A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The utility model discloses a kind of high-altitude cleaning devices based on tethered unmanned aerial vehicle, including unmanned aerial vehicle and ground mobile platform;Wherein, water tank, intelligent retractable mechanism and power module are equipped on the ground mobile platform;Camera and cleaning assembly are equipped on the unmanned aerial vehicle;Soft pipe is equipped between the cleaning assembly and the water tank, one end of the soft pipe is communicated with the water tank, another end of the soft pipe is communicated with cleaning assembly;Power supply line is equipped between the power module and unmanned aerial vehicle, one end of the power supply line is connected with the power module, another end of the power supply line is connected with unmanned aerial vehicle;The intelligent retractable mechanism is used to retract and release soft pipe and power supply line.This device cooperates with ground mobile platform and unmanned aerial vehicle, and safety is high, cleaning efficiency is fast, unmanned aerial vehicle does not need to carry water tank and large capacity battery, greatly reduce load, can realize long-term endurance, and can monitor cleaning degree in real time, cleaning range is wide, and flexibility is strong.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of drone cleaning technology, specifically to a high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered drone. Background Technology

[0002] For cleaning high-rise buildings (such as glass curtain walls, generator blades, and high-altitude solar photovoltaic panels), various technologies have been developed, including traditional manual cleaning, drone cleaning, and track-mounted mobile cleaning devices. However, these cleaning technologies have the following shortcomings:

[0003] 1. Traditional manual cleaning relies on workers suspended by ropes for high-altitude operations, requiring manual operation of cleaning tools, which poses safety hazards and is inefficient. For cleaning glass curtain walls of high-rise buildings, it can take several days, resulting in insufficient cleaning coverage and being limited by weather conditions. Furthermore, traditional manual cleaning can also utilize suspended platforms or lifting machinery, with workers carrying cleaning equipment, but this method relies on complex mechanical structures.

[0004] 2. Drone cleaning: Drones carry water tanks and nozzles to clean high-altitude buildings. Because drones need to carry their own water tanks and large-capacity batteries, the weight of the water tanks makes the drones heavy, resulting in short flight time and difficulty in meeting the needs of large-area high-altitude cleaning. In addition, operators cannot clearly observe the degree of cleaning due to the distance, which can easily lead to incomplete cleaning or over-cleaning.

[0005] 3. Track-mounted mobile cleaning devices move along pre-set tracks on buildings and are equipped with high-pressure nozzles and robotic arms. They expand the cleaning range by sliding along the tracks and spray water at close range to reduce water consumption. However, this method requires prior track installation, has low flexibility, and is not suitable for irregularly shaped buildings. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the above-mentioned problems and provide a high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered drone. This device works in collaboration with a ground mobile platform and a drone, which is highly safe, has a fast cleaning efficiency, and the drone does not need to carry a water tank and a large-capacity battery, greatly reducing the load. It can achieve long-term flight and can monitor the cleaning level in real time. It has a wide cleaning range and is highly flexible.

[0007] The objective of this utility model is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0008] A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered drone includes a drone and a ground mobile platform. The ground mobile platform is equipped with a water tank, an intelligent deployment and retraction mechanism, and a power module. The drone is equipped with a camera and a cleaning assembly. A flexible hose connects the cleaning assembly and the water tank, with one end of the hose connected to the water tank and the other end connected to the cleaning assembly. A power cable connects the power module and the drone, with one end connected to the power module and the other end connected to the drone. The intelligent deployment and retraction mechanism is used to deploy and retract the hose and the power cable.

[0009] The working principle of the above-mentioned high-altitude cleaning device based on tethered drones is as follows:

[0010] During the cleaning process, the ground mobile platform can move with the drone. The intelligent deployment and retraction mechanism can automatically deploy and retract the hose and power cable according to the drone's flight altitude, avoiding tangling and knotting. The water tank stores cleaning fluid, which is delivered to the cleaning component through the hose. The cleaning component sprays out the cleaning fluid to clean high-altitude buildings. The power module provides power to the drone through the power cable, enabling the drone to perform uninterrupted high-altitude cleaning operations. The camera can transmit real-time images to the drone operator, who can then control the drone to perform the cleaning based on the video feed.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the cleaning assembly includes a multi-angle nozzle mounted on a drone, the multi-angle nozzle being connected to the hose. By using a multi-angle nozzle, a wide cleaning range is achieved.

