Unmanned aerial vehicle automatic airport and landing system

Abstract

The utility model provides an unmanned aerial vehicle automatic airport and landing system which comprises a base and more than two cabin doors arranged on the base, the base and the cabin doors enclose to form a cabin capable of containing and storing an unmanned aerial vehicle, the base and the cabin doors are connected through cabin door opening devices, and cable winding and unwinding devices are arranged on the inner sides of the cabin doors. A suspended catching ring is arranged in the cabin, the cable winding and unwinding device is connected with the catching ring through a cable, one end of the cable is fixed to the catching ring, the other end of the cable is wound around the cable winding and unwinding device, the cable winding and unwinding device can tighten or loosen the cable, the light cable is used for replacing a rigid connecting rod, the weight is reduced, and the cable winding and unwinding device is convenient to use. Meanwhile, due to the flexibility of the mechanism, the capturing ring is good in adaptability to a dynamic load unmanned aerial vehicle, light weight, high integration level and ultrahigh space utilization rate are achieved, and the problems that a traditional take-off and landing platform type structure is large in size, high in cost, difficult to transport and deploy and the like are solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to an automatic airport, a landing system and a method for unmanned aerial vehicles. Background Art

[0002] As the recognition of the application value of drones deepens, drones are developing rapidly in the consumer, industrial and military markets. Drones are increasingly used in many fields. However, the endurance of drones has become the biggest bottleneck hindering the development of drones. Although lithium-ion batteries are the best batteries in terms of comprehensive performance on the market, they still cannot fully meet the endurance requirements of drones. Therefore, the charging of drones must be considered during the use of drones.

[0003] At present, the battery replacement of drones has the following disadvantages: drones need to be frequently charged and replaced. According to the traditional method, manual battery replacement by staff requires huge manpower investment and requires personnel on duty, which cannot work in the field for a long time. Drone automatic airports have emerged as the times require, which can store drones and automatically charge / replace batteries for drones. However, the batteries of existing drone airports are all charged in separate charging slots. When the drone needs to return to change the battery, the drone lands on the take-off and landing platform of the drone airport. The entire take-off and landing platform drives the drone to land on the drone airport's internal mechanical arm to automatically replace the battery. As a result, the size of the drone airport must be very large, and space is required to accommodate the take-off and landing platform, which increases the overall size and weight of the fully automatic drone cabin and increases the cost. The drone automatic airport is large in size and has a traditional take-off and landing platform configuration, which is very unfavorable for transportation and deployment, and has low space utilization, accounting for about 30%, and low integration. Utility Model Content

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by the utility model is to provide an automatic airport and landing system and method for unmanned aerial vehicles, which are lightweight, highly integrated and have ultra-high space utilization, and aim to solve the problems of getting rid of the traditional take-off and landing platform configuration, bulky size, high cost, and difficult transportation and deployment.

[0005] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is: to provide an automatic UAV airport, including a base and two or more cabin doors arranged on the base, the base and the cabin door enclosed to form a cabin that can accommodate and store the UAV, the base and the cabin door are connected by a cabin door opening device, a cable retracting device is provided on the inner side of the cabin door, a suspended capture ring is provided in the cabin, the cable retracting device and the capture ring are connected by a cable, one end of the cable is fixed on the capture ring, and the other end is wrapped around the cable retracting device, and the cable retracting device can tighten or loosen the cable.

[0006] Furthermore, the cabin door opening device includes a first drive motor and a hinge, the first drive motor includes a first control unit and a first drive shaft, the first control unit receives and controls the movement of the first drive shaft, and the first drive shaft drives the hinge to open and close to open or close the cabin door.

[0007] Furthermore, the cable retracting device includes a second drive motor and a hinge drum, the second drive motor includes a second control unit and a second drive shaft, the second control unit controls the movement of the second drive shaft, and the second drive shaft drives the hinge drum to move to retract and release the cable.

