Foldable wing and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The utility model relates to a foldable wing and an unmanned aerial vehicle, the foldable wing comprises a fixed section fixedly connected with a fuselage of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a folding section rotationally connected with the fixed section, the foldable wing further comprises a connecting assembly, the folding section is rotationally connected with the fixed section through the connecting assembly, and the connecting assembly comprises an elastic part and a movable part; the movable part is arranged on the fuselage and can move between a first position and a second position relative to the fuselage, one end of the elastic part is arranged on the fixed section and connected with the elastic part, and the other end of the elastic part is connected with the folding section; wherein the folding section has a folded state and an unfolded state, the movable part is located at the first position, the movable part drives the folding section to rotate to the unfolded state, and the elastic part elastically deforms; when the movable part is located at the second position, the elastic deformation of the elastic part recovers, and the reset force of the elastic part drives the folding section to rotate to the storage state. The connecting assembly is provided with the elastic piece and the movable piece, so that the operation process is simplified, and the folding and unfolding convenience of the foldable wing is improved.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and in particular to a foldable wing and an unmanned aerial vehicle. BACKGROUND

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles are widely used in various civilian and military fields such as aerial photography, reconnaissance, and material transportation. With the popularization of unmanned aerial vehicles and the continuous development of unmanned aerial vehicle technology, the demand for endurance and load capacity of unmanned aerial vehicles in various industries has gradually increased. Currently, unmanned aerial vehicles with large wingspans and large aspect ratios are increasingly used in scenarios that pursue long endurance and long range.

[0003] Unmanned aerial vehicles with large wingspans have the disadvantages of large appearance size, large space occupation, and difficulty in storage and transportation. Therefore, foldable wings are usually used in related art unmanned aerial vehicles to solve the problem of storage and transportation. However, in the foldable wings of the related art, the transmission control process of wing deployment and storage is relatively cumbersome and unstable, the operation experience is poor, and the use and storage are relatively inconvenient. SUMMARY

[0004] In order to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings of the related art, the present application aims to provide a foldable wing and an unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0005] To achieve the above-mentioned purposes, the present application adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] According to a first aspect of the present application, a foldable wing is provided, comprising:

[0007] a fixed section fixedly connected to a fuselage of an unmanned aerial vehicle;

[0008] a folding section rotationally connected to the fixed section;

[0009] a connecting assembly, the folding section being rotationally connected to the fixed section through the connecting assembly, the connecting assembly comprising an elastic member and a movable member, the movable member being arranged on the fuselage and being capable of moving between a first position and a second position relative to the fuselage, one end of the elastic member being arranged on the fixed section and being connected to the movable member, and the other end being connected to the folding section;

[0010] wherein the folding section has a storage state and a deployment state, the movable member is in the first position, the movable member drives the folding section to be in the deployment state, and the elastic member is elastically deformed; the movable member is in the second position, the elastic deformation of the elastic member is restored, and the restoring force of the elastic member drives the folding section to rotate to the storage state.

[0011] In a possible implementation, the fixed section is provided with a first sliding groove, the folding section is provided with a second sliding groove, the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove are in communication in the unfolded state of the folding section, and the connecting assembly further includes:

[0012] a pin rod connected with the movable element and the elastic element respectively, the movable element moving between the first position and the second position to drive the pin rod to slide in the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove;

[0013] the folding section being in the storage state, the pin rod being accommodated in the first sliding groove; and the folding section being in the unfolded state, the pin rod being accommodated in the first sliding groove and the second sliding groove.

[0014] In a possible implementation, the connecting assembly further includes a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, and a connecting element, the first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft being connected through the connecting element, the first rotating shaft being connected with the fixed section, the second rotating shaft being connected with the folding section, and the pin rod being connected with the first rotating shaft;

[0015] the movable element moving from the first position to the second position, the folding section rotating about the second rotating shaft from the unfolded state to the storage state; and the movable element moving from the second position to the first position, the folding section rotating about the first rotating shaft from the storage state to the unfolded state.

