An automatic battery replacement system for a vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of vehicle-mounted drones and discloses an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones. The system includes a vehicle-mounted drone and a vehicle-mounted hangar. The vehicle-mounted drone includes a drone body and a drone support frame. The vehicle-mounted hangar includes a hangar compartment and a lifting platform, a positioning mechanism, a robotic arm, and a battery charging mechanism located within the hangar compartment. When the vehicle-mounted drone needs a battery replacement, the hangar compartment opens, and the vehicle-mounted drone lands on the lifting platform. The positioning mechanism uses a first push rod and a second push rod to push the drone support frame, adjusting the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone and the lifting platform to achieve drone positioning. A fixing element is then used to secure the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone and the lifting platform. After the vehicle-mounted drone is positioned, the robotic arm removes the battery from the drone body and sends it to the battery charging mechanism for charging. A spare battery from the battery charging mechanism is then removed and installed onto the drone body, improving the vehicle-mounted drone's range.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of vehicle-mounted drone technology, and in particular to an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones. Background Technology

[0002] Vehicle-mounted drones are products that combine vehicles and drones. They typically use light commercial vehicles as the drone's operating platform, enabling autonomous takeoff and landing by mounting modular mobile drone airports on the vehicle. In short, vehicle-mounted drones are a hybrid product that combines the flexibility of drones with the long-distance mobility of command vehicles.

[0003] Vehicle-mounted drones are not simply drones placed on the roof of a vehicle; rather, they are integrated systems comprising the drone itself, an onboard hangar (including charging / battery swapping, temperature control, and protection units), a vehicle-mounted control system, a communication link, and positioning and sensing modules. Their core function is to achieve dynamic collaboration between the drone and the vehicle, supporting take-off and landing while moving, automatic following, real-time data interaction, and autonomous charging, thus breaking through the limitations of traditional drone range and operational scope.

[0004] When a vehicle-mounted drone lands in a rooftop hangar for battery replacement, high positioning accuracy is crucial, as its effectiveness directly determines the stability, safety, and efficiency of the process. The core prerequisite for drone battery replacement is precise alignment between the drone's fuselage and the hangar's battery docking mechanism. Simultaneously, the drone's landing gear must land stably within the designated hangar area to avoid issues such as drone misalignment, damage to the hangar structure, or failed battery docking. The application scenario of a rooftop hangar further exacerbates these positioning requirements. Furthermore, the hangar's location on the vehicle roof means that uneven ground can cause drone tilting when the vehicle is parked, and slight shifts in hangar position can occur after driving. Additionally, the limited rooftop space means the effective landing area is typically only slightly larger than the drone's size. This necessitates centimeter-level or even millimeter-level positioning accuracy to compensate for any positional deviations within the hangar itself. Moreover, environmental factors during landing, such as crosswinds causing attitude shifts and low-altitude turbulence affecting landing stability, require a high-precision positioning system to correct flight trajectories in real time, ensuring accurate landing even in complex environments.

[0005] Current technologies for vehicle-mounted drones and hangars employ complex positioning structures. These complex structures significantly increase system maintenance difficulty and operational costs. Maintenance personnel not only need expertise in drone flight control, positioning sensors, and mechanical structures, but also must meticulously inspect the operational status of each positioning module during troubleshooting—a time-consuming and skill-intensive process. Furthermore, some high-precision positioning components are custom-designed, resulting in long procurement cycles and high costs for spare parts, further increasing maintenance complexity and costs. Additionally, complex positioning structures are typically designed to be specific drone or hangar models, lacking universality in parameters such as the dimensions of the mechanical alignment mechanism and the installation positions of sensors. When adapting to drones of different sizes and weights, significant redesign and modification of the positioning structure are required, leading to poor system adaptability and flexibility, and making it difficult to meet the battery swapping needs of various drone types.

