Unmanned aerial vehicle metal skin structure capable of being rapidly formed

Abstract

The utility model provides an unmanned aerial vehicle metal skin structure capable of being rapidly formed, and when the profile size of the cross section of an unmanned aerial vehicle does not exceed X, the skin structure comprises a left skin A configuration and a right skin A configuration; and when the profile size of the cross section of the unmanned aerial vehicle exceeds X, the skin structure comprises a left skin B configuration and a right skin B configuration. Through reasonable mechanism design, the hot extrusion forming process can be applied to the field of rapid preparation of the skin of the unmanned aerial vehicle. According to the scheme, the preparation cost of the unmanned aerial vehicle skin is greatly reduced, the preparation period of the unmanned aerial vehicle skin is shortened, the process is simple, and important significance is achieved for large-scale rapid production equipment of cluster unmanned aerial vehicles in the future.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a metal skin structure for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), specifically a rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for UAVs, belonging to the field of UAV manufacturing. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the skin of small drones mostly uses composite material lay-up, which is then cured at high temperatures. This process involves many steps, is complex, and takes a long time to form. Furthermore, defects in the composite panels after forming require manual handling, which is not conducive to the large-scale, rapid production of drone skins. The composite skin is mostly assembled with the airframe through adhesive bonding and curing, supplemented by screws and rivets. This places high demands on the tooling, environment, temperature, and operator operation.

[0003] Hot extrusion molding is a plastic forming method that involves heating metal materials to a hot forging temperature and extruding them through a specific die to obtain the desired cross-sectional shape and size. It features high overall product quality, flexible production, simple processes, short processing cycles, and low costs. This technology is widely used in industries such as construction, automotive, electronics, and solar energy, but its application in the fabrication of drone skins is unprecedented. To apply hot extrusion molding to the rapid fabrication of drone metal skins, appropriate design considerations must be given to the skin structure and the fuselage assembly scheme.

[0004] In the future, with the increasing demand and scale of drone swarms, there will be a greater need for rapid mass production, low cost, and quick equipment setup and debugging, placing higher demands on drone manufacturing efficiency. Adopting hot extrusion molding as a rapid prototyping method for drone metal skin is of great significance for improving drone production efficiency and reducing production costs. Utility Model Content

[0005] Purpose of this utility model: This utility model addresses the problems existing in current composite skin for drones by proposing a highly efficient, low-cost, and rapidly prototyping metal skin structure design for drones. It solves the problems of complex processes, slow molding, high environmental requirements, and difficult manual operation in existing technologies.

[0006] This utility model provides a rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for drones. When the cross-sectional profile dimension of the drone does not exceed X (generally taken as 500mm), the skin structure includes a left skin A configuration and a right skin A configuration.

[0007] When the cross-sectional profile of the UAV exceeds X (due to the large size and thin wall of the skin, the deformation of the hot-extruded skin is large and the yield is low when using the A configuration), the skin structure includes the left skin B configuration and the right skin B configuration.

[0008] Furthermore, when the cross-sectional profile of the UAV does not exceed X, the cross-sectional profile of the UAV is divided into two 1 / 2 plate regions. Based on the two 1 / 2 plate regions, two left skin A configurations are prepared using a hot extrusion molding process. One of them is taken out and fixed to the flange by welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin A configuration. The other one is referred to as the left skin A configuration.

[0009] Furthermore, when the cross-sectional profile size of the UAV exceeds X, the cross-sectional profile of the UAV is divided into two upper 1 / 4 plate regions and two lower 1 / 4 plate regions according to configuration B. Thermo-extruded plates are prepared based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate regions and the two lower 1 / 4 plate regions as the basic shape.

[0010] Based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate areas and two lower 1 / 4 plate areas, the upper left 1 / 4 skin and the lower left 1 / 4 skin are machined.

[0011] Furthermore, on the cross-section of the left skin A configuration, there are two or more reinforcing ribs (the reinforcing ribs are set in areas with greater cross-sectional curvature, or are evenly distributed along the cross-sectional profile length).

[0012] Furthermore, the reinforcing rib and the left skin A configuration are simultaneously extruded using a hot extrusion molding process.

