Quick connection and disconnection structure and unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

This utility model discloses a quick-connect and disassemble structure and a drone, relating to the field of drone technology. The quick-connect and disassemble structure includes an airborne end assembly and a load end assembly. The airborne end assembly is connected to the drone, and the load end assembly is connected to the payload. The airborne end assembly includes an upper housing, an upper connector, and a bearing; the load end assembly includes a lower connector and a lower housing. A first protrusion is provided at the lower end of the inner wall of the upper housing, and a second protrusion is provided on the outer wall of the lower connector that can engage with the first protrusion. The lower end of the upper connector engages with the lower connector; the upper housing and the upper connector rotate relative to each other via the bearing, causing the first protrusion of the upper housing to engage or disengage with the second protrusion of the lower connector, thus realizing the function of quick connection or disassembly between the drone and the payload, improving the efficiency of installing or detaching payloads from the drone.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically a quick-connect and disassemble structure and a UAV. Background Technology

[0002] Drones frequently need to change their functional payloads in fields such as surveying and security. However, some connection methods between drones and payloads, such as bolt-fixed connections, involve complex steps, leading to inefficient connection or disconnection of the drone and payload. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a connection solution that supports rapid disconnection of drones and payloads to improve mission response speed and environmental adaptability. Utility Model Content

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a quick-connect and disassemble structure and a drone, which aims to achieve quick connection and disassembly between the drone and its payload, thereby solving the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a quick-connect / disconnect structure and a drone. The quick-connect / disconnect structure includes an onboard component and a load-side component. The drone includes a drone fuselage and the quick-connect / disconnect structure. The onboard component is used to connect to the drone, and the load-side component is used to connect to a payload.

[0005] The airborne end assembly includes an upper housing, an upper connector, an upper locking member, and a bearing. The load end includes a lower connector and a lower housing. The inner wall of the upper housing has a first protrusion, and the outer wall of the lower connector has a number of second protrusions that can engage with the first protrusion. The upper connector is installed inside the upper housing, and the upper housing can rotate relative to the upper connector via the bearing. The upper connector can be connected to the lower connector, causing the upper housing and the lower connector to rotate relative to each other, so that the first protrusion engages with the second protrusion, connecting the airborne end assembly to the load end assembly. The locking member is used to prevent the relative rotation of the upper housing and the lower connector, locking the engagement of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, and locking the connection between the airborne end assembly and the load end assembly.

[0006] The quick-connection and disassembly structure and drone provided by this utility model enable the first protrusion and the second protrusion to engage through the relative rotation of the airborne end component and the load end component; by releasing the locking member, the reverse rotation of the airborne end component and the load end component can release the engagement of the first protrusion and the second protrusion, thereby realizing the quick connection and disassembly of the drone and the attached object, reducing the complexity of operation and improving efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1This is a cross-sectional view of a quick-connect and disassemble structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2 This is a perspective view of a quick-connection and disassembly structure according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0009] Figure 3A This is a top view structural schematic diagram of the upper shell according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0010] Figure 3B This is a structural schematic diagram of the upper shell from a bottom view according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0011] Figure 3C This is a cross-sectional view of the upper housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0012] Figure 3D This is a partial structural schematic diagram of the upper shell according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0013] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of the upper connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0014] Figure 4B A partial structural diagram of the upper connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0015] Figure 4C A cross-sectional view of the upper connector according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of the lower connector according to an embodiment of the present utility model;

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lower housing according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 7 This is an assembly diagram of a spring according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this utility model clearer, embodiments according to this utility model will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. These drawings are merely illustrative examples for explaining this utility model only and are not intended to limit the scope of this utility model.

[0020] It should be noted that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features.

[0021] It should be noted that when a component is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly attached to that other component. When a component is referred to as being "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component.

[0022] It should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used solely for the convenience of describing this application and for simplification, and do not indicate or imply that the components or elements 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 application. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, "clockwise" and "counterclockwise" refer to the direction of rotation in the plane seen from top to bottom in the accompanying drawings.

