Electric suction cups for drone hangars, drone hangars and vehicles

Abstract

This application discloses an electric suction cup, a drone hangar, and a carrier. The electric suction cup includes a housing; a suction cup disposed on the housing for adhering to external objects, the suction cup having a negative pressure chamber; a pump disposed within the housing; a first solenoid valve and a second solenoid valve disposed within the housing; and a first circuit board disposed within the housing, the first circuit board being able to control the opening / closing of each passage of the first and second solenoid valves, and control the operation / stop of the pump, so that the pump can pump gas from the negative pressure chamber to the external environment, or from the external environment to the negative pressure chamber. The electric suction cup provided by this application can actively increase the vacuum degree of the negative pressure chamber using the pump, allowing the suction cup to re-adhere firmly to the external object. Furthermore, when it is necessary to quickly separate the suction cup from the external object, the pump can also pump air from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber, thereby "breaking" the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber and "pushing" the suction cup to quickly separate from the external object.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of drone technology, and more particularly to an electric suction cup for drone hangars, and drone hangars and vehicles employing the electric suction cup. Background Technology

[0002] With the increasing integration of vehicles (such as cars) and drones, drone hangars are often added to vehicles to facilitate drone takeoff, landing, storage, charging, and signal transmission between the vehicle and the drone. Because drone takeoff and landing require significant vertical space, drone hangars are typically fixedly installed on top of the vehicle (e.g., on the roof of a vehicle).

[0003] Existing methods for securing drone hangars and carriers mainly include bolt fixing, magnetic adsorption, or rubber suction cup adsorption, but these methods all have drawbacks: Bolting requires drilling mounting holes in the vehicle (e.g., on the roof), which are susceptible to corrosion and water leakage, and also compromises the structural integrity of the vehicle. Furthermore, bolting necessitates the use of tools for the installation and removal of drone hangars, which is time-consuming and cannot meet the needs of rapid deployment.

[0004] Magnetic adsorption enables quick installation and removal, but it is limited by the material of the magnetic object (only ferromagnetic materials are allowed) and the adsorption force is easily weakened by impact (for example, when a vehicle accelerates / decelerates rapidly or when it is constantly bumpy, the magnetic force is not enough to resist inertia), which can easily cause the drone hangar to shift on the vehicle or even fall off the vehicle.

[0005] Rubber suction cups can also be used for quick installation and removal, but they are prone to repeated deformation of the edges due to continuous vibration and / or changes in external temperature (such as exposure to the sun in summer or severe cold in winter), which can lead to slow air leakage, loss of negative pressure, and ultimately cause the drone hangar to shift on the vehicle or even fall off the vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, providing a more reliable method for securing drone hangars and vehicles has become an urgent problem to be solved. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the problems existing in the background art, a first aspect of the present invention provides an electric suction cup for a drone hangar, comprising: shell; A suction cup disposed on the outer shell for adsorbing external objects, the suction cup being able to form a negative pressure cavity; A pump housed within the housing; A first solenoid valve is disposed within the housing. The first solenoid valve has multiple channels for connecting to the external environment, the air inlet of the pump, and the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup, respectively. The second solenoid valve is disposed inside the housing. The second solenoid valve has multiple passages, which are respectively used to connect to the external environment, the air outlet of the pump and the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup. The first circuit board disposed within the housing is capable of controlling the opening / closing of each passage of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve, and controlling the operation / stop of the pump, so that the pump can pump gas from the negative pressure chamber to the external environment, or from the external environment to the negative pressure chamber.

[0008] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric suction cup includes: a pressure sensor for acquiring the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber; the first circuit board has a preset pressure threshold; when the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber acquired by the pressure sensor is lower than the pressure threshold, the first circuit board controls the pump to evacuate the negative pressure chamber.

[0009] In some embodiments of the present invention, if the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber is still lower than the air pressure threshold after the pump has been running for a preset time, the first circuit board sends a warning message to an external device through a wired or wireless communication module.

[0010] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric suction cup includes: a four-way connector disposed within the housing; the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup, the one-way passages of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve are respectively connected to the interface of the four-way connector; the air pressure sensor is disposed on the first circuit board; the idle interface of the four-way connector is connected to the air pressure sensor; when the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve close the passages connecting to the external environment, the air pressure value at the idle interface is equivalent to the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber.