[0013] Furthermore, the fuselage frame is fixed on the assembly fixture. A structural adhesive layer is evenly applied to the contact surfaces of the fuselage frame. First, the right skin A configuration is pushed in to fully fit the fuselage frame. Then, the left skin A configuration is pushed in (the right skin A configuration is pushed along the fuselage frame towards the symmetrical plane of the UAV to fully fit the fuselage frame, and then the left skin A configuration is pushed in in the opposite direction to fully fit the fuselage frame). The left skin A configuration and the right skin A configuration are fully fitted together. Then, rivet holes are drilled on the left skin A configuration, the right skin A configuration, and the fuselage frame using a drilling fixture. Rivets are used to rivet the left skin A configuration, the right skin A configuration, and the fuselage frame together, thus completing the assembly of the fuselage.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper left 1 / 4 skin and the lower left 1 / 4 skin are fixed together using welding or adhesive riveting processes to form the B configuration of the left skin.

[0015] Furthermore, the upper left 1 / 4 skin is fixed to the flange using welding or adhesive riveting to form the upper right 1 / 4 skin. The lower left 1 / 4 skin is fixed to the flange using welding or adhesive riveting to form the lower right 1 / 4 skin. The upper right 1 / 4 skin and the lower right 1 / 4 skin are fixed together using welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin B configuration.

[0016] Furthermore, the left skin B configuration and the right skin B configuration are joined with the fuselage frame to form the fuselage.

[0017] The rapidly prototyping UAV metal skin structure is a metal-based skin structure designed based on the UAV's aerodynamic configuration, internal load-bearing characteristics, and fuselage assembly scheme, and manufactured using a hot extrusion molding process. This metal skin structure allows for the simultaneous molding of the longitudinal reinforcing ribs on the inner surface of the fuselage and the skin panels, avoiding secondary assembly of the reinforcing ribs. Furthermore, the metal skin boasts a high surface quality, requiring no filing and facilitating painting processes. Due to the characteristics of its molding process, the skin length is freely adjustable, allowing for easy adjustments to the UAV's fuselage length when adding or removing equipment. Additionally, the metal skin exhibits excellent thermal conductivity, facilitating heat dissipation for internal equipment and engines. For UAVs, this metal skin offers significant advantages, including high production efficiency, low component cost, simple maintenance, environmentally friendly materials, and reprocessability.

[0018] The aforementioned assembly scheme refers to an assembly method designed for the fuselage frame based on the rapid prototyping characteristics of UAV metal skin structures. This scheme is characterized by the fact that the fuselage frame can be assembled separately, and then the skin is placed on top of the frame surface for assembly. This frame has good rigidity, which can largely eliminate deformation that occurs during the processing and storage of the metal skin, thereby improving the accuracy of the UAV's shape. Using this assembly scheme, the fuselage has higher strength and better rigidity, exhibiting better performance in bearing aerodynamic loads and internal loads; moreover, the fuselage has better sealing performance, playing a crucial role in waterproofing the fuselage and sealing the fuel tank.

[0019] Beneficial Effects: This invention, through its rational structural design, enables the application of hot extrusion molding technology to the rapid fabrication of UAV skins. This solution significantly reduces the fabrication cost and shortens the fabrication cycle of UAV skins, while also simplifying the process. It is of great significance for the large-scale rapid production of future swarm UAVs. Attached Figure Description

[0020] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, and the advantages of the present invention in the above and / or other aspects will become clearer.

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the external shape of a certain drone.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of section profile division method A.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of section profile division method B.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a rapidly prototyping metal skin structure A for a drone (based on division method A).

[0025] Figure 5a and Figure 5b This is a schematic diagram of a rapidly prototyping UAV metal skin structure B (based on division method B).

[0026] Figure 6a and Figure 6b This is a schematic diagram of a rapid prototyping method for assembling the metal skin and fuselage frame of a drone.

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the assembly scheme of multiple skin panels with the fuselage frame (based on division method B). Detailed Implementation

[0028] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] This utility model provides a rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for drones. When the cross-sectional profile 2 of the drone does not exceed X (generally taken as 500mm), the skin structure includes a left skin A configuration 6 and a right skin A configuration 7.

[0030] When the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 exceeds X (due to the large size and thin wall of the skin, the deformation of the hot-extruded skin is large and the yield is low when using the A configuration), the skin structure includes the left skin B configuration 11 and the right skin B configuration 12.

[0031] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, when the size of the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 does not exceed X, the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 is divided into two 1 / 2 plate regions 3. Based on the two 1 / 2 plate regions 3, two left skin A configurations are prepared using a hot extrusion molding process. One of them is taken out and fixed to the flange by welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin A configuration 7. The other one is referred to as the left skin A configuration 6.