[0006] In addition, the complex positioning structure increases the overall weight and volume of the drone and the hangar. The large number of sensors and mechanical parts mounted on the hangar will increase the load on the roof. At the same time, the drone itself needs to integrate more positioning receiving modules, which will occupy limited fuselage space and increase energy consumption, thereby affecting the drone's endurance and flight performance, reducing the response speed of the battery swapping process, and affecting the battery swapping efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, how to change the current situation where the positioning system of vehicle-mounted drones and vehicle-mounted hangars is complex, affects the battery swapping efficiency of vehicle-mounted drones, and reduces the ease of use of vehicle-mounted drones has become an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned related technologies, simplify the structure of the automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones, reduce the positioning difficulty between the vehicle-mounted drone and the vehicle-mounted hangar, improve the battery replacement efficiency of vehicle-mounted drones, and thus enhance the adaptability of vehicle-mounted drones.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following solution: This invention provides an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones, comprising: A vehicle-mounted drone, comprising a drone body and a drone support, wherein the drone body is mounted on top of the drone support and the two are connected. The vehicle-mounted hangar includes a hangar compartment and a lifting platform, a positioning mechanism, a robotic arm, and a battery charging mechanism disposed within the hangar compartment. The hangar compartment can open and close to allow the vehicle-mounted drone to land on the lifting platform. The lifting platform can drive the vehicle-mounted drone to reciprocate vertically. The robotic arm can remove the battery from the drone body and transport it to the battery charging mechanism for charging. The robotic arm can also install a spare battery from the battery charging mechanism onto the drone body. The positioning mechanism includes a first push rod, a second push rod, and a fixing element. The first push rod and the second push rod are slidably disposed within the hangar compartment. Both the first push rod and the second push rod are connected to a driver. Both the first push rod and the second push rod can push the drone support to move to achieve the purpose of positioning the vehicle-mounted drone. The reciprocating sliding direction of the first push rod is perpendicular to the reciprocating sliding direction of the second push rod. The fixing element is connected to the lifting platform and can abut against the drone support and fix the relative position of the drone support and the lifting platform.

[0010] Preferably, the hangar compartment includes a compartment body and a canopy, the canopy being connected to the compartment body and enclosing an installation space, the lifting platform, the robotic arm, and the battery charging mechanism all being located within the installation space; the lifting platform is connected to the bottom wall of the compartment body using a scissor lift bracket. The hangar cover is a split structure, comprising a first hangar cover and a second hangar cover. The first hangar cover is connected to the hangar body, and the second hangar cover is slidably connected to the hangar body. When the second hangar cover abuts against the first hangar cover, the hangar compartment is closed; when the second hangar cover moves away from the first hangar cover, the hangar compartment is opened. Sealing elements are provided between the cabin body and between the first hatch cover and the second hatch cover.

[0011] Preferably, the robotic arm is located between the lifting platform and the battery charging mechanism, and the fixing element is located on the side of the lifting platform closer to the robotic arm; The battery charging mechanism is detachably connected to the cabin.

[0012] Preferably, there are two sets of the second push rods, and the two second push rods are symmetrically arranged with the center line of the lifting platform as the axis. The line connecting the first push rod and the fixing element is perpendicular to the line connecting the two second push rods. The positioning mechanism further includes a first driver and a second driver, both of which are mounted on the lifting platform. The output end of the first driver is connected to the first push rod via a transmission; the output end of the second driver is connected to the second push rod via a transmission.

[0013] Preferably, the output end of the first driver is connected to the first push rod via a gear and rack transmission mechanism, and the output end of the second driver is connected to the second push rod via a gear and rack transmission mechanism. The bottom of the first push rod is connected to a push rod slider, and the lifting platform has a groove that matches the push rod slider, and the push rod slider is slidably disposed in the groove.

[0014] Preferably, both the first push rod and the second push rod are connected to a flexible structural layer, which is located on the side of the first push rod and the second push rod near the drone support. Both the first push rod and the second push rod are detachably connected to the flexible structural layer, which is made of an elastic material.

[0015] Preferably, the fixing element is a U-shaped structure, the opening of the fixing element is oriented towards the first push rod, and the width of the opening of the fixing element is greater than the width of the drone bracket; The fixing element has a protective pad on the side facing the first push rod. The protective pad is detachably connected to the fixing element and is made of an elastic material.

[0016] Preferably, the fixing element is embedded with a first adsorption element, and the drone bracket is embedded with a second adsorption element. The first adsorption element and the second adsorption element cooperate to fix the relative position of the drone bracket and the lifting platform. The first adsorption element adopts an electromagnetic adsorption structure.

[0017] Preferably, the drone body and the drone support are detachably connected, and the drone support is a frame structure.

