An unmanned aerial vehicle transfer device

Abstract

This invention discloses a drone transfer device, comprising: a transport box and a transfer frame. The transport box has a frame entrance on its side, and the frame entrance is equipped with an openable or closable door panel. The bottom of the frame entrance is provided with a detachable inclined guide plate. The transfer frame can slide along the inclined guide plate and enter the transport box from the frame entrance. The transfer frame has multiple compartments for fixing drone components. The entire structure of this invention supports the overall loading and unloading of the transfer frame, eliminating the need to load and unload components one by one, significantly reducing loading and unloading time, and effectively improving the transfer efficiency of drone components.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] With the rapid development of drone technology, compound-wing VTOL drones, which combine the advantages of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) and high-speed cruising, have been widely used in industrial scenarios such as surveying, inspection, logistics, and emergency rescue. Among them, 400kg-class medium and large compound-wing VTOL drones have become the mainstream model for industrial applications due to their advantages of large payload and large operating radius. These drones have complex structures, high-precision components, and are extremely susceptible to damage from impacts. The entire aircraft includes many core components such as the fuselage, outer wings, vertical tail, tail strut, power arm, and large-sized propellers, which places stringent requirements on the structural adaptability, fixation reliability, and ease of operation of the transfer frame.

[0003] Existing transfer racks are mostly simple frame structures adapted to small and medium-sized drones or modified general industrial transfer racks. After the drones are disassembled, multiple pieces of equipment and packaging boxes need to be transported together, resulting in low transfer efficiency and easy damage or loss of parts.

[0004] In view of this, the inventors of this invention devised this invention. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone transfer device with high transfer efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following solution: A drone transfer device includes: a transport box and a transfer frame. The transport box has a frame entrance on its side. The frame entrance is equipped with an openable or closable door panel. The bottom of the frame entrance is provided with a detachable inclined guide plate. The transfer frame can slide along the inclined guide plate and enter the transport box from the frame entrance. The transfer frame has multiple compartments for fixing drone components.

[0007] In some embodiments, the inner bottom surface of the transport box is provided with at least two spaced slide rails, and the bottom surface of the transfer frame is provided with at least two rows of spaced casters with brakes. Each row of casters with brakes can slide along the corresponding slide rail, so that the transfer frame is installed in the transport box.

[0008] In some embodiments, the transfer frame includes a bottom frame, a left frame, a right frame, and a rear frame. The bottom frame is fixed to the bottom of the left frame, the right frame, and the rear frame. The rear end of the left frame is fixed to the left side of the rear frame, and the rear end of the right frame is fixed to the right side of the rear frame. An opening is formed between the front end of the left frame and the front end of the right frame.

[0009] In some embodiments, the transfer frame is equipped with a liftable support, which forms at least two partition layers.

[0010] In some embodiments, the middle part of the liftable support forms a partition chamber for fixing the fuselage of the drone. The partition chamber in the middle part of the liftable support is provided with a plurality of spaced fuselage fixing brackets, and a plurality of spaced fuselage binding straps are provided between the upper end and the lower end of the partition chamber in the middle part of the liftable support.

[0011] In some embodiments, the top of the transfer frame has an upper support arched upwards, and the upper support is provided with a first square support frame, with a gap between the top of the first square support frame and the top of the liftable frame.

[0012] In some embodiments, the top of the liftable bracket is provided with a second square support frame.

[0013] In some embodiments, the long side of the first square support frame is perpendicular to the long side of the second square support frame, and the short side of the first square support frame is perpendicular to the short side of the second square support frame.

[0014] In some embodiments, the transfer rack includes a foam cushioning box located behind the liftable support.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the door panel is opened, a diagonal support rod is detachably installed between the side of the door panel and the frame of the rack entrance.

[0016] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the present invention, through the cooperative structural design of the frame entrance with door panel, inclined guide plate and transfer frame, enables the transfer frame to slide smoothly into the transport box along the inclined guide plate without complicated hoisting operations, making the loading and unloading operations convenient; moreover, the transfer frame is divided into multiple compartments, which can fix various UAV components in sections, realize the neat placement of components and avoid mutual collision during transportation; the whole structure of the present invention supports the overall loading and unloading of the transfer frame, without the need to load and unload components one by one, greatly shortening the loading and unloading time and effectively improving the transfer efficiency of UAV components. Attached Figure Description

[0017] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with this disclosure and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of this disclosure. It is obvious that the drawings described below are merely some embodiments of this disclosure, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without any inventive effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a perspective view (1) of the present invention in use.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a perspective view (2) of the present invention in use.

