An unmanned aerial vehicle handling shelter

Abstract

This invention discloses a drone handling container, specifically relating to the field of drone container technology. It includes a tractor unit, on which a storage component is mounted. The storage component comprises a cabin fixedly mounted on the tractor unit, with a horizontally arranged partition in the middle of the cabin dividing the interior into upper and lower storage chambers. This invention, employing a vehicle-mounted structure with a closed cabin mounted on a tractor unit, enables long-distance mobile relocation using road networks. The cabin's interior, with its upper and lower storage spaces formed by the partition, can simultaneously accommodate multiple drones and supporting operational materials, adapting to the batch transport needs of drone swarms. It features a laterally extending first landing platform and a lifting second landing platform, automatically extended and retracted via scissor-type telescopic components and a lifting module, respectively. Upon arrival at the site, multiple take-off and landing operation surfaces can be quickly established, eliminating the need for manual construction of landing sites and adapting to the swarm operation requirements of multiple drones taking off and landing in parallel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) container technology, and more specifically, to a UAV disposal container. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of low-altitude economy, intelligent security, emergency rescue, and swarm drone operations, multi-rotor drones, small reconnaissance drones, and lightweight operational drones have been widely used in various fields such as all-area inspection, public security and prevention, disaster emergency response, airspace control, and swarm formation operations. Currently, drone operation modes are gradually shifting from single-aircraft, single-point operations to multi-aircraft swarms, large-scale, long-distance mobility, and routine batch deployment. This places higher demands on the standardization, automation, and integration of drone equipment's mobile transport, centralized storage, rapid on-site deployment, and comprehensive protection capabilities.

[0003] Currently, the industry has developed various forms of drone support equipment: fixed-point deployment of single-drone intelligent drone nests, which can realize fixed-point duty, automatic single-drone take-off and landing and charging management, and can better meet the routine inspection needs in fixed scenarios; traditional storage and transportation methods use general-purpose storage containers to pack drones and supporting batteries and accessories, which can meet the needs of small-scale, low-frequency equipment transfer; some vehicle-mounted drone storage equipment achieves vehicle-mounted carrying through box structure, and has basic mobile transfer capabilities.

[0004] However, in scenarios involving multi-drone swarms, long-distance mobility, and rapid delivery, the above solutions still have certain limitations: fixed-location intelligent drone nests are limited by installation sites and lack the capability for batch transfer and long-distance mobile deployment; traditional simple storage and transportation methods lack dedicated equipment positioning and fixing structures and protective designs, resulting in insufficient equipment protection during storage and transportation, and low operational efficiency for manual sorting and on-site deployment; existing vehicle-mounted storage containers are mostly simple fixed structures with no standardized functional zoning of the internal space, and lack integrated automatic take-off and landing and supporting functions, making it difficult to adapt to the usage requirements of multi-drone batch, standardized storage and transportation, and rapid deployment operations. Based on this, it is necessary to develop a drone disposal container that integrates batch transfer, protective storage, rapid deployment and retrieval, and take-off and landing support to meet the development needs of mobile drone swarm operations. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects of the prior art, the present invention provides a drone disposal container, which aims to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0006] The present invention provides the following technical solution: a drone disposal container, including a tractor, wherein a storage component is provided on the tractor;

[0007] The storage component includes a compartment fixedly mounted on the tractor, and a partition is horizontally arranged in the middle of the compartment, which divides the interior of the compartment into upper and lower storage chambers.

[0008] The bottom of the inner wall of the cabin is provided with several horizontally retractable three-level slide rails, and the moving end of each of the three-level slide rails is provided with a first take-off and landing platform for carrying the UAV.

[0009] Lifting modules are vertically installed on both sides of the top of the partition. A second landing platform that can be adjusted vertically is connected between the two lifting modules. The lifting modules are used to drive the second landing platform to move upward to the top of the cabin for the take-off and landing of the UAV.

[0010] Furthermore, each of the three-stage slide rails is provided with a scissor-type telescopic component at its bottom for driving the extension of the three-stage slide rails.