[0032] In a specific embodiment of this utility model, when the size of the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 exceeds X, the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 is divided into two upper 1 / 4 plate regions 4 and two lower 1 / 4 plate regions 5 according to configuration B, and hot extrusion molded plates are prepared based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate regions 4 and the two lower 1 / 4 plate regions 5 as the basic shape.

[0033] Based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate areas 4 and the two lower 1 / 4 plate areas 5, the upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 and the lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 are machined.

[0034] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, two or more reinforcing ribs are provided on the cross section of the left skin A configuration 6 (the reinforcing ribs are provided in areas with greater curvature of the cross section, or are evenly distributed along the length of the cross section profile).

[0035] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the reinforcing rib 2 and the left skin A configuration 6 are simultaneously extruded and formed by hot extrusion molding process.

[0036] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the fuselage frame 17 is fixed on the assembly tooling table. A structural adhesive layer is evenly applied to the contact surface of the fuselage frame 17. First, the right skin A configuration 7 is pushed in and fully adhered to the fuselage frame 17. Then, the left skin A configuration 6 is pushed in (the right skin A configuration 7 is pushed in along the fuselage frame 17 towards the plane of symmetry of the UAV, so that it fully adheres to the fuselage frame 17. Then, the left skin A configuration 6 is pushed in in the opposite direction, so that it fully adheres to the fuselage frame 17). The fuselage frame 17 and the right skin A configuration 7 are fully adhered to each other. Then, rivet holes are drilled on the left skin A configuration 6, the right skin A configuration 7 and the fuselage frame 17 using a drilling tool. Rivets are used to rivet the left skin A configuration 6, the right skin A configuration 7 and the fuselage frame 17, thereby completing the assembly of the fuselage.

[0037] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 and the lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 are fixed together by welding or adhesive riveting to form the left skin B configuration 11.

[0038] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 is fixed to the flange 8 by welding or adhesive riveting to form the upper right 1 / 4 skin 15; the lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 is fixed to the flange 8 by welding or adhesive riveting to form the lower right 1 / 4 skin 16; and the upper right 1 / 4 skin 15 and the lower right 1 / 4 skin 16 are fixed to each other by welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin B configuration 12.

[0039] In one specific embodiment of this utility model, the left skin B configuration 11 and the right skin B configuration 12 are joined with the fuselage frame 17 to form the fuselage.

[0040] In a specific embodiment of this utility model, Figure 1 The diagram shows the shape of a certain drone. The shape 1 of the drone body is a configuration with a constant cross section or multiple segments of constant cross section. The outline 2 of one segment of the body with a constant cross section is taken.

[0041] Figure 2 For hot extrusion forming sheet metal partitioning method A, the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 is divided into two 1 / 2 sheet metal regions 3, and the hot extrusion forming sheet metal is prepared based on the shape of these partitioned regions.

[0042] Figure 4The structure A is a rapidly prototyping metal skin for a drone, designed according to a cross-sectional profile division method A. Based on a 1 / 2 plate area, two left skin configurations A 6 are fabricated using a hot extrusion process. One of these is removed and fixed to the flange 8 via welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin configuration A 7. To transmit longitudinal forces and maintain the rigidity of the aircraft skin, multiple reinforcing ribs 9 and 10 are designed on the cross-section of the left skin configuration A 6. These reinforcing ribs are simultaneously extruded with the left skin configuration A 6 using a hot extrusion process.

[0043] Figure 6a , Figure 6b This is a solution for rapidly prototyping the metal skin and fuselage frame of a drone. The fuselage frame 17 is fixed on the assembly fixture. A structural adhesive layer is evenly applied to the contact surfaces of the fuselage frame 17. First, the right skin A configuration 7 is pushed in according to the direction shown in Figure ①, ensuring it is completely fitted to the fuselage frame 17. Then, the left skin A configuration 6 is pushed in according to the direction shown in Figure ②, ensuring it is completely fitted to both the fuselage frame 17 and the right skin A configuration 7. Rivet holes are then drilled on the left skin A configuration 6, right skin A configuration 7, and fuselage frame 17 using a drilling fixture. Rivets are then used to rivet the left skin A configuration 6, right skin A configuration 7, and fuselage frame 17, thus completing the assembly of the drone body.

