An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising an intermittent water spraying device

Abstract

This utility model discloses a drone with an intermittent water spraying device, addressing the shortcomings of existing drone water spraying fire extinguishing technologies. The utility model includes a drone, a quick-release connector, a water pump, a water tank, and a circuit box. The water tank is connected to the drone via the quick-release connector. A water spray pipe is located at the bottom of the water tank, and the water pump is installed on the water spray pipe. The water spraying control circuit inside the circuit box receives water spraying commands from the drone remote controller and controls the water pump to rotate. The water spraying control circuit includes a main control chip STM32F405RGT6, a current-limiting resistor, and a water pump driver chip DRV8870DDAR. Pin PB10 of the main control chip is the input terminal for the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal for the drive signal. Pin PB12 of the main control chip outputs the drive signal AS_IN1 to control the forward rotation of the water pump. This technology can control the water spray volume and duration to the optimal range, minimizing the risk of fire or electrical leakage.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipment technology, and in particular to a UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device. Background Technology

[0002] Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, are unmanned aircraft controlled by radio remote control equipment and onboard program control devices. Compared to manned aircraft, UAVs are often more suitable for tasks that are too "dull, dirty, or dangerous." The real demand for UAVs lies in their civilian applications, including aerial photography, agriculture, plant protection, miniature selfies, express delivery, disaster relief, wildlife observation, infectious disease monitoring, surveying, news reporting, power line inspection, disaster relief, film and television shooting, and creating romance, greatly expanding the uses of UAVs.

[0003] In some bustling urban areas, where a large number of migrant workers reside, the cables in some houses are laid out on the exterior walls. Alternatively, the original cable design for some houses may not be able to meet the increasing electrical load, leading to the addition of additional cables, including communication and power cables. This results in serious haphazard and unauthorized wiring between the cables and utility poles. Most of these additional cables are laid on supports outside the walls. Sometimes, in the complex network of cables, an overloaded cable can ignite and spread to other working cables. Alternatively, some cables may sway in the wind, rubbing against cable supports or other cables, causing wear and tear. Prolonged friction can lead to short circuits or leaks, potentially causing a fire.

[0004] When electrical fires occur, the fire and smoke conditions can change rapidly, requiring immediate extinguishing to prevent the fire from spreading. However, some cables may be passively ignited without being de-energized, leading to a gradual decrease in insulation. In such cases, conventional water extinguishing methods are prohibited, and people without effective protection are generally hesitant to use water to extinguish the fire, likely having to wait for firefighters to arrive, thus delaying timely firefighting. However, when fire departments use drones carrying fire extinguishing materials, they can arrive at the scene much faster than personnel, more easily observe and assess the fire's spread and intensity changes from a high vantage point, and can spray water intermittently. This avoids direct spraying that could cause smoke to spread from the ignition point, prevents blind spraying due to temporary visibility issues, and accelerates the depletion of the drone's limited water supply. Intermittent spraying also prevents excessive water from direct spraying, which could exacerbate the fire or electrical leakage risks. Meanwhile, the recoil force from continuous water spraying accumulates on the drone, causing it to change position and resulting in deviations in the water spray aiming point. If the operator uses their finger to tap the remote control to control intermittent water spraying, a high level of operational skill is required, which can also cause hand fatigue.

[0005] A search revealed that application number 202322313403.9, application date 2023.8.25, and utility model title "A Sprayer Head for Water Spraying from a Drone," describes the following: "During use, the drone body 1 carries a water tank 12 and a spray nozzle 2 to a high-altitude fire location. Based on the fire location, the motor 224 on the hanger 21 of the spray nozzle 2 is activated, driving the drive gear 225 to rotate. This drives the driven gear 221 on the guide tube 22 to rotate, causing the top of the guide tube 22 to rotate with the bottom of the water pipe in the water tank 12, switching the angle and position of the sprayed water flow. Then, the water pump 13 on the water pipe of the water tank 12 is activated, spraying water to the high-altitude fire location for extinguishing the fire. This eliminates the need to adjust the flight attitude, fulfilling the fire extinguishing requirements at high-altitude fire locations, reducing the time spent adjusting flight attitude, and enabling rapid fire extinguishing, thus ensuring high efficiency." However, this description does not consider fire extinguishing scenarios requiring frequent intermittent water spraying, such as fires occurring in electrically charged environments, and therefore requires further improvement. Utility Model Content

