An amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring marine industrial facilities

Abstract

This utility model relates to an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring marine industrial facilities. The amphibious UAV includes a main body with an attitude adjustment mechanism. Two or more retractable slots are evenly spaced circumferentially on the outer surface of the main body. The attitude adjustment mechanism includes mounting arms hinged at one end to the upper part of each retractable slot. Each mounting arm is equipped with a flight propeller and a propeller motor. An attitude adjustment motor corresponding to each mounting arm is sealed inside the main body. A linkage mechanism is provided between the retractable slot and the mounting arm. The attitude adjustment motor is connected to the linkage mechanism, which drives the mounting arm to rotate, enabling the UAV to switch between underwater and aerial attitudes. When the mounting arm is rotated to a vertical position, the flight propeller and propeller motor retract into the retractable slot. The retraction of the mounting arm not only reduces the drag of the UAV's underwater propulsion but also protects the flight propeller and propeller motor from the impact of water flow, preventing deformation and damage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically to an amphibious UAV for monitoring marine industrial facilities. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of offshore wind power, marine resource development, and marine environmental monitoring, the demand for integrated underwater and aerial operations is becoming increasingly prominent. In recent years, amphibious unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of cross-domain operations, including aerial flight and underwater navigation, have provided new technological means for marine monitoring. Under the current technological context, amphibious UAVs need to consider the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic performance of both aerial flight and underwater navigation.

[0003] However, existing amphibious unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) still face numerous technical challenges in marine environments, particularly in the attitude transition and power switching between air and underwater modes. Existing amphibious UAVs, such as the Chinese utility model patent application CN 223237922 U, disclose an amphibious UAV comprising a main body, two main arms, a left tilting section, a right tilting section, a left rotor blade, a right rotor blade, and four stabilizing tail fins. This design primarily reduces underwater drag by modifying the shape of the main body, such as designing it as a spindle shape, with partially parabolic head and tail sections, a partially ellipsoidal middle section, and elliptical left and right tilting sections, with the rear ellipse being longer than the front. However, the aforementioned amphibious UAV still suffers from significant underwater drag because its main arms cannot be retracted. Therefore, a amphibious UAV with low underwater drag is needed. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring marine industrial facilities, in order to solve the technical problem of high underwater resistance in the prior art.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring marine industrial facilities, employing the following technical solution: An amphibious UAV for monitoring marine industrial facilities includes a main body. The main body is equipped with an attitude adjustment mechanism. Two or more retractable slots are evenly spaced along the circumference of the main body's outer surface. Each retractable slot is a U-shaped slot with an outward opening and extending vertically. The attitude adjustment mechanism includes a mounting arm hinged at one end to the upper part of each retractable slot. Each mounting arm is equipped with a flight propeller and a propeller motor. An attitude adjustment motor corresponding to each mounting arm is sealed inside the main body. A linkage mechanism is provided between the retractable slot and the mounting arm. The attitude adjustment motor is connected to the linkage mechanism, which drives the mounting arm to rotate, enabling the UAV to switch between underwater and aerial attitudes. When the mounting arm rotates to a vertical position, both the flight propeller and the propeller motor retract into the retractable slot.

[0006] The linkage mechanism includes two opposing first links and two opposing second links. One end of each first link is hinged to the two sides of the mounting arm, and the other end of each first link is hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod. The ends of each second link are also hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod. The other end of one of the second links is hinged to one side wall of the gathering groove. The attitude adjustment motor has a power shaft that extends into the gathering groove from the other side wall of the gathering groove. The other end of the other second link is rotatably connected to the power shaft.

[0007] A protective plate is fixedly installed on the upper side of the mounting arm, and the protective plate can rotate with the mounting arm.

[0008] The propeller motors are located at the ends of each mounting arm, and each propeller motor has a mounting frame fixedly mounted on its motor shaft. The flight propeller includes a first propeller and a second propeller that are symmetrically rotated on the mounting frame. The mounting frame is equipped with a first motor that drives the first propeller to rotate and a second motor that drives the second propeller to rotate. The mounting frame is also equipped with a storage slot for storing the first and second propellers after they have rotated.

