A drone battery pack and its multi-link locking device

Abstract

This invention discloses a drone battery pack and its multi-link locking device in the field of drone battery pack technology. The battery pack includes a guide rail and a groove on the guide rail. The locking device includes two support and limiting structures and two locking and pressing structures. The support and limiting structures include a support portion that contacts the bottom of the guide rail and a limiting portion that contacts both sides of the battery pack. A synchronizing rod is connected between the rear ends of the two locking and pressing structures. The locking and pressing structures employ multi-links and are correspondingly connected to the grooves on the guide rail. This invention, through its multi-link structure design, achieves reliable, fast, efficient, and easy-to-operate locking of the drone battery pack, effectively solving the technical challenge of balancing speed and reliability during drone battery pack replacement. It features small size, light weight, high integration, embeddability within the drone, and fully automated robotic battery swapping capabilities.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone battery pack technology, specifically to a drone battery pack and its multi-link locking device. Background Technology

[0002] With the widespread application of electrification and unmanned technologies in mobile vehicles such as AGVs, drones, and electric vehicles, rapid battery replacement has become a key means to improve the continuous operation capability of equipment. Due to the limitations of slow charging speed and heavy weight, traditional fixed batteries can no longer meet the requirements of efficient and automated use. Reliable, easy-to-operate quick-release battery packs and locking devices have become the focus of industry development.

[0003] Meanwhile, in unmanned operation scenarios, battery replacement is gradually shifting from manual operation to automated battery swapping by robots. This places higher demands on battery locking devices: they must not only enable rapid installation and removal, but also have a simple structure, precise positioning, and stable movement to facilitate unified operation by robots. Existing battery locking structures often struggle to simultaneously meet the comprehensive requirements of rapid installation and removal, reliable locking, lightweight design, and compatibility with robot operation.

[0004] Patent CN201811602481 discloses a battery locking structure, which improves the reliability of drone battery locking, but has problems such as large size and difficulty in automated robot assembly and disassembly; Patent CN201910267430 discloses a magnetic battery locking structure, which achieves rapid power-on by connecting a magnetic connector with a flexible wire, but its flexible structure is difficult to adapt to robot assembly and disassembly, and the power-on reliability is poor; Patent CN201911190623 discloses an intelligent battery assembly structure, which uses an electric rotating screw to achieve locking, but has problems such as complex structure, large weight, and insufficient reliability.

[0005] In summary, existing technologies cannot simultaneously meet the requirements of lightweight design, high reliability, quick manual disassembly, and automated robot battery swapping.

[0006] Therefore, this invention develops a battery pack and its locking device that is compact, reliably locked, and easy to operate, and achieves efficient and quick disassembly based on a multi-link mechanism. This is of great significance for improving the battery replacement efficiency of mobile vehicles and promoting the popularization of unmanned automatic battery swapping technology. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone battery pack and its multi-link locking device to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A drone battery pack includes a battery body, a battery compartment in the drone body, the battery body being located in the battery compartment, a handle being installed in the middle of the front end of the battery body, and guide rails being symmetrically fixed on the left and right sides, with grooves provided on the guide rails.

[0009] Furthermore, the battery body includes a battery cell and a protective shell fixed to the outside of the battery cell, with the handle and guide rail both fixed to the protective shell of the battery cell.

[0010] Furthermore, the battery cell and its protective casing are designed to be rectangular.

[0011] The present invention also provides a multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack. The locking device is installed on both sides inside the battery compartment of the drone body and is connected to the battery pack. The locking device includes two support and limiting structures symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the battery compartment. Each support and limiting structure includes a support part that contacts the bottom structure of the guide rail and a limiting part that contacts the side of the battery pack. A locking and pressing structure is provided above each of the two support and limiting structures, and the rear ends of the two locking and pressing structures are connected to a synchronous rod. Each side of the battery compartment is fixed with two vertical mounting posts, and the support limiting structure and locking clamping structure are connected to the two mounting posts on the corresponding side.

[0012] Furthermore, the support includes a horizontally arranged support rod, which is fixed to a mounting column on the corresponding side. Both ends of the support rod are rotatably connected to longitudinal rollers. The central axis of the longitudinal rollers is horizontally arranged in the left-right direction, and the top of the wheel surface of the longitudinal rollers contacts the guide rail.

[0013] Furthermore, the limiting part includes a plurality of horizontal rollers evenly arranged between two adjacent longitudinal rollers. The horizontal rollers are rotatably connected to the support rod, the central axis of the horizontal rollers is arranged in the vertical direction, and the wheel surfaces of the plurality of horizontal rollers are in contact with the side of the battery pack.

