Communication tower structure assembly, hoisting unmanned aerial vehicle and hoisting method

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of communication tower, and discloses a communication tower structure assembly, a hoisting unmanned aerial vehicle and a hoisting method.The structure assembly comprises four support columns and a scissors mechanism connected between adjacent support columns, a sliding sleeve is driven to slide by a spacing adjusting mechanism, the scissors mechanism is deformed to adjust the radial size of the support column, and a plurality of assemblies are conveniently nested.The hoisting unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a fuselage and four sets of deformation frames composed of parallel swing rods and lifting rods, a lifting mechanism drives the lifting rods to synchronously approach or move away from the center of the fuselage, the lower end of the lifting rod is provided with a bending part and can be clamped below the hinge shaft of the scissors mechanism to achieve rigid clamping.The lower end of the lifting rope is provided with a retractable hook claw for grabbing and lifting the nested assemblies.The present application realizes batch nesting hoisting and rigid clamping of tower materials, and improves transportation efficiency and flight safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication tower technology, and in particular to a communication tower structural component, a hoisting drone, and a hoisting method. Background Technology

[0002] As the core carrier of communication equipment, the construction efficiency, cost control, and environmental adaptability of communication towers have become core demands in the industry. In remote areas such as mountainous regions and islands, the construction of communication towers has long faced core pain points: the transportation of tower materials requires additional modification and expansion of access roads, and large construction equipment is difficult to bring into the site, resulting in lengthy construction cycles and high overall construction costs.

[0003] The development of drone technology has made it possible to use drones to lift tower materials. However, since most tower materials are prefabricated frame structures with large volumes, they are inconvenient to lift, or can only lift a small section of the frame at a time, resulting in low transportation efficiency. Moreover, the traditional method of using ropes to pull the suspended object also has many shortcomings. Although using ropes makes it easier to suspend and place the object, during flight, because the ropes are not rigidly fixed, they are prone to relative swaying, which is not conducive to resisting airflow fluctuations and poses a significant safety hazard. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To solve at least one of the above-mentioned technical problems, on the one hand, the present invention provides a communication tower structural component that can easily adjust its radial size, which is beneficial for the simultaneous hoisting of multiple structural components.

[0005] The technical solution adopted in this invention is to design a communication tower structural component, including: four support columns, four sliding sleeves, a spacing adjustment mechanism, and four downward scissor mechanisms.

[0006] The four support columns are arranged vertically in a rectangular array. Each support column is slidably fitted with a sliding sleeve. The spacing adjustment mechanism is connected between the support column and the sliding sleeve, and is used to drive the sliding sleeve to slide back and forth along the axis of the support column.

[0007] Each of the lower scissor lift mechanisms is disposed between two adjacent support columns in the circumferential direction. Each lower scissor lift mechanism consists of two scissor lifts hinged together at the center by a first hinge axis. The first end of each scissor lift is rotatably connected to the corresponding support column, and the second end of each scissor lift is rotatably connected to the corresponding lower sliding sleeve.

[0008] When the spacing adjustment mechanism drives the lower sleeve to slide along the support column, the lower scissor mechanism deforms to change the radial dimension enclosed by the four support columns.

[0009] Preferably, each support column is further fixedly provided with a fixing sleeve, which is located below the sliding sleeve. The first end of the scissor bar is rotatably connected to the fixing sleeve via a first pin, and the second end of the scissor bar is rotatably connected to the sliding sleeve via a second pin.

[0010] Preferably, the spacing adjustment mechanism is a turnbuckle, which includes an adjusting cylinder and two adjusting screws respectively screwed to both ends of the adjusting cylinder, the two adjusting screws having opposite thread directions. One of the adjusting screws is fixedly connected to a first hinge seat on the sliding sleeve, and the other adjusting screw is fixedly connected to a second hinge seat on the fixed sleeve.

[0011] Preferably, the upper end of the support column is provided with a plug, and the lower end of the support column is provided with a socket. The plug is adapted to the socket, and two adjacent structural components are axially connected through the plug-in cooperation of the plug and the socket.