[0011] In some embodiments of the present invention, the suction cup is pivotally connected to the housing so that the suction cup can swing relative to the housing to change its adsorption direction.

[0012] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric suction cup includes: a fixed chuck for fixed connection with an external device, the suction cup being fixed to the bottom of the housing, at least a portion of the housing being able to insert into the fixed chuck, and locking with the fixed chuck after rotating a preset angle.

[0013] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric suction cup includes: a spring pin disposed on one of the housing and the fixed chuck, and the other is provided with a socket. After the housing and the fixed chuck are locked together, the spring pin enters the socket under the action of elastic force. The spring pin has an unlocking part. When the unlocking part is pressed, the spring pin is dislodged from the socket.

[0014] In some embodiments of the present invention, the electric suction cup includes: a second circuit board disposed in the fixed chuck, the second circuit board being provided with contacts or probes, and the first circuit board being provided with probes or contacts accordingly, so that after the housing is locked with the fixed chuck, the contacts and the probes combine to electrically connect and / or communicate with the second circuit board and the first circuit board.

[0015] A second aspect of the present invention provides a drone hangar, comprising: The main body; and Any of the aforementioned electric suction cups is mounted on the main body.

[0016] A third aspect of the present invention provides a vehicle comprising: a drone hangar as described above.

[0017] In summary, compared to existing magnetic and rubber suction cup adsorption methods, the electric suction cup provided by this invention can actively pump the gas in the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup to the external environment (actively evacuating the negative pressure chamber). Even if the suction force of the suction cup is insufficient due to rapid acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle, ship), continuous bumping, or changes in external temperature, the vacuum degree of the negative pressure chamber can be actively increased, allowing the suction cup to be firmly re-adsorbed onto the external object. Furthermore, when it is necessary to quickly separate the suction cup from the external object (removing the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber), the pump can also pump air from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber, thereby "breaking" the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber and "pushing" the suction cup to quickly separate from the external object. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 A perspective view of an electric suction cup provided according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the electric suction cup shown; Figure 3 for Figure 1 An exploded view of the electric suction cup shown; Figure 4 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the connection relationship between the four-way connector and related components; Figure 5 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the structure of the suction cup. Figure 6 for Figure 1 The diagram shows the working process of the electric suction cup. Figure 7 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the mating relationship between the fixed chuck and the transition chuck. Figure 8 for Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second circuit board shown; Figure 9 for Figure 8 The diagram shows the second circuit board disposed in the fixed chuck. Figure 10 for Figure 3 The diagram shows the mating relationship between the second circuit board and the first circuit board. Figure 11 for Figure 10 A perspective view showing the mating relationship between the second circuit board and the first circuit board; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone hangar provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures : 100 electric suction cups; 200 drone hangars; 300 vehicles; 400 power systems; 10. Housing; 11. Pipeline; 12. Screw; 13. Four-way connector; 14. Bracket; 15. Right-angle connector; 16. Waterproof and breathable membrane; 17. Waterproof and breathable membrane; 18. Protrusion; 19. Transition chuck; 19a. Arc-shaped insertion end; Suction cup 20; negative pressure chamber 20a; first sealing ring 21; second sealing ring 22; third sealing ring 23; air nozzle 24; Pump 30; Inlet end 30a; Outlet end 30b; First solenoid valve 41; Second solenoid valve 42; First circuit board 51; barometric pressure sensor 51a; second circuit board 52; Rotating base 60; screw 61; stepped shaft 62; sliding bearing 63; cushioning foam 64; 70. Fixed chuck; 71. Screw; 72. Waterproof foam; 73. Arc-shaped through groove; 74. Arc-shaped step; 75. Socket; Spring pin 80; unlocking part 81; pin 82; spring 83; Main body 90. Detailed Implementation

[0020] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this invention without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of this invention.

[0021] In this article, "vehicle" can refer to vehicles, ships, robots, etc. Vehicles can be driverless or manned, ships can be driverless or manned, and robots can be remotely controlled or autonomous. Of course, the term "vehicle" is not limited to the specific types listed above and can refer to other types of vehicles as well.