[0018] Preferably, the vehicle-mounted hangar can be connected to the vehicle using a telescopic pole, and a buffer mechanism is provided between the vehicle-mounted hangar and the vehicle.

[0019] This invention achieves the following technical advantages over related technologies: The vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system of this invention includes a vehicle-mounted drone and a vehicle-mounted hangar. The vehicle-mounted drone includes a drone body and a drone support, with the drone body mounted on top of the drone support and the two connected. The vehicle-mounted hangar includes a hangar compartment and a lifting platform, a positioning mechanism, a robotic arm, and a battery charging mechanism disposed within the hangar compartment. The hangar compartment can open and close to allow the vehicle-mounted drone to land on the lifting platform, and the lifting platform can drive the vehicle-mounted drone to reciprocate vertically. The robotic arm can remove the battery from the drone body and transport the battery to a battery charging station. The electric mechanism charges the drone, and the robotic arm can also install the spare battery from the battery charging mechanism onto the drone body. The positioning mechanism includes a first push rod, a second push rod, and a fixing element. The first push rod and the second push rod can be slidably set in the hangar compartment. The first push rod and the second push rod are both connected to a driver. The first push rod and the second push rod can both push the drone support to move to achieve the purpose of positioning the vehicle-mounted drone. The reciprocating sliding direction of the first push rod is perpendicular to the reciprocating sliding direction of the second push rod. The fixing element is connected to the lifting platform and can abut against the drone support and fix the relative position of the drone support and the lifting platform.

[0020] This invention discloses an automatic battery replacement system for a vehicle-mounted drone. The vehicle-mounted drone includes a drone body and a drone support frame. The drone support frame is located at the bottom of the drone body and supports the drone body during landing. The vehicle-mounted hangar includes a hangar compartment capable of accommodating the vehicle-mounted drone and other supporting mechanisms. When the vehicle-mounted drone needs a battery replacement, the hangar compartment opens, and the drone lands on a lifting platform. A positioning mechanism uses a first push rod and a second push rod to push the drone support frame, adjusting the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone and the lifting platform to achieve drone positioning. A fixing element is then used to secure the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone and the lifting platform. After the drone is positioned, a robotic arm removes the battery from the drone body and sends it to a battery charging mechanism for charging. A spare battery from the battery charging mechanism is then removed and installed onto the drone body, improving the drone's range, ensuring its operational reliability, and thus enhancing its adaptability. The automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones of the present invention uses a positioning mechanism to push the drone bracket from two mutually perpendicular directions to adjust the position of the vehicle-mounted drone. Combined with fixing elements, the system secures the vehicle-mounted drone, ensuring the positioning accuracy of the vehicle-mounted drone and the vehicle-mounted hangar. This simplifies the structure of the automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones and improves the battery replacement efficiency of vehicle-mounted drones. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or related technologies, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. 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.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a front view schematic diagram of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system disclosed in the embodiments of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a top view of the hangar compartment of the vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention when the hangar compartment is open. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] In the image: 1. Vehicle-mounted drone; 101. Drone body; 102. Drone support frame; 2. Vehicle-mounted hangar; 201. Hanger compartment; 202. Lifting platform; 203. Robotic arm; 204. Battery charging mechanism; 205. First push rod; 206. Second push rod; 207. Fixing element; 208. Cabin; 209. First hatch cover; 210. Second hatch cover; 211. First actuator; 212. Second actuator; 213. Push rod slider; 214. Flexible structure layer; 215. First adsorption element; 216. Telescopic rod. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0025] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned related technologies, simplify the structure of the automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones, reduce the positioning difficulty between the vehicle-mounted drone and the vehicle-mounted hangar, improve the battery replacement efficiency of vehicle-mounted drones, and thus enhance the adaptability of vehicle-mounted drones.