[0016] In a possible implementation, the fixed section is provided with a third sliding groove, at least part of the movable element being accommodated in the third sliding groove, and the movable element sliding along the third sliding groove to move between the first position and the second position.

[0017] In a possible implementation, the folding section is located on a side of the fixed section away from the fuselage in the storage state of the folding section, and the movable element is located on a side of the fixed section close to the fuselage.

[0018] In a possible implementation, the foldable wing includes one fixed section and two folding sections, the two folding sections being rotationally connected with two ends of the fixed section respectively, the two folding sections being located on two sides of the fuselage respectively in the unfolded state of the folding section, and the extending directions of the two folding sections being opposite.

[0019] In a possible implementation, the unmanned aerial vehicle includes two connecting rods, two ends of the fixed section being connected with the two connecting rods respectively, the two connecting rods being located on two sides of the fuselage respectively, and an end of each connecting rod away from the fixed section being connected with a tail wing of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0020] According to a second aspect of this application, a drone is provided, including a fuselage and a foldable wing as described in the first aspect of this application, the foldable wing being connected to the fuselage.

[0021] In one possible implementation, the drone further includes a tail fin and a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the tail fin and the other end of which is connected to a fixed section of the foldable wing.

[0022] In one possible implementation, the drone further includes a drive unit and a propeller, the output of which is connected to the propeller via a third shaft to drive the propeller to rotate.

[0023] The advantages of this application are: the connecting component of this application is equipped with elastic and movable parts, which simplifies the operation process and improves the convenience of folding and unfolding the foldable wing.

[0024] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the following description and will be apparent in part from the description or learned by practicing the application. The purposes and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present application and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present application. In these drawings, similar reference numerals are used to identify similar elements. The drawings described below are some embodiments of the present application, but not all embodiments. Other drawings can be obtained from these drawings by those skilled in the art without inventive effort.

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a top view schematic diagram of a drone according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0028] Figure 3 This is one of the top-view schematic diagrams of a drone shown according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a second example of a top-view schematic diagram of a drone, illustrated according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a front view schematic diagram of a drone according to an exemplary embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0031] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and feature vectors in the embodiments of this application can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0032] Drones have a wide range of applications in various civilian and military fields, such as aerial photography, reconnaissance, and material transportation. With the popularization of drones and the continuous development of drone technology, various industries are gradually increasing their demands for drone endurance and payload capacity. At present, drones with large wingspan and high aspect ratio are increasingly being used in scenarios that require long endurance and long range.

[0033] Large-wingspan drones have disadvantages such as large size, large space occupation, and difficulty in storage and transportation. Therefore, drones using this technology often employ foldable wings to solve the storage and transportation problems. However, in this type of foldable wing technology, the transmission control process for wing deployment and folding is relatively cumbersome and unstable, resulting in a poor user experience and inconvenience in use and storage.

[0034] To address the aforementioned issues, this application provides a foldable wing and a drone. In the foldable wing of this application, the connecting components are equipped with elastic and movable parts, which simplifies the operation process and improves the convenience of folding and unfolding the foldable wing.

[0035] According to an exemplary embodiment, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, this application embodiment provides a foldable wing, which is applied in a drone. The foldable wing includes a fixed section 10 and a folding section 20. The fixed section 10 is fixedly connected to the fuselage 40 of the drone, and the folding section 20 is rotatably connected to the fixed section 10 so that the folding section 20 can rotate relative to the fixed section 10, thereby realizing the folding and unfolding of the folding section 20 relative to the fixed section 10.

[0036] The foldable wing also includes a connecting assembly. The folding section 20 is rotatably connected to the fixed section 10 via the connecting assembly. The connecting assembly includes an elastic member 31 and a movable member 32. The movable member 32 is disposed on the fuselage 40 and is movable relative to the fuselage 40 between a first position and a second position. One end of the elastic member 31 is disposed on and connected to the fixed section 10, and the other end of the elastic member 31 is connected to the folding section 20.