[0022] like Figure 1-5 As shown, an embodiment of the present invention provides an electric suction cup 100 for a drone hangar, which mainly includes a housing 10, a suction cup 20, a pump 30, a first solenoid valve 41, a second solenoid valve 42, and a first circuit board 51.

[0023] The suction cup 20 (e.g., a rubber suction cup) is disposed on the housing 10 for adsorbing external objects, and a negative pressure chamber 20a can be formed inside the suction cup 20. The pump 30 (e.g., a small air pump, a micro vacuum pump) is disposed inside the housing 10. A first solenoid valve 41 is disposed inside the housing 10. The first solenoid valve 41 (e.g., a two-position three-way solenoid valve) has multi-directional passages, used to connect (e.g., via multiple pipelines 11) to the external environment, the air inlet 30a of the pump 30, and the air inlet 30a of the pump 30. Figure 6 (as shown) and the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20. The second solenoid valve 42 is disposed inside the housing 10. The second solenoid valve 42 (e.g., a two-position three-way solenoid valve) has multi-directional passages for connecting (e.g., connected by multiple pipelines 11) the external environment, the outlet end 30b of the pump 30 (as shown) and the suction cup 20. Figure 6 (as shown) and the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20. The first circuit board 51 (PCB or PCBA) is disposed inside the housing 10 (for example, the first circuit board 51 is fixed in the housing 10 with screws 12). The first circuit board 51 can control the opening / closing of each passage of the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42, and control the operation / stop of the pump 30, so that the pump 30 can pump gas from the negative pressure chamber 20a to the external environment, or pump gas from the external environment to the negative pressure chamber 20a.

[0024] Special reference Figure 5 As shown, by way of example, the suction cup 20 has an outer elastic sealing ring 21, a middle elastic sealing ring 22 and an inner elastic sealing ring 23. The three elastic sealing rings can compensate for the roughness of the surface of the external object being adsorbed, and ensure that the adsorption force remains stable under vibration and micro-leakage conditions.

[0025] Those skilled in the art will understand that, compared to existing magnetic and rubber suction cup adsorption methods, the electric suction cup 100 provided by this invention can actively pump the gas in the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 to the external environment using the pump 30 (actively evacuating the negative pressure chamber 20a). Even if the suction force of the suction cup 20 is insufficient due to rapid acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle, ship), continuous bumping, or changes in external temperature, the vacuum level of the negative pressure chamber 20a can be actively increased, allowing the suction cup 20 to be firmly re-adsorbed onto the external object. Furthermore, when it is necessary to quickly separate the suction cup 20 from the external object (removing the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a), the pump 30 can also pump air from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber 20a, thereby "breaking" the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a and "pushing" the suction cup 20 to quickly separate from the external object.

[0026] Furthermore, the electric suction cup 100 includes a pressure sensor 51a for obtaining the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber 20a. The first circuit board 51 has a preset pressure threshold. When the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber 20a obtained by the pressure sensor 51a is lower than the pressure threshold, the first circuit board 51 controls the pump 30 to evacuate the negative pressure chamber 20a.

[0027] For example, the air pressure threshold can be set to -40 kPa. If the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber 20a detected and acquired by the air pressure sensor 51a in real time is lower than the above threshold (e.g., -30 kPa), then the first circuit board 51 controls the opening / closing of each passage of the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42, and controls the pump 30 to actively pump the gas in the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 to the external environment (actively evacuating the negative pressure chamber 20a), so that the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber 20a quickly reaches -40 kPa, forming a closed-loop control of "leakage → monitoring → compensation". Under dynamic conditions, the suction cup 20 always maintains an adsorption force greater than or equal to -40 kPa, and the measured vibration resistance is improved to withstand 3 times the acceleration due to gravity. Traditional suction cups drop to -10 kPa and fall off within 2 minutes on a vibration table, while the electric suction cup 100 maintains a stable air pressure below -40 kPa for 30 consecutive minutes.

[0028] Furthermore, after the pump 30 has been running for a preset time (e.g., 1-2 minutes), if the air pressure in the negative pressure chamber 20a is still lower than the air pressure threshold (e.g., -40 kPa), the first circuit board 51 sends a warning message to an external device via a wired or wireless communication module.