[0008] Furthermore, a fixing ring is provided on the base, and the shape and size of the fixing ring are adapted to the nose of the drone.

[0009] Furthermore, charging contacts are provided in the fixing ring to charge the drone when the drone is stored in the automated airport.

[0010] The utility model also provides a UAV landing system, including a UAV and any of the above-mentioned automatic airports, the UAV including a fuselage, a nose and a precision landing module, the fuselage is provided with foldable blades, and the nose is provided with a pod. When the UAV lands, the cabin door of the automatic airport opens, and the UAV lands into the capture ring of the automatic airport through a precision landing device.

[0011] Furthermore, the precision landing module is an infrared beacon vision-guided landing and / or a laser-guided landing.

[0012] Furthermore, a positioning slot is provided on the drone body, and when the drone lands in the capture ring, the positioning slot and the capture ring are tightly fitted and fixed.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the utility model are as follows: the UAV automatic airport of the utility model is provided with more than two cabin doors on the base, the base and the cabin door are connected by a cabin door opening device, a cable retracting device is provided on the inner side of the cabin door, a suspended capture ring is provided in the cabin, the cable retracting device and the capture ring are connected by a cable, the UAV determines that the UAV is within the travel range of the capture ring through the precise landing module, and after identifying the coordinate position of the UAV, the middle capture ring is driven by the cable to move to the current coordinate position of the UAV, and the capture ring is moved with the coordinate position of the UAV. After the UAV lands on the capture ring, the cabin door is closed, the space utilization rate is ultra-high, the space utilization rate is greater than 80%, the integration is high, and it can be deployed conveniently and quickly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the UAV landing system of the utility model;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the UAV of the utility model when landing at the UAV automatic airport to capture the ring;

[0017] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the UAV of the utility model landing in the UAV automatic airport;

[0018] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the state of the UAV of the utility model when taking off in the UAV automatic airport;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the closed state of the automatic airport cabin door of the UAV of the utility model;

[0020] Figure 6 This is a flowchart of the take-off and landing process of the utility model UAV.

[0021] Description of labels:

[0022] 10. Automatic airport; 11. Cabin door; 12. Base; 13. Cabin door opening device;

[0023] 14. Cable retracting device; 15. Cable; 16. Capturing ring; 17. Fixing ring;

[0024] 18. Charging contacts; 20. Drone; 21. Propeller blades; 22. Airframe;

[0025] 23. Pod; 24. Positioning slot; 25. Machine head. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, and examples of the embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are intended to be used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0027] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "length", "width", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0028] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present utility model, the meaning of "plurality" is two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0029] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "install", "connect", "connect", "fix" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0030] like Figure 1-6 As shown, an embodiment of the utility model provides an automatic airport 10, including a base 12 and two or more cabin doors 11 arranged on the base, the base 12 and the cabin doors 11 are enclosed to form a cabin that can accommodate and store drones, the base 12 and the cabin door 11 are connected by a cabin door opening device 13, a cable retracting device 14 is provided on the inner side of the cabin door 11, a suspended capture ring 16 is provided in the cabin, the cable retracting device 14 and the capture ring 16 are connected by a cable 15, one end of the cable 15 is fixed on the capture ring 16, and the other end is wound around the cable retracting device 14, and the cable retracting device 14 can tighten or loosen the cable.