[0026] To make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0027] Example 1 This embodiment provides an automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted drones. Please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1-5 The system includes a vehicle-mounted drone 1 and a vehicle-mounted hangar 2. The vehicle-mounted drone 1 includes a drone body 101 and a drone support 102, with the drone body 101 mounted on top of the drone support 102 and connected to it. The vehicle-mounted hangar 2 includes a hangar compartment 201 and a lifting platform 202, a positioning mechanism, a robotic arm 203, and a battery charging mechanism 204 disposed within the hangar compartment 201. The hangar compartment 201 can open and close to allow the vehicle-mounted drone 1 to land on the lifting platform 202, which can drive the vehicle-mounted drone 1 to reciprocate vertically. The robotic arm 203 can remove the battery from the drone body 101 and transport it to the battery charging mechanism 204 for charging. The robotic arm 203 can also access the battery charging mechanism 204. The spare battery is installed on the drone body 101; the positioning mechanism includes a first push rod 205, a second push rod 206 and a fixing element 207. The first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 are slidably installed in the hangar compartment 201. The first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 are both connected to a driver. The first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 can push the drone support 102 to move to achieve the purpose of positioning the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The reciprocating sliding direction of the first push rod 205 is perpendicular to the reciprocating sliding direction of the second push rod 206. The fixing element 207 is connected to the lifting platform 202. The fixing element 207 can abut against the drone support 102 and fix the relative position of the drone support 102 and the lifting platform 202.

[0028] The present invention relates to an automatic battery replacement system for a vehicle-mounted drone. The vehicle-mounted drone 1 includes a drone body 101 and a drone support 102. The drone support 102 is disposed at the bottom of the drone body 101, and can support the drone body 101 when the vehicle-mounted drone 1 lands. The vehicle-mounted hangar 2 includes a hangar compartment 201, which can accommodate the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and other supporting mechanisms. When the vehicle-mounted drone 1 needs a battery replacement, the hangar compartment 201 opens, and the vehicle-mounted drone 1 lands on the lifting platform 202. The positioning mechanism uses the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 to push the drone support 102, adjusting the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and the lifting platform 202 to achieve positioning of the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The fixing element 207 is used to fix the relative position of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and the lifting platform 202. After the vehicle-mounted drone 1 is positioned, the robotic arm 203 can remove the battery from the drone body 101 and send it to the battery charging mechanism 204 for charging. The spare battery in the battery charging mechanism 204 is then removed and installed on the drone body 101, improving the battery life of the vehicle-mounted drone 1, ensuring the working reliability of the vehicle-mounted drone 1, and thus improving the adaptability of the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system of the present invention uses a positioning mechanism to push the drone bracket 102 from two mutually perpendicular directions to adjust the position of the vehicle-mounted drone 1. Combined with the fixing element 207, the vehicle-mounted drone 1 is fixed, which ensures the positioning accuracy of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and the vehicle-mounted hangar 2, simplifies the structure of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system, and improves the battery replacement efficiency of the vehicle-mounted drone 1.

[0029] It should be explained here that the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system of the present invention also includes a controller and a power mechanism. The lifting platform 202, positioning mechanism, robotic arm 203, and battery charging mechanism 204 are all communicatively connected to the controller, facilitating the controller's control of the working status of each component. Simultaneously, the power mechanism provides a power source for the lifting platform 202, positioning mechanism, robotic arm 203, battery charging mechanism 204, and controller. The power mechanism can be provided by the vehicle's power unit, and the controller is communicatively connected to the vehicle control system for easy operation. The reasonable arrangement of the power mechanism and the specific structure and working principle of the controller are common knowledge to those skilled in the art. Similarly, the structural composition and working principle of the robotic arm 203 and battery charging mechanism 204 are common knowledge to those skilled in the art and will not be elaborated upon here.

[0030] The hangar compartment 201 includes a body 208 and a canopy. The canopy is connected to the body 208 and forms an installation space capable of accommodating the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and other components. The lifting platform 202, the robotic arm 203, and the battery charging mechanism 204 are all located within the installation space. The hangar compartment 201 provides effective protection for the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and other components, ensuring the structural stability of the system. In this specific embodiment, the lifting platform 202 is connected to the bottom wall of the body 208 via a scissor lift bracket. Controlling the scissor lift bracket allows the lifting platform 202 to move vertically, adjusting the vertical position of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 to facilitate takeoff and landing. It also provides convenience for the robotic arm 203 to perform battery swapping operations on the vehicle-mounted drone 1.

