A type of unmanned aerial vehicle for inspecting power transmission and transformation stations

Abstract

This utility model discloses a UAV for inspecting power transmission and substations, including a UAV, a camera, a housing, a neutral density filter (ND filter), and a supplementary light. The camera is fixed to the front of the housing, and a shell is located at the bottom of the housing. Inside the shell, there is a sliding plate that can move back and forth. A support frame is rotatably connected to the front of the sliding plate. The ND filter and supplementary light are fixed to the left and right ends of the support frame, respectively. A displacement drive mechanism inside the shell drives the support frame to extend to the front of the camera, and a rotation drive mechanism on the sliding plate drives the support frame to rotate. Its advantages are significant: it can flexibly switch between the ND filter and the supplementary light to align with the camera by rotating the support frame, adapting to different lighting environments, ensuring clear inspection images, and providing a basis for fault diagnosis; the ND filter and supplementary light are normally stored inside the shell, forming double protection with a door with a torsion spring, reducing environmental corrosion and improving durability; the inclined push plate at the front of the sliding plate can smoothly push open and close the door, avoiding jamming or damage and ensuring smooth equipment operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, specifically to a UAV for inspecting power transmission and transformation stations. Background Technology

[0002] As a key piece of equipment in the intelligent transformation of the power industry, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for power transmission and substation inspections have been deeply integrated into the daily operation and maintenance of power transmission lines, substations, and other complex scenarios due to their significant advantages in efficiency, safety, and accuracy. In actual inspection operations, UAVs autonomously complete comprehensive inspections of power facilities based on preset inspection routes and simultaneously transmit the captured images back to the monitoring terminal through real-time transmission technology, providing staff with intuitive information on equipment status.

[0003] However, due to the constraints of the outdoor working environment, the drastic fluctuations in light conditions have become the core bottleneck affecting the quality of inspections: in the case of strong sunlight during the day, the strong irradiance of the sunlight can easily cause the images captured by the camera on the drone to be overexposed, and the details of the power lines in the image (such as wire wear, insulator cracks, etc.) will be submerged by the strong light; while in low light environments such as cloudy days, evenings or nights, insufficient ambient light will cause the image to be less bright, with increased noise, and the outline and key features of the power lines will be blurred.

[0004] This imaging quality defect caused by lighting issues directly makes it difficult for staff to accurately identify potential faults in the lines. This not only affects the smooth completion of routine inspection tasks, but also seriously hinders the rapid location of the cause of the fault when a sudden line fault requires emergency investigation, thereby prolonging the repair cycle and posing a potential threat to the safe and stable operation of the power system. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned technical problems and provide a drone for inspecting power transmission and transformation stations.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution: a power transmission and transformation station inspection drone, comprising a drone, a camera, and a housing. The camera is fixedly mounted on the front surface of the housing. The drone also includes a neutral density filter and a fill light. A housing is fixedly mounted at the bottom of the housing. Inside the housing is a sliding plate that can move back and forth. A support frame is rotatably mounted on the front side of the sliding plate. The neutral density filter and the fill light are respectively fixed at the left and right ends of the support frame. A displacement drive mechanism is provided inside the housing to drive the support frame to extend to the front side of the camera. A rotation drive mechanism is provided on the sliding plate to drive the support frame to rotate.

[0007] Furthermore, the displacement driving mechanism includes a threaded rod and a slider rotatably disposed at the bottom of the housing. A groove is provided at the bottom of the housing, the threaded rod is located in the groove, the slider cooperates with the groove, and has a threaded hole that matches the threaded rod. The bottom of the sliding plate is fixedly connected to the slider, and a drive motor is provided on the housing corresponding to the threaded rod.

[0008] Furthermore, the rotation drive mechanism includes a first gear, a second gear, and a second drive motor. A rotating shaft is provided on the rear side of the center of the support frame. The rotating shaft passes through the sliding plate and extends from its rear side. The first gear is fixed to the rear end of the rotating shaft. Multiple second gears are provided and are evenly arranged around the first gear. The second gear is rotatably connected to the rear side wall of the sliding plate, and the output shaft of the second drive motor is connected to one of the second gears.

[0009] Furthermore, the support frame is provided with a wire groove, the wire of the supplementary light is located in the wire groove, and the outlet of the wire groove is located on the rotating shaft, with the wire extending out from the rear end of the rotating shaft.

[0010] Furthermore, the front end of the housing is provided with grooves on both the left and right sides, and a door is hinged inside. A torsion spring is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the door, and the two ends of the torsion spring are fixedly connected to the door and the groove respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, push plates are provided on both the left and right sides of the front end of the sliding plate, and the support frame is located between the two push plates. The front end surface of the push plate is a slope or an arc surface.

[0012] This utility model, through its ingenious structural design, exhibits significant advantages in terms of light adaptability and equipment protection, as detailed below:

[0013] 1. Adapts flexibly to changes in lighting conditions to ensure image clarity.