[0009] The mounting bracket includes a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate that are arranged in parallel and fixedly connected together, and the gap between the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate forms the aforementioned storage groove.

[0010] Both the first blade and the second blade have a mounting part located in the storage groove. The mounting part is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate and the second fixed plate via a rotating shaft. The first and second motors are both fixedly mounted on the first fixed plate and connected to the rotating shaft.

[0011] When the mounting arm is rotated to a vertical position, the mounting frame, the first motor, and the second motor are all retracted into the retraction slot.

[0012] The attitude adjustment mechanism includes an underwater thruster mounted on the main body of the UAV. The underwater thruster includes a first underwater thruster that provides forward propulsion and a second underwater thruster that provides rotational propulsion.

[0013] The upper part of the drone body is provided with a sealed mounting cavity, in which a controller is installed. The controller is connected to the attitude adjustment motor and the propeller motor.

[0014] The drone body or its mounting arm is equipped with a camera and / or sonar and / or environmental sensors capable of sensing water and air, which are connected to the controller.

[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: When the UAV needs to fly in the air, the attitude adjustment motor and linkage mechanism drive the mounting arm and its flight propellers and propeller motors to a horizontal position, with the propeller motors providing flight power to achieve aerial flight monitoring. When the UAV needs to propel and monitor underwater, the attitude adjustment motor and linkage mechanism drive the mounting arm and its flight propellers and propeller motors to a vertical position. At this time, the flight propellers and propeller motors are retracted into the retraction slots. This state not only reduces the resistance of the UAV's underwater propulsion but also protects the flight propellers and propeller motors from the impact of water flow, preventing deformation and damage to the flight propellers. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a structural embodiment of an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring marine industrial facilities according to this utility model; Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A structural diagram from another angle; Figure 3 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point A in the middle; Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A magnified view of a section at point B in the middle; Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A structural diagram showing the mounting arm in its retracted state. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To facilitate understanding of this utility model, a more detailed description is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. The accompanying drawings show preferred embodiments of this utility model. However, this utility model can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of the disclosure of this utility model.

[0018] It should be noted that, unless otherwise defined, the technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. The use of "belonging" in this specification is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention.

[0019] An embodiment of this utility model of an amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for monitoring marine industrial facilities, such as... Figures 1-5 As shown, the device includes a drone body 1, on which an attitude adjustment mechanism is provided. Two or more retractable slots 5 are evenly spaced along the circumference of the outer surface of the drone body 1; in this embodiment, there are four retractable slots 5. Each retractable slot 5 has a U-shaped cross-section with its opening facing outwards, and its length extends vertically. The attitude adjustment mechanism includes a mounting arm 2, one end of which is hinged to the upper part of each retractable slot 5. Each mounting arm 2 is equipped with a flight propeller 3 and a propeller motor. In this embodiment, there are also four mounting arms 2. The flight propeller 3 and propeller motor enable the drone to fly and adjust its attitude.

[0020] The main body 1 of the UAV is internally sealed with attitude adjustment motors 16 corresponding to each mounting arm. Each retraction slot is connected to a linkage mechanism 12 between itself and the corresponding mounting arm. The attitude adjustment motors are connected to the linkage mechanisms, which drive the mounting arms to rotate, enabling the UAV to switch attitudes underwater and in the air. When the mounting arms are rotated to a vertical position, the flight propellers and propeller motors retract into the retraction slots. Specifically, as shown... Figure 5 As shown, when working underwater, the four mounting arms rotate downwards to a vertical position, as... Figure 5 As shown in Figure I. When flight is required, the four mounting arms rotate upwards to a horizontal position, as... Figure 5 As shown in section II.

[0021] In this embodiment, the linkage mechanism 12 includes two opposing first linkages 15 and two opposing second linkages 13. One end of each first linkage 15 is hinged to both sides of the mounting arm 2, and the other end of each first linkage 15 is hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod 14. The ends of each second linkage 13 are also hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod 14. The other end of one of the second linkages 13 is hinged to one side wall of the retractable groove. The attitude adjustment motor 16 has a power shaft extending into the retractable groove from the other side wall, and the other end of the other second linkage 13 is rotatably connected to the power shaft. The opening and closing of the mounting arm are achieved by the corresponding attitude adjustment motor and the corresponding linkage mechanism. The rotation of the attitude adjustment motor can realize the folding and opening of the linkage mechanism, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the mounting arm.