[0037] The folding section 20 has a stowed state and an unfolded state. When the movable member 32 is in the first position, the movable member 32 drives the folding section 20 to rotate to the unfolded state, and the elastic member 31 undergoes elastic deformation; when the movable member 32 is in the second position, the elastic deformation of the elastic member 31 is restored, and the restoring force of the elastic member 31 drives the folding section 20 to rotate to the stowed state.

[0038] In this embodiment, by setting the elastic element 31 and the movable element 32, the connection structure and unfolding and storage process of the foldable wing are simplified, thereby improving the connection stability and reliability of the foldable wing and also improving the ease of use of the foldable wing.

[0039] In some embodiments, the fixed segment 10 is provided with a first slide groove 11, and the folding segment 20 is provided with a second slide groove 21. For example... Figure 5 As shown, the first slide groove 11 of the fixed section 10 and the second slide groove 21 of the folding section 20 are correspondingly arranged. When the folding section 20 is in the unfolded state, the first slide groove 11 and the second slide groove 21 are connected.

[0040] In one example, the connecting component also includes a pin 33. For example... Figure 5 As shown, pin 33 is connected to movable part 32 and elastic part 31 respectively. When movable part 32 moves relative to fuselage 40 between the first position and the second position, it can drive pin 33 to slide within the first slide groove 11 and the second slide groove 21. When folding section 20 is in the retracted state, pin 33 is housed within the first slide groove 11, and pin 33 will not interfere with the relative movement of folding section 20 and fixed section 10. When folding section 20 is in the unfolded state, pin 33 is housed within the first slide groove 11 and the second slide groove 21, that is, pin 33 engages with the first slide groove 11 and the second slide groove 21 to limit and fix the relative position of folding section 20 and fixed section 10, so as to avoid the relative movement between the two affecting the structural stability of foldable wing during UAV flight.

[0041] In one example, the connecting assembly further includes a first rotating shaft 34, a second rotating shaft 35, and a connector 36. The first rotating shaft 34 and the second rotating shaft 35 are connected by the connector 36. The first rotating shaft 34 is connected to the fixed section 10, the second rotating shaft 35 is connected to the folding section 20, and the pin 33 is connected to the first rotating shaft 34. When the movable part 32 moves from the first position to the second position, the movable part 32 drives the folding section 20 to rotate about the second rotating shaft 35 as the rotation axis, and the folding section 20 rotates from the unfolded state to the folded state. When the movable part 32 moves from the second position to the first position, the movable part 32 drives the folding section 20 to rotate about the first rotating shaft 34 as the rotation axis, and the folding section 20 rotates from the folded state to the unfolded state. In this embodiment, the first rotating shaft 34 and the second rotating shaft 35 are provided so that the rotation axis of the folding section 20 is different when it rotates in different directions, so the unfolding and folding rotation paths of the folding section 20 will not interfere with each other. Of course, it is understood that more transmission structures such as rotating shafts, turntables, connectors, and lead screws can be set in the connecting components. Those skilled in the art can adjust and set them according to actual transmission needs. This application does not impose too many restrictions on this.

[0042] In some embodiments, the fixed segment 10 is provided with a third groove 12. For example... Figures 1-5 As shown, at least a portion of the movable member 32 is accommodated within the third slide groove 12, allowing the movable member 32 to slide along the third slide groove 12, thereby moving between a first position and a second position. The extension direction of the third slide groove 12 can be the longitudinal direction of the folding wing (i.e.,...). Figure 3 The horizontal direction shown can also be the width direction of the foldable wing (i.e., the direction shown in the figure). Figure 3 (The vertical direction shown).

[0043] In order to facilitate the design of the transmission structure, the third slide 12 in this embodiment is designed to extend along the length of the foldable wing. Of course, it is understood that those skilled in the art can also design the third slide 12 to extend in other directions according to actual needs, as long as the transmission structure of the connecting component is adjusted accordingly so that the movable part 32 can drive the folding section 20 to unfold and retract. This embodiment does not impose too many restrictions on this.