[0023] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this invention have the same or similar meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. As described in this invention, the terminology used in this specification is intended to describe exemplary embodiments and not to limit the invention.

[0024] Please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 2 This utility model provides a quick-connect and disassemble structure 100, including: an airborne end assembly 1 and a load end assembly 2. The airborne end assembly 1 includes an upper housing 11, an upper connector 12, a locking member 13, and a bearing 15. The upper connector 12 is installed in the cavity of the upper housing 11, and the bearing 15 is installed between the upper connector 12 and the upper housing. The load end assembly 2 includes a lower connector 21 and a lower housing 22. The lower end of the lower connector 21 is connected to the lower housing 22. The inner wall of the cavity of the upper housing 11 is provided with a first protrusion 111, and the outer wall of the lower connector 21 is provided with a second protrusion 211 that can be engaged with the first protrusion, and the number of the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211 are the same.

[0025] The quick-connect / disconnect structure 100 can be in a disconnected or connected state. In the disconnected state, there is no physical connection between the airborne end component 1 and the load end component 2. The upper housing 11 and the upper connector 12 can rotate relative to each other under the action of the bearing 15. The lower end of the upper connector 12 can be inserted into the lower connector 21. The upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21 also rotate relative to each other. The second protrusion 211 can be superimposed on the first protrusion 111 after the relative rotation, and the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211 form a fitting relationship. The upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21 are connected through the fitting relationship of the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211. The airborne end assembly 1 is also connected to the load end assembly 2, and the quick connection and disassembly structure is in the connected state. When the upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21 generate a relative rotation in the opposite direction to the aforementioned relative rotation, the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2 can be separated, and the quick connection and disassembly structure can be restored to the separated state. The separated state and the connected state are reversible. The advantage of this is that it allows for quick connection and disconnection between the drone and its payload without the need for tools, improving the efficiency of connecting and disconnecting the drone and its payload; at the same time, the interlocking method between the protrusions can improve the load-bearing capacity.

[0026] Please refer to the following: Figures 3A to 3D ,as well as Figure 5 The upper housing 11 has a first protrusion 111 near its bottom end inside the cavity, and the lower connector 21 has a second protrusion 211 on its periphery. The upper surface of the first protrusion 111 is a composite plane combining a horizontal plane and an inclined plane. In this embodiment, the inclined plane of the first protrusion 111 is formed by rotating the horizontal plane downwards at a certain angle, which is an acute angle, and the lower surface of the first protrusion 111 is a horizontal plane. The arc length of the horizontal plane of the first protrusion 111 is approximately twice the arc length of the inclined plane on the horizontal plane. The lower surface of the second protrusion 211 is a composite plane combining a horizontal plane and an inclined plane, the inclined plane being formed by rotating the horizontal plane upwards at a certain angle, which is an acute angle, and the upper surface of the second protrusion 211 is a horizontal plane. The horizontal plane and the inclined plane on the upper surface of the first protrusion 111 are arranged clockwise along the inner wall of the upper housing 11, and the horizontal plane and the inclined plane on the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 are arranged counterclockwise along the outer wall of the lower connector 21. In some other embodiments, the arrangement order of the horizontal plane and the inclined plane on the upper surface of the first protrusion 111 along the inner wall of the upper housing 11 can be counterclockwise, and correspondingly, the arrangement order of the horizontal plane and the inclined plane on the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 along the outer wall of the lower connector 21 should be clockwise.

[0027] Specifically, in this embodiment, if the upper housing 11 rotates clockwise and the lower connector 21 rotates counterclockwise, the inclined plane of the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 can gradually move to match the inclined plane of the upper surface of the first protrusion 111 until the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 matches the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the first protrusion 111, that is, the second protrusion 211 is vertically superimposed on the first protrusion 111. An annular protrusion 112 is also provided on the inner wall of the upper housing 11, located above the first protrusion 111.

