Retractable paddle mechanism of unmanned aerial vehicle and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The retractable paddle mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a rotation driving part, the rotation driving part is connected with a rotating disc, at least three paddles are arranged on the edge of the rotating disc in the circumferential direction at equal intervals, and the paddles are rotationally connected to the upper surface of the rotating disc through a rotating shaft, and the retractable paddle mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized in that the paddles comprise roots from inside to outside in the radial direction of the rotating disc; the root part is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the rotating disc through a rotating shaft, the connecting part extends upwards, the inner end part of the blade part is connected with the outer end part of the connecting part, a stop block is arranged on the front side of the root part of each paddle in the rotating direction of the rotating disc, and the stop blocks are fixed to the upper surface of the rotating disc; the stopping blocks can make contact with the roots of the paddles in the paddle unfolding state, the distance between the lowest point of the bottom face of each paddle part and the plane where the upper surface of the rotating disc is located is not smaller than the thickness of the stopping blocks, and the paddle mechanism achieves folding of three or more paddles.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically to a UAV retractable propeller mechanism and the UAV itself. Background Technology

[0002] The statements herein provide only background information related to this invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and their own program control devices. Current UAVs include a fuselage with multiple wings. Each wing has a propeller mechanism, which includes a motor. The motor's output shaft is connected to multiple propeller blades, and the motor drives the blades to rotate, thus providing lift for the UAV. Currently, to facilitate UAV transportation, the propeller blades are designed to be retractable and deployable. For example, patent application CN1117602126A discloses a UAV folding frame device, whose propeller mechanism includes a motor and two propeller blades, each connected to a... The two ends of the rod are rotatably connected, and the center of the connecting rod is connected to the motor. A stop is provided at the end of the connecting rod. When the blade is unfolded, the stop contacts the blade, allowing the blade to rotate in the unfolded state. The user pushes the blade to rotate away from the stop, and the blade can retract. This method can realize the retraction of the blade, which is convenient for the transportation of drones. The blade retraction method in this patent is also the current retraction method of drone blades. However, the above method is only applicable to the case of two blades. When applied to three or more blades, the stop will affect the retraction and rotation of the blade. Therefore, the above method is not applicable to the case of three or more blades. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a retractable propeller mechanism and a drone, which realizes the retraction of propellers in the case of three or more propellers.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this utility model provide a retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, including a rotating drive component connected to a turntable. At least three propeller blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential edge of the turntable. The propeller blades are rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable via a rotating shaft. Along the radial direction of the turntable from the inside out, each propeller blade includes a root, a connecting part, and a blade portion. The root is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable via a rotating shaft. The connecting part extends upwards. The inner end of the blade portion is connected to the outer end of the connecting part. Along the rotation direction of the turntable, a stop block is provided on the front side of the root of each propeller blade. The stop block is fixed to the upper surface of the turntable and can contact the root of the propeller blade when the blade is unfolded. The distance between the lowest point of the bottom surface of the blade portion and the plane containing the upper surface of the turntable is not less than the thickness of the stop block.

[0007] Optionally, a rotating shaft is provided at the edge of the turntable, the rotating shaft passes through the root, the root is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and a limiting member is provided on the rotating shaft portion above the upper surface of the root, the limiting member is in contact with and slidably connected to the upper surface of the root.

[0008] Optionally, the turntable has a recessed groove at its center, the output shaft of the rotation drive extends into the recessed groove and is connected to a fastener, the output shaft of the rotation drive has an annular boss that contacts the bottom surface of the turntable, and the fastener presses the turntable onto the annular boss to fix the output shaft of the rotation drive to the turntable.

[0009] or,

[0010] The output shaft of the rotary drive is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the turntable via a flange and threaded fasteners.

[0011] Optionally, the inner end of the root is a semi-circular structure, and the side of the stop block that contacts the root is a tangential surface of a semi-circular structure.

[0012] Secondly, embodiments of this utility model provide a retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, including a rotating drive component connected to a turntable. At least three propeller blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable. Along the radial direction of the turntable, the inner ends of the propeller blades are rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable. The inner ends of the propeller blades are in contact with a stop block. A slider is provided on the bottom surface of the stop block. The slider is slidably connected to a groove arranged radially on the upper surface of the turntable. An elastic element is provided between the slider and the inner groove surface of the groove.