[0031] In this specific embodiment, the hangar cover is a split structure, comprising a first cover 209 and a second cover 210. The first cover 209 is connected to the hangar body 208 and is a fixed structure. The second cover 210 is slidably connected to the hangar body 208. The sliding of the second cover 210 relative to the hangar body 208 enables the opening and closing of the hangar compartment 201. When the second cover 210 abuts against the first cover 209, the hangar compartment 201 is closed; when the second cover 210 moves away from the first cover 209, the hangar compartment 201 is opened. The second cover 210 is connected to a cover actuator, which is also communicatively connected to a controller. The cover actuator can be a cylinder, a telescopic rod 216, etc. In practical applications, both the first cover 209 and the second cover 210 can be configured as movable structures to accommodate installation on vehicles of different models and specifications, improving the adaptability of the hangar compartment 201.

[0032] To ensure the airtightness of the hangar compartment 201, sealing elements are provided between the compartment 208 and the first cover 209 and the second cover 210. The sealing elements can block external rainwater, dust and other impurities from entering the hangar compartment 201 to the greatest extent, providing effective protection for the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and other components, and extending the service life of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system.

[0033] In this specific embodiment, in order to facilitate the operation of the robotic arm 203, the robotic arm 203 is located between the lifting platform 202 and the battery charging mechanism 204. The fixing element 207 is located on the side of the lifting platform 202 close to the robotic arm 203. The fixing element 207 fixes the relative position between the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and the lifting platform 202, providing convenience for the robotic arm 203 to perform battery swapping operations.

[0034] It should also be noted that the battery charging mechanism 204 is detachably connected to the cabin 208, which facilitates the adjustment of the position of the battery charging mechanism 204 to adapt to the battery swapping operation of different models and specifications of vehicle-mounted drones 1, thereby improving the flexibility and adaptability of the drone hangar.

[0035] Specifically, there are two sets of second push rods 206, symmetrically arranged around the centerline of the lifting platform 202. The line connecting the first push rod 205 and the fixing element 207 is perpendicular to the line connecting the two second push rods 206. That is, the first push rod 205, the two second push rods 206, and the fixing element 207 form a rectangle surrounding the landing area of ​​the vehicle-mounted drone 1. It should also be noted that during the battery swapping process of the vehicle-mounted drone 1, the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 can always be in contact with the drone bracket 102. While the fixing element 207 fixes the vehicle-mounted drone 1, it further improves the structural stability of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and ensures the reliability of the battery swapping process.

[0036] More specifically, the positioning mechanism also includes a first driver 211 and a second driver 212. Both the first driver 211 and the second driver 212 are mounted on the lifting platform 202. The output end of the first driver 211 is connected to the first push rod 205; the output end of the second driver 212 is connected to the second push rod 206. The second driver 212 and the second push rod 206 correspond one-to-one. The two second push rods 206 can push the drone bracket 102 to center the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The first push rod 205 pushes the drone bracket 102 until it contacts the fixing element 207. The fixing element 207 uses the drone bracket 102 to fix the vehicle-mounted drone 1, thus achieving the positioning purpose of the vehicle-mounted drone 1.

[0037] In this specific embodiment, the output end of the first driver 211 is connected to the first push rod 205 via a gear and rack transmission mechanism, and the output end of the second driver 212 is connected to the second push rod 206 via a gear and rack transmission mechanism. The gear and rack transmission mechanism has a simple structure and reliable transmission, ensuring the reliability of the reciprocating motion of the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206. In practical applications, sprocket and chain or other transmission mechanisms can also be used to transmit power while meeting different working conditions and improving the flexibility and adaptability of the positioning mechanism.

[0038] To improve the accuracy of the reciprocating motion of the first push rod 205, a push rod slider 213 is connected to the bottom of the first push rod 205. The lifting platform 202 has a groove that matches the push rod slider 213, and the push rod slider 213 is slidably disposed within the groove. The cooperation between the push rod slider 213 and the groove provides guidance for the reciprocating sliding of the first push rod 205, ensuring the stability of the reciprocating motion of the first push rod 205 and improving the working reliability of the positioning mechanism.

[0039] Furthermore, both the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 are connected to a flexible structural layer 214. The flexible structural layer 214 is located on the side of the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 closest to the drone support 102. The first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 use the flexible structural layer 214 to push the drone support 102. The flexible structural layer 214 is made of elastic material, which protects the drone support 102. At the same time, the flexible structural layer 214 increases the coefficient of friction between the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 and the drone support 102, improving positioning stability. In practical applications, both the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 are detachably connected to the flexible structural layer 214, which allows for the replacement of flexible structural layers 214 of different materials and specifications according to different positioning requirements. This detachable connection greatly improves operational convenience.

