Fire extinguishing unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

This invention discloses a fire-fighting drone, comprising a fuselage and multiple aircraft mounted on the fuselage, including a probe head disposed on the fuselage; a magazine located on the fuselage for storing fire extinguishing bombs, with a bomb-dropping hole at the bottom of the magazine; a mounting slot located at the bottom of the fuselage; and a bomb-dropping mechanism disposed within the mounting slot. This fire-fighting drone provides high bomb-dropping accuracy and excellent fire-fighting effect. It employs a partially engaged gear and rack drive system combined with a spring energy storage mechanism to achieve catapult-style deployment of fire extinguishing bombs. The moment the partially engaged gear and rack disengage, the bomb-dropping tube rapidly resets under the elastic potential energy of the spring, using inertia to project the fire extinguishing bomb. This catapult method imparts a certain initial velocity to the fire extinguishing bomb, enabling it to fly along a specific trajectory towards the target fire point, effectively shortening the flight time of the fire extinguishing bomb.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more particularly to a fire-fighting UAV for fire suppression. Background Technology

[0002] Drone technology has developed rapidly in recent years and its application in the civilian field is becoming increasingly widespread. Among them, fire fighting is one of the important application directions of drones. Traditional high-rise building fire fighting has always been a difficult problem in the fire protection field. Due to the limited height of fire ladders and the range of water guns, firefighters often find it difficult to effectively fight fires in high-rise buildings. The emergence of fire fighting drones has provided a new technical approach to solving this problem. They have advantages such as mobility, rapid response, and no restrictions from ground transportation, and can quickly reach high-rise fire scenes to carry out operations.

[0003] Existing firefighting drones mainly consist of an airframe, aircraft, control system, and firefighting device. Based on the different firefighting devices, they can be mainly divided into the following categories: One type is the suspended firefighting drone, which flies to the fire scene by suspending fire extinguishing bombs. A release mechanism is used to open the suspension device, allowing the fire extinguishing bombs to fall freely into the fire. This type of drone has a simple structure, but its delivery accuracy is poor. The fire extinguishing bombs are easily affected by environmental factors such as wind during free fall and cannot accurately strike specific target points. Another type is the drone carrying fire extinguishing equipment. There are several types of fire-fighting drones. One type is the cannon-mounted drone, which uses a small fire-fighting cannon mounted on its fuselage to launch fire-extinguishing shells through a firing device. These drones have relatively high delivery accuracy, but the fire-fighting cannon and its recoil place high demands on the drone's payload capacity and flight stability, increasing the design difficulty and manufacturing cost. Another type is the jet-type fire-fighting drone, which carries a fire extinguishing agent tank and spray pipeline to directly spray the fire extinguishing agent at the fire point. This type of drone is suitable for close-range fire-fighting operations, but it is difficult to effectively cover fire points that are far away or obstructed by obstacles.

[0004] In existing bomb-dropping firefighting drones, the fire extinguishing bomb delivery mechanism typically employs a simple hatch-opening structure. This involves a bomb bay located at the bottom of the drone, with a drive mechanism opening the hatch to allow the fire extinguishing bomb to fall under gravity. This delivery method has several drawbacks: First, the fire extinguishing bomb's initial velocity upon leaving the drone is zero, relying entirely on gravity for acceleration. This results in a slow descent speed, significant susceptibility to airflow, and difficulty in accurately hitting the target. Second, when the drone needs to fly at a certain altitude to ensure its safety, the fire extinguishing bomb's descent trajectory is excessively long, further reducing delivery accuracy. Third, for building facades with obstacles such as balconies or billboards, vertically falling fire extinguishing bombs struggle to effectively enter narrow target areas like windows. Furthermore, existing catapult-type delivery mechanisms are often complex in structure, occupy a large space, have low reliability, and struggle to achieve continuous and stable bombing operations.

[0005] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new type of firefighting drone to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this invention provides a fire-fighting drone.

[0007] The present invention provides a fire-fighting drone, comprising a fuselage and multiple aircraft mounted on the fuselage, and further comprising: The probe head is mounted on the body of the machine. An ammunition storage compartment, located on the fuselage, is used to store fire extinguishing ammunition. The bottom of the ammunition storage compartment has a bullet-dropping hole. A mounting slot is provided at the bottom of the body; A bomb-throwing mechanism, disposed in the mounting slot, is used to project fire extinguishing bombs from the ammunition storage compartment. The controller is located inside the fuselage and is electrically connected to the aircraft, the probe, and the bombing mechanism, respectively. The bomb-throwing mechanism includes: A bomb-throwing tube is slidably disposed in the mounting groove along a first direction. The bomb-throwing tube has an inner cavity for accommodating a single fire extinguishing bomb and a rack is provided at its bottom. The mounting post is fixedly installed in the mounting slot; An elastic element is connected between the mounting post and the bomb-throwing tube to provide a restoring force for the bomb-throwing tube; The drive assembly includes a motor and an incomplete gear fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor. The motor is fixedly mounted on the body, and the incomplete gear cooperates with the rack to drive the bomb-throwing tube to slide within the mounting groove. The top of the mounting slot is connected to the ammunition storage compartment through the lower bullet hole, and is used to receive fire extinguishing bullets falling from the ammunition storage compartment; the bottom of the mounting slot is provided with a clearance groove to avoid incomplete gears.

