 gradually decreases from bottom to top, and the taper of the side portion of the vertical winding bracket 310 is 5° to 15°. By setting the diameter of the vertical winding bracket 310 to gradually decrease from bottom to top, the outer contour of the vertical winding bracket 310 forms a frustum-shaped conical structure, which can guide the cable 20 during winding, facilitating the gradual winding of the cable 20 from bottom to top and from the inside to the outside onto the vertical winding bracket 310.
[0076] Specifically, during winding, the cable 20 falls under its own weight and, under the action of the winding reel 40 and guide member 50, is wound circumferentially around the side of the vertical winding bracket 310. By setting the diameter of the vertical winding bracket 310 to gradually decrease from bottom to top, the cable 20 can be easily wound from bottom to top and from the inside to the outside under the guidance of the side of the vertical winding bracket 310, improving the stability during winding. The outer contour of the vertical winding bracket 310 forms a conical frustum structure. When the cable 20 is unwound from the vertical winding bracket 310, the contact between the cable 20 and the side of the vertical winding bracket 310 is reduced, allowing the cable 20 to unwind more smoothly from the side of the vertical winding bracket 310.
[0077] Meanwhile, by setting the taper of the side of the vertical winding bracket 310 to 5° to 15°, the side of the vertical winding bracket 310 can play an effective guiding role, while ensuring that the diameter change of the side of the winding bracket is small, which is conducive to winding the cable 20.
[0078] See Figure 13 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the UAV landing gear 110 includes an upper fixing ring 112 and a lower fixing ring 113 arranged coaxially and spaced apart in the vertical direction. The diameter of the upper fixing ring 112 is smaller than the diameter of the lower fixing ring 113. A plurality of fifth side connecting rods 114 are provided between the fixing rings and the guide ring 7212 to form a mating part on the side of the UAV landing gear 110 through the plurality of fifth side connecting rods 114. By setting the UAV landing gear 110 as a frame structure of upper fixing ring 112, lower fixing ring 113 and a plurality of fifth side connecting rods 114, the overall weight of the UAV landing gear 110 can be significantly reduced while ensuring its structural strength, thereby reducing the load on the UAV and facilitating manufacturing and assembly.
[0079] Specifically, in this embodiment, one end of the guide rod 111 is connected to the lower fixing ring 113, and multiple reinforcing connecting rods are provided between the guide rod 111 and the upper fixing ring 112 to prevent the guide rod 111 from bending or deforming during drone landing. When the drone lands, the lower fixing ring 113 first contacts and engages with the first inclined guide portion 7121 on the two second guide brackets 712, driving the drone to move towards the center of the set landing position. At the same time, the guide rod 111 returns the drone to its correct position under the guidance of the guide groove 7111 on the first guide bracket 711.
[0080] See Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the drive assembly 60 includes a drive motor 610, a friction wheel 620 (the friction wheel 620 is provided with textures or friction structures, such as friction teeth or friction grooves, for increasing the frictional force between itself and the take-up reel 40), and an adjustment mechanism 630. The adjustment mechanism 630 includes a fixed bracket 631, an adjusting spring 632, and a telescopic adjustment assembly 633. The fixed bracket 631 is connected to the side of the outer protective frame 330. The first end of the adjusting spring 632 is connected to the drive motor 610. The drive end of the telescopic adjustment assembly 633 can move vertically to compress the adjusting spring 632. The friction wheel 620 is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor 610, and the friction surface of the friction wheel 620 abuts against the take-up reel 40. By providing an adjustable drive assembly 60, the magnitude of the frictional force applied by the drive wheel to the take-up reel 40 can be adjusted, thereby enabling the device to perform drive operations adapted to different specifications of take-up reels 40 or different specifications of cables 20. For example, when the mass of the winding reel 40 and / or the cable 20 is large, the friction wheel 620 can be adjusted by the adjustment mechanism 630 to apply a larger frictional force to the winding reel 40, so as to prevent slippage between the friction wheel 620 and the winding reel 40.
[0081] In addition, since the drive assembly 60 uses the friction wheel 620 to drive the winding reel 40, the drive assembly 60 can be set on the side of the storage basket 30. During the winding process of the cable 20, the drive assembly 60 located on the side of the storage basket 30 will not interfere with the cable 20, etc.
[0082] Specifically, during adjustment, pressure can be applied to the second end of the adjusting spring 632 through the drive end of the telescopic adjusting component 633, causing the spring to compress, thereby applying pressure to the drive motor 610 and the friction wheel 620 located on the drive motor 610, so as to adjust the magnitude of the friction force between the friction wheel 620 and the component to be driven.