[0020] Figure 3 This is a perspective view (1) of the transfer frame of the present invention in use.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a perspective view (2) of the transfer frame of the present invention in use.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a perspective view (1) of the transfer frame of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a perspective view (2) of the transfer frame of the present invention.

[0024] The reference numerals in the attached figures are explained as follows: Shipping Container 1 Entrance frame 11, Door panel 12, Diagonal guide plate 13, Slide rail 14 Border 111 Diagonal support rod 15 Transfer rack 2 Compartment 21 with braked casters 22 Bottom frame 23, Left frame 24, Right frame 25, Rear frame 26 Opening 27, guide rail 28 Adjustable support 3 31. Divider layer 32. Upper support 32. Second square support frame 33. Foam cushioning box 34. 311 Body mounting bracket; 312 Body binding strap First square support frame 321 The fuselage of the drone is 41. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, these exemplary embodiments can be implemented in many forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be more comprehensive and complete, and will fully convey the concept of the exemplary embodiments to those skilled in the art. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

[0026] Furthermore, the accompanying drawings are merely illustrative of this disclosure and are not necessarily drawn to scale. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote the same or similar parts, and therefore repeated descriptions of them will be omitted. Some block diagrams shown in the drawings are functional entities and do not necessarily correspond to physically or logically independent entities. These functional entities may be implemented in software, in one or more hardware modules or integrated circuits, or in different network and / or processor devices and / or microcontroller devices.

[0027] Reference Figures 1-6 As shown, the present invention discloses a drone transfer device, including: a transport box 1 and a transfer frame 2. The transport box 1 has a frame entrance 11 on its side. The frame entrance 11 is equipped with an openable or closable door panel 12. The bottom of the frame entrance 11 is provided with a detachable inclined guide plate 13. The transfer frame 2 can slide along the inclined guide plate 13 and enter the transport box 1 from the frame entrance 11. The transfer frame 2 is provided with multiple partitioned chambers 21 for fixing drone components. The drone components may include the fuselage, outer wings, tail fin, tail support rod, and a propeller-equipped power arm, etc.

[0028] Therefore, the present invention, through the cooperative structural design of the frame entrance 11 with door panel 12, the inclined guide plate 13 and the transfer frame 2, enables the transfer frame 2 to slide smoothly into the transport box 1 along the inclined guide plate 13 without complicated hoisting operations, making the loading and unloading operations convenient; moreover, the transfer frame 2 is divided into multiple compartments 21, which can fix various UAV components in sections, realize the neat placement of components, and avoid mutual collision during transportation; the entire structure of the present invention supports the overall loading and unloading of the transfer frame 2, without the need to load and unload components one by one, greatly shortening the loading and unloading time and effectively improving the transfer efficiency of UAV components.

[0029] A hinge structure can be provided between the top of the door panel 12 and the top of the transport box 1 to allow the door panel to be opened by flipping up and down. The bottom of the door panel 12 and the bottom of the transport box 1 can be fixed by a locking structure or a structure with a pin and a hole to close the door panel 12. However, this is not the only option. The top of the door panel 12 and the top of the transport box 1 can also be opened or closed by other structures.

[0030] Furthermore, the slope angle of the inclined guide plate 13 is within 5 degrees, thereby reducing the resistance when the transfer frame 2 is pushed in and avoiding the collision or overturning of the UAV components due to excessive slope angle; wherein, the inclined guide plate 13 can be detached from the bottom of the frame entrance 11 through a snap-fit ​​structure, bolt structure or plug-in structure.

[0031] Furthermore, the inner bottom surface of the transport box 1 is provided with at least two spaced slide rails 14, and the bottom surface of the transfer frame 2 is provided with at least two rows of spaced braked casters 22. Each row of braked casters 22 can slide along the corresponding slide rail 14, allowing the transfer frame 2 to be loaded into the transport box 1. The braked casters 22 can also be equipped with shock-absorbing structures. Thus, through the alignment and cooperation of the slide rails 14 and the braked casters 22, the sliding trajectory of the transfer frame 2 is limited and guided, preventing the transfer frame 2 from deviating or getting stuck during the process of entering and leaving the box, and improving the smoothness and stability of sliding loading and unloading. The braked casters 22 have dual functions of sliding movement and fixed-point locking. After the transfer frame 2 slides into place, it can be locked in position by braking, effectively preventing the transfer frame 2 from sliding or shaking inside the transport box 1 during transportation, and fundamentally preventing the displacement and collision of internal drone components. The multiple sets of slide rails 14 and braked casters 22 are arranged at intervals, and the force is evenly distributed, which can bear heavy-duty drone components, improve the overall load-bearing stability of the transfer frame 2, and adapt to the needs of transporting multi-component and heavy-weight drones.