[0008] Preferably, the elastic element is a spring, which is sleeved on the outside of the mounting post and located in the inner cavity of the bomb-throwing tube.

[0009] Preferably, the outer side of the bomb-throwing tube is provided with a slider, and the inner wall of the mounting groove is provided with a sliding groove adapted to the slider. The slider slides in cooperation with the sliding groove to guide the sliding direction of the bomb-throwing tube.

[0010] Preferably, the top of the ammunition storage compartment is hinged with a compartment door.

[0011] Preferably, the bottom of the body is also provided with support legs for supporting the drone.

[0012] Preferably, the detector is an infrared detector or a visual detector, used to identify the location of the fire source.

[0013] Preferably, the bottom of the machine body is also connected to a spray pipe, one end of which is connected to the mounting groove to guide the projection direction of the fire extinguishing bomb.

[0014] Preferably, the fuselage is also equipped with a battery, which is electrically connected to the controller, the aircraft, the probe, and the motor to provide electrical energy.

[0015] Compared with related technologies, the firefighting drone provided by this invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention provides a fire-fighting drone with high bomb-dropping accuracy and good fire-extinguishing effect. It adopts a drive method with incomplete gear and rack engagement, combined with a spring energy storage mechanism, to achieve catapult-style deployment of fire extinguishing bombs. The moment the incomplete gear and rack disengage, the bomb-dropping tube quickly resets under the elastic potential energy of the spring, using inertia to project the fire extinguishing bomb. This catapult method gives the fire extinguishing bomb a certain initial velocity, allowing it to fly towards the target fire point along a certain trajectory, effectively shortening the flight time of the fire extinguishing bomb and reducing the interference of external airflow on the flight trajectory. At the same time, by setting a spray pipe at the bottom of the fuselage, the projection direction of the fire extinguishing bomb can be guided and controlled, enabling the fire extinguishing bomb to hit the target area more accurately. Even for targets in narrow spaces such as windows and balconies, it can achieve effective strikes, significantly improving the success rate of fire-fighting operations.

[0016] With its compact structure and high space utilization, the spring is sleeved on the outside of the mounting column and built into the inner cavity of the bomb drop tube, realizing the organic combination of the energy storage mechanism and the bomb drop mechanism. This greatly reduces the space occupied by the components. At the same time, the sliding fit structure between the slider and the slide groove ensures the smoothness and guiding accuracy of the reciprocating motion of the bomb drop tube, avoiding jamming failures caused by structural loosening or deflection. This allows the entire bomb drop mechanism to be integrated into the mounting slot at the bottom of the aircraft without adding extra volume or wind resistance to the UAV, which is conducive to maintaining the UAV's good flight performance.

[0017] During the bombing process, the incomplete gear completes one bombing action for each rotation. After the bombing tube is reset, the next fire extinguishing bomb automatically falls into the inner cavity of the bombing tube under the action of gravity, waiting for the next drop. The intermittent working mode enables the drone to continuously and stably drop multiple fire extinguishing bombs in one flight, improving the fire extinguishing efficiency of a single operation.

[0018] The bombing mechanism adopts a purely mechanical transmission method. Compared with complex electromagnetic or hydraulic drive mechanisms, it has a simple structure, low failure rate, and higher reliability. The meshing transmission of incomplete gears and racks has intermittent motion characteristics, which can accurately control the compression stroke and release timing of the bombing tube, ensuring the consistency and stability of each bombing action. The spring, as an energy storage element, has stable performance, long service life, and does not require frequent replacement. The overall mechanism does not have a complex electronic control system or vulnerable parts, reducing the use and maintenance costs of the UAV.

[0019] With strong applicability and wide range of applications, the drone of this invention is not only suitable for fighting fires in high-rise buildings, but can also be widely used in various scenarios such as forest fires, chemical industrial park fires, and ship fires. The detection head can select infrared detection or visual detection methods according to different scenario requirements, adapting to the needs of fire source identification in daytime, nighttime, and smoky environments. The setting of the spray tube allows the fire extinguishing bomb to be projected at a certain angle, which facilitates the drone to operate at a safe distance and improves the safety of the operation. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of the fire-fighting drone provided by the present invention; Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the fire-fighting drone provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the bomb-throwing mechanism provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the organism provided by the present invention.

