A combined gripper wing tip hinging separation mechanism

Abstract

The application belongs to the field of aviation technology, and particularly relates to a grabbing type wing tip hinged combined separation mechanism. A right wing tip telescopic mechanism comprises a first hydraulic actuating cylinder, a transmission mechanism and a butt joint round bar wing rib. One side of the transmission mechanism is fixedly connected with a first airplane, and the other side is arranged corresponding to a second airplane. The first hydraulic actuating cylinder is hingedly connected to the first airplane at the root, and a piston rod is hingedly connected with the transmission mechanism. The butt joint round bar wing rib is fixedly connected with the transmission mechanism. A left wing tip grabbing mechanism comprises a second hydraulic actuating cylinder and a grabbing assembly. The second hydraulic actuating cylinder of the grabbing assembly is arranged on the second airplane, and the grabbing assembly is connected with the second hydraulic actuating cylinder. The second hydraulic actuating cylinder can drive the grabbing assembly to grab the butt joint round bar wing rib. The right wing tip telescopic mechanism and the left wing tip grabbing mechanism are arranged in a split type, the wing tips of the two airplanes can be butted and separated, and the requirement of air combination flight is met.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of aviation technology, and specifically relates to a grabbing wingtip articulated assembly separation mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of aviation technology, people have placed higher demands on the range, efficiency, and versatility of aircraft. However, due to the limitation of wingspan, a single aircraft faces certain contradictions and limitations in terms of cruise performance, range, and structural strength. To overcome these limitations, an innovative solution can be adopted: wingtip docking of multiple aircraft in the air to form a larger integrated flight system, thereby improving aspect ratio and cruise efficiency.

[0003] In current technologies, the in-flight docking and separation of multiple aircraft still faces numerous challenges. Traditional docking mechanisms typically employ rigid connections, resulting in complex docking processes and high precision requirements. Furthermore, traditional mechanisms are susceptible to interference from wingtip vortices during docking, leading to instability and potentially causing collisions or separation failures. Some docking mechanisms utilize sliding rails or lead screws, which suffer from low operating efficiency and severe wear, impacting system lifespan. Therefore, designing an efficient, safe, and reliable wingtip docking / separation mechanism is a pressing technical challenge in the aerospace field. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a gripping wingtip articulated assembly separation mechanism to solve the problems of low operating efficiency or stability in existing articulated assembly separation mechanisms.

[0005] The technical solution of this application is: a gripping wingtip articulated assembly separation mechanism, including a right wingtip telescopic mechanism and a left wingtip gripping mechanism;

[0006] The right wingtip telescopic mechanism includes a first hydraulic actuator, a transmission mechanism, and a docking round bar wing rib.

[0007] One side of the transmission mechanism is fixedly connected to the first aircraft, and the other side is set to correspond to the second aircraft. The root of the first hydraulic actuator is hinged to the first aircraft, and the piston rod is hinged to the transmission mechanism. The docking round bar rib is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism.

[0008] The left wingtip gripping mechanism includes a second hydraulic actuator and a gripping assembly. The second hydraulic actuator is mounted on the second aircraft, and the gripping assembly is connected to the second hydraulic actuator. The second hydraulic actuator can drive the gripping assembly to grip the docking round bar rib.

[0009] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a first fixed wing rib, a second fixed wing rib, and a quadrilateral connecting rod structure; the first fixed wing rib is fixedly connected to the first aircraft, and a drive rod is hinged to the first fixed wing rib, the middle part of which is hinged to the piston rod of the first hydraulic actuator.

[0010] The second fixed wing rib is provided corresponding to the first fixed wing rib. The two ends of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism are hinged between the first fixed wing rib and the second fixed wing rib, and the drive rod is hinged to the middle of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism. The docking round bar wing rib is fixedly connected to the second fixed wing rib.

[0011] Preferably, the quadrilateral linkage mechanism includes long links and short links, each with two long links and two short links arranged in a rhombus, and adjacent long links and short links are hinged to each other; one end of each of the two long links is hinged to the first fixed wing rib and the second fixed wing rib respectively.

[0012] Preferably, a support link is also provided on the second fixed wing rib. The support link is arranged to cross the long link near the side of the second fixed wing rib. One end of the support link is hinged to the second fixed wing rib, and the other end is hinged to the connection between the long link and the short link.

[0013] Preferably, the gripping assembly includes an upper rocker arm, a lower rocker arm, a gripping rib, an upper gripping claw, and a lower gripping claw; the gripping rib is fixedly connected to the second aircraft, a connecting post is provided on the gripping rib, the upper gripping claw and the lower gripping claw are both hinged to the connecting post, an upper lug is correspondingly connected to the upper gripping claw, and a lower lug is correspondingly connected to the lower gripping claw;

[0014] One end of the upper rocker arm and the lower rocker arm are connected to the second hydraulic actuator cylinder, the other end of the upper rocker arm is connected to the upper lug, and the other end of the lower rocker arm is connected to the lower lug.