[0012] Furthermore, the multi-angle nozzle includes a universal joint, a first motor and a second motor mounted on the universal joint, and a nozzle mounted on the universal joint. Both the first and second motors control the angle of the universal joint via hinge mechanisms. The universal joint is mounted on the drone and connected to a flexible hose. In this structure, the first motor drives the hinge mechanism to control the universal joint's up-and-down movement, while the second motor drives the hinge mechanism to cause the universal joint to move left and right, thereby controlling the nozzle angle adjustment. The nozzle is mounted at the end of the universal joint, allowing for nozzle replacement to achieve different cleaning effects depending on the operating conditions.

[0013] Preferably, the drone is equipped with a backup power supply. When the power module and power supply line of the ground mobile platform fail, causing a ground power outage, the drone can quickly switch to the backup power supply to ensure the safe operation of the drone. The backup power supply does not need to be large, which can reduce the burden on the drone. Compared with the built-in battery of the drone in the prior art, the weight of the backup power supply is much smaller than that of the built-in battery.

[0014] Preferably, the ground mobile platform is equipped with a high-pressure water pump, the input end of which is connected to the water tank, and the output end of which is connected to the hose. The high-pressure water pump delivers the cleaning fluid from the water tank to the multi-angle nozzles of the drone, which then spray the cleaning fluid to clean high-altitude buildings.

[0015] Preferably, the ground mobile platform is equipped with a boost module, and the drone is equipped with a buck module. The power module is connected to one end of the power supply line via the boost module, and the drone is connected to the other end of the power supply line via the buck module. In the above structure, the drone of the high-altitude cleaning device can perform cleaning operations at an altitude of 500 meters. This results in significant energy loss during power supply to the drone. To reduce energy loss, the boost module increases the voltage, enabling high-voltage power transmission. By setting up the buck module, the high voltage of the power supply line can be reduced to the rated voltage of the drone, allowing the drone to operate normally.

[0016] Preferably, the flexible hose and the power supply line are connected together by a sleeve to form a water and electricity flexible hose, which is then wound around an intelligent retraction mechanism. The purpose of this is to prevent the hose from tangling or knotting with the power supply line, while also enabling simultaneous retraction and extension of both the hose and the power supply line.

[0017] Preferably, the intelligent retraction mechanism includes a signal receiver, a controller, a retraction drive motor, and a hose reel. The signal receiver is connected to the controller and the drone, and the retraction drive motor is connected to the controller. The retraction drive motor drives the hose reel to rotate. The water and electricity hose is wound around the hose reel. In the above structure, the signal receiver receives the drone's flight status (flight altitude), and based on the drone's ascent or descent speed, the controller controls the retraction drive motor to rotate the hose reel, thereby retracting and extending the water and electricity hose, thus tightening and loosening the hose and power cable.

[0018] Preferably, the ground mobile platform is a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle.

[0019] Preferably, the ground mobile platform is one of a human-powered mobile platform, an internal combustion engine-powered mobile platform, and an electric mobile platform. In the above structure, the human-powered mobile platform is propelled by human power, the internal combustion engine-powered mobile platform is driven by an internal combustion engine, and the electric mobile platform is driven by electricity, enabling the ground mobile platform to follow the drone.

[0020] Preferably, the power module is a generator or an external power connection mechanism. Generating electricity through a generator allows the high-altitude cleaning device to be more compact and offers greater flexibility in use.

[0021] Preferably, the cleaning assembly includes a fan-shaped nozzle mounted on the drone, which is connected to the hose. The fan-shaped nozzle provides a wide spray range and improves cleaning effectiveness.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0023] 1. The high-altitude cleaning device of this utility model can improve safety and cleaning efficiency by working in coordination with a ground mobile platform and drones. It is highly flexible and suitable for various irregular buildings.

[0024] 2. The high-altitude cleaning device of this utility model is equipped with a water tank and a power module on a ground mobile platform, which can provide cleaning fluid and power to the drone, so that the drone does not need to carry a large-capacity battery and water tank, reducing the load and enabling uninterrupted high-altitude cleaning operations. It breaks through the traditional drone endurance limit and can achieve long-term endurance until the cleaning operation is completed.

[0025] 3. The high-altitude cleaning device in this utility model transmits images back via a camera. The drone operator can adjust the cleaning strategy according to the cleanliness of the building surface, deeply clean the dirty areas, and avoid over-cleaning.