[0014] The neutral density filter and the fill light are respectively mounted on both ends of the support frame. With the help of the rotation function of the support frame, the required components (neutral density filter or fill light) can be quickly and accurately aligned with the front of the camera. In strong light environment, the neutral density filter is used to suppress overexposure, and in low light environment, the fill light is switched to enhance brightness, realizing instant adaptation to different lighting conditions, ensuring that the inspection image is always clear and distinguishable, and providing high-quality visual basis for fault diagnosis.

[0015] 2. Multiple protection designs enhance equipment durability.

[0016] The neutral density filter and fill light are normally stored inside the housing, forming a double protection with the door structure at the front of the housing: the door closes automatically via a torsion spring, effectively blocking outdoor dust, rainwater and other impurities from entering and preventing damage to components due to environmental corrosion; the displacement drive mechanism can drive them to extend or retract as needed, storing them inside the housing when not in use and extending them when needed.

[0017] 3. Detailed design optimizations ensure smooth operation.

[0018] The push plate at the front end of the sliding plate adopts a beveled or arc-shaped design. During the extension of the components driven by the support frame, the closed door can be smoothly pushed open by the bevel, avoiding mechanical jamming or collision damage. This design does not interfere with the protective function of the door, and can ensure the rapid switching and stable operation of the neutral density filter and the supplementary light, thereby improving the reliability of the equipment in complex outdoor environments. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of a power transmission and transformation station inspection drone in use according to the present invention;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a power transmission and transformation station inspection drone according to this utility model;

[0021] Figure 3 It is an exploded view of the shell;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the front side structure of the shell;

[0023] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the rear side structure of the shell in perspective view;

[0024] Figure 6 This is a perspective structural diagram of the support frame.

[0025] 1. Drone; 2. Camera; 3. Housing; 4. Neutral Density Filter; 5. Fill Light; 6. Shell; 7. Sliding Plate; 8. Support Frame; 9. Threaded Rod; 10. Slider; 11. Slide; 12. Gear 1; 13. Gear 2; 14. Drive Motor 2; 15. Shaft; 16. Groove; 17. Door; 18. Torsion Spring; 19. Push Plate; 20. Drive Motor 1. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the present utility model 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 utility model, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present utility model are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0027] Embodiments of this utility model: such as Figure 1-6As shown, a power transmission and substation inspection drone includes a drone 1, a camera 2, and a housing 3. The camera 2 is fixedly mounted on the front end of the housing 3. The power transmission and substation inspection drone also includes a neutral density filter 4 and a supplementary light 5. A housing 6 is fixedly mounted on the bottom of the housing 3. A sliding plate 7 that can move back and forth is provided inside the housing 6. A support frame 8 is rotatably mounted on the front side of the sliding plate 7. The neutral density filter 4 and the supplementary light 5 are respectively fixed on the left and right ends of the support frame 8. A displacement drive mechanism is provided inside the housing 6 to drive the support frame 8 to extend to the front side of the camera 2. A rotation drive mechanism is provided on the sliding plate 7 to drive the support frame 8 to rotate.

[0028] Through the above structural design, under normal conditions, both the neutral density filter 4 and the supplementary light 5 are housed inside the casing 6, effectively preventing corrosion from rain and dust. When the ambient light is weak during inspection, the support frame 8 (carrying the neutral density filter 4 and the supplementary light 5) extends to the outside of the casing 6 with the help of the displacement drive mechanism. The support frame 8 is then rotated by the rotation drive mechanism to ensure that the supplementary light 5 is accurately aligned with the camera 2, thus achieving the supplementary lighting function. When the light is strong and exposure problems occur, the support frame 8 is rotated by the rotation drive mechanism to align the neutral density filter 4 with the camera 2, effectively reducing the amount of light entering the camera and avoiding exposure problems. This ensures the clarity of the captured image and provides high-quality visual evidence for fault diagnosis.

[0029] like Figure 3 , 5 As shown, the displacement driving mechanism includes a threaded rod 9 and a slider 10 rotatably disposed at the bottom of the housing 6. A groove 11 is provided at the bottom of the housing 6, the threaded rod 9 is located in the groove 11, the slider 10 cooperates with the groove 11, and has a threaded hole that matches the threaded rod 9. The bottom of the sliding plate 7 is fixedly connected to the slider 10, and a drive motor 20 is provided on the housing 6 corresponding to the threaded rod 9.

[0030] With the above structure, when the neutral density filter 4 or the fill light 5 is needed, the drive motor 20 drives the threaded rod 9 to rotate. Under the constraint of the slide groove 11, the slider 10 moves with the rotation of the threaded rod 9, thereby pushing the support frame 8 and the neutral density filter 4 and fill light 5 on it to extend. If it needs to be retracted, simply drive the drive motor 20 to rotate the threaded rod 9 in the opposite direction.

[0031] like Figure 3 , 5 As shown, the rotation drive mechanism includes a first gear 12, a second gear 13, and a second drive motor 14. A rotating shaft 15 is provided on the rear side of the center of the support frame 8. The rotating shaft 15 passes through the sliding plate 7 and extends out from its rear side. The first gear 12 is fixed to the rear end of the rotating shaft 15. Multiple second gears 13 are provided and are evenly arranged around the first gear 12. The second gear 13 is rotatably connected to the rear side wall of the sliding plate 7, and the output shaft of the second drive motor 14 is connected to one of the second gears 13.

