Unmanned vehicle stowage device buoyancy adjustment device

Abstract

This utility model proposes a buoyancy adjustment device for the deployment and retrieval of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), including a support assembly. The support assembly has an overall rectangular frame structure and is open upwards and backwards. It also includes a front buoyancy adjustment assembly, a first intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, a second intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, and a rear buoyancy adjustment assembly symmetrically distributed on both sides of the support assembly. A head buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the front end of the support assembly, and a tail buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the rear end. Each buoyancy adjustment assembly adjusts buoyancy by controlling the water volume, thus enabling the support assembly to rise and sink. A towing component is also installed at the front end of the support assembly. This achieves the technical effects of precise buoyancy adjustment, rapid draft adjustment, and stable and safe deployment and retrieval operations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to a buoyancy adjustment device for the launch and recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) play a crucial role in marine scientific exploration, marine resource development, and national defense capability building, and their deployment and retrieval technologies have also made significant progress.

[0003] One type of ship lacks sufficient space on deck to deploy its launch and recovery system, so unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can only be launched and recovered from the dock at the stern of the mother ship. The main working principle of the dock launch and recovery system is as follows: the mother ship sails at a stable speed and connects the dock launch and recovery system to the towing device on the mother ship via an umbilical cable. The towing device's launch and recovery cable controls the dock launch and recovery system's entry and exit from the dock, thereby realizing the launch and recovery of the UAV. The dock launch and recovery system must have precise buoyancy adjustment capabilities to adapt to the shallow draft requirements when entering the dock and the deep draft requirements when launching and recovering the UAV outside the dock. Smooth and rapid draft adjustment is an important indicator of the dock launch and recovery system and is related to the success or failure of the launch and recovery.

[0004] It is evident that most existing buoyancy adjustment devices do not consider working in conjunction with the towing system, making it difficult to effectively coordinate with the mother ship in practical applications, thus affecting the safety and efficiency of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and retrieval. At the same time, the lack of an effective attitude monitoring and feedback mechanism makes it impossible to adjust the buoyancy distribution in real time to adapt to changing environmental conditions.

[0005] Therefore, a buoyancy adjustment device for the launch and recovery of unmanned aerial vehicles is designed to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0006] The purpose of this utility model is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide a buoyancy adjustment device for the deployment and retrieval of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), achieving the technical effects of precise buoyancy adjustment, rapid draft adjustment, and stable and safe deployment and retrieval operations. This purpose of this utility model is achieved as follows:

[0007] This utility model proposes a buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system, including a support assembly. The support assembly has a rectangular frame structure and is open upwards and backwards. It also includes a front buoyancy adjustment assembly, a first intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, a second intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, and a rear buoyancy adjustment assembly symmetrically distributed on both sides of the support assembly. A head buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the front end of the support assembly, and a tail buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the rear end of the support assembly. Each buoyancy adjustment assembly adjusts buoyancy by controlling the water volume to achieve the upward and downward movement of the support assembly. A towing assembly is also installed at the front end of the support assembly.

[0008] Furthermore, the support assembly includes a front support and a middle support. The front buoyancy adjustment assembly and the head buoyancy adjustment assembly are both fixed to the front support by bolts. The front buoyancy adjustment assembly, the rear buoyancy adjustment assembly, the first middle buoyancy adjustment assembly, and the second middle buoyancy adjustment assembly are all fixed to the middle support by bolts.

[0009] Furthermore, the tail buoyancy adjustment component is cylindrical and is fixed to the lower side of the preset opening of the central support by bolts.

[0010] Furthermore, there are two head buoyancy adjustment components, both of which are fixed to the head of the front bracket by bolts.

[0011] Furthermore, the towing assembly is mounted on the front support and connected to the pre-set mother ship via steel cables.

[0012] Furthermore, an attitude angle sensor is mounted on the support assembly.