[0028] Furthermore, the upper surface of the second protrusion 211 is a horizontal plane, which fits against the lower surface of the horizontal plane of the annular boss 112. The distance between the horizontal plane of the upper surface and the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 is equal to the distance between the horizontal plane of the upper surface of the first protrusion 111 and the horizontal plane of the lower surface of the annular boss 112, that is, the second protrusion 211 is inserted into the narrowest part of the gap between the first protrusion 111 and the annular boss 112.

[0029] In some other embodiments, the annular boss 112 can be disposed on the outer wall of the lower connector 21, forming a gap above or below the second protrusion 211, so that the first protrusion 111 can be inserted into it, thereby connecting the upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21, and realizing the connection between the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2.

[0030] In this embodiment, the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the upper surface horizontal plane of the first protrusion 111 is 38 degrees, and the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the inclined plane on the horizontal plane is 19 degrees. The central angle corresponding to the arc length of the lower surface horizontal plane of the second protrusion 211 is 38 degrees, and the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the inclined plane on the horizontal plane is 19 degrees. The number of first protrusions 111 and second protrusions 211 are both 3. The central angle corresponding to the gap between the first protrusion 111 and the adjacent first protrusion 111 is 63 degrees. Similarly, the central angle corresponding to the gap between two adjacent second protrusions 211 is 63 degrees. If, in the connected state, the upper housing 11 rotates counterclockwise and the lower connector 21 rotates clockwise, with a relative rotation angle of 76 degrees, the second protrusion 211 and the first protrusion 111 are exactly not overlapping in the vertical direction. That is, the engagement state of the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211 is completely released. Only an upward force needs to be applied to the upper housing 11 and a downward force needs to be applied to the lower housing 22 to separate the upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21. Thus, the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2 are also separated.

[0031] In some other embodiments, the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the upper surface of the first protrusion 111 on the horizontal plane is 30 degrees, the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the inclined plane on the horizontal plane is 30 degrees, the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the lower surface of the second protrusion 211 on the horizontal plane is 30 degrees, and the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the inclined plane on the horizontal plane is 30 degrees. The number of first protrusions 111 and second protrusions 211 are both 3. The central angle corresponding to the gap between the first protrusion 111 and the adjacent first protrusion 111 is 60 degrees. Similarly, the central angle corresponding to the gap between two adjacent second protrusions 211 is 60 degrees. If, in the connected state, the upper housing 11 rotates counterclockwise and the lower connector 21 rotates clockwise, with a relative rotation angle of 90 degrees, the second protrusion 211 and the first protrusion 111 are exactly not overlapping in the vertical direction. That is, the engagement state of the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211 is completely released. Only an upward force needs to be applied to the upper housing 11 and a downward force needs to be applied to the lower housing 22 to separate the upper housing 11 and the lower connector 21. Thus, the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2 are also separated.

[0032] like Figures 3A to 3D As shown, the upper housing 11 is provided with a first limiting screw hole 113 and a second limiting screw hole 114; Figures 4A to 4C As shown, the upper connector 12 has a first sliding groove 121 and a second sliding groove 122 on its periphery. The first sliding groove 121 and the second sliding groove 122 are not connected. The bolt passes through the first limiting screw hole 113 on the upper housing 11, and its end is engaged in the first sliding groove 121. Similarly, the bolt passes through the second limiting screw hole 114 on the upper housing 11, and its end is engaged in the second sliding groove 122. In this embodiment, the starting point of the first sliding groove 121 is located below the internal locking hole 1231, and the ending point is located at the point where the starting point of the first sliding groove 121 is rotated counterclockwise by 76 degrees along the outer wall of the upper connector 12. The starting point and ending point, arc length, and corresponding central angle of the second sliding groove 122 are as follows: Figure 4B As shown.

[0033] The upper connector 12 has a locking mounting base 123 on its top. For example... Figure 4A and 4C As shown, in this embodiment, the locking element mounting base 123 is the protruding part at the top of the upper connector 12, with an internal locking hole 1231 in the middle, which can accommodate the locking element 13. In this embodiment, the locking element 13 is a ball-head spring plunger. In some other embodiments, the locking element 13 can be an LY011 electromagnetic lock, and the locking element mounting base 123 can be modified to accommodate the LY011 electromagnetic lock.