[0031] The key concept of the utility model is to control the movement of the capture ring at the end by means of a cable, and realize the positioning and guidance of the capture ring in a predetermined working space by means of the change of cable tension and length. The lightweight cable is used to replace the rigid connecting rod, which reduces the weight, and also makes the capture ring have good movement flexibility and covers a larger working area. At the same time, due to the flexibility of the mechanism, it has good adaptability to the unmanned aerial vehicle with dynamic load. One end of the cable is fixed on the capture ring, and the other end uses a cable retracting device to control the retraction of the cable. The cable retracting device is fixed on the inner side of the cabin door, and preferably, the number of cabin doors is four. By accurately controlling the length of the cable, the capture ring is positioned at any point in the three-dimensional space. The unmanned aerial vehicle determines that the unmanned aerial vehicle is within the range of the capture ring through the precise landing module. After identifying the coordinate position of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the capture ring in the middle is driven by the cable to move to the coordinate position where the unmanned aerial vehicle is currently located, and the capture ring is moved with the coordinate position of the unmanned aerial vehicle for precise landing and active capture. The automatic airport has lightweight, high integration and high space utilization, and is convenient and fast for transportation and deployment. At the same time, the automatic airport can be fixed on the ground, mobile on a vehicle or deployed as a lamp post.

[0032] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, the cabin door opening device 13 includes a first drive motor and a hinge, the first drive motor includes a first control unit and a first drive shaft, the first control unit receives and controls the movement of the first drive shaft, and the first drive shaft drives the hinge to open or close so that the cabin door is opened or closed. The drive motor is usually a stepper motor or a servo motor, which is used to provide precise speed and position control. The type and selection of the motor depends on the required control accuracy, speed, torque and response speed. The cabin door opening device can be highly integrated and automatically control the opening or closing of the cabin door.

[0033] like Figure 1-Figure 4As shown, the cable retracting device 14 includes a second drive motor and a hinge drum, the second drive motor includes a second control unit and a second drive shaft, the second control unit controls the movement of the second drive shaft, and the second drive shaft drives the hinge drum to move and retract the cable. The cable retracting device can be highly integrated, for example, the retracting of the cable can be controlled by a drum, a pulley or a hinge drum. By accurately controlling the length of the cable, the end capture ring can be positioned at any point in the three-dimensional space, thereby achieving accurate landing and active capture of the drone. The cable retracting device is a key component responsible for controlling and executing the movement of the cable to drive the capture ring for precise positioning. The second drive motor is usually a stepper motor or a servo motor, which is used to provide precise speed and position control. The type and selection of the second drive motor depends on the required control accuracy, speed, torque and response speed. The rotational motion of the second drive motor is converted into linear motion of the cable. Generally, it includes a pulley, a soft wheel or a hinge drum. Preferably, it is a hinge drum, which retracts and releases the cable as the motor rotates, and the pulley can maintain or change the direction of the cable. To further improve accuracy, an encoder can be installed on the second drive motor to provide real-time feedback information of the motor rotation for precise position control. A force sensor can also be used to monitor the tension of the cable. After receiving the command, the second control unit will calculate the required output of the second drive motor, including speed and direction, and then send a control signal to the second drive motor to implement the command function. The cable retracting device ensures a high degree of coordination and controllability between the cable and the capture ring. By precisely controlling the length and tension of the cable, the second drive motor can move the capture ring at the end according to a predetermined path and posture.

[0034] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a fixing ring 17 is provided on the base 12, and the shape and size of the fixing ring 17 are adapted to the nose 25 of the drone 20. Thus, when the drone lands in the automatic airport, it is stationary and fixed to prevent shaking.

[0035] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a charging contact 18 is provided in the fixing ring 17, and the drone 20 is charged when the drone 20 is stored in the automated airport 10. The drone is charged through the charging point, and the structure is compact, making full use of the space.

[0036] The utility model also provides a drone landing system, including a drone 20 and any of the above-mentioned automatic airports 10, the drone 20 includes a fuselage 22, a nose 25 and a precision landing module, the fuselage 22 is provided with foldable blades 21, and the nose 25 is provided with a pod 23. When the drone 20 lands, the cabin door 11 of the automatic airport 10 is opened, and the drone 20 lands in the capture ring 16 of the automatic airport 10 through the precision landing module.

[0037] The preferred precision landing module of the utility model is an infrared beacon visually guided landing and / or a laser guided landing. The combination of visually guided landing and / or laser guided landing and active capture allows the drone to seamlessly connect with the capture ring, providing high accuracy, reduced redundancy, modular design, and greater maneuverability and stability.