[0029] For example, "external devices" can refer to vehicle control systems, shipboard control systems, computer terminals, handheld mobile devices (mobile phones), etc.

[0030] For example, "alert information" can refer to information such as sound, light, or display of specific icons.

[0031] Special reference Figure 4 and 6 As shown, the electric suction cup 100 further includes a four-way connector 13 disposed in the housing 10. The negative pressure chamber 20a (air nozzle 24) of the suction cup 20, the one-way passage of the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42 are respectively connected to the interface of the four-way connector 13. The air pressure sensor 51a is disposed on the first circuit board 51. The idle interface of the four-way connector 13 is connected to (for example, the pipeline 11) the air pressure sensor 51a. When the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42 close the passage connecting to the external environment, the air pressure value at the idle interface is equivalent to the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber 20a.

[0032] For example, the electric suction cup 100 may also include a bracket 14 disposed within the housing 10, to which multiple cables 11 may be wound and secured. In other words, the bracket 14 actually functions as a cable hub (or cable organizer).

[0033] For example, the electric suction cup 100 may also include a right-angle connector 15 disposed on the suction cup 20, a pipeline 11 connecting the four-way connector 13 connected to one interface of the right-angle connector 15, and the other interface connected to the negative pressure chamber 20a (air nozzle 24). The two interfaces of the right-angle connector 15 are respectively provided with a waterproof and breathable membrane 16 and a waterproof and breathable membrane 17 (allowing only gas to pass through and preventing water from being sucked in).

[0034] like Figure 6 As shown, the working process of the electric suction cup 100 provided in this embodiment is as follows: Referring to the route drawn with dashed lines in the figure, when it is necessary to pump gas from the negative pressure chamber 20a to the external environment (vacuuming the negative pressure chamber 20a), the first solenoid valve 41 is used to close the passage connecting to the external environment, and the second solenoid valve 42 is used to close the passage connecting the suction cup 20 to the negative pressure chamber 20a (or it can be regarded as the passage connecting the second solenoid valve 42 to the four-way connector 13 is closed), while the other passages are open, the pump 30 works, and the gas in the negative pressure chamber 20a is discharged to the external environment through the right-angle connector 15, the four-way connector 13, the first solenoid valve 41, the air inlet end 30a of the pump 30, the air outlet end 30a of the pump 30, and the second solenoid valve 42. When the air pressure in the negative pressure chamber 20a reaches the air pressure threshold, the passage of the second solenoid valve 42 connecting to the external environment is closed, and the passage of the second solenoid valve 42 connecting to the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 is opened (or it can be regarded as the passage of the second solenoid valve 42 connecting to the four-way connector 13 is opened), and the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 (and the idle interface of the four-way connector 13) reaches a stable pressure state.

[0035] Referring to the solid line diagram, when gas needs to be pumped from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber 20a, the passage of the first solenoid valve 41 connecting to the suction cup 20 in the negative pressure chamber 20a is closed (or can be considered as the passage of the first solenoid valve 41 connecting to the four-way connector 13 being closed), the passage of the second solenoid valve 42 connecting to the external environment is closed, and the other passages are open. The pump 30 operates, and the gas in the external environment enters the negative pressure chamber 20a through the first solenoid valve 41, the inlet end 30a of the pump 30, the outlet end 30a of the pump 30, the second solenoid valve 42, the four-way connector 13, and the right-angle connector 15. The vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a is "broken," and the suction cup 20 can quickly separate from the external object.

[0036] Continue to refer to Figure 3 As shown, the suction cup 20 is further pivotally connected to the outer shell 10 so that the suction cup 20 can swing relative to the outer shell 10 to change the adsorption direction (with a certain degree of freedom), which is convenient for adapting to external objects with adsorption surfaces of different curvatures.

[0037] For example, a protrusion 18 is formed on the bottom of the housing 10, and a pivot mounting hole (obscured in the figure) is formed on the protrusion 18. The electric suction cup 100 may include a rotating base 60, which is fixedly connected to the suction cup 20 by screws 61. The rotating base 60 has a stepped shaft 62 built in it, and one end of the stepped shaft 62 passes through the pivot mounting hole on the protrusion 18 (a sliding bearing 63 is provided in the hole), thereby realizing the pivotal connection between the rotating base 60 and the housing 10 (or can be regarded as the pivotal connection between the suction cup 20 and the housing 10). The surface of the rotating base 60 may be provided with cushioning foam 64 to prevent the rotating base 60 from rigidly colliding with the housing 10 when it swings relative to the housing 10.