[0034] The upper housing 11 is provided with an external locking hole 115. In this embodiment, when the components are in the connected state, the external locking hole 115 is coaxial with the internal locking hole 1231 on the upper connector 12, the plunger of the ball spring plunger of the locking member 13 is in the pop-out state, and the plunger is simultaneously inserted into the internal locking hole 1231 and the external locking hole 115, which stops the relative rotation of the upper housing 11 and the upper connector 12, and realizes a stable connection between the upper and lower components of this structure.

[0035] like Figure 7 As shown, a spring 14 is installed in the second groove 122 of the upper connector 12. In the connected state, the spring 14 is compressed by the bolt passing through the second limiting screw hole 114, and is in a compressed state. Please refer to... Figure 4B The starting and ending points, arc length, and corresponding central angle of the second groove 122 should be sufficient to allow the bolt passing through the second limiting screw hole 114 to rotate by a sufficient angle. The angle of rotation depends on the central angle corresponding to the arc length of the first groove 121. In this embodiment, pressing the ball-head spring plunger of the locking member 13 compresses the plunger into the internal locking hole 1231, thus releasing the rotation stop between the upper housing 11 and the upper connecting member 12. The spring 14 extends, pushing the bolt passing through the second limiting screw hole 114 to slide counterclockwise along the second groove 122. At the same time, the bolt passing through the first limiting screw hole 113 slides from the starting point to the ending point of the first groove 121. That is, the upper housing 11 rotates counterclockwise relative to the upper connecting member 12 by the angle of the central angle corresponding to the first groove 121. According to the above, pulling the upper housing 11 and the lower housing 22 at this time can separate the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2, realizing the separation of the UAV from the payload. The elastic force of the spring 14 can quickly push the bolt passing through the second limit screw hole 114 to the separated position, realizing the rapid counterclockwise rotation of the upper housing 11 relative to the upper connector 12, which improves the separation efficiency between the airborne end component 1 and the load end component 2, that is, improves the separation efficiency of the UAV and the payload.

[0036] The upper connector 12 is installed inside the upper housing 11. A first step 116 is provided inside the upper housing 11 to define the vertical position of the upper connector 12 within the upper housing 11. A bearing 15 is provided between the upper connector 12 and the upper housing 11, forming a shaft-hole fit relationship. In this embodiment, the bearing 15 is a deep groove ball bearing. When the upper housing 11 is rotated, under the action of the bearing 15, the upper housing 11 can rotate relative to the upper connector 12.

[0037] The upper housing 11 also has a second step 117, which is used to define the vertical position of the bearing 15 within the upper housing 11. The axial distance between the first step 116 and the second step 117 is approximately the axial length of the bearing 15.

[0038] like Figure 4A and 4C As shown, the lower end of the upper connector 12 is provided with a positioning pin 124; as Figure 5 As shown, the lower connector 21 is provided with a locating pin hole 212. The locating pin 124 can be inserted into the locating pin hole 212 of the lower connector 21 to achieve the connection between the upper connector 12 and the lower connector 21. Figure 1 , Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the lower connector 21 is connected to the lower housing 22 at its lower end, and the structures of the lower connector 21 and the lower housing 22 are matched. Both the lower connector 21 and the lower housing 21 are provided with matching screw holes, and are connected and fixed with bolts.

[0039] In this embodiment, vertically, an airborne terminal component 1 is connected to the lower part of the drone, a load terminal component 2 is connected to the lower part of the airborne terminal component 1, and a mount is connected to the lower part of the load terminal component 2. The drone can be, for example, a single-rotor or multi-rotor, such as a two-rotor, three-rotor, four-rotor, six-rotor, or eight-rotor. The mount is not limited to gimbal-mounted cameras or other shooting components; external devices can also be optoelectronic devices such as rangefinders or infrared thermal imagers, or non-optoelectronic devices that do not transmit signals or require remote control via communication signals.