[0006] This invention addresses the shortcomings in the existing technology of drones spraying water for fire extinguishing by providing a drone with a reasonable structure and fire extinguishing safety, which includes an intermittent water spraying device.

[0007] The technical solution of this utility model is to provide a drone with an intermittent water spraying device having the following structure: It includes a drone, a quick-release connector, a water pump, a water tank, and a circuit box. The water tank is connected to the bracket on the lower side of the drone via the quick-release connector. A water spraying pipe is located at the bottom of the water tank, and a water pump is installed on the water spraying pipe. The circuit box is located on the underside of the drone. The water spraying control circuit inside the circuit box receives a water spraying command from the drone remote controller and controls the water pump to rotate. The water spraying control circuit includes a main control chip STM32F405RGT6, a current-limiting resistor, and a water pump driver chip DRV8870DDAR. In the main control chip STM32F405RGT6, pin PB10 is the input terminal of the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal of the drive signal. The drive signal is connected to pin 3 of the water pump driver chip after being connected in series with a resistor. The output terminal of the water pump driver chip is connected to the water pump. Pin PB12 of the main control chip outputs a drive signal AS_IN1 to control the water pump to rotate forward.

[0008] A drone with an intermittent water spraying device includes a drone, a quick-release connector, a relay, a solenoid valve, a pressurized water tank, and a circuit box. The pressurized water tank is connected to a bracket on the underside of the drone via the quick-release connector. A water spray pipe is located at the bottom of the pressurized water tank, and a pressurization chamber is located in the upper part of the pressurized water tank. A pressurization device is located on the upper part of the pressurization chamber. A solenoid valve is located on the water spray pipe. The circuit box is located on the underside of the drone. The water spraying control circuit inside the circuit box receives a water spraying command from the drone remote controller and controls the relay to activate the solenoid valve. The water spraying control circuit includes a main control chip STM32F405RGT6 and a current-limiting resistor. In the main control chip STM32F405RGT6, pin PB10 is the input terminal of the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal of the drive signal and is connected to the input terminal of the relay. The output terminal of the relay is connected in series with the solenoid valve and then connected to the DC power supply of the drone.

[0009] Preferably, the solenoid valve is a normally closed DC 12V or 24V solenoid valve.

[0010] Preferably, the pressurizing device includes an air injection pipe and an air injection nozzle. One end of the air injection pipe is connected to the highest point of the pressurizing chamber in the upper half of the water tank, and an air injection nozzle is provided at the end of the air injection pipe.

[0011] Preferably, the relay is a solid-state relay or an electromagnetic relay, and its input terminal operating voltage is DC 3V.

[0012] Preferably, the water tank includes a water injection pipe located on the side of the water tank, with its opening tilted upwards and a cap provided at the opening.

[0013] Preferably, the bottom of the water tank is provided with a drain plug.

[0014] Preferably, the drone is a plug-in drone or a hybrid drone.

[0015] Preferably, pin PB10 of the main control chip STM32F405RGT6 is connected to the drone control module via a PWM signal interface and is powered by the drone battery.

[0016] Compared with the prior art, the UAV with intermittent water spraying device of this utility model has the following advantages:

[0017] 1. Intermittent water spraying can reduce the generation of smoke in the fire area to a certain extent, making it easier for firefighters to carefully observe and judge the direction and intensity of the fire spread through the drone lens, and also reducing the workload of operators who frequently spray water intermittently.