[0011] The cabin is hinged to two side doors that can be opened outwards. After the side doors are opened, the scissor telescopic assembly drives the three-stage slide rail to extend to the outside of the cabin, causing the first landing platform to extend to the outside of the cabin for the UAV to take off and land.

[0012] Furthermore, two cover plates are hinged to the top of the cabin on both sides. The two cover plates close to each other to seal the top opening of the cabin. After the cover plates are opened outward, the second landing platform can move up to the top opening of the cabin along with the lifting module.

[0013] Furthermore, connecting arms are hinged to the inner sides of the lower surfaces of the two cover plates, and worm gear modules are respectively hinged to the lower ends of each connecting arm.

[0014] Furthermore, an electric actuator is hinged to the side of the worm gear module away from the connecting arm. The tail end of the electric actuator is hinged to the inner wall of the cabin. The electric actuator is used to drive the worm gear module to swing and drive the cover plate to deflect through the connecting arm, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the cover plate.

[0015] Furthermore, a crane assembly for hoisting the drone and its accessories is provided on the outer wall of the end of the cabin near the tractor, and a weather instrument is fixedly installed on one side of the crane assembly on the cabin.

[0016] Furthermore, a battery cabinet is provided on one side of the bottom of the partition, and the battery cabinet has multiple compartments for storing spare batteries for the drone.

[0017] Furthermore, both the first and second landing platforms are equipped with UAV positioning and locking mechanisms on their upper surfaces for positioning and securing the UAV after landing.

[0018] Furthermore, the lifting module is a screw-guided synchronous lifting mechanism, and the two lifting modules synchronously drive the second lifting platform to rise and fall smoothly in the vertical direction.

[0019] Furthermore, the inner wall of the cabin is equipped with a ventilation and temperature control unit to regulate the temperature and humidity inside the cabin and ensure the storage environment for the drone.

[0020] The technical effects and advantages of this invention are as follows:

[0021] By adopting a vehicle-mounted structure with a closed cabin mounted on a tractor, long-distance mobile transfer can be completed by relying on the road network; the interior is divided into upper and lower storage spaces by partitions, which can simultaneously carry multiple drones and supporting operating materials, adapt to the batch transfer needs of drone swarms, and cover the use scenarios of mobile deployment.

[0022] The cabin is a closed, rigid structure with dustproof, rainproof, and shockproof protection capabilities; the drone can be directly positioned on the landing platform to complete storage and transportation without repeated disassembly and reassembly, which not only improves the safety of equipment during storage and transportation but also reduces on-site disassembly and reassembly steps, helping to shorten the preparation time for operations.

[0023] The system is equipped with a first landing platform that extends laterally and a second landing platform that is lifted. These platforms are automatically extended and retracted by scissor telescopic components and lifting modules, respectively. Once on site, they can quickly form multiple landing and take-off work surfaces without the need for manual construction of landing and take-off sites. This system can adapt to the needs of cluster operations where multiple aircraft take off and land in parallel.

[0024] The cabin integrates a crane assembly, a weather instrument, and a battery cabinet, enabling simultaneous mechanized loading and unloading of equipment, real-time monitoring of on-site weather parameters, and centralized storage and management of backup batteries. It provides a one-stop solution for the supporting needs of drone operations, enhancing the functional integration and on-site operational convenience of the cabin system. Attached Figure Description

[0025] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in some embodiments will be briefly described below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only drawings of some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings. In addition, the drawings described below can be regarded as schematic diagrams and are not intended to limit the actual size of the product, the actual flow of the method, the actual timing of the signals, etc. involved in the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a front view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the cabin, bulkhead, three-stage slide rail, lifting module, second landing platform, electric actuator, worm gear module, cover plate and connecting arm of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the cabin, lifting module, three-stage slide rail, battery cabinet and partition of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the unfolded three-stage slide rail and scissor telescopic assembly of the present invention.