[0040] In this embodiment, the lower end of the drone is connected to the upper housing 11, and is installed using bolts through the threaded holes on the flange structure 118 of the upper housing 11. The lower housing 22 is also provided with threaded holes for bolt-fixed connection with mounting equipment.

[0041] In the disassembled state, the quick-connect and disassemble structure 100 has no physical connection between the airborne end assembly 1 and the load end assembly 2; no part of the locking member 13 in the airborne end assembly 1 is inserted into the external locking hole 115 of the upper housing 11. When the positioning pin 124 of the upper connector 12 is inserted into the positioning pin hole 212 of the lower connector 21, and the upper housing 11 is rotated clockwise while the lower housing 22 is rotated counterclockwise, due to the relationship between the components, the upper housing 11 also rotates clockwise relative to the lower connector 21. Based on this, the first protrusion 111 and the second protrusion 211 can engage, and the plunger of the locking member 13 is inserted into the external locking hole 115 of the upper housing 11, locking the relative rotation between the upper housing 11 and the upper connector 12. Thus, the quick-connect and disassemble structure 100 can complete the transition from the disassembled state to the connected state, thereby achieving the connection between the UAV and the payload. By reversing the aforementioned steps, the engagement between the positioning pin 124 and the positioning pin hole 212 can be simultaneously released. By applying a small upward force to the airborne end component 1 and a small downward force to the load end component 2, the airborne end component 1 and the load end component 2 can be separated. The quick connection and disassembly structure 100 can complete the transition from the connected state to the separated state, thereby realizing the rapid separation of the UAV from the payload.

[0042] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model and is not intended to limit the present utility model. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present utility model should be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A quick-connect and disassemble structure, characterized in that, include: An airborne terminal assembly, comprising an upper housing and an upper connector; the inner wall of the upper housing is provided with at least one first protrusion, and the bottom of the upper connector is provided with a positioning pin; A load-end assembly, the load-end assembly including a lower connector; the outer wall of the lower connector is provided with at least one second protrusion, and the lower connector is also provided with a positioning pin hole; The upper connector is installed inside the upper housing; the positioning pin hole is configured to accommodate the positioning pin, so that the upper connector is connected to the lower connector; the upper housing is configured to allow relative rotation of the upper connector and the lower connector. The first protrusion and the second protrusion are engaged by relative rotation between the upper housing and the lower connector, and the airborne end assembly and the load end assembly are connected by the engagement of the first protrusion and the second protrusion.

2. The quick-connection and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper connector is provided with a locking mounting base at its top.

3. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airborne end assembly also includes a locking element, which is installed in the locking element mounting base to prevent relative rotation between the upper housing and the upper connector.

4. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The airborne end assembly also includes a bearing, which is installed between the upper housing and the upper connector.

5. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the upper and lower surfaces of the first protrusion is a horizontal plane, and the other of the upper and lower surfaces of the first protrusion is a composite plane combining a horizontal plane and an inclined plane.

6. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper housing, the upper connector, and the lower connector rotate around the same central axis.

7. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the inner wall of the upper housing and the outer wall of the lower connector is provided with an annular boss, and the upper and lower surfaces of the annular boss are both horizontal planes.

8. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The outer wall of the upper shell is provided with a flange structure, and the flange structure has multiple screw holes for connecting the drone.

9. The quick-connection and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the upper and lower surfaces of the second protrusion is a horizontal plane, and the other of the upper and lower surfaces of the second protrusion is a composite plane combining a horizontal plane and an inclined plane.

10. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The number of the first bump is the same as the number of the second bump.

11. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inner wall of the upper shell is provided with a first step and a second step, with the first step above the second step.

12. The quick-connect and disassembly structure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The load-end assembly also includes a lower housing for connection to the mounted object.

13. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), characterized in that, Includes the fuselage and the quick-connect and disassemble structure as described in any one of claims 1-12.

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