[0013] Optionally, along the radial direction of the turntable, the inner end of the blade is a semi-circular structure. Correspondingly, the stop includes a semi-circular ring block that matches the semi-circular structure. The stop also includes a rectangular block disposed at one end of the semi-circular ring block and tangential to the semi-circular ring block. Along the rotation direction of the turntable, the rectangular block is disposed on the front side of the blade and can contact the blade when the blade is unfolded.

[0014] Optionally, a rotating shaft is provided at the edge of the turntable, the rotating shaft passes through the inner end of the blade, the inner end of the blade is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft, and a limiting member is provided on the rotating shaft portion above the upper surface of the inner end of the blade, the limiting member is in contact with and slidably connected to the upper surface of the inner end of the blade.

[0015] Optionally, the elastic element is a spring, with one end of the spring connected to the slider and the other end connected to the inner groove surface of the slide.

[0016] Optionally, three blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable.

[0017] Thirdly, embodiments of this utility model provide a drone equipped with the drone retractable propeller mechanism described in the first or second aspect.

[0018] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows:

[0019] 1. The UAV retractable propeller mechanism of this utility model includes a root, a connecting part, and a blade. The connecting part extends upward so that the distance between the bottom surface of the blade and the upper surface of the turntable is not less than the thickness of the stop. Therefore, when the blade rotates around the axis, the blade will not collide with the stop, and the stop will not affect the rotation and retraction of the blade. Thus, the retraction of three or more blades is realized, which facilitates the transportation of UAVs with three or more blades.

[0020] 2. The UAV retractable propeller mechanism of this utility model has a stop block that is radially slidably connected to the turntable via a groove and a slider, so that the stop block can move radially inward along the turntable. The stop block does not hinder the rotation of the propeller, thus meeting the needs of retracting three or more propellers and facilitating the transportation of UAVs with three or more propellers. Attached Figure Description

[0021] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of this application. The illustrative embodiments of this application and their descriptions are used to explain this application and do not constitute a limitation thereof.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a top view of the overall structure of Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a front view of the blade assembly on the turntable in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 3 This is a top view of the overall structure of Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0025] Among them, 1. turntable, 2. motor, 3. shaft, 4. groove, 5. annular boss, 6. fastening nut, 7. washer, 8. root, 9. connecting part, 10. blade, 11. limiting nut, 12. washer, 13. stop block, 14. blade one, 15. blade two, 16. blade three, 17. slide groove, 18. spring, 19. semi-circular ring block, 20. rectangular block. Detailed Implementation

[0026] For ease of description, the use of the words "upper" and "lower" in this utility model only indicates that the direction is consistent with the upper and lower directions of the accompanying drawings. They do not limit the structure and are merely for the purpose of describing this utility model and simplifying the description. They do not indicate or imply that the device or component referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0027] Example 1

[0028] This embodiment provides a retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, such as... Figures 1-2 As shown, it includes a rotation drive component connected to a turntable 1, which can drive the turntable to rotate around its own axis. In this embodiment, the rotation drive component is a motor 2, and the output shaft of the motor 2 is connected to the center position of the turntable 1, which can drive the turntable 1 to rotate around its own axis. At least three blades are equally spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable 1. In this embodiment, three blades are equally spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable 1, and adjacent blades are distributed at 120° intervals. The inner end of the blade is set on the upper surface of the turntable 1 and is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable 1 through a rotating shaft 3. The blades can be folded and retracted.

[0029] Specifically, in one embodiment, a recess 4 is provided at the center of the turntable 1. The recess 4 is coaxially arranged with the turntable 1. The output shaft of the motor 2 extends into the recess 4, and the top of the output shaft of the motor 2 is located inside the recess 4. That is, the output shaft of the motor 2 does not protrude from the upper surface of the turntable 1. The shaft section of the output shaft of the motor 2 that extends into the recess 4 is provided with fasteners. The shaft section of the output shaft of the motor 2 located below the turntable 1 is provided with an annular boss 5. The annular boss 5 contacts the bottom surface of the turntable 1. The fasteners press the turntable 1 tightly onto the annular boss 5, thereby realizing the fixed connection between the output shaft of the motor 2 and the turntable 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, the fastener is a fastening nut 6, which is threadedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 2. A washer 7 is provided below the fastening nut 6, and the washer 7 fits against the bottom groove surface of the sink 4. The fastening nut 6 presses the turntable 1 onto the annular boss 5 through the washer 7.

[0031] In another embodiment, the output shaft end of the motor 2 is provided with a flange, and the bottom surface of the turntable 1 is provided with a threaded hole that matches the fixing hole on the flange. The turntable 1 is fixedly connected to the output shaft of the motor 2 through the flange, the threaded hole and bolts.