[0015] Both the upper and lower gripping claws have semi-cylindrical gripping parts, and their relative movement allows them to grip the ribs of the docking bar.

[0016] Preferably, the ends of the upper gripper and the lower gripper are provided with connecting sleeves, and the connecting sleeves of the upper gripper and the lower gripper are staggered. The connecting sleeves are sleeved on the connecting post. The upper lug and the lower lug are hinged to the upper rocker arm and the lower rocker arm respectively by bolts and nuts. The upper rocker arm and the lower rocker arm are hinged to the second hydraulic actuator by bolts and nuts.

[0017] The grabbing wingtip articulated assembly separation mechanism of this application has the following advantages:

[0018] By introducing an articulated mechanism, the two aircraft are allowed to adapt to attitude deviations and aerodynamic interference during docking; the design of the telescopic mechanism allows docking to be carried out when the wingtips of the two aircraft are far apart, which can reduce the interference of wingtip vortices and significantly improve the stability and success rate of docking.

[0019] The design of the telescopic mechanism and gripping components increases the degree of freedom in docking adjustments, reduces the requirements for the relative positional accuracy of the aircraft during docking, and reduces the difficulty of docking.

[0020] The mechanism eliminates the use of slide rails, sliders, lead screws, and nuts, and adopts a planar linkage mechanism. All kinematic pairs are hinged lower pairs, resulting in high operating efficiency, less wear, and a long system service life.

[0021] This mechanism can be applied to manned or unmanned aircraft, and is especially suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle systems that require high aspect ratio and long endurance, which has important practical value and significance for promotion. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this application;

[0023] Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the preparation phase for this application;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the extension stage of the connecting rod in this application;

[0025] Figure 4 This is a diagram illustrating the completion stage of the data capture process for this application.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the completion stage of this application.

[0027] 1. First hydraulic actuator; 2. First fixed wing rib; 3. Second fixed wing rib; 4. Connecting round bar wing rib; 5. Drive rod; 6. Long connecting rod; 7. Short connecting rod; 8. Support connecting rod; 9. Second hydraulic actuator; 10. Upper rocker arm; 11. Lower rocker arm; 12. Grabbing wing rib; 13. Upper gripping claw; 14. Lower gripping claw; 15. Connecting sleeve; 16. First aircraft; 17. Second aircraft. Detailed Implementation

[0028] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this application. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and intended to explain this application, and should not be construed as limiting this application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application. The embodiments of this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] The first aspect of this application provides a gripping wingtip articulated assembly separation mechanism, such as... Figure 1 It includes the right wingtip telescopic mechanism and the left wingtip gripping mechanism.

[0030] The right wing tip telescopic mechanism includes a first hydraulic actuator 1, a transmission mechanism, and a docking round bar wing rib 4.

[0031] One side of the transmission mechanism is fixedly connected to the first aircraft 16, and the other side is set to correspond to the second aircraft 17. The root of the first hydraulic actuator cylinder 1 is hinged to the first aircraft 16, and the piston rod is hinged to the transmission mechanism. The docking round bar rib 4 is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism.

[0032] The left wingtip gripping mechanism includes a second hydraulic actuator 9 and a gripping assembly. The second hydraulic actuator 9 is mounted on the second aircraft 17, and the gripping assembly is connected to the second hydraulic actuator 9. The second hydraulic actuator 9 can drive the gripping assembly to grip the docking round bar rib 4.

[0033] The design adopts a split layout of right wingtip telescopic mechanism and left wingtip grabbing mechanism, which enables the wingtips of the two aircraft to dock and separate, meeting the requirements of combined flight in the air. The first hydraulic actuator 1 drives the transmission mechanism to realize the telescopic extension of docking bar rib 4, which can complete docking preparation at a greater distance, reduce wingtip vortex interference, and improve docking stability.

[0034] Preferably, the transmission mechanism includes a first fixed wing rib 2, a second fixed wing rib 3, and a quadrilateral connecting rod structure; the first fixed wing rib 2 is fixedly connected to the first aircraft 16, and a drive rod 5 is hinged to the first fixed wing rib 2, with the middle part of the drive rod 5 hinged to the piston rod of the first hydraulic actuator cylinder 1.

[0035] The second fixed wing rib 3 is correspondingly arranged to the first fixed wing rib 2. The two ends of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism are hinged between the first fixed wing rib 2 and the second fixed wing rib 3, and the drive rod 5 is hinged to the middle of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism; the butt round bar wing rib 4 is fixedly connected to the second fixed wing rib 3.

[0036] All of the above-mentioned hinge methods are hinged using bolts and nuts.