[0083] The first end of the adjusting spring 632 can be directly connected to the drive motor 610 or connected via an intermediate connecting component. The output shaft of the drive motor 610 is connected to the connecting shaft via a coupling, and the friction wheel 620 is mounted on the connecting shaft. The drive motor 610 is a servo drive motor 610, which can precisely control the direction and rotation angle of the output shaft to achieve precise drive. The telescopic adjustment component 633 can be a hydraulic adjustment component, a pneumatic adjustment component, a screw adjustment component, or an electric linear component, etc.
[0084] The hydraulic adjustment component regulates the telescopic length using hydraulic pressure, controlling the spring's compression. The pneumatic adjustment component uses compressed air to drive the telescopic movement, controlling the spring's compression. The screw adjustment component adjusts the telescopic length by rotating a screw drive rod, controlling the spring's compression and thus adjusting the friction between the friction wheel 620 and the driven component. The electric linear component uses an electric motor to drive a screw or slider to achieve precise telescopic adjustment, controlling the spring's compression.
[0085] The above methods can all control the degree of spring compression, thereby adjusting the friction force between the friction wheel 620 and the driven component. Of course, the telescopic adjustment component 633 can also adopt other methods in the prior art, and the present invention does not specifically limit it.
[0086] See Figure 14 and Figure 15 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism 630 further includes an adjustment plate 634 and a guide post 635.
[0087] The second end of the adjusting spring 632 is connected to the inner surface of the adjusting plate 634, and the driving end of the telescopic adjusting assembly 633 is located on the side of the outer surface of the adjusting plate 634. The guide post 635 and the fixed bracket 631 slide vertically together, the adjusting plate 634 is connected to the guide post 635, and the adjusting spring 632 is sleeved on the guide post 635; the side wall of the guide post 635 is provided with an abutment plate, the first end of the adjusting spring 632 abuts against the abutment plate, and the guide post 635 is connected to the drive motor 610.
[0088] By setting the adjustment plate 634, the driving force of the telescopic adjustment component 633 can be transmitted to the second end of the adjustment spring 632, thereby improving the stability of the device during adjustment. By setting the guide post 635, the adjustment spring 632 can be limited and fixed to ensure its stability during use. At the same time, the pressure generated when the spring is compressed can be transmitted to the drive motor 610 through the guide post 635, improving the stability of the force applied to the drive motor 610. During adjustment, the driving end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 drives the adjustment plate 634 to move upward, compressing the adjustment spring 632. The second end of the adjustment spring 632 transmits the force to the guide post 635 through the abutment plate. Since the guide post 635 and the fixed bracket 631 slide vertically together, under this force, the guide post 635 will move slightly vertically to transmit the pressure of the spring to the drive motor 610.
[0089] It should be noted that the drive end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 can be connected to the adjustment plate 634 (e.g., by welding or detachable connection). Driving the telescopic adjustment component 633 can cause the adjustment plate 634 to move synchronously.
[0090] The driving end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 can also abut against the outer surface of the adjustment plate 634. For example, in the initial state, the driving end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 is located in the initial position and has a certain distance between it and the outer surface of the adjustment plate 634. When the driving end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 moves a certain distance toward the adjustment plate 634, the driving end of the telescopic adjustment component 633 can abut against the outer surface of the adjustment plate 634. When it continues to move, the adjustment spring 632 can be compressed through the adjustment plate 634.
[0091] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the adjustment mechanism 630 includes two adjusting springs 632 and two guide posts 635. The two adjusting springs 632 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the adjustment plate 634, and the two guide posts 635 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the adjustment plate 634. By providing two sets of adjusting springs 632 and guide posts 635, the drive motor 610 can be effectively supported by the adjusting springs 632 and guide posts 635 on both sides, thereby improving the stability during adjustment.
[0092] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the adjusting mechanism 630 further includes a vertically arranged linear bearing 636, which is mounted on the fixed bracket 631. The guide post 635 is slidably engaged with the linear bearing 636. By providing the linear bearing 636, the guide post 635 and the fixed bracket 631 can be configured in a sliding engagement, and the linear bearing 636 can guide the movement of the guide post 635, improving stability during adjustment and preventing the axis of the guide post 635 from shifting.
[0093] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the telescopic adjustment assembly 633 includes a threaded adjustment member 6331 (such as a bolt, screw, etc.) arranged vertically, and the threaded adjustment member 6331 is threadedly connected to the fixed bracket 631. During adjustment, the threaded adjustment member 6331 only needs to be rotated in the set direction to move the threaded adjustment member 6331 vertically and apply pressure to the adjustment plate 634. Its structure is simple and its operation is convenient.
[0094] Specifically, a threaded hole matching the threaded adjusting component 6331 can be provided at a corresponding position on the fixed bracket 631. During installation, the threaded adjusting component 6331 can be directly fitted into the threaded hole. Alternatively, a nut (e.g., welded) matching the threaded adjusting component 6331 can be provided at a corresponding position on the fixed bracket 631, and the threaded adjusting component 6331 and the fixed bracket 631 can be configured as a threaded connection through the nut.