[0026] 4. The high-altitude cleaning device in this utility model allows for the use of small and medium-power drones to meet operational needs, as drones do not need to carry large-capacity batteries and water tanks, thus reducing the motor power requirements and equipment manufacturing costs of drones.

[0027] 5. The high-altitude cleaning device in this utility model is powered by a boost module and uses a high-voltage DC power supply for mooring, which reduces power loss in the wires and has energy-saving and environmental protection functions.

[0028] 6. The high-altitude cleaning device of this utility model is equipped with an intelligent retraction mechanism, which can simultaneously retract and extend the hose and power supply line according to the flight altitude of the drone, avoiding tangling and knotting of the lines and water channels during the cleaning operation, thus ensuring safety during the cleaning operation. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered drone, which is part of this utility model.

[0030] Figure 2 This is an enlarged schematic diagram of the multi-angle nozzle in this utility model.

[0031] Figure 3 This is a diagram of a bridge rectifier circuit with filtering in this utility model.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a diagram of the half-bridge LLC resonant converter circuit in this utility model.

[0033] Figure 5 This is a diagram of the synchronous rectification Buck converter circuit in this utility model.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the intelligent retraction and extension mechanism in this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0035] To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the technical solution of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described below in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings, but the implementation of this utility model is not limited thereto.

[0036] See Figure 1 This embodiment discloses a high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered drone, including a drone 8 and a ground mobile platform 1. The ground mobile platform 1 is equipped with a water tank 2, an intelligent retraction mechanism 4, and a power module 5. The water tank 2 stores cleaning fluid. The drone 8 is equipped with a camera 10 and a cleaning assembly 11. A flexible hose connects the cleaning assembly 11 to the water tank 2, with one end of the hose connected to the water tank 2 and the other end wound around the intelligent retraction mechanism 4 before connecting to the cleaning assembly 11. A power cable connects the power module 5 to the drone 8, with one end connected to the power module 5 and the other end wound around the intelligent retraction mechanism 4 before connecting to the drone 8. The intelligent retraction mechanism is used to retract and extend the hose and power cable. During the cleaning operation, the ground mobile platform 1 can move with the drone 8. The water tank 2 on the ground mobile platform 1 provides water for the drone 8 during cleaning. The drone 8 only needs to carry the hose and the cleaning assembly 11 for cleaning, greatly reducing the load on the drone 8.

[0037] The high-altitude cleaning device in this embodiment has the following advantages:

[0038] 1. Long-term continuous operation: It breaks through the traditional drone's 8-hour battery life limit and can operate continuously for several hours, making it suitable for cleaning high-rise or super high-rise buildings.

[0039] 2. Precise cleaning control: Real-time monitoring via 10 cameras avoids blind spots caused by excessive distance, resulting in a cleaning effect superior to manual "spider-man" operations.

[0040] 3. Energy saving and environmental protection: Water consumption is reduced by 50% compared to traditional manual cleaning, and the amount of cleaning agent used is reduced by 60%, which meets the green building standards.

[0041] See Figure 1 and Figure 2The cleaning assembly 11 includes a multi-angle nozzle mounted on the drone 8, which is connected to the hose. The multi-angle nozzle provides a wide cleaning range.

[0042] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 The multi-angle nozzle includes a universal joint 12, a first motor 13 and a second motor 14 mounted on the universal joint 12, and a nozzle 16 mounted on the universal joint 12. Both the first motor 13 and the second motor 14 control the angle of the universal joint 12 via a hinge mechanism 15. The universal joint 12 is mounted on the drone 8 and connected to a hose. In this structure, the first motor 13 drives the hinge mechanism 15, controlling the universal joint 12 to swing up and down. The second motor 14 drives the hinge mechanism 15, causing the universal joint 12 to swing left and right, thereby controlling the angle adjustment of the nozzle 16. The nozzle 16 is mounted at the end of the universal joint 12, and can be replaced according to different working conditions to achieve different cleaning effects. The first motor 13 and the second motor 14 are both linear motors, primarily controlling the angle adjustment via the transmission shaft between the linear motor and the hinge mechanism 15.