[0037] The first fixed wing rib 2 and the second fixed wing rib 3 provide a stable mounting base for the mechanism, ensuring transmission rigidity and positioning accuracy. The middle part of the drive rod 5 is hinged to the piston rod of the first hydraulic actuator cylinder 1, making force transmission smoother and avoiding uneven load jamming.

[0038] Preferably, the quadrilateral linkage mechanism includes a long link 6 and a short link 7. There are two long links 6 and two short links 7 arranged in a rhombus shape, and adjacent long links 6 and short links 7 are hinged to each other. One end of each of the two long links 6 is hinged to the first fixed wing rib 2 and the second fixed wing rib 3, respectively.

[0039] The two long connecting rods 6 and two short connecting rods 7 are arranged in a rhomboid shape to form a stable parallelogram mechanism. During the extension and retraction process, the orientation of the mating round rods remains consistent, without deflection or tilting. Adjacent long connecting rods 6 and short connecting rods 7 are hinged to each other, and all kinematic pairs are lower-pair hinges, resulting in low friction and high transmission efficiency.

[0040] Preferably, a support link 8 is also provided on the second fixed wing rib 3. The support link 8 is arranged to cross the long link 6 near the side of the second fixed wing rib 3. One end of the support link 8 is hinged to the second fixed wing rib 3, and the other end is hinged to the connection between the long link 6 and the short link 7.

[0041] The supporting link 8 is hinged to the long link 6 to form a triangular support structure, which significantly improves the lateral stiffness and torsional resistance of the linkage mechanism. The supporting link 8 connects to the hinge point of the long and short links 7, distributing the force, avoiding stress concentration at the connection, and improving the fatigue life of the mechanism.

[0042] Preferably, the gripping assembly includes an upper rocker arm 10, a lower rocker arm 11, a gripping rib 12, an upper gripping claw 13, and a lower gripping claw 14; the gripping rib 12 is fixedly connected to the second aircraft 17, and a connecting post is provided on the gripping rib 12; the upper gripping claw 13 and the lower gripping claw 14 are both hinged to the connecting post; an upper lug is correspondingly connected to the upper gripping claw 13, and a lower lug is correspondingly connected to the lower gripping claw 14.

[0043] One end of the upper rocker arm 10 and the lower rocker arm 11 are connected to the second hydraulic actuator cylinder 9, the other end of the upper rocker arm 10 is connected to the upper lug, and the other end of the lower rocker arm 11 is connected to the lower lug.

[0044] Both the upper gripper 13 and the lower gripper 14 have semi-cylindrical gripping parts. The relative movement of the upper gripper 13 and the lower gripper 14 can grip the docking round bar rib 4.

[0045] The upper and lower gripping claws 14 are hinged around the same connecting column, ensuring synchronized opening and closing movements and good centering, thus guaranteeing accurate gripping of the docking round bar. The gripping part has a semi-cylindrical structure, which forms a complete cylindrical clamping surface after closing, ensuring a tight fit without slippage or loosening.

[0046] Preferably, both the upper gripper 13 and the lower gripper 14 are provided with connecting sleeves 15 at their ends. The connecting sleeves 15 of the upper gripper 13 and the lower gripper 14 are staggered and are fitted onto the connecting post. This design is compact, occupies little space, and is suitable for installation environments with narrow wingtips. The upper and lower lugs are hinged to the upper rocker arm 10 and the lower rocker arm 11 respectively by bolts and nuts. The upper rocker arm 10 and the lower rocker arm 11 are hinged to the second hydraulic actuator cylinder 9 by bolts and nuts.

[0047] The principle of airframe wingtip articulation assembly / disassembly is as follows (e.g.) Figure 2 (as shown)

[0048] a) Docking preparation phase: The second aircraft 17 flies directly to the right of the first aircraft 16. The hydraulic actuator push rod in the left wingtip gripping mechanism of the second aircraft 17 retracts, and the upper and lower gripping claws open. Figure 2 .

[0049] b) Extension stage of the docking bar: The hydraulic actuator push rod in the right wingtip telescopic mechanism of the first aircraft 16 extends. Under the action of planar linkage transmission, the docking bar rib 4 extends. By controlling the extension amount of the hydraulic actuator push rod, the docking bar moves into the opening of the upper and lower grippers, such as... Figure 3 .

[0050] c) Grasping Completion Stage: Driven by the motor, the hydraulic actuator push rod in the left wingtip gripping mechanism of the second aircraft 17 extends, gripping the upper and lower claws to wrap around and close the docking bar, thus achieving wingtip hinge between the two aircraft. Figure 4 .

[0051] d) Assembly Completion Stage: The hydraulic actuator push rod in the right wingtip telescopic mechanism of the first aircraft 16 retracts. Under the action of planar linkage transmission, the docking round bar on the right side of the docking round bar wing rib 4 is retracted by the upper and lower grippers carrying the second aircraft 17. The two aircraft are then combined and enter the towing mode, as shown below. Figure 5 .