[0032] The slide rail 14 is grooved, but not limited thereto. The end of the slide rail 14 can be provided with a quick-release positioning pin to assist in positioning. When the transfer frame 2 is pushed into the preset position, the positioning pin is inserted to achieve positioning, so as to prevent the transfer frame 2 from falling out of the slide rail 14 when it slides.

[0033] In some embodiments, the transfer frame 2 includes a bottom frame 23, a left frame 24, a right frame 25, and a rear frame 26. The bottom frame 23 is fixed to the bottom of the left frame 24, the right frame 25, and the rear frame 26. The rear end of the left frame 24 is fixed to the left side of the rear frame 26, and the rear end of the right frame 25 is fixed to the right side of the rear frame 26. An opening 27 is formed between the front end of the left frame 24 and the front end of the right frame 25. The frame structure with a closed rear end and an open front end forms a front loading and unloading channel, which facilitates the operator to pick up and put down drone parts from the front end. The operating space is sufficient and the operation is highly convenient.

[0034] The left side of the left frame 24 and the right side of the right frame 25 can be recessed to form a partition chamber 21 for fixing the outer wing of the UAV; the outer wing of the UAV can be fixed by binding or by bolts and screw holes.

[0035] In some embodiments, the transfer frame 2 is equipped with a liftable support 3, which forms at least two partition layers 31. In the embodiment shown in the figure, the number of partition layers 31 is two. The use flexibility can be improved by setting the liftable support 3.

[0036] The lifting drive structure of the liftable bracket 3 can be a manual screw lifting structure, an electric hydraulic lifting structure, or a cylinder lifting structure. The liftable bracket 3 is also equipped with a locking and fixing structure, so that the liftable bracket 3 can be fixed at a specified height position.

[0037] In addition, a partition chamber 21 for fixing the fuselage 41 of the drone is formed in the middle of the liftable support 3. That is, a partition chamber 21 for fixing the fuselage 41 of the drone is formed between the partition layers 31. Multiple spaced fuselage fixing brackets 311 are provided in the partition chamber 21 in the middle of the liftable support 3. Multiple spaced fuselage binding straps 312 are provided between the upper end and the lower end of the partition chamber 21 in the middle of the liftable support 3, so as to firmly restrain the fuselage 41 of the drone and prevent it from shaking during transportation. The fuselage fixing brackets 311 are wrapped with flexible rubber pads, which can protect the bottom of the fuselage 41 of the drone.

[0038] During the process of pushing the drone's fuselage 41 in, the liftable support 3 remains in a low position. When the drone's fuselage 41 is pushed into the designated position, the liftable support 3 then smoothly rises and falls.

[0039] When the drone's fuselage 41 is inserted into the middle of the liftable bracket 3, the wheels will abut against the bottom surface of the transfer frame 2. The bottom surface of the transfer frame 2 is provided with two spaced guide rails 28, and the wheels of the drone's fuselage 41 can slide in the corresponding guide rails 28.

[0040] In some embodiments, the top of the transfer frame 2 is arched upward to form an upper support 32, and a first square support frame 321 is provided on the upper support 32. There is a gap between the first square support frame 321 and the top of the liftable support 3. This forms a partition chamber 21 between the top of the upper support 32 and the top of the liftable support 3 for fixing the tail support rod of the UAV. The first square support frame 321 can stably press down on the tail support rod of the UAV. A partition chamber 21 for fixing the propeller-equipped power arm of the UAV is formed above the first square support frame 321. The first square support frame 321 provides stable support to the bottom surface of the propeller-equipped power arm of the UAV.

[0041] Furthermore, the top of the liftable bracket 3 is provided with a second square support frame 33; thereby, the second square support frame 33 provides stable support to the bottom surface of the tail support rod of the UAV.

[0042] In some embodiments, the long side of the first square support frame 321 is perpendicular to the long side of the second square support frame 33, and the short side of the first square support frame 321 is perpendicular to the short side of the second square support frame 33; thereby, by utilizing the vertically intersecting structure, a three-dimensional support structure is formed. Compared with the same-direction arrangement structure, the overall stability and deformation resistance are greatly improved, and the force is more evenly distributed; moreover, the vertically intersecting structure can achieve multi-directional positioning, and can play a supporting and positioning role for drone components with different placement angles, making it more adaptable.

[0043] In some embodiments, the transfer frame 2 includes a foam buffer box 34, which is located behind the liftable support 3. The foam buffer box 34 can be fixed to the rear of the liftable support 3 by binding. The foam buffer box 34 can be used to place the tail fin of a drone.