[0018] 2. Intermittent water spraying can control the amount and duration of water spraying to the optimal range, make reasonable use of the limited water carried by the drone, avoid the spread of smoke from the ignition point caused by direct spraying, and avoid the recoil force of continuous water spraying changing the position of the drone, which could lead to deviation of the water spraying aiming point, thus minimizing the potential fire or electrical leakage hazards caused by water spraying.

[0019] 3. To reduce operator fatigue by avoiding the need for operators to use their fingers to tap the remote control to control intermittent water spraying.

[0020] 4. The intermittent water spray device supports quick assembly and disassembly, making it convenient for drones to carry other functional devices. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the intermediate-interruption water spray device according to Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the intermediate water spray device according to Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a circuit connection diagram of the STM32F405RGT6 main control chip in the water spray control circuit of this utility model;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a circuit connection diagram of the water pump driver chip in Embodiment 1 of this utility model;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a circuit connection diagram of the relay-driven solenoid valve in Embodiment 2 of this utility model;

[0027] Figure 7 This is the external interface circuit diagram of the STM32F405RGT6 main control chip in this utility model.

[0028] In the attached diagram, number 1 represents the drone, 2 represents the intermittent water spraying device, and 3 represents the circuit box. 2-1 is the cover, 2-2 is the water injection pipe, 2-3 is the water tank, 2-4 is the water pump, 2-5 is the water spraying pipe, 2-6 is the solenoid valve, 2-7 is the relay, 2-8 is the air injection nozzle, and 2-9 is the air injection pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0029] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0030] The following description, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments, further illustrates the UAV containing the intermittent water spraying device of this utility model: This solution communicates with the UAV 1 platform via a PWM signal interface. The UAV 1 can be any commercially available UAV 1. The intermittent water spraying device 22 is connected to a bracket below the UAV 1 via a quick-release connector or connector, and can then be deployed to a designated area to perform water spraying or firefighting operations. The quick-release connector can be any model and type of quick-release connector available on the market.

[0031] Example 1, as Figure 1 , 2 As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 7, the water spraying trigger action uses water pump 2-4 to pressurize the water in the water spray pipe 2-5 and the water tank 2-3 before spraying it out. The microcontroller converts the 12V power supply of the UAV 1 to DC 3.3V through the internal power module.

[0032] Example 1 includes a drone 1, a quick-release connector, a water pump 2-4, a water tank 2-3, and a circuit box 3. The water tank 2-3 is connected to the bracket on the lower side of the drone 1 via the quick-release connector. A water spray pipe 2-5 is located at the bottom of the water tank 2-3, and the water pump 2-4 is installed on the water spray pipe 2-5. The circuit box 3 is located on the underside of the drone 1. The water spray control circuit inside the circuit box 3 receives the water spray command issued by the drone 1 remote controller and controls the water pump 2-4 to rotate. The water spray control circuit includes a main control chip STM32F405RGT6, a current limiting resistor, and a water pump driver chip DRV8870DDAR. In the main control chip STM32F405RGT6, pin PB10 is the input terminal of the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal of the drive signal. The drive signal is connected to the input terminal pin 3 of the water pump driver chip after being connected in series with the resistor. The output terminal of the water pump driver chip is connected to the water pump 2-4. Pin PB12 of the main control chip outputs the drive signal AS_IN1 to control the water pump 2-4 to rotate forward. In this embodiment, the water tank 2-3 contains a water injection pipe 2-2, which is located on the side of the water tank 2-3. Its opening is tilted upward, and a cover 2-1 is provided at the opening. The cover 2-1 may have a vent hole, or the cover 2-1 may not be installed. This can maintain the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the water tank 2-3, which facilitates the flow of water in the water injection pipe 2-2.

