An unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of carrier suitable for unmanned aerial vehicle to carry out express product distribution, the carrier can be fixed in all directions to express product, and can efficiently release this all-directional fixation, and realize self-unloading.The present application includes box and express product fixing device, the box includes reversible bottom plate, bottom plate overturning control device and mounting device;The express product fixing device includes parallel fixing device and vertical fixing device, the parallel fixing device is used to fix express product in front and back, left and right direction, and the vertical fixing device is used to fix express product in up and down direction.The present application can realize the fixation to various shapes and sizes of express product by plane fixing device and vertical fixing device, further improves the applicability to express product;At the same time, the self-unloading of the carried express product is realized, the recycling of carrier is avoided, so as to effectively improve the utilization efficiency of carrier, and the cost of recycling is saved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a drone carrier. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of drone technology, using drones for express delivery is an inevitable trend. However, the lack of suitable dedicated carriers has become one of the major factors restricting drone express delivery. The main reason is the lack of an effective solution to the contradiction between a dedicated carrier being able to securely fix the package from all directions and efficiently and automatically release itself from this all-around fixation. The current practice typically involves using a special cardboard box to hold the package and then securing it to the drone. Because the box's function as a carrier and its function as packaging cannot be separated, upon arrival at the destination, the box must first be released along with the package. The recipient then manually separates and retrieves the box before its function as a carrier is realized. However, achieving this retrieval is not only multi-step and costly, but also difficult to guarantee a high recovery rate, inevitably leading to potential waste. Therefore, how to enable a carrier to secure the package from all directions (top, bottom, left, right, front, and back) while also being able to automatically and efficiently release itself from this all-around fixation has become a critical problem that urgently needs to be solved for drone carriers. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone carrier that can secure express delivery items of various shapes from all angles and can also unload them automatically, thereby effectively improving the applicability and efficiency of the carrier.

[0004] The objective of this invention is achieved through the following technical solutions: A drone carrier includes a container and a package securing device. The container comprises a container frame, a flip-up base plate, a base plate flipping control device, and a mounting device. The flip-up base plate has a fence-like structure, with one end connected to the container frame and the other end open. The base plate flipping control device is mounted on the container frame and controls the flipping of the base plate. The mounting device is used to dock with relevant devices on the drone. The package securing device includes a parallel securing device and a vertical securing device. The parallel securing device includes a support arm, a slider, and a fixing baffle. The support arm includes a longitudinal support arm and a latitudinal support arm, which are arranged intersectingly. The slider is mounted on the support arm and can slide back and forth on it. A positioning device is provided to set the position of the slider on the support arm. The fixing baffle is mounted on the slider and moves with it to secure the package.

[0005] The vertical fixing device includes an airbag, an air valve, and a pressure plate. The airbag is mounted on the support arm, the air valve is used to control the airbag to take in or release air, and the pressure plate is located at the bottom of the airbag to cover and press down the fixed express item.

[0006] The parallel fixing device is equipped with a fixing baffle state control device, which is used to fix or release the fixed express item by controlling the relative angle change between the fixing baffle and the slider. The fixing baffle state control device includes a baffle positioning device, a baffle locking device, and a baffle resetting device. The baffle positioning device is used to set the relative angle between the fixing baffle and the slider. The baffle locking device is used to lock or release the relative angle between the fixing baffle and the slider. The baffle resetting device is used to reset the fixing baffle.

[0007] The mounting device is equipped with a control lever for adjusting the angle of the hook.

[0008] The express delivery fixing device is equipped with a linkage release device, which includes a linkage crossbar, a return spring, and a release drive rod. The linkage release device is used to release the baffle locking device.

[0009] The pressure plate is provided with a fixed baffle channel.

[0010] The rotatable base plate is equipped with a base plate slow-descent device to reduce the rotatable base plate's rotation speed.

[0011] The advantages of this invention are: firstly, it enables the carrier to unload the express items it carries, thus avoiding the need for carrier recycling, thereby improving the utilization efficiency of the carrier and saving recycling costs; secondly, it can flexibly fix express items of different shapes and sizes, thereby further improving the applicability of the carrier; and thirdly, under the premise that each express item is fixed independently, it can deliver multiple express items at once, improving the carrying efficiency of the carrier. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a box according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A top-view structural diagram.