[0021] The following are the labeling elements in the diagram: 1. Airframe; 2. Aircraft; 3. Probe head; 4. Battery; 5. Bomb bay; 6. Bomb discharge port; 7. Mounting slot; 8. Jet nozzle; 9. Clearance slot; 10. Motor; 11. Incomplete gear; 12. Mounting column; 13. Slide rail; 14. Elastic element; 15. Bomb canister; 16. Rack; 17. Outriggers; 18. Door; 19. Sliding block. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] In the specific implementation process, such as Figures 1-4 As shown, a fire-fighting drone includes a body 1 and multiple aircraft 2 mounted on the body 1. The aircraft 2 are rotary-wing aircraft that provide flight power for the drone.

[0024] A detector 3 is provided on the outer side of the body 1. The detector 3 is used to identify and locate the fire source. The detector 3 is an infrared detector or a visual detector, which accurately captures the heat radiation signal or image information of the fire source and improves the accuracy of fire source identification.

[0025] Inside the body 1 are a battery 4 and a controller (not shown in the figure). The battery 4 serves as the power source for the UAV and is electrically connected to the controller, the aircraft 2, the probe 3, and the motor 10 to provide electrical energy. The controller is electrically connected to the aircraft 2, the probe 3, and the motor 10 in the bombing mechanism, respectively, and is used to receive signals from the probe 3 and control the flight attitude of the aircraft 2 and the bombing action of the bombing mechanism according to a preset program.

[0026] The body 1 has a storage compartment 5 for storing fire extinguishing bombs. The top of the storage compartment 5 is hinged with a door 18 to facilitate the operator to load fire extinguishing bombs into the storage compartment 5. The bottom of the storage compartment 5 is provided with a bomb release hole 6 for releasing fire extinguishing bombs to the bomb release mechanism below.

[0027] The bottom of the body 1 is provided with a mounting slot 7, and a bomb-throwing mechanism is provided in the mounting slot 7 to launch fire extinguishing bombs from the ammunition storage compartment 5. The top of the mounting slot 7 is connected to the ammunition storage compartment 5 through a bomb-dropping hole 6, so that the fire extinguishing bombs can fall from the ammunition storage compartment 5 into the mounting slot 7 under the action of gravity. The bottom of the mounting slot 7 is also provided with a clearance slot 9.

[0028] The bomb-throwing mechanism includes a bomb-throwing tube 15, a mounting post 12, an elastic element 14, and a drive assembly. The bomb-throwing tube 15 is slidably connected in the mounting groove 7 and can slide back and forth in a first direction. A rack 16 is provided at the bottom of the bomb-throwing tube 15 along the sliding direction. A slider 19 is provided on the outer side of the bomb-throwing tube 15. A groove 13 adapted to the slider 19 is opened on the inner wall of the mounting groove 7. The slider 19 slides in conjunction with the groove 13 to guide the sliding direction of the bomb-throwing tube 15 and prevent the bomb-throwing tube 15 from deflecting or getting stuck during the sliding process.

[0029] The mounting post 12 is fixedly installed in the mounting groove 7. The elastic element 14 is connected between the mounting post 12 and the bomb-throwing tube 15 to provide a restoring force for the bomb-throwing tube 15. In this embodiment, the elastic element 14 is preferably a spring. The spring is sleeved on the outside of the mounting post 12 and located in the inner cavity of the bomb-throwing tube 15. The spring is built into the bomb-throwing tube 15, which makes the structure more compact and occupies less space.

[0030] The drive assembly includes a motor 10 and an incomplete gear 11 fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 10. The motor 10 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the body 1. The incomplete gear 11 is located in the clearance groove 9 and engages with the rack 16 at the bottom of the bomb-throwing tube 15 to drive the bomb-throwing tube 15 to slide in the mounting groove 7. The incomplete gear 11 is a gear with teeth only on a portion of its circumference. When the toothed portion of the incomplete gear 11 meshes with the rack 16, it can drive the bomb-throwing tube 15 to compress the spring and slide to one side. When the incomplete gear 11 rotates to the point where the toothless portion is opposite to the rack 16, the two disengage.

[0031] In the initial state, the bomb launcher 15 is located on one side of the mounting groove 7 under the elastic force of the spring, and its inner cavity opening is directly opposite the lower bullet hole 6. At this time, a fire extinguishing bomb falls from the storage chamber 5 through the lower bullet hole 6 into one side of the bomb launcher 15.