[0038] For example, the aforementioned right-angle connector 15 can be disposed in the rotating base 60, and one interface of the right-angle connector 15 is connected to the four-way connector 13 through the pipeline 11, and the other interface is connected to the negative pressure chamber 20a through the air nozzle 24 of the suction cup 20.

[0039] Furthermore, the electric suction cup 100 includes a fixed chuck 70 for fixed connection with an external device. The suction cup 20 is fixed to the bottom of the housing 10. At least a portion of the housing 10 can be inserted into the fixed chuck 70 and locked to the fixed chuck 70 after rotating a preset angle.

[0040] Combination Figure 7As shown, exemplarily, the fixed chuck 70 can be pre-fixed to an external device via screws 71, with waterproof foam 72 provided between them (to prevent water droplets from the surface of the external device from entering the fixed chuck 70). The fixed chuck 70 has an arc-shaped through groove 73, within which a progressively rising arc-shaped step 74 is built. A transition chuck 19 is fixedly connected to the top of the housing 10. An arc-shaped insertion end 19a is formed on the transition chuck 19, which can be inserted into the arc-shaped through groove 73 from the lower side of the arc-shaped step 74. By screwing the transition chuck 19 (e.g., rotating it 60°), the arc-shaped insertion end 19a moves along the arc-shaped step 74 towards the higher side until the transition chuck 19 and the fixed chuck 70 are fully engaged. The arc-shaped step 74 locks the transition chuck 19 and the fixed chuck 70 together (preventing axial disengagement). This structure is also known as a bayonet-type bayonet.

[0041] It should be understood that the transition chuck 19 is not necessary. The top of the housing 10 can be designed to have the same structure / shape as the transition chuck 19, so that the housing 10 can be directly screwed onto the fixed chuck 70, thus eliminating the need for the transition chuck 19.

[0042] Furthermore, the electric suction cup 100 includes a spring pin 80 disposed on one of the housing 10 and the fixed chuck 70, and the other is provided with an insertion hole 75. After the housing 10 and the fixed chuck 70 are locked together, the spring pin 80 enters the insertion hole 75 under the action of elastic force. The spring pin 80 has an unlocking part 81. Pressing the unlocking part 81 causes the spring pin 80 to disengage from the insertion hole 75.

[0043] like Figure 2 As shown, exemplarily, the spring pin 80 includes a pin 82 and a spring 83 sleeved on one end of the pin 82. The end of the pin 82 with the spring 83 sleeved is located in a groove in the housing 10. The fixed chuck 70 is provided with a corresponding insertion hole 75. After the aforementioned transition chuck 19 (or housing 10) and the fixed chuck 70 are locked together, the pin 82 enters the insertion hole 75 under the action of the spring 83, restricting the transition chuck 19 (or housing 10) from further rotating relative to the fixed chuck 70. The pin 82 has an unlocking part 81 exposed outside the housing 10. The operator can directly press the unlocking part 81 to cause the spring 83 to be compressed downward by the pin 82, and the pin 82 disengages from the insertion hole 75.

[0044] Those skilled in the art should understand that the transition chuck 19 (or housing 10) and fixed chuck 70 of the electric suction cup 100 provided by the present invention form a rotary mechanical decoupling (Z-axis limit), and the spring pin 80 forms a sliding mechanical decoupling (Yaw axis limit). The mechanical decoupling is only used to release the mechanical limit, and can achieve disassembly in seconds without tools, meeting the needs of emergency withdrawal or frequent relocation. All the aforementioned suction / degassing and pressure holding actions are automatically executed by the pump 30, the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42 controlled by the first circuit board 51, and do not interfere with the mechanical decoupling.