[0043] See Figure 1 The drone 8 is equipped with a backup power supply 9. When the power module 5 and power supply line of the ground mobile platform 1 fail, causing a ground power outage, the drone 8 can quickly switch to the backup power supply 9 to ensure the safe operation of the drone 8. The backup power supply 9 does not need to be too large, which can reduce the burden on the drone 8. Compared with the large-capacity battery that the drone 8 carries in the prior art, the weight of the backup power supply 9 is much smaller than that of the large-capacity battery.

[0044] See Figure 1 The ground mobile platform 1 is equipped with a high-pressure water pump 3. The input end of the high-pressure water pump 3 is connected to the water tank 2, and the output end of the high-pressure water pump 3 is connected to the hose. The high-pressure water pump 3 can pump the cleaning fluid in the water tank 2 to the multi-angle nozzle of the drone 8, and spray the cleaning fluid through the multi-angle nozzle to clean the high-altitude building.

[0045] See Figure 1The ground mobile platform 1 is equipped with a boost module 6, and the drone 8 is equipped with a step-down module 7. The power module 5 is connected to one end of the power supply line via the boost module 6, and the drone 8 is connected to the other end of the power supply line via the step-down module 7. In the above structure, the drone 8 of the high-altitude cleaning device can perform cleaning operations at an altitude of 500 meters. This results in significant energy loss for the drone 8 during power supply. To reduce energy loss, the boost module 6 increases the voltage to achieve high-voltage transmission for power supply; the step-down module 7 reduces the high voltage of the power supply line to the rated voltage of the drone 8, enabling the drone 8 to operate normally and reducing power loss in the wired power supply method.

[0046] See Figure 1 and Figure 6 The flexible hose 25 and the power supply line 22 are connected by a sleeve to form a water and electricity flexible hose 21. The flexible hose 25 and the power supply line 22 are located inside the sleeve, and the water and electricity flexible hose 21 is wound around the intelligent retraction mechanism 4. The purpose of this is to prevent the flexible hose 25 and the power supply line 22 from tangling or knotting, and to simultaneously retract and extend the flexible hose and the power supply line.

[0047] See Figure 1 and Figure 6The intelligent retraction mechanism 4 includes a signal receiver 17, a controller 18, a retraction drive motor 19, a hose reel 20, a power supply swivel joint 23, and a hose swivel joint 24. The signal receiver 17 is connected to the controller 18 and the drone 8, and the retraction drive motor 19 is connected to the controller 18. The retraction drive motor 19 drives the hose reel 20 to rotate. The power supply swivel joint 23 and the hose swivel joint 24 are coaxially arranged. The rotating ends of the power supply swivel joint 23 and the hose swivel joint 24 are connected to the hose reel 20, achieving coaxial rotation with the hose reel 20. The power supply line is the same length as the hose, and the power supply line is connected to the rotating end of the power supply swivel joint 23. The hose is connected to the rotating end of the hose swivel joint 24. The stator end of the power supply swivel joint 23 is connected to the boost module 6 via a wire, and the stator end of the hose swivel joint 24 is connected to the output end of the high-pressure water pump 3 via a water pipe. The water-electric hose 21 is wound around the hose reel 20. In the above structure, the stator ends of the power supply swivel joint 23 and the hose swivel joint 24 are respectively connected to the power supply and water source, providing water and power to the entire water-electric hose 21. The signal receiver 17 receives the flight status (flight altitude) of the drone. According to the ascent or descent speed of the drone 8, the controller 18 controls the retraction drive motor 19 to drive the hose reel 20 to rotate, thereby realizing the retraction and extension of the water-electric hose 21, and thus tightening and loosening the hose 25 and the power supply line 22. When the drone 8 ascends, the hose reel 20 rotates to loosen the water-electric hose 21. When the drone 8 descends, the hose reel 20 rotates in the opposite direction to tighten the water-electric hose 21. When the hose reel 20 retracts and extends the power supply line 22 and the hose 25, the power supply line 22 and the hose 25 wound on the hose reel 20 will rotate accordingly. By setting the hose swivel joint 24, it can be ensured that the hose can rotate while still being connected to the water pipe. The power supply swivel joint 23 can be ensured that the power supply line can rotate while still being connected to the wire.

[0048] See Figure 1 The ground mobile platform 1 is a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle.

[0049] See Figure 1 The ground mobile platform 1 is one of a human-powered mobile platform, an internal combustion engine-powered mobile platform, or an electric mobile platform. In the above structure, the human-powered mobile platform is propelled by human power, the internal combustion engine-powered mobile platform is driven by an internal combustion engine, and the electric mobile platform is driven by electricity, enabling the ground mobile platform 1 to move with the UAV 8.