[0013] Furthermore, the attitude angle sensor is a gyroscope.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, the advantages of this utility model are: through the uniform distribution and independent control of 11 buoyancy adjustment components, precise buoyancy adjustment is achieved, meeting the requirements of a minimum draft of 2.4 meters when entering the dock and a maximum draft of 3.9 meters when launching and recovering outside the dock, thus solving the problem of lack of precise buoyancy adjustment in the prior art; the conformal design and left-right symmetrical design of the stainless steel pontoons ensure maximum space utilization and improve the stability and reliability of the overall structure. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a buoyancy adjustment device for the deployment and recovery of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0016] In the diagram: 1. Attitude angle sensor, 2. Rear buoyancy adjustment component, 3. Second intermediate buoyancy adjustment component, 4. Support component, 5. First intermediate buoyancy adjustment component, 6. Front buoyancy adjustment component, 7. Head buoyancy adjustment component, 8. Dragging component, 9. Front support, 10. Middle support, 11. Tail buoyancy adjustment component. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To enhance understanding of this utility model, the present utility model will be further described in detail below with reference to the embodiments and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are only used to explain the present utility model and do not constitute a limitation on the scope of protection of the present utility model.

[0018] Please refer to Figure 1This utility model provides a buoyancy adjustment device for the deployment and retrieval of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The support assembly 4 has a rectangular frame structure with openings at the top and bottom for easy deployment and retrieval of the UAV. The support assembly 4 includes a front support 9 and a middle support 10. The front support 9 and the middle support 10 are connected by bolts to form a complete support frame, providing an installation base for each buoyancy adjustment component. The front buoyancy adjustment component 6, the first middle buoyancy adjustment component 5, the second middle buoyancy adjustment component 3, and the rear buoyancy adjustment component 2 are symmetrically distributed on both sides of the support assembly 4. The front buoyancy adjustment component 6 is fixed to the front support 9 by bolts. The first middle buoyancy adjustment component 5, the second middle buoyancy adjustment component 3, and the rear buoyancy adjustment component 2 are all fixed to the middle support 10 by bolts. These buoyancy adjustment components are equipped with a valve system that can control the inflow and outflow of water. By controlling the water flow, the buoyancy is adjusted to realize the floating and sinking functions of the support assembly 4.

[0019] Understandably, the head buoyancy adjustment component 7 is installed at the front end of the support assembly 4. Specifically, there are two head buoyancy adjustment components 7, both of which are fixed to the head of the front support 9 with bolts. The design of the two head buoyancy adjustment components 7 enhances the adjustment capability of the front buoyancy, enabling the entire device to maintain better balance in the water. The tail buoyancy adjustment component 11 is installed at the rear end of the support assembly 4. It is cylindrical and is fixed to the lower side of the preset opening of the middle support 10 with bolts. The cylindrical design reduces water flow resistance and improves the stability and movement efficiency of the device in the water. The towing component 8 is fitted on the front support 9 and connected to the preset mother ship through a steel cable. The design of the towing component 8 allows the entire buoyancy adjustment device to be towed by the mother ship, facilitating the positioning and movement of the device and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the unmanned aerial vehicle's deployment and retrieval.

[0020] Understandably, each buoyancy adjustment component includes a stainless steel pontoon, a drain pump, an inlet valve, a vent pipe, and a filter. The drain pump, inlet valve, and filter are of the same specification, while the stainless steel pontoon is designed with conformal and symmetrical dimensions to maximize space utilization, based on the structure of each part of the dock landing system. The total drainage volume of the stainless steel pontoon is designed according to the weight and drainage volume of the dock landing system itself and the weight and drainage volume of the aircraft, and is distributed at the bottom of the dock landing system. This ensures that when the pontoon is empty, the dock landing system has a minimum draft of 2.4 meters after loading the aircraft, meeting the draft requirements when entering the dock. At the same time, when the pontoon is full of water, the dock landing system has a maximum draft of 3.9 meters when empty, meeting the draft requirements when launching from outside the dock. The stainless steel pontoon is equipped with a drain pump, an inlet valve, and a vent pipe. The drain pump is used to drain the water inside the pontoon, and the inlet valve is used to open the pontoon's water inlet, allowing water to enter the pontoon, enabling the dock landing system to ascend and descend when fully loaded and empty.