[0012] The present invention also provides a hoisting drone for hoisting the aforementioned communication tower structural components, including a fuselage and four rotor components connected to the fuselage by four sets of deformable frames.

[0013] Each set of deformable frames includes an upper swing arm, a lower swing arm, and a suspension rod. The upper and lower swing arms are arranged in parallel. One end of the upper swing arm is hinged to the side wall of the machine body, and the other end is hinged to the upper end of the suspension rod. One end of the lower swing arm is hinged to the side wall of the machine body, and the other end is hinged to the lower end of the suspension rod. The side wall of the machine body, the upper swing arm, the suspension rod, and the lower swing arm together form a parallelogram mechanism.

[0014] The rotor assembly is located at the upper end of the boom. The lower end of the boom has a bent portion that bends toward the center of the fuselage.

[0015] The machine body is also equipped with a lifting mechanism, which has a lifting body that can be vertically raised and lowered relative to the machine body. The lifting body is hinged to the four upper swing arms via four connecting rods. When the lifting body rises and falls, the upper swing arms are driven to swing through the connecting rods, thereby causing the boom to move closer to or away from the center of the machine body while rising and falling vertically.

[0016] Preferably, the lower end of the machine body is further provided with a rope retraction device and a rope wound around the rope retraction device.

[0017] Preferably, the lower end of the lifting rope is connected to a hook. The hook includes a central rod, a lifting block, four claw rods, and four support rods. The four claw rods are evenly distributed circumferentially, and the lower end of each claw rod is rotatably connected to the lower end of the central rod. The claw rods extend obliquely from bottom to top and from the center outwards. The lifting block is slidably sleeved on the central rod and is driven by a moving device to move up and down along the axis of the central rod. One end of each support rod is hinged to the lifting block, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the corresponding claw rod. When the lifting block moves up and down along the central rod, the support rods drive the claw rods to retract or extend.

[0018] The present invention also provides a lifting method for transporting a drone using the above-mentioned method, comprising the following steps: Shrinkage step: The communication tower structural components are radially reduced to the preset size by the spacing adjustment mechanism.

[0019] Mounting steps: Use the hook at the lower end of the hoisting rope to hook the first structural component and lift the first structural component to a preset height.

[0020] First clamping step: Drive the lifting body of the lifting mechanism to rise, so that the four booms move closer to the center of the machine body until the bent part is locked below the first hinge shaft of the lower scissor mechanism, thereby achieving rigid clamping of the first structural component.

[0021] Overlapping step: Release the lifting rope so that the hook passes through the first structural component and hooks the second structural component, the radial dimension of the second structural component is smaller than the radial dimension of the first structural component, and the hook lifts the second structural component and fits it into the interior of the first structural component.

[0022] Second clamping step: Drive the lifting body to rise further, so that the boom further clamps the second structural component.

[0023] Flight hoisting procedure: Control the hoisting drone to fly to the target location.

[0024] Lowering Steps: The lifting mechanism is driven in reverse to open the boom outwards, releasing the clamps sequentially, and the structural component is lowered to the installation position by releasing the hoisting rope.

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: This invention utilizes a scissor mechanism and a spacing adjustment mechanism, allowing the four support columns of the structural components to move closer or further apart simultaneously, achieving radial retraction and expansion. In the retracted state, multiple components can be nested vertically, and with the retractable hook at the end of the hoisting rope, multiple sections of tower material can be grabbed and stacked for transport in a single flight, significantly increasing the transport capacity per flight. The drone employs a deformable frame composed of a parallelogram mechanism. During flight, the boom retracts inward, and its lower bend automatically engages below the hinge axis of the scissor mechanism, achieving rigid gripping of the suspended object. This completely overcomes the safety hazards of traditional rope-assisted flexible suspension, which is prone to swaying and loss of control under airflow disturbances. The retraction and expansion of the deformable frame are linked to the lifting mechanism, allowing for gripping and release without manual intervention. The radial extension and retraction of the hook adaptively match the retraction dimensions of the structural components, resulting in a simple operation process and high reliability. Attached Figure Description

[0026] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to specific embodiments and accompanying drawings. To illustrate the details and facilitate understanding of its principles, the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and similar reference numerals may describe similar components in different views. The accompanying drawings generally illustrate the embodiments discussed herein by way of example and not limitation. Wherein: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structural components of Embodiment 1.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a top view of the structural components of Embodiment 1.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structural components after radial shrinkage in Embodiment 1.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing two structural components nested together.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of hoisting a drone.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a hoisting drone lifting a structural component.