[0050] See Figure 1The power module 5 is either a generator or an external power connection mechanism. Generating electricity through a generator allows for a more compact and flexible high-altitude cleaning device. The generator can generate electricity via an internal combustion engine, while the external power connection mechanism converts other types of energy into electrical energy through external power supply. A boost module 6 converts the electrical energy in the power module 5 into high-voltage direct current, reducing power loss from the power lines during tethered flight and powering the drone 8, enabling uninterrupted high-altitude cleaning operations.

[0051] See Figure 1 and Figure 3 In this embodiment, the boost module 6 uses a transformer principle to transmit AC power from a generator or an external source. The input voltage is boosted to 800V, and then the AC power is converted into DC power for transmission through a bridge rectifier circuit with filtering.

[0052] See Figure 1 and Figures 4-5 The step-down module 7 reduces the high-voltage (800V) power supply to the rated voltage of the drone 8. Since the voltage drop ratio is too high during this process, a two-stage step-down scheme is employed. The first stage reduces the 800V to 200V using a half-bridge LLC resonant converter. The second stage reduces the 200V to the rated voltage of the drone 8 using a synchronous rectified Buck converter. To achieve good heat dissipation, the step-down module 7 is installed below the drone 8. During flight, the airflow beneath the drone 8's rotor blades helps dissipate heat from the step-down module 7.

[0053] See Figure 1 In another embodiment, the cleaning assembly 11 includes a fan-shaped nozzle mounted on the drone 8, which is connected to the hose. The fan-shaped nozzle provides a wide spray range and improves the cleaning effect.

[0054] See Figure 1 The working principle of the above-mentioned high-altitude cleaning device based on tethered drones is as follows:

[0055] During the cleaning process, the ground mobile platform 1 can move with the drone 8. The intelligent retraction mechanism 4 can automatically retract and extend the hose and power cable according to the flight altitude of the drone 8 to avoid tangling and knotting. The water tank 2 stores cleaning fluid, which is delivered to the cleaning component 11 through the hose. The cleaning component 11 sprays out the cleaning fluid to clean high-altitude buildings. The power module 5 provides power to the drone 8 through the power cable, enabling the drone 8 to carry out uninterrupted high-altitude cleaning operations. The camera 10 can transmit real-time images to the drone 8 operator, who can then control the drone 8 to clean based on the video footage.

[0056] The above are preferred embodiments of the present utility model, but the embodiments of the present utility model are not limited to the above content. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present utility model shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, The system includes a drone and a ground mobile platform. The ground mobile platform is equipped with a water tank, an intelligent retraction mechanism, and a power module. The drone is equipped with a camera and a cleaning assembly. A flexible hose connects the cleaning assembly and the water tank, with one end of the hose connected to the water tank and the other end connected to the cleaning assembly. A power cable connects the power module and the drone, with one end of the power cable connected to the power module and the other end connected to the drone. The intelligent retraction mechanism is used to retract and extend the hose and the power cable.

2. The high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cleaning assembly includes a multi-angle nozzle mounted on the drone, which is connected to the hose.

3. The high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drone is equipped with a backup power supply.

4. The high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground mobile platform is equipped with a high-pressure water pump. The input end of the high-pressure water pump is connected to the water tank, and the output end of the high-pressure water pump is connected to the hose.

5. The high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground mobile platform is equipped with a boost module, the drone is equipped with a step-down module, the power module is connected to one end of the power supply line through the boost module, and the drone is connected to the other end of the power supply line through the step-down module.

6. The high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hose and the power supply line are connected together by a sleeve to form a water and electricity hose, which is then wound around the intelligent retraction mechanism.

7. A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The intelligent retraction mechanism includes a signal receiver, a controller, a retraction drive motor, and a hose reel. The signal receiver is connected to the controller and the drone, and the retraction drive motor is connected to the controller. The retraction drive motor is used to drive the hose reel to rotate. The water and electricity hose is wound around the hose reel.

8. A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground mobile platform is a wheeled vehicle or a tracked vehicle.

9. A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The ground mobile platform is one of the following: a human-powered mobile platform, an internal combustion engine-powered mobile platform, or an electric mobile platform.

10. A high-altitude cleaning device based on a tethered unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that, The power module is a generator.

Images