[0014] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A side view structural diagram.

[0015] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a courier item fixing device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 5yes Figure 4 A top-view structural diagram.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the slider and fixed baffle according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 yes Figure 6 A side view structural diagram.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the support arm according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 9 yes Figure 8 A top-view structural diagram.

[0021] Figure 10 yes Figure 8 A side view structural diagram.

[0022] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a base plate flipping control device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the mounting device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] 1—Box body warp rod, 2—Box body weft rod, 3—Box body vertical rod, 4—Slot, 5—Express delivery unit, 6—Reversible bottom plate, 7—Bottom plate grid rod, 8—Bottom plate grid rod connecting rod, 9—Reversible bearing, 10—Bottom plate ratchet gear, 11—Bottom plate pawl, 12—Bottom plate pawl pivot, 13—Bottom plate pawl release push rod, 14—Slow descent shaft, 15—Slow descent bearing, 16—Hook, 17—Hook pivot, 18—Hook control rod, 19—Hook return spring, 20—Lock tongue slot, 21—Hook connecting plate, 22—Hook inner stop plug, 23—Hook outer stop plug, 24—Outer stop plug connecting plate, 25—Hook locking tongue, 26—Lock tongue pivot, 27—Hook locking tongue release rod, 28—Warp support arm, 29—Weft support arm 30—Slider, 31—Ratchet, 32—Positioning pawl, 33—Positioning pawl release button, 34—Fixed baffle moving hole, 35—Slider connector, 36—Fixed baffle, 37—Fixed baffle rotating shaft, 38—Fixed baffle plug, 39—Baffle positioning shaft, 40—Ratchet groove, 41—Baffle pawl, 42—Pawl release key, 43—Baffle pawl rotating shaft, 44—Baffle return spring, 45—Linkage crossbar, 46—Linkage crossbar fixed turntable, 47—Linkage crossbar rotating shaft, 48—Linkage crossbar return spring, 49—Linkage crossbar drive rod, 50—Linkage crossbar drive rod operation guide hole, 51—Airbag ①, 52—Airbag ②, 53—Airbag ③, 54—Airbag ④, 55—Air valve, 56—Pressure plate, 57—Fixed baffle channel. Detailed Implementation