[0038] like Figure 1-Figure 4 As shown, a positioning slot 24 is provided on the fuselage 22 of the drone 20. When the drone 20 lands in the capture ring 16, the positioning slot 24 and the capture ring 16 are clamped and fixed to prevent the drone from falling under the capture ring, prevent the drone blades from hitting the cables during rotation, and improve the stability of the drone's landing.

[0039] The drone landing system is simple and fast. When the drone is stored in the automatic airport, it can be charged and return when the mission is completed or the battery is low. The automatic airport controls the movement of the capture ring through cables, and the drone can land accurately in the automatic airport. The automatic airport has the advantages of small size, light weight, and high utilization rate.

[0040] In summary, the automatic airport of the utility model is provided with more than two cabin doors on the base, the base and the cabin door are connected by a cabin door opening device, a cable retracting device is provided on the inner side of the cabin door, a suspended capture ring is provided in the cabin, the cable retracting device and the capture ring are connected by cables, and lightweight cables are used to replace rigid connecting rods, which reduces the weight and also makes the capture ring have good movement flexibility and covers a larger working area. At the same time, due to the flexibility of the mechanism, it has good adaptability to UAVs with dynamic loads. The UAV determines that the UAV is within the range of the capture ring through the precise landing module, and after identifying the coordinate position of the UAV, the capture ring in the middle is driven by the cable to move to the coordinate position where the UAV is currently located, and the capture ring is moved with the coordinate position of the UAV. After the UAV lands on the capture ring, the cabin door is closed, and the space utilization rate is ultra-high, the space utilization rate is greater than 80%, and the high integration can be conveniently and quickly deployed, getting rid of the problems of traditional take-off and landing platform configuration, large size, high cost, and difficult transportation and deployment.

[0041] The above are only embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent transformations made using the contents of the specification and drawings of the present invention, or directly or indirectly applied in related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic drone airport, characterized in that: The utility model comprises a base and two or more cabin doors arranged on the base. The base and the cabin doors enclose a cabin capable of accommodating and storing a UAV. The base and the cabin doors are connected via a cabin door opening device. A cable retracting device is arranged on the inner side of the cabin door. A suspended capture ring is arranged in the cabin. The cable retracting device and the capture ring are connected via a cable. One end of the cable is fixed on the capture ring, and the other end is wound around the cable retracting device. The cable retracting device can tighten or loosen the cable.

2. The UAV automatic airport according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cabin door opening device includes a first drive motor and a hinge. The first drive motor includes a first control unit and a first drive shaft. The first control unit receives and controls the movement of the first drive shaft. The first drive shaft drives the hinge to open and close to open or close the cabin door.

3. The UAV automatic airport according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cable retracting device includes a second drive motor and a hinge drum. The second drive motor includes a second control unit and a second drive shaft. The second control unit controls the movement of the second drive shaft. The second drive shaft drives the hinge drum to move to retract and release the cable.

4. The UAV automatic airport according to claim 1, characterized in that: A fixing ring is provided on the base, and the shape and size of the fixing ring are adapted to the nose of the drone.

5. The UAV automatic airport according to claim 1, characterized in that: Charging contacts are provided inside the fixing ring to charge the drone when it is stored in the automated airport.

6. A drone landing system, characterized in that: It includes a drone and an automatic airport as described in any one of claims 1-5, the drone includes a fuselage, a nose and a precision landing module, the fuselage is provided with foldable blades, and the nose is provided with a pod. When the drone lands, the cabin door of the automatic airport opens, and the drone lands into the capture ring of the automatic airport through a precision landing device.

7. The drone landing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The precision landing module is infrared beacon visual guidance landing and / or laser guidance landing.

8. The drone landing system according to claim 6, characterized in that: A positioning slot is provided on the drone body. When the drone lands in the capture ring, the positioning slot and the capture ring are tightly matched and fixed.

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