[0030] The attached diagram is labeled as follows: 1. Tractor; 2. Cabin; 3. Bulkhead; 4. Three-stage slide rail; 5. First landing platform; 6. Lifting module; 7. Second landing platform; 8. Cover plate; 9. Worm gear module; 10. Connecting arm; 11. Electric actuator; 12. Side door; 13. Crane assembly; 14. Weather instrument; 15. Scissor telescopic assembly; 16. Battery cabinet. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] Example 1

[0033] Specifically, such as Figure 1 As shown, the drone disposal container includes a towing vehicle 1, which uses a compliant highway vehicle chassis and has storage components fixedly mounted on it. The whole system constitutes a mobile, relocatable vehicle-mounted drone support container system.

[0034] like Figure 2 , Figure 3 As shown, the storage assembly includes a cabin 2 fixedly mounted on the tractor 1. The cabin 2 is a rigid container structure with waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof protective properties, meeting the requirements for outdoor transportation and storage. A horizontally arranged partition 3 is fixedly installed in the middle of the cabin 2, dividing the internal volume of the cabin 2 into two independent storage chambers, which are used to deploy the lateral take-off and landing unit and the top take-off and landing unit, respectively.

[0035] Within the lower storage chamber, on the inner wall of cabin 2, several sets of horizontally retractable three-stage sliding rails 4 are arranged side-by-side along the length of cabin 2. The fixed section of each set of three-stage sliding rails 4 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the inner wall of cabin 2, and a first landing platform 5 is fixedly installed on the top of its moving end. The first landing platform 5 is a horizontal bearing surface used to park the drone and provide a take-off and landing surface. Figure 4 As shown, each set of three-stage slide rails 4 is provided with a scissor telescopic component 15 at the bottom. The fixed end of the scissor telescopic component 15 is hinged to the bottom of the inner wall of the cabin 2, and the movable end is connected to the movable section of the three-stage slide rail 4 for transmission, which is used to output horizontal thrust and drive the three-stage slide rail 4 to extend and retract laterally.

[0036] Correspondingly, the left and right side walls of the cabin 2 are respectively hinged with side doors 12 that can be opened outwards. When the side doors 12 are closed, they together with the cabin 2 to form a closed lower storage space; when the side doors 12 are opened outwards, the scissor-type telescopic assembly 15 extends and pushes the three-stage sliding rail 4 to extend outwards from the cabin 2, thereby causing the first landing platform 5 to extend horizontally to the outside of the cabin 2, forming a laterally exposed take-off and landing working surface for the UAV to complete take-off and landing. Multiple sets of three-stage sliding rails 4 and the first landing platform 5 can be deployed simultaneously, supporting the parallel take-off and landing operations of multiple UAVs.

[0037] At the top of the partition 3, i.e., inside the upper storage cavity, lifting modules 6 are vertically fixed on both sides along the length of the cabin 2. A second landing platform 7 is horizontally mounted between the two lifting modules 6, and both ends of the second landing platform 7 are connected to the moving ends of the two lifting modules 6. When the two lifting modules 6 operate synchronously, they can drive the second landing platform 7 to make smooth vertical displacement adjustments.

[0038] The top wall of the cabin 2 has a top opening directly above the second landing platform 7, and cover plates 8 are hinged to the left and right edges of the top opening. When the two cover plates 8 are closed facing each other, the top opening of the cabin 2 can be completely sealed, forming a complete and flat top surface of the cabin. When the two cover plates 8 are opened to the sides, the lifting module 6 can drive the second landing platform 7 to move vertically upward until the second landing platform 7 rises to the top opening of the cabin 2 and is locked in place, flush with the top surface of the cabin, forming a top landing platform.

[0039] Furthermore, such as Figure 2 As shown, connecting arms 10 are hinged to the inner sides of the lower surfaces of the two cover plates 8, and worm gear modules 9 are respectively hinged to the lower ends of each connecting arm 10. The worm gear modules 9 have a reverse self-locking characteristic, which can achieve position self-locking after the cover plates 8 are opened or closed to prevent the cover plates from shaking due to external forces. An electric actuator 11 is hinged to the housing on the side of each worm gear module 9 away from the connecting arm 10. The tail end of the cylinder of the electric actuator 11 is hinged and fixed to the inner wall of the housing 2, and its telescopic output end is hinged to the housing of the worm gear module 9.

