Rigid-flexible switching mechanism and unmanned hoisting system

Abstract

The utility model belongs to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting, and particularly relates to a rigid-flexible switching mechanism and an unmanned hoisting system. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism comprises a fixed rod, a flexible rod and a flexible rod, wherein the fixed rod is used for being fixed on the unmanned aerial vehicle; the upper end of the oscillating rod is connected with the lower end of the fixed rod through a flexible connecting piece; the sleeve is arranged on the periphery of the fixing rod in a sleeving manner; the sleeve moving mechanism is used for driving the sleeve to move towards or away from the swing rod in the axial direction of the fixing rod. Before an object is hoisted, the sleeve can be driven by the sleeve moving mechanism to ascend to leave the position where the swing rod is prevented from swinging, so that the fixed rod and the swing rod are flexibly connected, and shaking of the unmanned aerial vehicle caused by inertia can be avoided; when an article is hoisted, the sleeve can descend to the position where the swing rod is prevented from swinging, the fixed rod and the swing rod are in rigid connection, and the article can be prevented from rotating in the circumferential direction. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism is simple in structure and convenient to switch.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The utility model belongs to unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting technical field, concretely relates to a rigid and flexible switching mechanism and unmanned hoisting system. BACKGROUND

[0002] In the field of unmanned aerial vehicle hoisting, rigid connection is usually used to connect unmanned aerial vehicle body and gripper or mechanical arm, so as to provide sufficient precision when locking object. However, when unmanned aerial vehicle grabs goods, the rigid connection between gripper and body will cause large inertia when contacting with object, and further generate obvious shaking, which affects the stability of unmanned aerial vehicle. Similarly, the rigid connection will also have large inertia when unmanned aerial vehicle takes off, which affects the stability of unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0003] On the contrary, the flexible connection mode can effectively reduce the inertia transmission to unmanned aerial vehicle body when grabbing, so as to improve the stability and flight safety of unmanned aerial vehicle. However, the complete flexible structure, for example, fixed by using rope, still has certain limitations, for example, in the flight process, the flexible connection will cause the goods to rotate circumferentially, and this rotation will cause the object to rotate continuously in flight, thereby affecting the stability of flight. SUMMARY

[0004] The utility model aims at providing a rigid and flexible switching mechanism and unmanned hoisting system to solve the above technical problems.

[0005] The present application provides a rigid and flexible switching mechanism. The rigid and flexible switching mechanism comprises:

[0006] A fixed rod for fixing on an unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0007] A swing rod, the upper end of which is connected to the lower end of the fixed rod through a flexible connecting piece;

[0008] A sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixed rod; and

[0009] A sleeve moving mechanism for driving the sleeve to move along the axial direction of the fixed rod towards or away from the swing rod; wherein

[0010] When the sleeve is lowered to a position that hinders the swing of the swing rod, the fixed rod and the swing rod are in rigid connection; and

[0011] When the sleeve is raised away from the position that hinders the swing of the swing rod, the fixed rod and the swing rod are in flexible connection.

[0012] In an embodiment of the present application, the flexible connecting piece is a universal joint.

[0013] In an embodiment of the present application, the upper end of the flexible connecting piece is provided with a fixing piece;

[0014] The side wall of the sleeve is provided with a fixing member avoiding groove extending to the lower end.

[0015] In an embodiment of the present application, the lower end of the sleeve is a trumpet-shaped opening.

[0016] In an embodiment of the present application, the flexible connecting member is of elastic material.

[0017] In an embodiment of the present application, the flexible connecting member is of flexible material.

[0018] In an embodiment of the present application, the sleeve moving mechanism comprises:

[0019] A fixing seat is arranged on one side of the fixing rod;

[0020] A lead screw is installed on the fixing seat;

[0021] A lifting block is arranged on the lead screw and threadedly cooperates with the lead screw; the sleeve is fixedly connected with the lifting block; and

[0022] A driving motor is used to drive the lead screw to rotate, so as to drive the sleeve to lift or lower through the lifting block.