[0044] In one example, part of the movable part 32 is housed within the third slide groove 12, and part of it protrudes from the surface of the fixed section 10. The part of the movable part 32 that protrudes from the surface of the fixed section 10 can be configured as a handle to facilitate the user's operation of the movable part 32, thereby improving the user's operating experience.

[0045] In some embodiments, when the folding section 20 is in a retracted state, the folding section 20 and the movable member 32 are located on different sides of the fixed section 10. In the folded state, the folding section 20 is located on the side of the fixed section 10 furthest from the body 40, and the movable member 32 is located on the side of the fixed section 10 closest to the body 40. Figure 1 Taking the orientation shown as an example, the folding section 20 is located on the top surface of the fixed section 10 in the folded state, and the movable part 32 is located on the bottom surface of the fixed section 10. By placing the folding section 20 and the movable part 32 on different sides, interference during the folding or unfolding of the foldable wing can be minimized, thereby improving the reliability of connection and control.

[0046] In some embodiments, the foldable wing includes a fixed section 10 and two folding sections 20. For example... Figures 1-5 As shown, the two folding sections 20 are rotatably connected to both ends of the fixed section 10, meaning that the two folding sections 20 share a fixed section 10. When the folding sections 20 are in the unfolded state, the two folding sections 20 are located on both sides of the fuselage 40, and the extension directions of the two folding sections 20 are opposite to each other.

[0047] In one example, the fixed segment 10 can also be used to connect to the tail fin 52 of a drone. For example... Figures 1-5 As shown, the drone includes two connecting rods 51. Each end of the fixed section 10 is connected to one connecting rod 51. The two connecting rods 51 are located on opposite sides of the fuselage, and the end of the connecting rod 51 furthest from the fixed section 10 is connected to the drone's tail fin 52. By connecting the drone's tail fin 52 to the fixed section 10 of the foldable wing using connecting rods 51, the structural stability of the drone can be significantly improved, thereby enhancing flight performance and payload capacity.

[0048] According to an exemplary embodiment, such as Figures 1-5 As shown, this application provides a drone, which includes a fuselage 40 and a foldable wing as described in the above embodiment. The foldable wing is connected to the fuselage 40. The foldable wing includes a fixed section 10 and a folding section 20. The fixed section 10 is fixedly connected to the fuselage 40 of the drone, and the folding section 20 is rotatably connected to the fixed section 10. The foldable wing also includes a connecting assembly. The folding section 20 is rotatably connected to the fixed section 10 through the connecting assembly. The connecting assembly includes an elastic member 31 and a movable member 32. The movable member 32 is disposed on the fuselage 40 and is capable of moving relative to the fuselage 40 between a first position and a second position. One end of the elastic member 31 is disposed on and connected to the fixed section 10, and the other end of the elastic member 31 is connected to the folding section 20.

[0049] The folding section 20 has a stowed state and an unfolded state. When the movable member 32 is in the first position, the movable member 32 drives the folding section 20 to rotate to the unfolded state, and the elastic member 31 undergoes elastic deformation; when the movable member 32 is in the second position, the elastic deformation of the elastic member 31 is restored, and the restoring force of the elastic member 31 drives the folding section 20 to rotate to the stowed state.

[0050] In some embodiments, the drone also includes a tail fin 52 and a connecting rod 51, one end of which is connected to the tail fin 52 and the other end of which is connected to the fixed section 10 of the foldable wing to improve the structural stability of the drone.

[0051] In some embodiments, the drone also includes a drive unit 61 and a propeller 62. The output end of the drive unit 61 is connected to the propeller 62 via a third rotating shaft (not shown in the figure) so as to drive the propeller 62 to rotate through the drive unit 61, thereby driving the drone to fly by the rotation of the propeller 62.