[0032] When a fire extinguishing bomb needs to be deployed, the controller starts the motor 10, which drives the incomplete gear 11 to rotate. When the teeth of the incomplete gear 11 mesh with the rack 16, the incomplete gear 11 drives the bomb-deploying tube 15 to slide to the other side against the spring force. At this time, the spring is further compressed, accumulating elastic potential energy. When the incomplete gear 11 rotates to the point where its toothless part is opposite the rack 16, the incomplete gear 11 disengages from the rack 16, and the bomb-deploying tube 15 loses its driving force. At this time, the bomb-deploying tube 15 accelerates in the opposite direction and slides quickly under the action of the elastic potential energy accumulated by the spring, and quickly resets. During the rapid reset of the bomb-deploying tube 15, the fire extinguishing bomb located in the inner cavity of the bomb-deploying tube 15 will not reset with the bomb-deploying tube 15 due to inertia. Instead, it will detach from the inner cavity of the bomb-deploying tube 15 and be projected out of the mounting groove 7 through the clearance groove 9 at the bottom of the mounting groove 7, thus completing one bomb-deploying action.

[0033] In order to guide the projection direction of the fire extinguishing bomb, a spray pipe 8 is also connected to the body 1. One end of the spray pipe 8 is connected to the mounting slot 7. When the fire extinguishing bomb is projected out of the mounting slot 7, it is shot out along the spray pipe 8. The outlet direction of the spray pipe 8 is the projection direction of the fire extinguishing bomb.

[0034] Support legs 17 are also provided at the bottom of the fuselage 1 to support the entire fuselage 1 when the drone lands. After the bomb disposal tube 15 completes one bomb disposal and resets, the next fire extinguishing bomb will fall from the storage chamber 5 through the lower bomb hole 6 into the inner cavity of the bomb disposal tube 15 under the action of gravity, waiting for the next bomb disposal command. This cycle can realize continuous bomb disposal operation.

[0035] All standard parts used in this invention can be purchased from the market. Each component in this invention can be customized according to the description and drawings. The specific connection methods of each component adopt conventional methods such as bolts, rivets, and welding that are mature in the prior art. The machinery, parts, and equipment all adopt conventional models in the prior art. The control method is automatic control through a controller. The control circuit of the controller can be implemented by those skilled in the art through simple programming, which is common knowledge in the field. Furthermore, since this invention is mainly used to protect mechanical devices, this application document will not explain the control method and circuit connection in detail, and will not be described in detail here.

[0036] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural or procedural transformations made based on the content of the present invention's specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in other related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A firefighting drone, comprising a fuselage (1) and a plurality of aircraft (2) mounted on the fuselage (1), characterized in that, Also includes: The probe (3) is mounted on the body (1); The ammunition storage compartment (5) is located on the body (1) and is used to store fire extinguishing shells. The bottom of the ammunition storage compartment (5) is provided with a lower shell hole (6). Mounting slot (7) is provided at the bottom of the body (1); The bomb-throwing mechanism is installed in the mounting slot (7) and is used to throw out fire extinguishing bombs from the ammunition storage compartment (5); The controller is located inside the body (1) and is electrically connected to the aircraft (2), the probe (3) and the bombing mechanism respectively; The bomb-throwing mechanism includes: The bomb-throwing tube (15) is reciprocally slidably disposed in the mounting groove (7) along the first direction. The bomb-throwing tube (15) has an inner cavity for accommodating a single fire extinguishing bomb, and a rack (16) is provided at its bottom. The mounting post (12) is fixedly installed in the mounting groove (7); An elastic element (14) is connected between the mounting post (12) and the bomb-throwing tube (15); The drive assembly includes a motor (10) and an incomplete gear (11) fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor (10). The motor (10) is fixedly mounted on the body (1), and the incomplete gear (11) engages with the rack (16). The top of the mounting slot (7) is connected to the ammunition storage compartment (5) through the lower bullet hole (6), and the bottom of the mounting slot (7) is provided with a clearance slot (9).

2. The firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The elastic element (14) is a spring, which is sleeved on the outside of the mounting post (12) and located in the inner cavity of the bomb-throwing tube (15).

3. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer side of the bomb-throwing tube (15) is provided with a slider (19), and the inner wall of the mounting groove (7) is provided with a sliding groove (13) that is adapted to the slider (19). The slider (19) and the sliding groove (13) slide together to guide the sliding direction of the bomb-throwing tube (15).

4. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The top of the ammunition storage compartment (5) is hinged with a compartment door (18).

5. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the body (1) is also provided with support legs (17).

6. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detector (3) is an infrared detector or a visual detector.

7. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the body (1) is also connected to a spray pipe (8), one end of which is connected to the mounting groove (7).

8. A firefighting drone according to claim 1, characterized in that, The body (1) is also equipped with a storage battery (4), which is electrically connected to the controller, the aircraft (2), the probe (3) and the motor (10).

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