[0014] Furthermore, longitudinal rollers are rotatably connected to both ends and the middle of the support rod, and multiple transverse rollers are provided between two adjacent longitudinal rollers.

[0015] Furthermore, the locking and clamping structure includes a pressure rod, on which two parallel and inclined connecting rods are rotatably connected. The other end of the connecting rods is rotatably connected to two mounting posts on the corresponding side, and the pressure rod is connected to one of the mounting posts by an elastic element. Two unlocking pressure rollers are rotatably connected to the pressure rod, one of which is located at the front end of the pressure rod. The rear ends of the two pressure rods are fixedly connected to the two ends of the synchronizing rod, respectively.

[0016] Furthermore, the elastic element is a tension spring, with one end of the tension spring connected to the mounting post and the other end connected to the pressure rod.

[0017] Furthermore, a horizontal base plate is fixed to the lower part of the inner cavity of the battery compartment, and multiple mounting columns are symmetrically fixed to both sides of the base plate.

[0018] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. The locking mechanism of this invention is reliable and lightweight: It uses a multi-link mechanism to achieve one-way self-locking when it moves to the dead point position, which can firmly lock the battery pack without the need for additional driving components. The structure is simple and the weight is light. 2. The invention is easy to operate and suitable for both manual and robotic operation: the lever can be lifted to unlock by pressing the unlocking roller, which supports both manual quick release and unified operation by robotic arms, meeting the needs of automated battery swapping. 3. The battery pack insertion and removal of the present invention is smooth and precise: the longitudinal roller supports the weight of the battery, the transverse roller guides the side, and the guide rail groove and the unlocking roller engage in sequence to ensure that the battery pack moves smoothly without shaking and is accurately positioned. Attached Figure Description

[0019] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the description of 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.

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the battery pack and its locking device of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the disassembled state of the battery pack and its locking device of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the battery pack structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the unlocked state of the battery pack and locking device of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the locked state of the battery pack and locking device of the present invention.

[0021] The attached diagram lists the components represented by each number as follows: 1. Battery pack; 1-1. Handle; 1-2. Guide rail; 1-3. Battery body; 2. Locking device, 2-1. Unlocking roller, 2-2. Pressure rod, 2-3. Support rod, 2-4. Horizontal roller, 2-5. Vertical roller, 2-6. Tension spring, 2-7. Connecting rod, 2-8. Synchronizing rod; 3. Body, 3-1. Mounting column. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. 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.

[0023] Example 1 Please see the appendix Figures 1-5 This invention provides a drone battery pack and its multi-link locking device: The body 3 has a battery compartment. Two vertical mounting posts 3-1 are fixed on the two sides of the inside of the battery compartment. The locking device 2 is installed on the mounting post on the corresponding side of the battery compartment of the body 3 and is connected to the battery pack 1.

[0024] The battery pack 1 includes a battery body 1-3, which is located in the battery compartment. A handle 1-1 is installed in the middle of the front end of the battery body 1-3, and guide rails 1-2 are symmetrically fixed on both sides, with grooves on the guide rails 1-2. The handle 1-1 on the battery pack 1 facilitates lifting, and the guide rails 1-2 engage with the locking device 2 to achieve locking. In this embodiment, the body 3 is an example of a drone, but it can also be a mobile robot, a vehicle, etc.

[0025] The battery body 1-3 includes a battery cell and a protective shell fixed to the outside of the battery cell. The handle 1-1 and the guide rail 1-2 are both fixed to the protective shell of the battery cell. The battery cell and its protective shell are designed to be rectangular, but can also be modified to be sheet-like, blade-like, or other irregular shapes as needed.

[0026] The locking device 2 includes two support and limiting structures symmetrically arranged on both sides inside the battery compartment, and the support and limiting structures include a support part that is in contact with the bottom structure of the guide rail 1-2 and a limiting part that is in contact with the side of the battery pack 1. The support part includes a horizontally arranged support rod 2-3, which is fixed to the mounting column 3-1 on the corresponding side. Both ends of the support rod 2-3 are rotatably connected to longitudinal rollers 2-5. The central axis of the longitudinal rollers 2-5 is horizontally arranged in the left-right direction, and the top of the wheel surface of the longitudinal rollers 2-5 contacts the guide rail 1-2. During the movement of the battery pack 1, the rollers 2-5 are used to support the battery pack 1 to overcome gravity.