[0040] In this specific embodiment, the fixing element 207 has a U-shaped structure, with its opening facing the first push rod 205. The width of the opening of the fixing element 207 is greater than the width of the drone support 102, allowing the drone support 102 to contact the bottom wall of the fixing element 207. Simultaneously, the side wall of the fixing element 207 can act as a limit during battery swapping of the vehicle-mounted drone 1, preventing the drone support 102 from sliding or misaligning and ensuring the normal operation of the system. In other specific embodiments achievable by this invention, the fixing element 207 is detachably connected to the lifting platform 202, facilitating the replacement of fixing elements 207 of different shapes and specifications according to different positioning requirements, thereby improving the adaptability of the positioning mechanism to different models and specifications of vehicle-mounted drones 1.

[0041] Correspondingly, a protective gasket is provided on the side of the fixing element 207 facing the first push rod 205. The protective gasket is detachably connected to the fixing element 207 and is made of elastic material. The protective gasket can abut against the drone bracket 102, preventing the fixing element 207 from causing scratch damage to the drone bracket 102. At the same time, it increases the coefficient of friction between the fixing element 207 and the drone bracket 102, enhancing the fixing effect of the fixing element 207 on the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The detachable connection between the protective gasket and the fixing element 207 facilitates replacement and maintenance, improving operational convenience.

[0042] In this specific embodiment, the fixing element 207 is embedded with a first adsorption element 215, and the drone bracket 102 is embedded with a second adsorption element. The first adsorption element 215 and the second adsorption element cooperate to fix the relative position of the drone bracket 102 and the lifting platform 202. After the first push rod 205 and the second push rod 206 push the vehicle-mounted drone 1 to achieve centering and positioning, the fixing element 207 uses the first adsorption element 215 and the second adsorption element embedded in the drone bracket 102 to adsorb and fix the vehicle-mounted drone 1, which reduces the difficulty of positioning and fixing operation while ensuring the fixing effect.

[0043] In practical applications, the first adsorption element 215 adopts an electromagnetic adsorption structure, and the second adsorption element can be made of ferromagnetic material. The first adsorption element 215 adsorbs the second adsorption element to achieve the purpose of adsorption and fixation. After the UAV body 101 completes the battery replacement, the working state of the first adsorption element 215 is controlled to release the mutual adsorption effect between the first adsorption element 215 and the second adsorption element, so as to avoid affecting the take-off operation of the vehicle-mounted UAV 1.

[0044] In specific embodiments achievable by the present invention, the first adsorption element 215 and the second adsorption element can also be magnets with opposite magnetic poles, which can also serve the purpose of adsorbing and fixing the vehicle-mounted drone 1.

[0045] Furthermore, in practical applications, the drone body 101 and the drone bracket 102 can be detachably connected, which facilitates the disassembly and maintenance of the vehicle-mounted drone 1. The drone bracket 102 has a frame structure, which helps to reduce the weight of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and improve its battery life.

[0046] Example 2 This embodiment provides an automatic battery swapping system for vehicle-mounted drones. In this embodiment, the vehicle-mounted hangar 2 is connected to the vehicle via telescopic rods 216. The bottom of the hangar compartment 201 is connected to the top of the vehicle via telescopic rods 216. There are four sets of telescopic rods 216, forming a rectangle. In practical applications, the extension and retraction states of the telescopic rods 216 can be controlled to adjust the angle of the hangar compartment 201 to meet the various takeoff and battery swapping requirements of the vehicle-mounted drone 1. Even when the vehicle is tilted, the lifting platform 202 can still be adjusted by adjusting the telescopic rods 216 to meet the landing and takeoff requirements of the vehicle-mounted drone 1, thus improving the operational reliability of the automatic battery swapping system for vehicle-mounted drones.

[0047] In addition, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, a buffer mechanism is provided between the vehicle-mounted hangar 2 and the vehicle to absorb the vibration transmitted from the vehicle to the vehicle-mounted hangar 2. Under poor road conditions, the structural stability of the vehicle-mounted hangar 2 is guaranteed as much as possible, thereby providing a strong guarantee for the battery swapping of the vehicle-mounted drone 1 and improving the working stability and reliability of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery swapping system.