[0032] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of a hoisting drone carrying two nested structural components.

[0033] Figure 8 yes Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the AA section.

[0034] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structural components of Embodiment 2.

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) hoisting structural components in Embodiment 2.

[0036] In the diagram, 1. Support column; 2. Lower sliding sleeve; 3. Fixed sleeve; 4. Upper sliding sleeve; 5. Adjusting cylinder; 6. Adjusting screw; 7. Scissor bar; 8. First hinge shaft; 9. First pin; 10. Second pin; 11. Fuselage; 12. Lower swing arm; 13. Upper swing arm; 14. Hoisting rod; 15. Rotor assembly; 16. Bending part; 17. Lifting body; 18. Hoisting rope; 19. Upper sliding sleeve; 20. Center rod; 21. Lifting block; 22. Claw rod; 23. Support rod; 24. Lifting mechanism; 25. Connecting rod. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The following are specific embodiments of the present invention, and the technical solution of the present invention will be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and the following embodiments do not limit the invention covered by the claims. Furthermore, not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are necessary for the inventive solution.

[0038] The principles and structure of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0039] Example 1 This invention provides a communication tower structural component, which serves as a standard tower segment. Multiple structural components can be spliced ​​end-to-end along the vertical direction to form a complete tower body.

[0040] like Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the structural components mainly include: four support columns 1, four sliding sleeves 2, a spacing adjustment mechanism, and four lower scissor mechanisms.

[0041] The four support columns 1 are hollow or solid steel pipes with the same cross-section, and they are arranged vertically at the four vertices of a rectangle. The upper end of each support column 1 is machined into a conical or stepped plug, and the lower end is machined into a flared or stepped socket to facilitate quick insertion and positioning between upper and lower components.

[0042] Each support column 1 is equipped with a fixed sleeve 3 and a sliding sleeve 2. The fixed sleeve 3 is located below the sliding sleeve 2. In this embodiment, the spacing adjustment mechanism uses a turnbuckle. The turnbuckle includes a hollow adjusting cylinder 5, with an adjusting screw 6 screwed into each end of the adjusting cylinder 5. The threads of the two adjusting screws 6 are opposite (one end is left-handed, and the other end is right-handed). One adjusting screw 6 is fixedly connected to the first hinge seat on the sliding sleeve 2, and the other adjusting screw 6 is fixedly connected to the second hinge seat on the fixed sleeve 3. When the adjusting cylinder 5 is rotated in a certain direction, the two adjusting screws 6 will move closer or further apart simultaneously, thereby precisely controlling the axial distance between the sliding sleeve 2 and the fixed sleeve 3.

[0043] The lower scissor lift mechanism is connected between two circumferentially adjacent support columns 1. Each lower scissor lift mechanism consists of two scissor lifts 7 of equal length, which are hinged to each other at the middle by a first hinge shaft 8. The lower end of each scissor lift 7 is rotatably connected to a fixed sleeve 3 on the adjacent support column 1 by a first pin 9, and its upper end is rotatably connected to a lower sliding sleeve 2 on the adjacent support column 1 by a second pin 10.

[0044] Working principle: When the operating distance adjustment mechanism causes the sliding sleeve 2 to slide upward (i.e., away from the fixed sleeve 3), it pulls the upper ends of all the scissor arms 7 outward. Due to the structural characteristics of the scissor mechanism, the angle between the two scissor arms 7 increases, thereby pushing the four support columns 1 away from each other, and the structural components are in a radially extended state. Conversely, when the sliding sleeve 2 slides downward (i.e., closer to the fixed sleeve 3), as... Figure 3 As shown, the four support columns 1 are close to each other, and the radial dimension of the structural component shrinks. Figure 4 As shown, after shrinking, multiple structural components can be nested together, greatly saving transportation space, improving hoisting efficiency, and avoiding significant impact from airflow disturbances in the air.