[0027] The limiting part includes multiple horizontal rollers 2-4 evenly arranged between two adjacent longitudinal rollers 2-5. The horizontal rollers 2-4 are rotatably connected to the support rod 2-3. The central axis of the horizontal rollers 2-4 is arranged in the vertical direction, and the wheel surfaces of the multiple horizontal rollers 2-4 are in contact with the side of the battery pack 1 to constrain the left and right position of the battery pack 1 and prevent the battery pack 1 from swaying left and right.

[0028] The locking device 2 also includes two locking and pressing structures, which are located above the two supporting and limiting structures respectively. The locking and pressing structure includes a pressure rod 2-2, on which two parallel and inclined connecting rods 2-7 are rotatably connected. The other end of the connecting rods 2-7 is rotatably connected to two mounting posts 3-1 on the corresponding side respectively. The pressure rod 2-2 is connected to one of the mounting posts 3-1 by an elastic element. Two unlocking pressure rollers 2-1 are rotatably connected to the pressure rod 2-2, and one of the unlocking pressure rollers 2-1 is located at the front end of the pressure rod 2-2. The rear ends of the two pressure rods 2-2 are fixedly connected to the two ends of the synchronizing rod 2-8, respectively.

[0029] When the battery pack 1 needs to move into the battery compartment, the unlocking pressure wheel 2-1 located at the front end of the pressure rod 2-2 is lifted upward by the pressing pressure to unlock. The guide rail 1-2 of the battery pack 1 can enter between the support limiting structure and the locking pressing structure in a free state, and under the action of the support limiting structure, the battery pack 1 can be stably slid into the body 3.

[0030] The guide rail 1-2 is arranged in the groove. When the pressure rod 2-2 moves relative to the guide rail 1-2, the first unlocking pressure roller 2-1 at the front position of the pressure rod 2-2 passes through the groove first. Since it has not reached the locking position, the second unlocking pressure roller 2-1 still slides on the upper surface of the guide rail 1-2. Therefore, the position of the pressure rod 2-2 will not fall and lock.

[0031] When the second unlocking roller 2-1 on the pressure rod 2-2 passes through the groove, the first unlocking roller 2-1 at the front position just rolls to the edge of the guide rail 1-2. At this time, under the action of the elastic element, the pressure rod 2-2 falls down, one of the unlocking rollers 2-1 falls into the groove, and the other unlocking roller 2-1 falls from the edge of the guide rail 1-2. In this state, if the battery pack 1 is pulled outward, the side of the groove on the guide rail 1-2 will push the unlocking roller 2-1 to move outward under pressure. However, since the connecting rod 2-7 has reached the dead point position, it cannot continue to move outward, thus locking the battery pack 1 in one direction and preventing it from being pulled outward. Moreover, since the battery pack 1 cannot be inserted further inward due to the limitation of the battery compartment depth, the locking of the insertion and extraction directions is achieved.

[0032] When unlocking the battery pack 1, the unlocking roller 2-1 can be pressed by hand or robotic arm to lift the pressure rod 2-2 and pull the battery pack 1 outward. The unlocking roller 2-1 switches from the groove of the guide rail 1-2 to rolling on the upper surface of the guide rail 1-2. The connecting rod 2-7 is disengaged from the dead position. Then the battery pack 1 can be pulled outward until it is completely pulled out of the battery compartment of the body 3.

[0033] This device, through its multi-link structure design, achieves reliable, fast, efficient, and easy locking of the drone battery pack, effectively solving the technical challenge of balancing speed and reliability during drone battery pack replacement.

[0034] This device features small size, light weight, high integration, can be embedded inside drones, and can achieve fully automated robotic battery swapping. It can provide a reliable technical solution for increasing drone working hours, improving operational efficiency, and promoting the level of unmanned drone operations.

[0035] Example 2 The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment one. The difference is that the two ends and the middle of the support rod 2-3 are rotatably connected with longitudinal rollers 2-5, and multiple transverse rollers 2-4 are provided between two adjacent longitudinal rollers 2-5. This increases the number of longitudinal rollers 2-5, shortens the interval length of the support position of the guide rail 1-2, and improves the support stability.

[0036] Example 3 The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment one. The difference is that the elastic element is a tension spring 2-6, and one end of the tension spring 2-6 is connected to the mounting post 3-1, and the other end is connected to the pressure rod 2-2. The tension spring 2-6 provides tension to force the pressure rod 2-2 to drive the two sets of locking and pressing structures to have a downward pressing tendency.