[0045] like Figure 8-11 As shown, the electric suction cup 100 further includes a second circuit board 52 (fan-shaped) disposed in the fixed chuck 70. The second circuit board 52 is provided with contacts or probes (e.g., Pogopins), and the first circuit board 51 is correspondingly provided with probes or contacts, so that after the housing 10 is locked with the fixed chuck 70, the contacts and probes combine to make the second circuit board 52 electrically connected and / or communicatively connected to the first circuit board 51.

[0046] For example, contacts are provided on the second circuit board 52, and probes are correspondingly provided on the first circuit board 51. Since the fixed chuck 70 is pre-fixed to an external device, the second circuit board 52 provided in the fixed chuck 70 can be pre-connected to the external device (e.g., the main body of a drone hangar) via wiring terminals, etc. After the housing 10 is locked to the fixed chuck 70, the second circuit board 52 automatically connects to the probes on the first circuit board 51 via the contacts.

[0047] Reference Figure 12 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention provides a drone hangar 200, including a main body 90 and an electric suction cup 100 as described above disposed on the main body 90.

[0048] For example, there are four electric suction cups 100 located on the bottom surface of the main body 90 near the four apex corners (fixed to the same base plate and distributed in a quadrilateral shape), providing redundant suction force and anti-overturning torque. Each electric suction cup 100 can be independently monitored and re-suctioned, and the failure of a single electric suction cup 100 does not affect the overall fixation safety.

[0049] Alternatively, only two motorized suction cups 100 can be placed at either end of a diagonal line on the bottom surface of the main body 90, with elastic rubber pads used as auxiliary supports at the other two diagonal positions. The two elastic rubber pads provide anti-tipping torque, which is suitable for lightweight drone hangars (such as micro drones). In addition, by monitoring the air pressure of only the two motorized suction cups 100 and independently re-suctioning them, the number of pumps 30 and air pressure sensors 51a is reduced, thereby lowering costs.

[0050] Those skilled in the art should understand that, since the drone hangar 200 uses the aforementioned electric suction cup 100, it should have all the technical effects brought about by the aforementioned electric suction cup 100.

[0051] For example, compared to existing magnetic adsorption and rubber suction cup adsorption methods, the electric suction cup 100 provided by this invention can actively pump the gas in the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 to the external environment using the pump 30 (actively evacuating the negative pressure chamber 20a). Even if the suction force of the suction cup 20 is insufficient due to rapid acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle, ship), continuous bumping, or changes in external temperature, the vacuum degree of the negative pressure chamber 20a can be actively increased, allowing the suction cup 20 to be firmly adsorbed onto the external object again. Furthermore, when it is necessary to quickly separate the suction cup 20 from the external object (it is necessary to release the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a), the pump 30 can also pump air from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber 20a, thereby "breaking" the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a and "pushing" the suction cup 20 to quickly separate from the external object.

[0052] For example, the electric suction cup 100 provided by this invention has a rotary mechanical decoupling (Z-axis limit) between the transition chuck 19 (or housing 10) and the fixed chuck 70, and a sliding mechanical decoupling (Yaw axis limit) between the spring pin 80 and the mechanical decoupling. The mechanical decoupling is only used to release the mechanical limit, and can achieve disassembly in seconds without tools, meeting the needs of emergency withdrawal or frequent relocation. All the aforementioned suction / degassing and pressure holding actions are automatically executed by the pump 30, the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42 controlled by the first circuit board 51, and do not interfere with the mechanical decoupling.

[0053] Reference Figure 13 As shown, another embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle 300, including a drone hangar 200 as described above and a power system 400 for providing power to the electric suction cup 100.

[0054] Those skilled in the art should understand that, since the vehicle 300 uses the aforementioned drone hangar 200, it should have all the technical effects brought about by the aforementioned drone hangar 200 (electric suction cup 100).

[0055] For example, compared to existing magnetic adsorption and rubber suction cup adsorption methods, the electric suction cup 100 provided by this invention can actively pump the gas in the negative pressure chamber 20a of the suction cup 20 to the external environment using the pump 30 (actively evacuating the negative pressure chamber 20a). Even if the suction force of the suction cup 20 is insufficient due to rapid acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle (e.g., vehicle, ship), continuous bumping, or changes in external temperature, the vacuum degree of the negative pressure chamber 20a can be actively increased, allowing the suction cup 20 to be firmly adsorbed onto the external object again. Furthermore, when it is necessary to quickly separate the suction cup 20 from the external object (it is necessary to release the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a), the pump 30 can also pump air from the external environment into the negative pressure chamber 20a, thereby "breaking" the vacuum state of the negative pressure chamber 20a and "pushing" the suction cup 20 to quickly separate from the external object.