[0022] A protective plate 4 is fixedly mounted on the upper side of the mounting arm 2, and the protective plate 4 can rotate with the mounting arm 2. A propeller motor 27 is disposed at the end of each mounting arm 2, and a mounting frame 17 is fixedly mounted on the motor shaft of each propeller motor 27. Each propeller on the mounting arm includes a first propeller 21 and a second propeller 22 symmetrically rotated on the mounting frame. The mounting frame 17 is provided with a first motor 23 that drives the first propeller 21 to rotate and a second motor 24 that drives the second propeller 22 to rotate. The mounting frame is also provided with a storage slot 20 for storing the first and second propellers after rotation. Specifically, the mounting frame includes a first fixing plate 19 and a second fixing plate 18 arranged parallel to each other and fixedly connected together. The gap between the first and second fixing plates forms the aforementioned storage slot. Both the first and second propellers have a mounting portion 25 located in the storage slot, and the mounting portion 25 is an arc-shaped portion. In this embodiment, the mounting portion 25 is rotatably connected to the first fixing plate 19 and the second fixing plate 18 via a rotating shaft. The first and second motors are both fixedly mounted on the first fixing plate and connected to the rotating shaft. Before the mounting arm retracts, the first and second blades must be retracted into the storage slots to prevent them from being unable to fit into the slots due to their large size when the mounting arm is rotated to the vertical position (retracted position). When the mounting arm is rotated to the vertical position, the mounting frame, the first and second blades, the first motor, and the second motor can all be retracted into the storage slots.

[0023] The attitude adjustment mechanism includes an underwater thruster mounted on the main body 1 of the UAV. The underwater thruster includes a first underwater thruster 6 providing forward propulsion and a second underwater thruster 9 providing rotational propulsion. In this embodiment, there are four first underwater thrusters 6 and four second underwater thrusters 9. The four first underwater thrusters 6 are evenly spaced circumferentially at the center of the UAV main body, and the four second underwater thrusters 9 are evenly spaced circumferentially at the lower part of the UAV main body. Specifically, four radially protruding support plates 8 are evenly spaced circumferentially at the lower part of the UAV main body, and each support plate 8 has one of the aforementioned second underwater thrusters 9. Underwater thrusters are existing technology, and the specific structure of the underwater thruster will not be described in this embodiment; a rim thruster can be used. In this embodiment, four arc-shaped long grooves 7 are evenly spaced along the front and rear directions on the main body of the UAV. The arc-shaped long grooves 7 penetrate the main body of the UAV along the axial direction. The first underwater thruster 6 is set in the corresponding arc-shaped long groove 7. The arc-shaped long groove can act as a diversion channel, which can guide the water flow into and out, ensuring the stability of the underwater propulsion of the UAV.

[0024] The upper part of the drone body 1 has a sealed mounting cavity containing a controller. The controller is connected to the attitude adjustment motor and the first and second motors. The drone body is equipped with cameras and sonar connected to the controller. The cameras include a first camera 10 located at the upper end of the drone body and a second camera 11 located at the lower end. The protective plate 4 has environmental sensors 26 capable of sensing water and air. These sensors can be pressure sensors and / or humidity sensors. Based on the sensed environmental information, the controller can automatically control the opening and retraction of the mounting arms, the retraction and deployment of the first and second propellers, and the rotation of the propeller motors for flight. A panoramic camera can be used. A lithium battery pack is sealed inside the drone body to provide power, allowing for repeated charging and discharging.

[0025] In the foregoing description of this specification, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "fixed," "installed," "connected," or "joined" should be interpreted broadly. For example, the term "joined" can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; or it can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Therefore, unless otherwise expressly limited in this specification, those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.