[0037] Example 4 The structure of this embodiment is basically the same as that of embodiment one. The difference is that a horizontal base plate is fixed to the lower part of the inner cavity of the battery compartment, and multiple mounting columns 3-1 are symmetrically fixed to the two sides of the base plate.

[0038] In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "example," "specific example," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, 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.

[0039] The preferred embodiments of the present invention disclosed above are merely illustrative of the invention. These preferred embodiments do not exhaustively describe all details, nor do they limit the invention to any specific implementation. Clearly, many modifications and variations can be made based on the content of this specification. This specification selects and specifically describes these embodiments to better explain the principles and practical applications of the invention, thereby enabling those skilled in the art to better understand and utilize the invention. The invention is limited only by the claims and their full scope and equivalents.

Claims

1. A battery pack for a drone, comprising a battery body (1-3) in the battery pack (1), a battery compartment in the drone body (3), the battery body (1-3) being located in the battery compartment, characterized in that, A handle (1-1) is installed in the middle of the front end of the battery body (1-3), and guide rails (1-2) are symmetrically fixed on the left and right sides, and grooves are provided on the guide rails (1-2).

2. The UAV battery pack according to claim 1, characterized in that, The battery body (1-3) includes a battery cell and a protective shell fixed to the outside of the battery cell. The handle (1-1) and the guide rail (1-2) are both fixed to the protective shell of the battery cell.

3. The UAV battery pack according to claim 2, characterized in that, The battery cell and its protective casing are designed to be rectangular.

4. A multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack, wherein the locking device (2) is installed on both sides inside the battery compartment of the fuselage (3) and is connected to the battery pack (1) as shown in claim 1, characterized in that, The locking device (2) includes two support limiting structures symmetrically arranged on both sides of the battery compartment. The support limiting structure includes a support part that is in contact with the bottom structure of the guide rail (1-2) and a limiting part that is in contact with the side of the battery pack (1). The two support limiting structures are respectively provided with locking and pressing structures above them, and the rear ends of the two locking and pressing structures are connected to a synchronous rod (2-8). Two vertical mounting posts (3-1) are fixed on each side of the battery compartment, and the support limiting structure and the locking and pressing structure are connected to the two mounting posts (3-1) on the corresponding side.

5. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to claim 4, characterized in that, The support includes a horizontally arranged support rod (2-3), and the support rod (2-3) is fixed on the mounting column (3-1) on the corresponding side. Both ends of the support rod (2-3) are rotatably connected to longitudinal rollers (2-5). The central axis of the longitudinal rollers (2-5) is horizontally arranged in the left-right direction, and the top of the wheel surface of the longitudinal rollers (2-5) is in contact with the guide rail (1-2).

6. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to claim 5, characterized in that, The limiting part includes a plurality of horizontal rollers (2-4) evenly arranged between two adjacent longitudinal rollers (2-5). The horizontal rollers (2-4) are rotatably connected to the support rod (2-3). The central axis of the horizontal rollers (2-4) is arranged in the vertical direction, and the wheel surfaces of the plurality of horizontal rollers (2-4) are in contact with the side of the battery pack (1).

7. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to claim 6, characterized in that, The support rod (2-3) is rotatably connected to longitudinal rollers (2-5) at both ends and in the middle, and multiple transverse rollers (2-4) are provided between two adjacent longitudinal rollers (2-5).

8. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to claim 4, characterized in that, The locking and clamping structure includes a pressure rod (2-2), on which two parallel and inclined connecting rods (2-7) are rotatably connected. The other end of the connecting rods (2-7) is rotatably connected to two mounting posts (3-1) on the corresponding side, and the pressure rod (2-2) is connected to one of the mounting posts (3-1) by an elastic element. Two unlocking pressure rollers (2-1) are rotatably connected to the pressure rod (2-2), and one of the unlocking pressure rollers (2-1) is located at the front end of the pressure rod (2-2). The rear ends of the two pressure rods (2-2) are fixedly connected to the two ends of the synchronizing rod (2-8).

9. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to claim 8, characterized in that, The elastic element is a tension spring (2-6), with one end of the tension spring (2-6) connected to the mounting post (3-1) and the other end connected to the pressure rod (2-2).

10. The multi-link locking device for a drone battery pack according to any one of claims 4 to 9, characterized in that, The lower part of the inner cavity of the battery compartment is fixed with a horizontal base plate, and multiple mounting columns (3-1) are symmetrically fixed on both sides of the base plate.

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