[0033] Figure 5AS_IN1 is a PWM waveform control signal with different duty cycles output by the microcontroller. This signal controls water pump 2-4 to rotate and spray water via the water pump driver chip DRV8870DDAR. H3 is the interface for water pump 2-4. When the duty cycle is 0%, water pump 2-4 does not rotate; when the duty cycle is 100%, water pump 2-4 operates at full speed to spray water. The alternating appearance of the two different duty cycles allows water pump 2-4 to operate intermittently, thus producing a discontinuous water flow. The control duration of the 0% or 100% duty cycle is implemented using a timer set in the microcontroller's internal program. For example, the duration of the 0% duty cycle can be set to between 0.5 and 2 seconds, and ideally, it can be a 1-second interval between sprays, resulting in a continuous linear water flow with a noticeable discontinuity.

[0034] Example 2, as Figure 1 , 3 As shown in Figures 4, 6, and 7, the device includes a drone 1, a quick-release connector, a relay 2-7, a solenoid valve 2-6, a pressurized water tank 2-3, and a circuit box 3. The pressurized water tank 2-3 is connected to the bracket on the lower side of the drone 1 via the quick-release connector. A water spray pipe 2-5 is located at the bottom of the pressurized water tank 2-3, and a pressurization chamber is located in the upper part of the pressurized water tank 2-3. A pressurization device is located on the upper part of the pressurization chamber. A solenoid valve 2-6 is installed on the water spray pipe 2-5. The circuit box 3 is located on the underside of the drone 1, and the water spray control is located inside the circuit box 3. After receiving the water spray command from the drone 1 remote controller, the circuit controls relay 2-7 to activate solenoid valve 2-6. The water spray control circuit contains a main control chip STM32F405RGT6 and a current-limiting resistor. Pin PB10 of the STM32F405RGT6 is the input terminal for the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal for the drive signal, connected to the input terminal of relay 2-7. The output terminal of relay 2-7 is connected in series with solenoid valve 2-6 and then connected to the DC power supply of drone 1. Solenoid valve 2-6 is a normally closed DC 12V or 24V solenoid valve.

[0035] The pressurization device includes an air injection pipe 2-9 and an air injection nozzle 2-8. One end of the air injection pipe 2-9 is connected to the highest point of the pressurization chamber in the upper half of the water tank 2-3. The air injection nozzle 2-8 is located at the end of the air injection pipe 2-9. The air injection nozzle 2-8 is positioned in an easily accessible location. Pressure is generated by air injected through an air compressor. The air pressure needs to be sufficient to spray all the water in the pressurized water tank 2-3. In this embodiment, the water tank 2-3 includes a water injection pipe 2-2, located on the side of the water tank 2-3 with its opening tilted upwards. A cap 2-1 is provided at the pipe opening. The cap 2-1 needs to provide a seal to maintain sufficient air pressure inside the water tank 2-3, facilitating the spraying of water from the water injection pipe 2-2.

[0036] Relays 2-7 are solid-state relays or electromagnetic relays. Their input voltage is DC 3V, and their output must meet DC operating conditions. For solid-state relays, choose SENNDIK, model JGX-1FA, DC-controlled DC 5A, control voltage: DC 3-32V, load voltage: DC 5-220V. Alternatively, choose other electromagnetic relays, such as the Lanbo ultra-thin relay, with a DC 3V input and output supporting AC 250V or DC 30V. Their outputs can be directly connected in series with solenoid valves 2-6 of different voltages to power supplies for various drone models. Common drone power supplies are DC 12V or 24V.

[0037] The water inlet pipe 2-2 on the water tank 2-3 can be easily connected to a tap water hose, allowing the water tank 2-3 to be filled quickly. The inlet of the water inlet pipe 2-2 can be covered with a cap 2-1 to prevent water from overflowing. The bottom of the water tank 2-3 is equipped with a drain plug. Removing the drain plug 2-6 allows the water inside the water tank 2-3 to be completely drained, allowing for ventilation and making it easy to handle and store. Otherwise, moving it would easily result in water spilling all over the floor, causing inconvenience.