[0040] When the electric actuator 11 performs a telescopic action, it can push the worm gear module 9 to swing around the hinge point, and then transmit torque through the connecting arm 10 to drive the cover plate 8 to deflect around the hinge axis at the top, thereby realizing the automatic opening and closing of the cover plate 8. The worm gear module 9 itself can be adapted to the fine adjustment of the transmission angle to compensate for the motion dead point and ensure that the opening and closing process of the cover plate is smooth and without jamming.

[0041] Example 2

[0042] Based on Example 1, this embodiment, for example Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, a crane assembly 13 is installed on the outer wall of the cabin 2 near the front of the tractor 1. The crane assembly 13 is a foldable, rotating small crane used for lifting drones, battery boxes, and related operating accessories, realizing mechanized loading and unloading of heavy objects and reducing the intensity of manual handling. A weather instrument 14 is fixedly installed on the side of the crane assembly 13. The weather instrument 14 can collect meteorological parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, ambient temperature and humidity at the operation site in real time, providing environmental decision-making basis for drone take-off and landing operations and ensuring flight operation safety.

[0043] like Figure 3 As shown, a battery cabinet 16 is also fixedly installed on the bottom side of the partition 3, i.e., in the lower storage cavity. The battery cabinet 16 is divided into multiple independent battery compartments for storing spare batteries for drones in a classified manner. An integrated charging management module can be optionally installed to realize centralized storage and unified charging management of batteries, thereby improving the ability to ensure long-term continuous operation.

[0044] To enhance the practicality of the solution, both the first landing platform 5 and the second landing platform 7 can be equipped with UAV visual positioning markers and mechanical locking mechanisms on their upper surfaces. These mechanisms are used for precise alignment during automatic UAV landing and for locking and securing the UAV after landing, preventing it from shaking or bumping during transport. The interior of the cabin 2 can also be equipped with ventilation, temperature control, and shock absorption structures to meet the long-term storage and transportation needs in complex outdoor environments.

[0045] Specific working principle

[0046] The specific working principle is as follows:

[0047] In the mobile transfer mode, both side doors 12 and the top cover 8 of the cabin 2 are closed and locked, forming a closed protective space. The first landing platform 5 retracts into the lower storage chamber along the three-stage sliding rail 4, locking the drones parked on it and transferring them along with the cabin. The second landing platform 7 descends into the upper storage chamber along the lifting module 6, which can be used to store another group of drones or supporting operating equipment. The tractor 1 can move the entire cabin along the road, enabling long-distance bulk transportation of drone swarms. The cabin's closed protective structure provides comprehensive protection against dust, rain, and shock for the drones and accessories during transportation.

[0048] After arriving at the work site and parking the vehicle securely, the side-lifting and top-lifting units can be activated separately or simultaneously, depending on the requirements of the work scenario.

[0049] Lateral take-off and landing unit deployment: First, unlock and open the side doors 12 on both sides of the cabin 2. Then, control the scissor telescopic assembly 15 to extend, outputting horizontal thrust to push the three-stage slide rail 4 to extend laterally outwards. The moving end of the three-stage slide rail 4 drives the first take-off and landing platform 5 to extend horizontally to the outside of the cabin 2, forming a laterally exposed take-off and landing platform. The UAV can then complete take-off and landing operations on the first take-off and landing platform 5. Multiple sets of first take-off and landing platforms can be deployed independently or simultaneously, supporting the parallel take-off and landing of multiple UAVs.

[0050] The top landing unit unfolds: the electric actuator 11 extends and performs work, pushing the worm gear module 9 to swing around the hinge point. The torque is transmitted through the connecting arm 10, causing the two cover plates 8 to deflect and open on both sides around the top hinge axis, fully exposing the top opening of the cabin 2. Then, the two lifting modules 6 are controlled to move upward synchronously, driving the second landing platform 7 to rise smoothly in the vertical direction until the second landing platform 7 moves to the top opening of the cabin 2 and triggers the positioning lock, forming the top landing platform for the UAV to complete take-off and landing operations from the top of the cabin.