[0023] In an embodiment of the present application, the upper part and the lower part of the fixing seat are respectively provided with a position reaching sensor.

[0024] Correspondingly, the present application provides an unmanned hoisting system.

[0025] The present application has the following advantages:

[0026] The rigid-flexible switching mechanism comprises: a fixing rod for being fixed on the unmanned aerial vehicle; a swing rod, the upper end of which is connected with the lower end of the fixing rod through a flexible connecting member; a sleeve, which is sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixing rod; and a sleeve moving mechanism, which is used to drive the sleeve to move along the axial direction of the fixing rod towards or away from the swing rod. Before hoisting the article, the sleeve moving mechanism can drive the sleeve to rise and leave the position which hinders the swing of the swing rod, so that the fixing rod and the swing rod are in flexible connection, and the shaking of the unmanned aerial vehicle caused by inertia can be avoided; when hoisting the article, the sleeve can be lowered to the position which hinders the swing of the swing rod, so that the fixing rod and the swing rod are in rigid connection, and the circumferential rotation of the article can be prevented. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism has simple structure and is convenient to switch.

[0027] The other features and advantages of the present application will be described in the following description and become apparent from the description, or can be learned from practice of the present application. The objectives and other advantages of the present application can be achieved and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description and the accompanying drawings.

[0028] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, the following preferred embodiments are specifically described, and the accompanying drawings are referred to for detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the specific embodiments or the prior art description. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application, and for those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained without creative labor based on these drawings.

[0030] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an unmanned hoisting system of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0031] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a rigid-flexible switching mechanism of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0032] Figure 3 is a side view of a sleeve of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0033] Figure 4 is a perspective view of a sleeve of a preferred embodiment of the present application;

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a flexible connecting piece of a preferred embodiment of the present application.

[0035] In the drawings:

[0036] Fixed rod 1, swing rod 2, flexible connecting piece 3, fixed piece 31, sleeve 4, fixed piece avoiding groove 41, horn-shaped opening 42, sleeve moving mechanism 5, fixed seat 51, lead screw 52, lifting block 53, driving motor 54, position sensor 55;

[0037] Unmanned aerial vehicle 100, rigid-flexible switching mechanism 200. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the utility model clearer, the technical scheme of the utility model will be described clearly and completely in conjunction with the drawings below. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the utility model, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative labor belong to the protection scope of the utility model.

[0039] The application provides a rigid-flexible switching mechanism and an unmanned hoisting system, which are described in detail below. It should be noted that the description order of the following embodiments is not limited as the preferred order of the embodiments of the application. Moreover, the description of each embodiment in the following embodiments has its own emphasis, and the parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment can be referred to the related description of other embodiments.

[0040] Referring to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In an embodiment, the rigid-flexible switching mechanism comprises: a fixed rod 1 for being fixed on the unmanned aerial vehicle 100; a swing rod 2, the upper end of which is connected with the lower end of the fixed rod 1 through a flexible connecting piece 3, and the lower end of the swing rod 2 can be used for fixing a hoisting assembly, such as a jaw, a hook, etc.; a sleeve 4 sleeved on the outer periphery of the fixed rod 1; and a sleeve moving mechanism 5 for driving the sleeve 4 to move along the axial direction of the fixed rod 1 towards or away from the swing rod 2; wherein when the sleeve 4 is lowered to a position that hinders the swing of the swing rod 2, the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 are in rigid connection; and when the sleeve 4 is raised away from the position that hinders the swing of the swing rod 2, the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 are in flexible connection.

[0041] In the embodiment, the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 are connected through the flexible connecting piece 3, and relative swing can occur between the two. When hoisting is needed, in order to prevent the inertia generated when the jaw contacts the goods when the unmanned aerial vehicle grabs the goods from affecting the unmanned aerial vehicle, the sleeve 4 can be moved away from the position that hinders the swing, so that the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 are in flexible connection. When the goods are hoisted and need to be transported in the air, in order to prevent the goods from swinging and rotating circumferentially, the sleeve 4 can be lowered to the position that hinders the swing of the swing rod 2, so that the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 are in rigid connection.