[0032] Through the above structure, gear 12 meshes with multiple surrounding gears 13, which not only enables the rotation of the support frame, but also improves the durability of the structure by sharing the load through multiple gears; the setting of drive motor 14 ensures that the rotation action is controllable and meets the needs of supplemental lighting or light reduction at different shooting angles.

[0033] like Figure 6 As shown, the support frame 8 is provided with a wire groove, the wire of the supplementary light 5 is located in the wire groove, and the outlet of the wire groove is located on the rotating shaft 15, with the wire extending from the rear end of the rotating shaft 15.

[0034] Through the above structure, the wire groove design inside the support frame 8 allows the wires of the supplementary light 5 to be arranged in an orderly manner along the groove and extend from the rear end of the rotating shaft 15, avoiding exposed or tangled wires and reducing the risk of failure caused by messy wiring. The way the wires are led out from the rotating shaft 15 is more adaptable to the rotation of the support frame 8, preventing wire wear or breakage and improving the stability of equipment operation.

[0035] The front end of the housing 6 is provided with grooves 16 on both the left and right sides, and a door 17 is hinged inside. A torsion spring 18 is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the door 17, and the two ends of the torsion spring 18 are fixedly connected to the door 17 and the groove 16 respectively.

[0036] like Figure 4 , 5 As shown, the sliding plate 7 has push plates 19 on both the left and right sides of its front end, and the support frame 8 is located between the two push plates 19. The front end surface of the push plate 19 is a slope or an arc surface.

[0037] Through the above structural design, the groove 16 at the front end of the housing 6 fits tightly with the hinged door 17. During the retraction of the neutral density filter 4 and the supplementary light 5, the door 17 can automatically close under the action of the torsion spring 18, thus forming a sealed protection. In addition, the push plate 19 at the front end of the sliding plate 7 (whose front end face is designed as a bevel or arc surface) contacts the door 17 when the support frame 8 extends, realizing the smooth opening and closing of the door 17. This design ensures the integrity of the protective function without affecting the normal operation of each component, effectively extending the service life of the equipment.

[0038] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0039] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

[0040] The present invention and its embodiments have been described above. This description is not restrictive, and the accompanying drawings are only one embodiment of the present invention; the actual structure is not limited thereto. In conclusion, if those skilled in the art are inspired by this description and design similar structures and embodiments without departing from the inventive spirit of the present invention, such designs should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A UAV for inspecting power transmission and substations, comprising a UAV (1), a camera (2), and a housing (3), wherein the camera (2) is fixedly mounted on the front end face of the housing (3), characterized in that: It also includes a neutral density filter (4) and a fill light (5). The bottom of the housing (3) is fixedly provided with a housing (6). Inside the housing (6) is a sliding plate (7) that can move back and forth. A support frame (8) is rotatably provided on the front side of the sliding plate (7). The neutral density filter (4) and the fill light (5) are respectively fixed on the left and right ends of the support frame (8). A displacement drive mechanism is provided inside the housing (6) to drive the support frame (8) to extend to the front side of the camera (2). A rotation drive mechanism is provided on the sliding plate (7) to drive the support frame (8) to rotate.

2. The power transmission and distribution station inspection unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The displacement driving mechanism includes a threaded rod (9) and a slider (10) rotatably disposed at the bottom of the housing (6). The bottom of the housing (6) is provided with a groove (11), the threaded rod (9) is located in the groove (11), the slider (10) cooperates with the groove (11), and is provided with a threaded hole that matches the threaded rod (9). The bottom of the sliding plate (7) is fixedly connected to the slider (10), and a drive motor (20) is provided on the housing (6) corresponding to the threaded rod (9).

3. The power transmission and distribution station inspection unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotation drive mechanism includes gear one (12), gear two (13) and drive motor two (14). A rotating shaft (15) is provided on the rear side of the center of the support frame (8). The rotating shaft (15) passes through the sliding plate (7) and extends out from its rear side. Gear one (12) is fixed to the rear end of the rotating shaft (15). There are multiple gear two (13) and they are evenly arranged around gear one (12). Gear two (13) is rotatably connected to the rear side wall of the sliding plate (7), and the output shaft of drive motor two (14) is connected to one of the gear two (13).

4. The power transmission and distribution station inspection unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3, characterized in that: The support frame (8) is provided with a wire groove, the wire of the supplementary light (5) is located in the wire groove, and the outlet of the wire groove is located on the rotating shaft (15), with the wire extending from the rear end of the rotating shaft (15).

5. The power transmission and distribution station inspection drone according to claim 1, wherein: The housing (6) has grooves (16) on both the left and right sides of the front end, and a door (17) is hinged inside. A torsion spring (18) is sleeved on the hinge shaft of the door (17), and the two ends of the torsion spring (18) are fixedly connected to the door (17) and the groove (16) respectively.

6. The power transmission and distribution station inspection drone according to claim 5, wherein: The sliding plate (7) has push plates (19) on both the left and right sides of its front end, and the support frame (8) is located between the two push plates (19). The front end surface of the push plate (19) is a slope or an arc surface.

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