[0045] like Figure 5 As shown, the present invention also provides a drone specifically designed for lifting the aforementioned structural components. This drone is a quadcopter or multi-rotor model (for illustration, only two opposing rotors are shown in the accompanying drawings), and its core innovation lies in its variable arm structure.

[0046] The drone consists of a central fuselage 11 and four sets of deformable frames evenly distributed around its circumference.

[0047] Each deformable frame includes an upper swing arm 13, a lower swing arm 12, and a suspension rod 14. The upper swing arm 13 and the lower swing arm 12 are parallel to each other in space. One end of the upper swing arm 13 is hinged to the side wall of the fuselage 11 via a third hinge axis, and the other end is hinged to the upper end of the suspension rod 14. One end of the lower swing arm 12 is hinged to the side wall of the fuselage 11 via a fourth hinge axis, and the other end is hinged to the lower end of the suspension rod 14. The side wall of the fuselage 11, the upper swing arm 13, the suspension rod 14, and the lower swing arm 12 together form a parallelogram four-bar linkage.

[0048] The boom 14 is set vertically, with a rotor assembly 15 (including a motor and a propeller) installed at its top and a bent section 16 at its bottom that bends toward the center of the fuselage 11.

[0049] A lifting mechanism 24 is located at the top center of the body 11. This lifting mechanism 24 can be a linear servo motor, cylinder, or lead screw mechanism, and has a lifting body 17 that can move in the vertical direction (Z-axis). The sides of the lifting body 17 are hinged to the middle of the four upper swing arms 13 by four connecting rods 25 respectively.

[0050] Working principle: When the lifting body 17 moves downward, it pushes the upper swing arm 13 to swing downward around its hinge point with the body 11 via the connecting rod 25. Under the constraint of the parallelogram mechanism, the boom 14 will move outward (away from the center of the body 11) while moving vertically downward, i.e., "opening". Conversely, when the lifting body 17 moves upward, the boom 14 will move vertically upward and inward (closer to the center of the body 11), i.e., "clamping".

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, during lifting, the booms 14 are in the extended state, and the hoisting rope 18 retraction device below the machine body 11 releases the hoisting rope 18. The lower end of the hoisting rope 18 connects to the retracted structural component and lifts it. When the structural component rises to a certain height (for example, exactly between the four booms 14), the lifting mechanism 24 actuates, clamping the booms 14 inward, as shown. Figure 6 , 7 As shown in Figure 8. At this time, the bent portion 16 at the bottom of the boom 14 will naturally engage below the two scissor bars 7 in the lower scissor mechanism, that is, below the first hinge shaft 8, achieving automatic positioning and clamping of the structural component. Since the two scissor bars 7 form an inverted "V" shaped space here, the engagement of the bent portion 16 is very stable, thus achieving rigid holding of the structural component. After that, the UAV can fly stably. Upon reaching the target location, the weight of the structural component is first borne by the hoisting rope 18, then the lifting mechanism 24 reverses its movement to open the boom 14, disengage the bent portion 16, and then the structural component is lowered into place by releasing the hoisting rope 18.

[0052] Example 2 like Figure 9 , 10 As shown, between two adjacent support columns 1 in the circumferential direction, in addition to the lower scissor mechanism, there is also an upper scissor mechanism located above it. The structure of the upper scissor mechanism is similar to that of the lower scissor mechanism, and it is also composed of two scissor rods 7 that are hinged in the middle by a second hinge axis.