[0051] During the operation, the meteorological instrument 14 continuously collects on-site meteorological data and outputs it to the control system, providing environmental parameter references for the UAV flight mission; the crane assembly 13 can rotate flexibly to load and unload UAVs, replace battery packs, or hoist work materials; the battery cabinet 16 can provide backup battery replenishment at any time to support the continuous operation of the UAV swarm.

[0052] After the task is completed, the drone is first controlled to land precisely on the corresponding landing platform, and then the drone is secured by the locking mechanism.

[0053] The control lifting module 6 reverses its movement, causing the second lifting platform 7 to descend vertically and retract into the upper storage cavity; then the control electric actuator 11 retracts, which drives the cover plate 8 to deflect in the opposite direction and close through the worm gear module 9 and the connecting arm 10, locking the top opening of the cabin.

[0054] The scissor telescopic assembly 15 is retracted, pulling the three-stage slide rail 4 to retract laterally, causing the first landing platform 5 to retract into the lower storage cavity; then the side doors 12 on both sides are closed and locked, and the cabin returns to a completely closed and protected state.

[0055] Once all the containers are packed away, the tractor unit 1 can drive the entire container away from the work site, completing the relocation and withdrawal.

[0056] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drone disposal container, comprising a tractor (1), characterized in that: The tractor (1) is equipped with a storage component; The storage component includes a cabin (2) fixedly mounted on a tractor (1), and a partition (3) is horizontally arranged in the middle of the cabin (2), which divides the interior of the cabin (2) into upper and lower storage chambers. The bottom of the inner wall of the cabin (2) is provided with several horizontally extendable three-level slide rails (4), and the moving end of each of the three-level slide rails (4) is provided with a first landing platform (5) for carrying the UAV. Lifting modules (6) are vertically installed on both sides of the top of the partition (3). A second landing platform (7) that can be adjusted vertically is connected between the two lifting modules (6). The lifting modules (6) are used to drive the second landing platform (7) to move upward to the top of the cabin (2) for the take-off and landing of the UAV.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: Each of the three-stage slide rails (4) is provided with a scissor telescopic component (15) for driving the extension of the three-stage slide rails (4). The cabin (2) is hinged to two side doors (12) that can be opened outward. After the side doors (12) are opened, the scissor telescopic assembly (15) drives the three-stage slide rail (4) to extend to the outside of the cabin (2), thereby causing the first landing platform (5) to extend to the outside of the cabin (2) for the take-off and landing of the UAV.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The top of the cabin (2) is hinged with cover plates (8) on both sides. The two cover plates (8) close to each other to close the top opening of the cabin (2). After the cover plates (8) are opened outward, the second landing platform (7) can move up to the top opening of the cabin (2) with the lifting module (6).

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 3, characterized in that: Connecting arms (10) are hinged to the inner sides of the lower surfaces of the two cover plates (8), and worm gear modules (9) are hinged to the lower ends of each connecting arm (10).

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 4, characterized in that: An electric actuator (11) is hinged to the side of the worm gear module (9) away from the connecting arm (10). The tail end of the electric actuator (11) is hinged to the inner wall of the cabin (2). The electric actuator (11) is used to drive the worm gear module (9) to swing and drive the cover plate (8) to deflect through the connecting arm (10), thereby realizing the opening and closing of the cover plate (8).

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the cabin (2) near the tractor (1) is provided with a crane assembly (13) for hoisting drones and accessories. A meteorological instrument (14) is fixedly installed on one side of the crane assembly (13) on the cabin (2).

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: A battery cabinet (16) is provided on one side of the bottom of the partition (3). The battery cabinet (16) has multiple compartments for storing spare batteries for drones.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper surfaces of the first landing platform (5) and the second landing platform (7) are both equipped with UAV positioning and locking mechanisms for positioning and fixing the UAV after landing.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting module (6) is a screw-guided synchronous lifting mechanism. The two lifting modules (6) synchronously drive the second lifting platform (7) to rise and fall smoothly in the vertical direction.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) disposal container according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall of the cabin (2) is equipped with a ventilation and temperature control unit to regulate the temperature and humidity inside the cabin and ensure the storage environment of the UAV.

Images