[0042] In the embodiment, regarding the position that the sleeve 4 hinders the swing of the swing rod 2, it can be understood that when the sleeve 4 is lowered to cover the flexible connecting piece 3 so that it cannot swing, or further covers the upper end of the swing rod 2 for a certain length, the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 cannot swing, that is, the position that the sleeve 4 hinders the swing of the swing rod 2 can be defined. It can be understood that the flexible connecting piece 3 can adopt different types, but there will always be such a position that hinders the swing.

[0043] Referring to Figure 3 andFigure 4 In some embodiments, the flexible connector 3 is a universal joint. The universal joint can effectively limit the circumferential rotation of the swing rod 2 while providing a large range of motion.

[0044] Optionally, the sleeve 4 can have two inner diameter size holes, the small inner diameter hole forms a clearance fit with the fixed rod 1, and the large inner diameter size forms a clearance fit with the flexible connector 3.

[0045] Optionally, the upper end of the flexible connector 3 is provided with a fixing member 31, and the sidewall of the sleeve 4 is provided with a fixing member avoiding groove 41 extending to the lower end.

[0046] In some application scenarios, when the sleeve 4 descends, the fixing member 31 can be inserted into the fixing member avoiding groove 41, and the fixing member 31 can circumferentially limit the sleeve 4 and also provide a guiding effect for the lifting and descending of the sleeve 4.

[0047] In some embodiments, the fixing member 31 has a screw rod part and a screw cap part, and the sleeve 4 can be clamped between the screw rod part and the screw cap part, so that the fixing member 31 can further improve the rigidity of the sleeve 4 when hindering the swing.

[0048] Optionally, the lower end of the sleeve 4 is a trumpet-shaped opening 42. This can facilitate the guiding of the flexible connector 3 or the swing rod 2 into the sleeve 4.

[0049] In some embodiments, the flexible connector 3 can be an elastic material. For example, rubber, silicone, and the like. The elastic material can further play a buffering role and can further expand the motion range of the connector, and is suitable for application scenarios where the connector needs to provide a certain circumferential rotation. When the flexible connector 3 is an elastic material, if rigid connection is required, the sleeve 4 can be lowered to cover a certain length of the upper end of the swing rod 2, thereby hindering the swing, but the swing rod 2 still allows a certain angle of circumferential rotation.

[0050] In other embodiments, the flexible connector 3 can be a flexible material, such as a rope.

[0051] Referring to Figure 5 When the flexible connector 3 is a flexible material, if rigid connection is required, the sleeve 4 can be lowered to cover a certain length of the upper end of the swing rod 2, thereby hindering the swing. In order to prevent circumferential rotation, the lower end of the fixed rod 1 and the upper end of the swing rod 2 can be provided with a fixing member 31 inserted into the fixing member avoiding groove 41.

[0052] Optionally, the material of the sleeve 4 is preferably a metal material such as stainless steel or alloy. These metal materials simplify the design through self-weight, and only need to design an upward movement mechanism, and the downward movement is completed by loosening the movement mechanism.

[0053] In some embodiments, the sleeve moving mechanism 5 can be implemented by using a screw motor, a gear rack, a rudder, etc., which can be conveniently connected with the sleeve moving mechanism 5 to provide flexible driving options for different application scenarios.

[0054] Optionally, referring to Figure 2 In an embodiment, the sleeve moving mechanism 5 comprises a fixed seat 51 arranged on one side of the fixed rod 1, a screw rod 52 installed on the fixed seat 51, a lifting block 53 arranged on the screw rod 52 and threadedly matched with the screw rod 52, the sleeve 4 is fixedly connected with the lifting block 53, and a driving motor 54 is used to drive the screw rod 52 to rotate to drive the sleeve 4 to ascend or descend through the lifting block.

[0055] Optionally, the upper part and the lower part of the fixed seat 51 are respectively provided with a homing sensor 55, which can be used to detect whether the lifting block 53 moves to a preset position.