[0052] In some embodiments, the drone further includes a support 71 and rollers 72. The support 71 is fixedly connected to the drone's fuselage 40, and the rollers 72 are rotatably connected to the support 71. The rollers 72 are used to contact the ground during drone landing and takeoff, serving a function of movement and support. The rollers 72 may include a front wheel and a rear wheel, with the front wheel closer to the nose 41 and the rear wheel closer to the tail 42. In this embodiment, the rollers 72 include one front wheel and two rear wheels. Of course, it is understood that the number of rollers 72 and the number of front and rear wheels can be set by those skilled in the art according to actual needs, and this embodiment does not impose excessive limitations on this.

[0053] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising..." does not exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes said element.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this application, and are not intended to limit it. The application has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this application, and all such modifications and substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A foldable wing, characterized in that, include: The fixed section is fixedly connected to the fuselage of the drone; The folding section is rotatably connected to the fixed section; A connecting assembly is provided, wherein the folding segment is rotatably connected to the fixed segment via the connecting assembly. The connecting assembly includes an elastic element and a movable element. The movable element is disposed on the machine body and is capable of moving relative to the machine body between a first position and a second position. One end of the elastic element is disposed on the fixed segment and connected to the movable element, and the other end is connected to the folding segment. The folding section has a stowed state and an unfolded state. The movable member is in the first position, and the movable member drives the folding section to rotate to the unfolded state, and the elastic member undergoes elastic deformation. When the movable member is in the second position, the elastic deformation of the elastic member is restored, and the restoring force of the elastic member drives the folding section to rotate to the stowed state.

2. The foldable wing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed section is provided with a first sliding groove, and the folding section is provided with a second sliding groove. The first sliding groove and the second sliding groove are connected when the folding section is unfolded. The connecting assembly further includes: A pin is connected to the movable member and the elastic member respectively. The movable member moves between the first position and the second position, causing the pin to slide in the first slide groove and the second slide groove. When the folded section is in the stowed state, the pin is housed in the first slide groove; when the folded section is in the unfolded state, the pin is housed in both the first slide groove and the second slide groove.

3. The foldable wing according to claim 2, characterized in that, The connecting assembly further includes a first rotating shaft, a second rotating shaft, and a connector. The first rotating shaft and the second rotating shaft are connected by the connector. The first rotating shaft is connected to the fixed section, the second rotating shaft is connected to the folding section, and the pin is connected to the first rotating shaft. The movable component moves from the first position to the second position, and the folding section rotates from the unfolded state to the stowed state with the second pivot as the pivot. The movable component moves from the second position to the first position, and the folding section rotates from the stowed state to the unfolded state with the first pivot as the pivot.

4. The foldable wing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed section is provided with a third slide groove, at least a portion of the movable member is accommodated in the third slide groove, and the movable member slides along the third slide groove to move between the first position and the second position.

5. The foldable wing according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the folded section is in the retracted state, the folded section is located on the side of the fixed section away from the body, and the movable part is located on the side of the fixed section closer to the body.

6. The foldable wing according to claim 1, characterized in that, The foldable wing includes a fixed section and two folding sections. The two folding sections are rotatably connected to both ends of the fixed section. The folding sections are in the unfolded state. The two folding sections are located on both sides of the fuselage, and the extension directions of the two folding sections are opposite to each other.

7. The foldable wing according to claim 6, characterized in that, The drone includes two connecting rods. The two ends of the fixed section are respectively connected to a connecting rod. The two connecting rods are located on both sides of the fuselage. The end of the connecting rod away from the fixed section is connected to the tail of the drone.

8. A drone, characterized in that, It includes a fuselage and a foldable wing as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the foldable wing is connected to the fuselage.

9. The UAV according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drone also includes a tail fin and a connecting rod, one end of which is connected to the tail fin and the other end of which is connected to a fixed section of the foldable wing.

10. The UAV according to claim 8, characterized in that, The drone also includes a drive unit and a propeller. The output end of the drive unit is connected to the propeller via a third rotating shaft to drive the propeller to rotate.

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