[0056] For example, the electric suction cup 100 provided by this invention has a rotary mechanical decoupling (Z-axis limit) between the transition chuck 19 (or housing 10) and the fixed chuck 70, and a sliding mechanical decoupling (Yaw axis limit) between the spring pin 80 and the mechanical decoupling. The mechanical decoupling is only used to release the mechanical limit, and can achieve disassembly in seconds without tools, meeting the needs of emergency withdrawal or frequent relocation. All the aforementioned suction / degassing and pressure holding actions are automatically executed by the pump 30, the first solenoid valve 41 and the second solenoid valve 42 controlled by the first circuit board 51, and do not interfere with the mechanical decoupling.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "certain embodiments," "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification, as well as the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0058] In this invention, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance; the term "multiple" refers to two or more unless otherwise explicitly defined. The terms "install," "connect," "link," and "fix" should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connect" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; "link" can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0059] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not restrictive. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions to the technical solutions of the present invention do not depart from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An electric suction cup for a drone hangar, characterized in that, include: shell; A suction cup disposed on the outer shell for adsorbing external objects, the suction cup being able to form a negative pressure cavity; A pump housed within the housing; A first solenoid valve is disposed within the housing. The first solenoid valve has multiple channels for connecting to the external environment, the air inlet of the pump, and the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup, respectively. The second solenoid valve is disposed inside the housing. The second solenoid valve has multiple passages, which are respectively used to connect to the external environment, the air outlet of the pump and the negative pressure chamber of the suction cup. The first circuit board disposed within the housing is capable of controlling the opening / closing of each passage of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve, and controlling the operation / stop of the pump, so that the pump can pump gas from the negative pressure chamber to the external environment, or from the external environment to the negative pressure chamber.

2. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: A pressure sensor is used to obtain the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber. The first circuit board has a preset pressure threshold. When the pressure value in the negative pressure chamber obtained by the pressure sensor is lower than the pressure threshold, the first circuit board controls the pump to evacuate the negative pressure chamber.

3. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 2, characterized in that: If the air pressure in the negative pressure chamber is still lower than the air pressure threshold after the pump has been running for a preset time, the first circuit board will send a warning message to an external device via a wired or wireless communication module.

4. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that, include: The four-way connector is located inside the housing. The negative pressure chamber of the suction cup, the first solenoid valve, and the second solenoid valve are respectively connected to the interface of the four-way connector. The air pressure sensor is located on the first circuit board. The idle interface of the four-way connector is connected to the air pressure sensor. When the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve close the passage connecting to the external environment, the air pressure value at the idle interface is equivalent to the air pressure value in the negative pressure chamber.

5. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 1, characterized in that: The suction cup is pivotally connected to the outer shell, so that the suction cup can swing relative to the outer shell to change the adsorption direction.

6. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 1, characterized in that, include: A fixed chuck for fixed connection with external devices, wherein the suction cup is fixed to the bottom of the housing, at least a portion of the housing can be inserted into the fixed chuck, and after rotating at a preset angle, it locks itself into the fixed chuck.

7. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 6, characterized in that, include: A spring pin is provided on one of the outer casing and the fixed chuck, and the other is provided with a socket. After the outer casing and the fixed chuck are locked together, the spring pin enters the socket under the action of elastic force. The spring pin has an unlocking part. Pressing the unlocking part will cause the spring pin to disengage from the socket.

8. The electric suction cup for a drone hangar according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that, include: A second circuit board is disposed in the fixed chuck, and the second circuit board is provided with contacts or probes. The first circuit board is correspondingly provided with probes or contacts, so that after the housing is locked with the fixed chuck, the contacts and probes combine to electrically connect and / or communicate with the first circuit board.

9. A drone hangar, characterized in that, include: main body; as well as An electric suction cup as described in any one of claims 1-8 is disposed on the main body.

10. A vehicle, characterized in that, include: The drone hangar as described in claim 9.

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