[0053] To connect the upper scissor lift mechanism, each support column 1 is also slidably fitted with an upper sliding sleeve 4. The lower end of the scissor lift rod 7 of the upper scissor lift mechanism is rotatably connected to the upper sliding sleeve 4 via a shaft hinge, and the upper end of the scissor lift rod 7 of the upper scissor lift mechanism is also connected to a fixing sleeve 3 fixed on the support column 1. The upper sliding sleeve 4 is located above the lower sliding sleeve 2. The spacing adjustment mechanism is connected between the upper sliding sleeve 4 and the lower sliding sleeve 2. Specifically, the adjusting cylinder 5 of the turnbuckle is connected to the lower sliding sleeve 2, while the adjusting screw 6 at the other end is connected to the upper sliding sleeve 4.

[0054] When the operating distance adjustment mechanism moves the lower sliding sleeve 2 and the upper sliding sleeve 4 closer or further apart, it simultaneously drives the lower scissor mechanism and the upper scissor mechanism to deform synchronously. Due to the presence of the upper scissor mechanism, the force on the upper and lower ends of the structural components is more uniform when they contract radially, resulting in higher structural stability.

[0055] To facilitate the stacking and hoisting of the aforementioned structural components, this embodiment improves the lower end connection structure of the lifting rope 18. The lower end of the lifting rope 18 is equipped with a hook. The hook includes a central rod 20, a lifting block 21, four claw rods 22, and four support rods 23.

[0056] The four claw bars 22 are evenly distributed circumferentially, radiating outward from the center. The lower end of each claw bar 22 is rotatably connected to the lower end of the central bar 20, and its upper end is a free end. The claw bars 22 extend inclinedly from bottom to top and from the center outward as a whole.

[0057] The lifting block 21 is slidably sleeved on the central rod 20 and located above the lower end connection point of the claw rod 22. A moving device (e.g., an electric cylinder, pneumatic cylinder, or other telescopic mechanism, not shown in the figure) can drive the lifting block 21 to move up and down along the axis of the central rod 20. One end of each support rod 23 is hinged to the lifting block 21, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the corresponding claw rod 22.

[0058] Its working principle is as follows: When the lifting block 21 moves downward along the central rod 20, the support rod 23 pushes all the claw rods 22 to rotate outward around their lower hinge points, that is, the free ends of the claw rods 22 unfold outward, thereby supporting or hooking the scissor mechanism of the structural component from the inside. When the lifting block 21 moves upward, it pulls the claw rods 22 inward to retract, thereby adapting to structural components with smaller radial dimensions. In use, the claw rods 22 can hook upward to the lower part of the second hinge axis connecting the two scissor rods 7 of the upper scissor mechanism, while the bent part 16 of the lifting rod 14 is used to hook downward to the lower part of the first hinge axis 8 connecting the two scissor rods 7 of the lower scissor mechanism.

[0059] In actual hoisting operations, the following procedures can be followed: First, as described in Embodiment 1, the first (outermost) structural component is shrunk to a first radial dimension.

[0060] The drone flies over it and releases the suspension rope 18, so that the hook in the unfolded state (claw bar 22 open) can wrap around the structural component from above. Then, the claw bar 22 is controlled to retract and hook the upper scissor mechanism in four directions of the structural component from the inside.

[0061] The drone lifts the structural component to a certain height, and then the control frame's boom 14 clamps inward to rigidly hold the structural component.

[0062] Subsequently, the hoisting rope 18 is lowered again, and the hook extends downward through the hollow part of the already held structural component. At this point, ground personnel retract the second structural component to a second radial dimension smaller than the first radial dimension and connect it to the hook.

[0063] The claw shank 22 retracts, lifting the second structural component upwards. During the lifting process, due to the smaller radial dimension of the second structural component, it smoothly inserts into the interior of the first structural component, achieving nesting.

[0064] Finally, the boom 14 further retracts and clamps the second structural component, achieving a double-layer stable clamping. Similarly, more layers of structural components can be stacked to achieve the transportation of multiple tower sections in a single trip, greatly improving transportation efficiency.