[0044] In another embodiment of this utility model, such as Figure 3 As shown, when the dimensions of the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 are too large, the metal hot extrusion forming machine is prone to significant deformation during processing. In this case, it is advisable to divide the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 into two upper 1 / 4 plate regions 4 and two lower 1 / 4 plate regions 5 according to configuration B, in order to reduce the cross-sectional dimensions of the extruded plate and thus reduce the amount of processing deformation. The hot extruded plate is prepared based on the shape of this divided region. The size and number of the divided regions depend on the dimensions of the UAV cross-sectional profile 2 and the metal hot extrusion forming process.

[0045] like Figure 5a , Figure 5b As shown, according to Figure 3 Based on the division method, the upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 and the lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 are processed. The upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 and the lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 are fixed together using welding or adhesive riveting to form the left skin B configuration 11. The upper left 1 / 4 skin 13 is fixed together with the flange 8 using welding or adhesive riveting to form the upper right 1 / 4 skin 15. The lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 is fixed together with the flange 8 using welding or adhesive riveting to form the lower right 1 / 4 skin 16. The upper right 1 / 4 skin 15 and the lower right 1 / 4 skin 16 are fixed together using welding or adhesive riveting to form the right skin B configuration 12.

[0046] Then, refer to Implementation Case 1 (e.g.) Figure 6a , Figure 6bAs shown, the left skin B configuration 11 and the right skin B configuration 12 are joined with the fuselage frame 17 to form the fuselage.

[0047] In another embodiment of this utility model, refer to specific implementation case two ( Figure 7 The upper left quarter skin 13, lower left quarter skin 14, upper right quarter skin 15, and lower right quarter skin 16 can also be directly joined to the fuselage frame 17 using a glue-riveting process. Figure 7 As shown, the upper right 1 / 4 skin 15, lower right 1 / 4 skin 16, upper left 1 / 4 skin 13, and lower left 1 / 4 skin 14 are assembled with the fuselage frame in the order of ①, ②, ③, and ④.

[0048] In another embodiment of this utility model, when the drone body has a multi-segment equal cross-section configuration, it is only necessary to repeatedly manufacture hot-extruded forming plates according to the shape of each cross-section, and then assemble them according to the above implementation case.

[0049] This utility model provides a rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). There are many methods and approaches to implement this technical solution; the above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this utility model. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the principles of this utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of this utility model. All components not explicitly stated in this embodiment can be implemented using existing technologies.

Claims

1. A rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that, When the cross-sectional profile (2) dimension of the UAV does not exceed X, the skin structure includes a left skin A configuration (6) and a right skin A configuration (7); When the cross-sectional profile (2) dimension of the UAV exceeds X, the skin structure includes a left skin B configuration (11) and a right skin B configuration (12); When the size of the UAV cross-sectional profile (2) does not exceed X, the UAV cross-sectional profile (2) is divided into two 1 / 2 plate regions (3). Based on the two 1 / 2 plate regions (3), two left skin A configurations are obtained, one of which forms the right skin A configuration (7), and the other is denoted as the left skin A configuration (6). When the size of the UAV cross-sectional profile (2) exceeds X, the UAV cross-sectional profile (2) is divided into two upper 1 / 4 plate regions (4) and two lower 1 / 4 plate regions (5) according to configuration B. The hot extrusion plate is prepared based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate regions (4) and two lower 1 / 4 plate regions (5). Based on the two upper 1 / 4 plate areas (4) and two lower 1 / 4 plate areas (5) that are divided, the upper left 1 / 4 skin (13) and the lower left 1 / 4 skin (14) are obtained; On the cross section of the left skin A configuration (6), there are two or more reinforcing ribs; The upper left 1 / 4 skin (13) and the lower left 1 / 4 skin (14) are fixed together to form the left skin B configuration (11); The upper left 1 / 4 skin (13) is fixed to the flange (8) to form the upper right 1 / 4 skin (15), the lower left 1 / 4 skin (14) is fixed to the flange (8) to form the lower right 1 / 4 skin (16), and the upper right 1 / 4 skin (15) and the lower right 1 / 4 skin (16) are fixed to form the right skin B configuration (12).

2. The rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The value of X is 500 mm.

3. The rapidly prototyping metal skin structure for unmanned aerial vehicles according to claim 2, characterized in that, The left skin B configuration (11) and the right skin B configuration (12) are joined with the fuselage frame (17) to form the fuselage.

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