[0032] Those skilled in the art can choose the fixing method between the turntable and the motor output shaft according to actual needs, which will not be described in detail here.

[0033] Along the radial direction of the turntable 1 from the inside out, the propeller includes a root 8, a connecting part 9 and a blade 10 arranged in sequence. The root 8 is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable 1 via a rotating shaft 3. One end of the connecting part 9 is connected to the root 8 and the other end is connected to one end of the blade 10. The blade 10 can adopt the structure of existing UAV propellers, which will not be described in detail here.

[0034] In this embodiment, the connecting part 9 extends obliquely upward along the direction from the root 8 to the leaf 10, so that the lowest point of the bottom surface of the leaf 10 is located above the plane of the upper surface of the turntable 1 and has a set distance between it and the plane of the upper surface of the turntable 1.

[0035] The root 8 is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable 1 via a rotating shaft 3. Specifically, the edge of the upper surface of the turntable 1 is vertically and fixedly connected to the bottom end of the rotating shaft 3. The rotating shaft 3 passes through the opening provided in the root 8 and is rotatably connected to the root 8. The root 8 can rotate around the axis of the rotating shaft 3. A limiting component is provided on the shaft segment of the rotating shaft 3 above the root 8. In this embodiment, the limiting component is a limiting nut 11. A washer 12 is provided below the limiting nut 11. The washer 12 contacts the upper surface of the root, and the lower surface of the root 8 contacts the upper surface of the turntable 1. The root 8 is limited by the limiting nut 11 and the washer 12 to prevent the root 8 from separating from the rotating shaft 6.

[0036] In this embodiment, the downward pressure of the limiting nut 11 causes a set frictional force to be generated between the root 8 and the washer 12 and the upper surface of the turntable 1. Only when the load acting on the blade is greater than the set frictional force can the blade rotate around the axis.

[0037] Along the rotation direction of turntable 1, a stop block 13 is provided on the front side, i.e. the upstream side, of the root. When the blade is in the unfolded state, i.e. the blade is set radially along the turntable, the stop block 13 can contact the blade, so that the blade can rotate around the center of the turntable in the unfolded posture, thereby realizing the take-off of the UAV.

[0038] When the blades rotate in a direction away from the stop 13, the blades are folded and retracted.

[0039] To prevent the stop block 13 from hindering the rotation of the blade, the inner end of the root 8 of the blade adopts a semi-circular structure. The side of the stop block 13 that contacts the root 8 is the tangential surface of the end of the semi-circular structure. With this arrangement, the stop block will not hinder the rotation of the blade in the direction away from the stop block.

[0040] The distance between the lowest point of the bottom surface of the blade 10 and the upper surface of the turntable 1 is L1. The thickness of the stop block 13 is L2, which is the distance between the upper surface of the stop block 13 and the upper surface of the turntable 1. L1 is not less than L2, and in this embodiment, L1 is greater than L2. At the same time, the distance L1 is also greater than the distance between the top of the rotating shaft 3 and the upper surface of the turntable 1, thus preventing the rotating shaft from obstructing the rotation of the blade 10.

[0041] With this configuration, the blade 10 will not collide with the stop block 13 during the blade rotation process, thus avoiding the stop block 13 affecting the blade's retraction process.

[0042] The remaining structure of the blade mechanism can be achieved using existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0043] In this embodiment, the three blades are defined as blade one 14, blade two 15, and blade three 16, as follows: Figure 2 As shown, the blades are manually rotated so that the root 8 of the blades contacts the corresponding stop 13. At this time, blade 14, blade 25 and blade 316 are arranged radially along the turntable 1.

[0044] Motor 2 drives turntable 1 to rotate counterclockwise. The blades are subjected to wind load in the clockwise direction. However, under the action of stop block 13, the blades maintain a radially distributed attitude. At this time, the blades rotate around the center of turntable 1, providing lift for the drone, and the drone can take off.

[0045] When all three blades need to be retracted, firstly rotate blade 2 15 counterclockwise so that blade 2 15 rotates closer to blade 1 14, thus retracting blade 2 15 and blade 1 14. Then rotate blade 3 16 counterclockwise. Blade 10 of blade 3 16 passes the stop 13 that cooperates with blade 2 15 and continues to rotate until blade 10 contacts blade 2 15, thus retracting all three blades.

[0046] In this embodiment, when the blades of adjacent blades collide, one of the blades can be deformed to allow the adjacent blades to further shrink and fold, thereby shrinking all three blades to the target size. Because of the connecting part, the blades do not need to undergo large deformation to shrink and fold, thus avoiding the breakage of the blades during the shrinkage process.