[0038] In both of the above embodiments, the drone 1 is a plug-in drone or a hybrid drone. If a gasoline engine is used to drive a generator, the resulting hybrid drone can carry a payload of 30-60 kg, which is sufficient to carry a large amount of water for rapid water spraying to extinguish fires in the area to be extinguished. In both of the above embodiments, the intermittent water spray device 2 can be controlled using buttons extended from the drone's remote controller.

[0039] like Figure 7 As shown, this interface is the external interface of the STM32F405RGT6 main control chip. Its pin PB10 is connected to the drone 1 control module through the PWM signal interface and is powered by the drone 1 battery. Input main power pin 1 is the positive terminal of the 12V power supply, and pins 3 and 4 are the negative terminal GND. DRONE_PWM_SIGNAL is used to collect the PWM signal output by drone 1. The PWM signal output on the fixed interface of drone 1 is controlled by the buttons on the remote control. The main control chip STM32F405RGT6 collects the signal, judges it, and then controls the water pump 2-4 or the relay 2-7 by driving the DRV8870DDAR water pump driver chip.

[0040] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present utility model. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present utility model, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A drone containing an intermittent water spraying device, characterized in that: The device includes a drone, quick-release connectors, a water pump, a water tank, and a circuit box. The water tank is connected to the support on the underside of the drone via the quick-release connectors. A water spray pipe is located at the bottom of the water tank, and the water pump is located on the water spray pipe. The circuit box is located on the underside of the drone. The water spray control circuit inside the circuit box receives the water spray command from the drone remote controller and controls the water pump to rotate. The water spray control circuit includes a main control chip STM32F405RGT6, a current-limiting resistor, and a water pump driver chip DRV8870DDAR. In the main control chip STM32F405RGT6, pin PB10 is the input terminal of the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal of the drive signal. The drive signal is connected to the input terminal pin 3 of the water pump driver chip after being connected in series with a resistor. The output terminal of the water pump driver chip is connected to the water pump. Pin PB12 of the main control chip outputs the drive signal AS_IN1 to control the water pump to rotate forward.

2. A drone containing an intermittent water spraying device, characterized in that: The device includes a drone, quick-release connectors, relays, solenoid valves, a pressurized water tank, and a circuit box. The pressurized water tank is connected to the lower support of the drone via quick-release connectors. The bottom of the pressurized water tank has a spray pipe, and the upper part of the pressurized water tank has a pressurization chamber. A pressurization device is located on the upper part of the pressurization chamber. A solenoid valve is installed on the spray pipe. The circuit box is located on the underside of the drone. The water spray control circuit inside the circuit box receives the water spray command issued by the drone remote controller and controls the relay to activate the solenoid valve. The water spray control circuit contains a main control chip STM32F405RGT6 and a current-limiting resistor. In the main control chip STM32F405RGT6, pin PB10 is the input terminal of the control signal, and pin PB12 is the output terminal of the drive signal and is connected to the input terminal of the relay. The output terminal of the relay is connected in series with the solenoid valve and then connected to the drone's DC power supply.

3. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The solenoid valve is a normally closed DC 12V or 24V solenoid valve.

4. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The pressurization device includes an air injection pipe and an air injection nozzle. One end of the air injection pipe is connected to the highest point of the pressurization chamber in the upper half of the water tank, and an air injection nozzle is provided at the end of the air injection pipe.

5. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The relay is a solid-state relay or an electromagnetic relay, and its input terminal operating voltage is DC 3V.

6. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The water tank contains a water injection pipe located on the side of the water tank, with its opening tilted upwards and a cap provided at the opening.

7. The UAV containing an intermittent water jet device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The bottom of the water tank is equipped with a drain plug.

8. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The drone is either a plug-in drone or a hybrid drone.

9. The UAV containing an intermittent water spraying device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The main control chip STM32F405RGT6 has its PB10 pin connected to the drone control module via a PWM signal interface and is powered by the drone battery.

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