[0052] The above describes the principle of wingtip assembly; the principle of wingtip separation is the reverse of the above process.

[0053] In summary, this application has the following advantages:

[0054] By introducing an articulated mechanism, the two aircraft are allowed to adapt to attitude deviations and aerodynamic interference during docking; the design of the telescopic mechanism allows docking to be carried out when the wingtips of the two aircraft are far apart, which can reduce the interference of wingtip vortices and significantly improve the stability and success rate of docking.

[0055] The design of the telescopic mechanism and gripping components increases the degree of freedom in docking adjustments, reduces the requirements for the relative positional accuracy of the aircraft during docking, and reduces the difficulty of docking.

[0056] The mechanism eliminates the use of slide rails, sliders, lead screws, and nuts, and adopts a planar linkage mechanism. All kinematic pairs are hinged lower pairs, resulting in high operating efficiency, less wear, and a long system service life.

[0057] The above description is merely a specific embodiment of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A gripping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism, characterized in that, Includes the right wingtip telescopic mechanism and the left wingtip gripping mechanism; The right wingtip telescopic mechanism includes a first hydraulic actuator (1), a transmission mechanism, and a docking round bar wing rib (4); One side of the transmission mechanism is fixedly connected to the first aircraft (16), and the other side is set to correspond to the second aircraft (17). The root of the first hydraulic actuator cylinder (1) is hinged to the first aircraft (16), and the piston rod is hinged to the transmission mechanism. The docking round bar rib (4) is fixedly connected to the transmission mechanism. The left wingtip gripping mechanism includes a second hydraulic actuator (9) and a gripping assembly. The second hydraulic actuator (9) is mounted on the second aircraft (17). The gripping assembly is connected to the second hydraulic actuator (9). The second hydraulic actuator (9) can drive the gripping assembly to grip the docking round bar rib (4).

2. The grasping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission mechanism includes a first fixed wing rib (2), a second fixed wing rib (3), and a quadrilateral linkage structure; the first fixed wing rib (2) is fixedly connected to the first aircraft (16), and a drive rod (5) is hinged to the first fixed wing rib (2), and the middle part of the drive rod (5) is hinged to the piston rod of the first hydraulic actuator (1); The second fixed wing rib (3) is provided correspondingly to the first fixed wing rib (2). The two ends of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism are hinged between the first fixed wing rib (2) and the second fixed wing rib (3), and the drive rod (5) is hinged to the middle of the quadrilateral linkage mechanism; the docking round bar wing rib (4) is fixedly connected to the second fixed wing rib (3).

3. The grasping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The quadrilateral linkage mechanism includes a long link (6) and a short link (7). There are two long links (6) and two short links (7) arranged in a rhombus shape, and adjacent long links (6) and short links (7) are hinged to each other. One end of each of the two long links (6) is hinged to the first fixed wing rib (2) and the second fixed wing rib (3) respectively.

4. The grasping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The second fixed wing rib (3) is also provided with a support link (8). The support link (8) is arranged to cross the long link (6) near the side of the second fixed wing rib (3). One end of the support link (8) is hinged to the second fixed wing rib (3), and the other end is hinged to the connection between the long link (6) and the short link (7).

5. The grasping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The gripping assembly includes an upper rocker arm (10), a lower rocker arm (11), a gripping rib (12), an upper gripping claw (13), and a lower gripping claw (14); the gripping rib (12) is fixedly connected to the second aircraft (17), a connecting post is provided on the gripping rib (12), the upper gripping claw (13) and the lower gripping claw (14) are both hinged to the connecting post, an upper lug is correspondingly connected to the upper gripping claw (13), and a lower lug is correspondingly connected to the lower gripping claw (14); One end of the upper rocker arm (10) and the lower rocker arm (11) are connected to the second hydraulic actuator (9), the other end of the upper rocker arm (10) is connected to the upper ear plate, and the other end of the lower rocker arm (11) is connected to the lower ear plate. The gripping parts of the upper gripping claw (13) and the lower gripping claw (14) are both semi-cylindrical structures. The relative movement of the upper gripping claw (13) and the lower gripping claw (14) can grip the docking round bar rib (4).

6. The grasping wingtip hinged assembly separation mechanism as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The upper gripper (13) and the lower gripper (14) are each provided with a connecting sleeve (15). The connecting sleeves (15) of the upper gripper (13) and the lower gripper (14) are staggered. The connecting sleeves (15) are sleeved on the connecting post. The upper ear plate and the lower ear plate are hinged to the upper rocker arm (10) and the lower rocker arm (11) respectively by bolts and nuts. The upper rocker arm (10) and the lower rocker arm (11) are hinged to the second hydraulic actuator (9) by bolts and nuts.

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