[0047] In this embodiment, by designing the traditional straight blade into three sections: root 8, connecting part 9, and blade 10, the blade 10 will not collide with the stop block 13 when the blade rotates around the axis, and the stop block 13 will not affect the rotation and retraction of the blade. Therefore, the retraction of three or more blades is realized, which facilitates the transportation of three or more blade UAVs.

[0048] Example 2

[0049] This embodiment provides a retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes a rotation drive component, which is a motor 2. The output shaft of the motor 2 is fixedly connected to the center position of the turntable 1. The motor 2 can drive the turntable 1 to rotate around its own axis. In this embodiment, the fixing method between the output shaft of the motor 2 and the turntable 1 is the same as in embodiment 1. Preferably, the output shaft of the motor 2 is fixedly connected to the turntable 1 through a flange.

[0050] At least three blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable 1. In this embodiment, the three blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable, with a 120° interval between them. In this embodiment, the blades can adopt the current UAV blade structure, which is a straight structure. The inner end of the blade is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable through a rotating shaft. The connection method between the inner end of the blade and the turntable is the same as the connection method between the blade root and the turntable 1 in Embodiment 1. The inner end of the blade is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft 3 set on the upper surface of the turntable 1. A rear limiting member is set on the rotating shaft 3. The limiting member slides in contact with the upper surface of the inner end of the blade, and the lower surface of the inner end of the blade slides in contact with the turntable. The pressure generated by the limiting member on the blade causes a set frictional force to be generated between the blade, the limiting member, and the turntable. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft and the limiting member are set in the groove set in the inner end of the blade, so that the rotating shaft and the limiting member do not protrude from the upper surface of the blade.

[0051] The inner end of the blade contacts a stop block set on the upper surface of the turntable. The bottom surface of the stop block is provided with a slider. The slider is embedded in a groove set on the upper surface of the turntable and is slidably connected to the turntable through the groove 17. The groove 17 is set radially along the turntable 1 so that the stop block can move radially along the upper surface of the turntable.

[0052] An elastic element is provided between the slider and the radial inner groove surface of the slide groove 17. The elastic element is a spring 18, one end of which is connected to the slider and the other end is connected to the radial inner groove surface of the slide groove 17.

[0053] In this embodiment, the spring force of spring 18 is less than the set value so that when the blade is in the retracted state, the spring force is insufficient to make the stop block overcome the friction between the blade and the turntable 1 and the limiting member to drive the blade to unfold. The blade can only rotate to the unfolded state under the external load applied by the user. At the same time, under the action of the spring force of spring 18, the stop block moves outward.

[0054] In this embodiment, the inner end of the blade is a semi-circular structure. Correspondingly, the stop includes a semi-circular ring block 19, with a slider at its bottom. The semi-circular ring block 19 matches the semi-circular structure at the inner end of the blade, and its inner ring surface can fit against the outer surface of the semi-circular structure. A rectangular block 20 is provided on one side of the semi-circular ring block 19, tangentially positioned to the semi-circular ring block 19. Along the rotation direction of the turntable 1, the rectangular block 20 is positioned in front of the blade, i.e., upstream. The rectangular block 20 can contact the inner end of the blade, restricting its rotation. The length of the rectangular block 20 is such that after contacting the blade, it can overcome wind loads during takeoff, keeping the blade positioned radially along the turntable 1.

[0055] In this embodiment, the three blades are defined as blade one 14, blade two 15 and blade three 16, and the semi-circular ring block is defined with one end of the rectangular block as the first end and the other end as the second end.

[0056] The user rotates blade 14, blade 215, and blade 316 so that the three blades are radially distributed. At this time, the three blades are in the unfolded state and contact the rectangular blocks of the corresponding stops. Motor 2 drives turntable 1 to rotate counterclockwise. Under the action of rectangular block 20, the three blades maintain the attitude set radially along the turntable and rotate around the center of turntable 1. At this time, the drone can be taken off.

[0057] When the blades need to be retracted, the user manually rotates the three blades counterclockwise. The blades contact the second end of the semicircular ring block 16. As the blades rotate, the stop block moves inward along the slide groove 17, and the spring 18 is compressed. The blades 14, 15, and 16 are rotated in sequence to complete the retraction of the blades. Since the elasticity of the spring 18 is insufficient to allow the stop block to overcome the friction between the blades and the turntable 1 and the limiting member to drive the blades to rotate, the blades can be held in the retracted state.