[0065] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples illustrating the spirit of the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various modifications or additions to the described embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A communication tower structural component, characterized in that, include: Four support columns, four sliding sleeves, a spacing adjustment mechanism, and four lower scissor mechanisms; The four support columns are arranged in a rectangular array; Each of the support columns is slidably fitted with a sliding sleeve; The spacing adjustment mechanism is used to drive the lower sleeve to slide along the axial direction of the support column; Each of the lower scissor lift mechanisms is disposed between two adjacent support columns in the circumferential direction, and the lower scissor lift mechanism consists of two scissor lifts hinged together in the middle; The first end of each scissor bar is rotatably connected to the corresponding support column, and the second end is rotatably connected to the corresponding sliding sleeve. When the spacing adjustment mechanism drives the lower sleeve to slide, the lower scissor mechanism deforms to change the radial dimension enclosed by the four support columns.

2. The communication tower structure component according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the support columns is also fixedly provided with a fixing sleeve, and the first end of the scissor bar is rotatably connected to the fixing sleeve; the spacing adjustment mechanism is a turnbuckle, which includes an adjusting cylinder and two adjusting screws respectively screwed to both ends of the adjusting cylinder, and the threads of the two adjusting screws are opposite; the adjusting cylinder is connected to the sliding sleeve, and the adjusting screws are connected to the fixing sleeve.

3. The communication tower structure component according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes an upper scissor mechanism and four upper sliding sleeves; Each of the support columns is also slidably fitted with an upper sliding sleeve, which is located above the lower sliding sleeve; Each of the upper scissor lift mechanisms is disposed between two adjacent support columns in the circumferential direction and is located above the lower scissor lift mechanism; the upper scissor lift mechanism consists of two scissor lifts hinged together in the middle, with their two ends rotatably connected to the corresponding support column and the upper sliding sleeve, respectively; The spacing adjustment mechanism is connected between the upper sliding sleeve and the lower sliding sleeve, and is used to drive the two to move closer or further apart synchronously.

4. A hoisting drone for hoisting a communication tower structural component as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that, It includes the fuselage and four rotor assemblies connected to the fuselage by four sets of deformable frames; Each set of the deformable frame includes an upper swing arm, a lower swing arm, and a suspension rod. The upper swing arm and the lower swing arm are arranged in parallel, and their respective ends are hinged to the machine body and the suspension rod to form a parallelogram mechanism. The rotor assembly is disposed at the upper end of the boom; The machine body is also equipped with a lifting mechanism, which has a lifting body that can be raised and lowered relative to the machine body. The lifting body is hinged to the upper swing arm through a connecting rod to drive the boom to move closer to or away from the center of the machine body while raising and lowering.

5. The hoisting drone according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower end of the boom is provided with a bent portion for locking the hinge shaft of the scissor bar.

6. The hoisting drone according to claim 4, characterized in that, The lower part of the machine body is also equipped with a rope retraction device and a rope, and the lower end of the rope is connected to a hook. The hook includes a central rod, a lifting block, multiple claw rods, and multiple support rods; The lower end of the claw bar is rotatably connected to the lower end of the central bar, and the claw bar extends obliquely from bottom to top and from the center to the outside. The lifting block is slidably mounted on the central rod and is driven to rise and fall by a moving device; One end of the support rod is hinged to the lifting block, and the other end is hinged to the middle of the claw rod; When the lifting block moves up and down along the central rod, the claw rod is driven to retract or extend via the support rod.

7. A method for lifting a drone as described in any one of claims 4-6, characterized in that, include: Shrinkage step: At least one communication tower structural component is radially retracted using a spacing adjustment mechanism; Hanging steps: Use the hook at the lower end of the hoisting rope to hook the first structural component and lift it up; First clamping step: Drive the lifting mechanism to bring the boom closer to the center and clamp the first structural component; Overlapping step: Release the lifting rope so that the hook passes through the first structural component and hooks the second structural component, the radial dimension of the second structural component is smaller than that of the first structural component, and the hook lifts the second structural component and fits it inside the first structural component; Second clamping step: Drive the boom to further clamp the second structural component; Flying hoisting procedure: Control the drone to fly to the target location; Lowering steps: Perform the operation in reverse order to lower the structural components.

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