[0044] When the door panel 12 is opened, a diagonal support rod 15 is detachably installed between the side of the door panel 12 and the frame 111 of the rack entrance 11. The diagonal support rod 15 forms a triangular support structure with strong mechanical stability, which can ensure that the door panel maintains a fixed angle after it is opened, improve the safety of loading and unloading operations, and facilitate the pushing in of the transfer rack 2. The diagonal support rod 15 can be detached from the side of the door panel 12 or the frame 111 of the rack entrance 11 through an end buckle structure, a pin structure, or a threaded connection structure.

[0045] The disassembly and installation process of this invention is as follows: The drone is disassembled into a fuselage, outer wings, tail fin, tail strut, and power arm with propeller; the tail fin is installed in a foam buffer box 34 and fixed to the rear of the transfer frame 2; the fuselage 41 of the drone is pushed into the liftable bracket 3, and the wheels of the drone fuselage 41 slide in the corresponding guide rails 28. After it is in place, the liftable bracket 3 is raised and lowered. After it is raised to the designated position, the tail strut is fixed. Then, the power arm with propeller is fixed side by side, and the propeller is fixed at a 45° angle by the propeller clamp; the two outer wings are fixed to both sides of the transfer frame 2; after the integrated installation of all components is completed, the brakes of the casters with brakes 22 are locked, and the transfer can be carried out.

[0046] The transfer and deployment process of this invention is as follows: the transfer frame 2 is transferred to the target work position through the transport box 1, the door panel 12 is opened, the inclined guide plate 13 is laid out, the liftable bracket 3 is lowered to a low position, the fuselage 41 of the drone is pushed out, the outer wing and the propeller-equipped power arm are removed in sequence, and the tail wing is taken out; the deployment and assembly of the drone are completed, and subsequent operations are carried out.

[0047] It should be understood that the various examples described above can be utilized in multiple directions, such as tilted, inverted, horizontal, vertical, etc., and in multiple configurations, without departing from the principles of the invention. The embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings are merely examples of effective application of the principles of the invention, and the invention is not limited to any specific details of these embodiments.

[0048] Other embodiments of this disclosure will readily occur to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of this disclosure that follow the general principles of this disclosure and include common knowledge or customary techniques in the art not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are to be considered exemplary only, and the true scope and spirit of this disclosure are indicated by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A drone transfer device, characterized in that, include: The transport box and transfer rack are provided. The transport box has a rack entrance on its side. The rack entrance is equipped with an openable or closable door panel. The bottom of the rack entrance is provided with a detachable inclined guide plate. The transfer rack can slide along the inclined guide plate and enter the transport box from the rack entrance. The transfer rack is provided with multiple compartments for fixing drone components.

2. The drone transfer device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The inner bottom surface of the transport box is provided with at least two spaced slide rails, and the bottom surface of the transfer frame is provided with at least two rows of spaced casters with brakes. Each row of casters with brakes can slide along the corresponding slide rail, so that the transfer frame can be installed into the transport box.

3. The drone transfer device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The transfer frame includes a bottom frame, a left frame, a right frame, and a rear frame. The bottom frame is fixed to the bottom of the left frame, the right frame, and the rear frame. The rear end of the left frame is fixed to the left side of the rear frame, and the rear end of the right frame is fixed to the right side of the rear frame. An opening is formed between the front ends of the left frame and the front ends of the right frame.

4. The drone transfer device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The transfer frame is equipped with a liftable support, which forms at least two partition layers.

5. The drone transfer device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The middle part of the liftable support forms a partition chamber for fixing the fuselage of the UAV. Multiple spaced fuselage fixing brackets are provided in the partition chamber located in the middle part of the liftable support. Multiple spaced fuselage binding straps are provided between the upper and lower ends of the partition chamber located in the middle part of the liftable support.

6. The drone transfer device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The top of the transfer frame is arched upwards to form an upper support, and a first square support frame is provided on the upper support frame. There is a gap between the top of the first square support frame and the top of the liftable frame.

7. The drone transfer device as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The top of the liftable bracket is provided with a second square support frame.

8. The drone transfer device as described in claim 7, characterized in that: The long side of the first square support frame is perpendicular to the long side of the second square support frame, and the short side of the first square support frame is perpendicular to the short side of the second square support frame.

9. The drone transfer device as described in claim 4, characterized in that: The transfer frame includes a foam buffer box, which is located behind the liftable support.

10. A drone transfer device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: When the door panel is opened, a diagonal support rod is detachably installed between the side of the door panel and the frame of the frame entrance.

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