[0095] Preferably, in this embodiment, the fixed bracket 631 is provided with an adjusting nut 6332, and the threaded adjusting member 6331 is threadedly connected to the adjusting nut 6332. By providing the adjusting nut 6332, it is easy to obtain and install, and there is no need to drill a screw hole on the fixed bracket 631.
[0096] It should be noted that the threaded adjusting element 6331 can be manually rotated or driven by a motor. When driven by a motor, the pressure applied by the adjusting spring 632 can be controlled by precisely rotating the output shaft of the motor at a set angle.
[0097] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, and not to limit them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can still be made to the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or equivalent substitutions can be made to some of the technical features; and these modifications or substitutions do not cause the essence of the corresponding technical solutions to deviate from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention.
Claims
1. A tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, characterized in that, include: Tethered drones, cables, storage baskets, reels, guides, drive components, and drone positioning devices; The storage basket includes a vertical roll-up bracket, and the drone positioning device includes a coarse positioning component and a fine positioning component. The coarse positioning component includes a first guide bracket and two second guide brackets arranged circumferentially, and the fine positioning component includes a guide support base. The vertical winding bracket, the winding reel, and the guide support are coaxially arranged. The winding reel is rotatably mounted on the top of the vertical winding bracket, and the guide support is located above the winding reel. The drive assembly is located in the storage basket, and the output end of the drive assembly is connected to the winding reel to drive the winding reel to rotate. A cable cavity is formed inside the guide member, and the lower end of the cable cavity is located above the side of the vertical winding bracket. The cable passes through the cable cavity, and one end of the cable is connected to the tethered drone. The first guide bracket has a guide groove, the second guide bracket has an outwardly inclined first guide portion, and the guide support seat has a diameter that gradually decreases from bottom to top to form a second inclined guide portion on the side of the guide support seat. The first guide bracket and the two second guide brackets are all located on the periphery of the guide support seat. The bottom of the tethered drone is provided with a drone landing gear. The bottom of the drone landing gear is used to cooperate with the first tilting guide part. The bottom of the drone landing gear is provided with a guide rod for cooperating with the guide groove. The drone landing gear is formed with a mating part for cooperating with the second tilting guide part.
2. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide support includes a support ring, a guide ring, and multiple third-side connecting rods. The support ring is located at the top of the storage basket. The multiple third-side connecting rods are arranged circumferentially between the support ring and the guide ring. The diameter of the guide ring is smaller than that of the support ring, so that the multiple third-side connecting rods form a second inclined guide portion on the side of the guide support. The upper end of the cable cavity is located inside the guide ring.
3. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The guide ring is provided with a plurality of first rolling elements, and the upper and lower ports of the guide elements are each provided with a plurality of second rolling elements.
4. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The side of the guide support is provided with multiple rolling guide mechanisms at circumferential intervals.
5. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cable cavity is inclined toward the center of the winding reel, and the diameter of the vertical winding support gradually decreases from bottom to top.
6. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The guide groove includes a guide section and a limiting section. The end of the guide section is connected to the beginning of the limiting section, and the limiting section is located below the guide section.
7. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The UAV landing gear includes an upper fixed ring and a lower fixed ring arranged coaxially along the vertical direction and spaced apart, wherein the diameter of the upper fixed ring is smaller than the diameter of the lower fixed ring; Multiple fifth side links are spaced apart between the fixed ring and the guide ring, so as to form the mating part on the side of the UAV landing gear through the multiple fifth side links.
8. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The drive assembly includes a drive motor, a friction wheel, and an adjustment mechanism; The adjustment mechanism includes a fixed bracket, an adjusting spring, and a telescopic adjustment assembly. The fixed bracket is connected to the side of the storage basket. The first end of the adjusting spring is connected to the drive motor. The drive end of the telescopic adjustment assembly can move vertically to compress the adjusting spring. The friction wheel is connected to the output shaft of the drive motor, and the friction surface of the friction wheel abuts against the winding reel.
9. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 8, characterized in that, The adjustment mechanism also includes an adjustment plate and a guide column; The second end of the adjusting spring is connected to the inner surface of the adjusting plate, and the driving end of the telescopic adjusting assembly is located on the side where the outer surface of the adjusting plate is located. The guide post and the fixed bracket slide vertically together. The adjusting plate is connected to the guide post. The adjusting spring is sleeved on the guide post. The side wall of the guide post is provided with an abutment plate. The first end of the adjusting spring abuts against the abutment plate. The guide post is connected to the drive motor.
10. The tethered unmanned aerial vehicle system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that, The storage basket also includes a base and an outer protective frame. The vertical winding bracket and the outer protective frame are both located on the base, and the drive assembly is located on the outer protective frame. The vertical winding bracket is located inside the outer protective frame to form a storage space for storing cables between the vertical winding bracket and the outer protective frame.