[0058] In this embodiment, when the blades of adjacent blades collide, one of the blades can be deformed to allow the adjacent blades to further shrink and fold, thereby allowing all three blades to shrink to the target requirement.

[0059] When the three propeller blades need to be deployed, the operator manually rotates the propeller blades to be set radially along the turntable 1. At the same time, under the elastic force of the spring 18, the stop block moves radially outward along the turntable 1 until the semi-circular ring block 19 fits into the semi-circular structure at the inner end of the propeller blade. At this time, the rectangular block 20 contacts the propeller blade. The motor 2 can then drive the turntable 1 to rotate, allowing the drone to take off.

[0060] The drone's retractable propeller mechanism in this embodiment has a stop block that is radially slidably connected to the turntable 1 via a groove 17 and a slider, allowing the stop block to move radially inward along the turntable 1. The stop block does not obstruct the rotation of the propeller, thus meeting the requirement for retractable three- or more propellers and facilitating the transportation of three- or more propeller drones.

[0061] Example 3

[0062] This embodiment provides a drone equipped with the retractable propeller mechanism described in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2. The remaining structure of the drone can be achieved using existing technology and will not be described in detail here.

[0063] Although the specific embodiments of the present utility model have been described above in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, this is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present utility model. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art without creative effort based on the technical solution of the present utility model are still within the scope of protection of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, comprising a rotation drive component connected to a turntable, wherein at least three propeller blades are evenly spaced along the circumferential edge of the turntable, and the propeller blades are rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable via a rotating shaft, characterized in that, Along the radial direction of the turntable from the inside out, the blade includes a root, a connecting part, and a blade. The root is rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable via a rotating shaft. The connecting part extends upward. The inner end of the blade is connected to the outer end of the connecting part. Along the rotation direction of the turntable, a stop is provided on the front side of the root of each blade. The stop is fixed to the upper surface of the turntable. The stop can contact the root of the blade when the blade is unfolded. The distance between the lowest point of the blade bottom surface and the plane of the upper surface of the turntable is not less than the thickness of the stop.

2. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable is provided with a rotating shaft at its edge, which passes through the root and is rotatably connected to the root. The rotating shaft portion above the upper surface of the root is provided with a limiting member, which contacts and slides with the upper surface of the root.

3. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The turntable has a recessed groove at its center. The output shaft of the rotation drive extends into the recessed groove and is connected to a fastener. The output shaft of the rotation drive has an annular boss that contacts the bottom surface of the turntable. The fastener presses the turntable against the annular boss to fix the output shaft of the rotation drive to the turntable. or, The output shaft of the rotary drive is fixedly connected to the bottom surface of the turntable via a flange and threaded fasteners.

4. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 3, characterized in that, The inner end of the root is a semi-circular structure, and the side of the stop block that contacts the root is a tangential surface of a semi-circular structure.

5. A retractable propeller mechanism for a drone, comprising a rotation drive component connected to a turntable, wherein at least three propeller blades are equally spaced along the circumferential direction at the edge of the turntable, and the inner ends of the propeller blades are rotatably connected to the upper surface of the turntable along the radial direction of the turntable, characterized in that, The inner end of the blade fits against the stop block, and the bottom surface of the stop block is provided with a slider. The slider is slidably connected to the radially arranged groove on the upper surface of the turntable, and an elastic element is provided between the slider and the inner groove surface of the groove.

6. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Along the radial direction of the turntable, the inner end of the blade is a semi-circular structure. Correspondingly, the stop includes a semi-circular ring block that matches the semi-circular structure. The stop also includes a rectangular block disposed at one end of the semi-circular ring block and tangential to the semi-circular ring block. Along the rotation direction of the turntable, the rectangular block is disposed on the front side of the blade and can contact the blade when the blade is unfolded.

7. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The turntable is provided with a rotating shaft at its edge. The rotating shaft passes through the inner end of the blade. The inner end of the blade is rotatably connected to the rotating shaft. A limiting member is provided on the rotating shaft portion above the upper surface of the inner end of the blade. The limiting member contacts and is slidably connected to the upper surface of the inner end of the blade.

8. The retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The elastic element is a spring, with one end of the spring connected to the slider and the other end connected to the inner groove surface of the slide.

9. A retractable propeller mechanism for a drone as described in claim 1 or 5, characterized in that, The turntable has three blades arranged at equal intervals along its circumferential direction at its edge.

10. A drone, characterized in that, The drone is equipped with a retractable propeller mechanism as described in claim 1 or claim 5.

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