[0021] Specifically, the drainage pump is selected with a head of 10 meters and a rated flow rate of 300 L / min, with a drainage time of no more than 10 minutes for a single float; the inlet valve is selected with a diameter of DN40 and a rated flow rate of 300 L / min, with a water intake time of no more than 10 minutes for a single float; the vent pipe is selected with a diameter of DN40 flexible hose, with an air flow rate of up to 300 L / min. In summary, all parameters affecting buoyancy adjustment time are selected with a large margin, allowing for adjustment from maximum to minimum draft or from minimum to maximum draft in about 10 minutes, resulting in relatively rapid buoyancy adjustment. Considering the underwater working environment, the drainage pump and inlet valve are selected with the highest protection rating of IP68; a filter screen is installed at the inlet of the inlet valve to prevent floating debris from entering the float and clogging the inlet and outlet; the vent pipe is a flexible hose, fixed to the reserved interface on the float with clamps, and laid along the structure of the dock deployment and recovery device. To prevent water from entering the float through the vent pipe, the vent pipe needs to be higher than the water level at maximum draft, with a margin of about 2 meters to prevent waves from entering.

[0022] In a preferred embodiment, an attitude angle sensor 1 is installed on the support assembly 4 to monitor the attitude angle of the device in the water in real time, providing data support for buoyancy adjustment. The attitude angle sensor 1 is a gyroscope, which can accurately measure the pitch angle, roll angle, and yaw angle of the device, ensuring that the device maintains a stable attitude in the water and improving the accuracy and safety of the unmanned aerial vehicle's deployment and retrieval. When it is necessary to adjust the buoyancy of the device, each buoyancy adjustment component coordinates and controls the amount of water entering and leaving the device based on the attitude data provided by the gyroscope. For example, when the device needs to float, each buoyancy adjustment component discharges internal water to increase the overall buoyancy; when the device needs to sink, each buoyancy adjustment component draws in water to reduce the overall buoyancy. By precisely controlling the buoyancy adjustment components at different positions, the attitude of the device can also be adjusted to keep it horizontal or reach a specific tilt angle, meeting the deployment and retrieval needs of the unmanned aerial vehicle under different working conditions. When the entire buoyancy adjustment device is working, the towing component 8 is connected to the mother ship via steel cables and reaches the designated position under the traction of the mother ship. Then, according to the needs of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and retrieval, the depth and attitude of the device are adjusted by controlling the water volume of each buoyancy adjustment component. The gyroscope monitors the attitude angle of the device in real time and provides feedback data for buoyancy adjustment, ensuring that the device always remains in an ideal state. This design makes the deployment and retrieval process of the UAV safer, more efficient and controllable.

[0023] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of this utility model and are not intended to limit it. Although this utility model 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 utility model without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical solutions of this utility model, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of this utility model.

Claims

1. A buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system, characterized in that, The system includes a support assembly, which has a rectangular frame structure and is open at the top and bottom. It also includes a front buoyancy adjustment assembly, a first intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, a second intermediate buoyancy adjustment assembly, and a rear buoyancy adjustment assembly symmetrically distributed on both sides of the support assembly. A head buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the front end of the support assembly, and a tail buoyancy adjustment assembly is installed at the rear end of the support assembly. Each buoyancy adjustment assembly adjusts buoyancy by controlling the water volume to achieve the upward and downward movement of the support assembly. A towing assembly is also installed at the front end of the support assembly.

2. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support assembly includes a front support and a middle support. The front buoyancy adjustment assembly and the head buoyancy adjustment assembly are both fixed to the front support by bolts. The front buoyancy adjustment assembly, the rear buoyancy adjustment assembly, the first middle buoyancy adjustment assembly and the second middle buoyancy adjustment assembly are all fixed to the middle support by bolts.

3. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tail buoyancy adjustment component is cylindrical and is fixed to the lower side of the preset opening of the central support by bolts.

4. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The head buoyancy adjustment assembly is provided in two parts, both of which are fixed to the head of the front bracket by bolts.

5. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The towing assembly is mounted on the front support and connected to the pre-set mother ship via steel cables.

6. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 1, characterized in that, An attitude angle sensor is installed on the support assembly.

7. The buoyancy adjustment device for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) deployment and recovery system according to claim 6, characterized in that, The attitude angle sensor is a gyroscope.

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