[0056] In some embodiments, the sleeve 4 can be connected with the lifting block 53 through an electromagnet. When the sleeve 4 needs to descend, the electromagnet is disconnected, and the sleeve 4 descends by gravity; when the sleeve 4 needs to ascend, the electromagnet is powered on, the sleeve 4 is fixedly connected with the lifting block 53, and the driving motor 54 drives the screw rod 52 to rotate to drive the sleeve 4 to ascend through the lifting block.

[0057] In some embodiments, the fixed rod 1 and the swing rod 2 can be made of hollow carbon rod material with a diameter of more than 8mm, which can ensure the connection strength while reducing the weight of the whole structure.

[0058] Correspondingly, an embodiment provides an unmanned hoisting system, which comprises: an unmanned aerial vehicle 100; the rigid-flexible switching mechanism 200 as described above, which is installed below the unmanned aerial vehicle 100; and a hoisting assembly which is connected to the lower end of the swing rod 2 of the rigid-flexible switching mechanism.

[0059] In summary, the rigid-flexible switching mechanism of the present application can drive the sleeve to ascend and leave the position that hinders the swing of the swing rod before hoisting the object, so that the fixed rod and the swing rod are in flexible connection, which can avoid the shaking of the unmanned aerial vehicle caused by inertia; when hoisting the object, the sleeve can descend to the position that hinders the swing of the swing rod, so that the fixed rod and the swing rod are in rigid connection, which can prevent the circumferential rotation of the object.

[0060] The rigid-flexible switching mechanism of the present application has simple structure and convenient switching.

[0061] It should be noted that each device (components without specific structure) selected in the present application is a general standard component or a component known to those skilled in the art, and its structure and principle can be known to those skilled in the art through technical manual or through conventional experimental methods.

[0062] In the description of the embodiments of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation", "connection" and "linking" should be interpreted broadly, for example, they can be fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections.

[0063] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0064] Based on the above-described preferred embodiments of this utility model, and through the foregoing description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the technical concept of this utility model. The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the contents of the specification, but must be determined according to the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A rigid-flexible switching mechanism, characterized in that, include: A fixing rod (1) is used to fix it to the drone (100); The upper end of the swing rod (2) is connected to the lower end of the fixed rod (1) through a flexible connector (3); Sleeve (4), fitted around the outer periphery of fixed rod (1); and The sleeve moving mechanism (5) is used to drive the sleeve (4) to move along the axial direction of the fixed rod (1) toward or away from the swing rod (2); wherein When the sleeve (4) descends to a position that obstructs the swing of the swing rod (2), the fixed rod (1) and the swing rod (2) are rigidly connected; and When the sleeve (4) rises away from the position that obstructs the swing of the swing rod (2), the fixed rod (1) and the swing rod (2) are flexibly connected.

2. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connector (3) is a universal joint.

3. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that, The upper end of the flexible connector (3) is provided with a fixing member (31); The sleeve (4) has a fastener clearance groove (41) extending to the lower end on its side wall.

4. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The lower end of the sleeve (4) has a trumpet-shaped opening (42).

5. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connector (3) is made of elastic material.

6. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The flexible connector (3) is made of flexible material.

7. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sleeve moving mechanism (5) includes: A fixing seat (51) is provided on one side of the fixing rod (1); The lead screw (52) is mounted on the fixed seat (51); A lifting block (53) is mounted on a lead screw (52) and threadedly engaged with the lead screw (52); the sleeve (4) is fixedly connected to the lifting block (53); and A drive motor (54) is used to drive the lead screw (52) to rotate, so as to drive the sleeve (4) to rise and fall through the lifting block.

8. The rigid-flexible switching mechanism according to claim 7, characterized in that, Position sensors (55) are respectively provided on the upper and lower parts of the fixed base (51).

9. An unmanned hoisting system, characterized in that, include: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (100); The rigid-flexible switching mechanism (200) as described in any one of claims 1-8 is installed below the drone (100); as well as The hoisting assembly is connected to the lower end of the swing arm (2) of the rigid-flexible switching mechanism.

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