[0048] The other structures of the vehicle-mounted drone automatic battery replacement system in this embodiment are the same as those in Embodiment 1, and will not be described again here.

[0049] Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of this invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of this invention. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that, based on the ideas of this invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

Claims

1. An automatic battery replacement system for vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that, include: A vehicle-mounted drone, comprising a drone body and a drone support, wherein the drone body is mounted on top of the drone support and the two are connected. The vehicle-mounted hangar includes a hangar compartment and a lifting platform, a positioning mechanism, a robotic arm, and a battery charging mechanism disposed within the hangar compartment. The hangar compartment can open and close to allow the vehicle-mounted drone to land on the lifting platform. The lifting platform can drive the vehicle-mounted drone to reciprocate vertically. The robotic arm can remove the battery from the drone body and transport it to the battery charging mechanism for charging. The robotic arm can also install a spare battery from the battery charging mechanism onto the drone body. The positioning mechanism includes a first push rod, a second push rod, and a fixing element. The first push rod and the second push rod are slidably disposed within the hangar compartment. Both the first push rod and the second push rod are connected to a driver. Both the first push rod and the second push rod can push the drone support to move to achieve the purpose of positioning the vehicle-mounted drone. The reciprocating sliding direction of the first push rod is perpendicular to the reciprocating sliding direction of the second push rod. The fixing element is connected to the lifting platform and can abut against the drone support and fix the relative position of the drone support and the lifting platform.

2. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The hangar compartment includes a body and a canopy. The canopy is connected to the body and encloses an installation space. The lifting platform, the robotic arm, and the battery charging mechanism are all located within the installation space. The lifting platform is connected to the bottom wall of the body using a scissor lift bracket. The hangar cover is a split structure, comprising a first hangar cover and a second hangar cover. The first hangar cover is connected to the hangar body, and the second hangar cover is slidably connected to the hangar body. When the second hangar cover abuts against the first hangar cover, the hangar compartment is closed; when the second hangar cover moves away from the first hangar cover, the hangar compartment is opened. Sealing elements are provided between the cabin body and between the first hatch cover and the second hatch cover.

3. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The robotic arm is located between the lifting platform and the battery charging mechanism, and the fixing element is located on the side of the lifting platform closer to the robotic arm; The battery charging mechanism is detachably connected to the cabin.

4. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1, characterized in that: There are two sets of the second push rods, and the two second push rods are symmetrically arranged with the center line of the lifting platform as the axis. The line connecting the first push rod and the fixed element is perpendicular to the line connecting the two second push rods. The positioning mechanism further includes a first driver and a second driver, both of which are mounted on the lifting platform. The output end of the first driver is connected to the first push rod via a transmission; the output end of the second driver is connected to the second push rod via a transmission.

5. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 4, characterized in that: The output end of the first driver is connected to the first push rod via a gear and rack transmission mechanism, and the output end of the second driver is connected to the second push rod via a gear and rack transmission mechanism. The bottom of the first push rod is connected to a push rod slider, and the lifting platform has a groove that matches the push rod slider, and the push rod slider is slidably disposed in the groove.

6. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Both the first push rod and the second push rod are connected to a flexible structural layer. The flexible structural layer is located on the side of the first push rod and the second push rod close to the drone bracket. Both the first push rod and the second push rod are detachably connected to the flexible structural layer, which is made of an elastic material.

7. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixing element has a U-shaped structure, with its opening facing the direction of the first push rod, and the width of the opening of the fixing element is greater than the width of the drone bracket; The fixing element has a protective pad on the side facing the first push rod. The protective pad is detachably connected to the fixing element and is made of an elastic material.

8. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The fixing element is embedded with a first adsorption element, and the drone bracket is embedded with a second adsorption element. The first adsorption element and the second adsorption element cooperate to fix the relative position of the drone bracket and the lifting platform. The first adsorption element adopts an electromagnetic adsorption structure.

9. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: The drone body and the drone support are detachably connected, and the drone support is a frame structure.

10. The vehicle-mounted unmanned aerial vehicle automatic battery replacement system according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that: The vehicle-mounted hangar can be connected to the vehicle using a telescopic pole, and a buffer mechanism is provided between the vehicle-mounted hangar and the vehicle.

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