[0026] Based on the above description in this specification, those skilled in the art will also understand that terms used, such as "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "length," "width," "thickness," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "axial," "radial," "circumferential," "center," "longitudinal," "transverse," "clockwise," or "counterclockwise," are terms indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings of this specification. They are only for the purpose of facilitating the explanation of the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not explicitly or implicitly suggest that the device or element involved must have the specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the above-mentioned orientation or positional relationship terms should not be understood or interpreted as limitations on the present invention.

[0027] Furthermore, the terms "first" or "second," etc., used in this specification to refer to numbers or ordinal numbers are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating, explicitly or implicitly, relative importance or specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this specification, "a plurality of" means at least two, such as two, three, or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0028] In other embodiments of this utility model, the number of mounting arms can be adjusted according to actual needs; the number of the first underwater thruster and the number of the second underwater thruster can also be adjusted according to actual needs.

Claims

1. A sea-air amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities, comprising a drone body, characterized in that: The drone body is equipped with an attitude adjustment mechanism. The outer surface of the drone body has two or more retractable slots evenly spaced along the circumference. Each retractable slot is a U-shaped slot with an outward opening and a length extending in the vertical direction. The attitude adjustment mechanism includes a mounting arm with one end hinged to the upper part of each retractable slot. Each mounting arm is equipped with a flight propeller and a propeller motor. An attitude adjustment motor corresponding to each mounting arm is sealed inside the drone body. A linkage mechanism is set between the retractable slot and the mounting arm. The attitude adjustment motor is connected to the linkage mechanism and drives the mounting arm to rotate through the linkage mechanism to realize the attitude switching of the drone underwater and in the air. When the mounting arm is rotated to the vertical position, the flight propeller and the propeller motor are retracted into the retractable slot.

2. The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring marine industrial facilities according to claim 1, characterized in that: The linkage mechanism includes two opposing first links and two opposing second links. One end of each first link is hinged to the two sides of the mounting arm, and the other end of each first link is hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod. The ends of each second link are also hinged to both ends of the intermediate rod. The other end of one of the second links is hinged to one side wall of the gathering groove. The attitude adjustment motor has a power shaft that extends into the gathering groove from the other side wall of the gathering groove. The other end of the other second link is rotatably connected to the power shaft.

3. The amphibious UAV for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 1, characterized in that: A protective plate is fixedly installed on the upper side of the mounting arm, and the protective plate can rotate with the mounting arm.

4. The amphibious UAV for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The propeller motors are located at the ends of each mounting arm, and each propeller motor has a mounting frame fixedly mounted on its motor shaft. The flight propeller includes a first propeller and a second propeller that are symmetrically rotated on the mounting frame. The mounting frame is equipped with a first motor that drives the first propeller to rotate and a second motor that drives the second propeller to rotate. The mounting frame is also equipped with a storage slot for storing the first and second propellers after they have rotated.

5. The amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that: The mounting bracket includes a first fixing plate and a second fixing plate that are arranged in parallel and fixedly connected together, and the gap between the first fixing plate and the second fixing plate forms the aforementioned storage groove.

6. The amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that: Both the first blade and the second blade have a mounting part located in the storage groove. The mounting part is rotatably connected to the first fixed plate and the second fixed plate via a rotating shaft. The first and second motors are both fixedly mounted on the first fixed plate and connected to the rotating shaft.

7. The amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 4, characterized by: When the mounting arm is rotated to a vertical position, the mounting frame, the first motor, and the second motor are all retracted into the retraction slot.

8. The amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 1, characterized by: The attitude adjustment mechanism includes an underwater thruster mounted on the main body of the UAV. The underwater thruster includes a first underwater thruster that provides forward propulsion and a second underwater thruster that provides rotational propulsion.

9. The amphibious unmanned aerial vehicle for monitoring marine industrial facilities according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper part of the drone body is provided with a sealed mounting cavity, in which a controller is installed. The controller is connected to the attitude adjustment motor and the propeller motor.

10. The amphibious drone for monitoring of marine industrial facilities according to claim 9, characterized in that: The drone body or its mounting arm is equipped with a camera and / or sonar and / or environmental sensors capable of sensing water and air, which are connected to the controller.

Images