[0025] Referring to the accompanying drawings, this embodiment consists of a box and a package securing device. Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 3 The box body consists of a box frame, a flip-up base plate 6, a base plate flipping control device, a base plate slow-descent device, a mounting device, and a slot 4. The box body's warp rods 1, weft rods 2, and vertical rods 3 are interconnected to form the box frame. The warp rods 1 and weft rods 2 intersect, dividing the box body into individual parcel placement units 5 for placing parcels. Each parcel placement unit 5 holds one parcel and is individually secured using a parcel fixing device. The number of parcel placement units 5 can be set according to actual needs to differentiate between carriers of different capacities. This embodiment provides six parcel placement units 5. The flip-up base plate 6 is formed by base plate grid rods 7 fixed in a grid shape to base plate grid rod connecting rods 8, with one end of the base plate grid rods 7 connected to the base plate grid rod connecting rod 8 and the other end open. The base plate grid rod connecting rod 8 is mounted on the box vertical rod 3 via a flip bearing 9. In this embodiment, the flip-up base plate 6 is divided into two pieces, and the base plate grid rods 7 of the two flip-up base plates 6 are arranged correspondingly to each other. (Refer to...) Figure 11 The bottom plate flipping control device in this embodiment consists of a bottom plate ratchet 10, a bottom plate pawl 11, and a bottom plate pawl release push rod 13. The bottom plate ratchet 10 is fixed to the bottom plate grid connecting rod 8. The bottom plate pawl 11 is mounted on the box vertical rod 3 via the bottom plate pawl rotating shaft 12. When the bottom plate pawl 11 meshes with the bottom plate ratchet 10, it can control the flippable bottom plate 6 to remain perpendicular to the box vertical rod 3, thereby forming the bottom plate of the box to carry express items. When separated, the flip-up base plate 6, under its own weight, forms a state parallel to the vertical rod 3 of the box, allowing the express items on it to be unloaded. The base plate pawl release push rod 13 is connected to the base plate pawl 11, used to control the engagement and disengagement of the base plate pawl 11 and the base plate ratchet 10. A base plate slow-descent device is provided on the flip-up base plate 6, which is used to slowly descend the flip-up base plate 6 after it is unlocked, so that the flip-up base plate 6 will not endanger the express items due to the large impact force and wide back-and-forth swing caused by free fall. In this embodiment, the base plate slow-descent device consists of a slow-descent shaft 14 and a slow-descent bearing 15. The slow-descent shaft 14 is set on the base plate grid rods 7 on both sides of the flip-up base plate 6, and the slow-descent bearing 15 is set on the slow-descent shaft 14. When the flip-up base plate 6 is unlocked, the slow-descent bearing 15 will first contact the receiving device and gradually sink as the receiving device descends, thereby preventing the flip-up base plate 6 from opening too quickly. The mounting device is used to mount the vehicle onto the drone, as shown in the reference. Figure 12The mounting device in this embodiment consists of a hook 16, a hook pivot 17, a hook control rod 18, a hook return spring 19, a latch groove 20, a hook connecting plate 21, a hook inner stop plug 22, a hook outer stop plug 23, an outer stop plug connecting plate 24, a hook locking latch 25, a latch pivot 26, and a hook locking latch release rod 27. The hook 16 is mounted on the box body vertical rod 3 via the hook pivot 17. The hook control rod 18 is used to adjust the tilt angle of the hook 16. The hook return spring 19 is used to return the hook 16 to its initial position. The hook connecting plate 21 is used to connect two hooks. The hook inner stop plug 22 is set on the box body weft rods 2 on both sides of the upper layer of the box body. The hook outer stop plug 23 is connected to the hook via the outer stop plug connecting rod 24. The hook inner stop plug 22 is connected to the hook outer stop plug 23 to limit the inward and outward tilt angles of the hook 16. The locking tongue groove 20, hook locking tongue 25, locking tongue pivot 26, and hook locking tongue release rod 27 constitute a safety device to lock the hook 16 in the hanging state. The hook locking tongue 25 is mounted on the box vertical rod 3 through the locking tongue pivot 26 and is normally in the locking tongue groove 20 through a corresponding reset device. When a disengagement operation is required, the hook locking tongue 25 must first be driven away from the locking tongue groove 20 by the hook locking tongue release rod 27, and then the hook 16 can be tilted outward at a certain angle by the hook control rod 18 to achieve disengagement from the drone. The slot 4 is set at the corresponding positions of the warp rod 1 and weft rod 2 of each box in the upper layer to position and fix the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29.

[0026] Reference Figure 4 , Figure 5The express delivery fixing device in this embodiment includes a parallel fixing device and a vertical fixing device. The parallel fixing device is used to fix the express delivery in the front-back and left-right directions, and consists of a support arm, a slider 30, a slider positioning device, a fixing baffle 36, a baffle attitude control device, and a linkage release device. The support arm includes a warp support arm 28 and a weft support arm 29, which are arranged to cross each other. Both the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29 are provided with fixing baffle moving holes 34. The slider connector 35 is connected to the slider 30 through the fixing baffle moving holes 34. Two sliders 30 are arranged facing each other on both the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29 to support the displacement of the fixing baffle 36. The slider positioning device in this embodiment consists of a ratchet rack 31, a positioning pawl 32, and a positioning pawl release button 33. The ratchet rack 31 is respectively arranged on the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29. The positioning pawl 32 and the positioning pawl release button 33 are mounted on the slider 30. When the positioning pawl release button is pressed, the slider release button is activated. When button 33 is pressed, the positioning pawl 32 separates from the ratchet rack 31, allowing the slider 30 to move inward and outward on the support arm. When the positioning pawl release button 33 is released, the positioning pawl 32 engages with the ratchet rack 31, and the slider 30 can only move inward on the support arm, not outward. Through the positioning device, the slider 30 can move back and forth on the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29, and can also be positioned anywhere. The fixed baffle 36 is used to adhere to the fixed express item, thereby fixing it. The fixed baffle 36 is mounted on the fixed baffle shaft 37 and can rotate with the fixed baffle shaft 37 to change its relative angle with the slider 30.The purpose of fixing or releasing the express delivery item is achieved by controlling the relative angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30. This is an important aspect of the present invention, and the baffle attitude control device is the basic way to achieve this. The so-called baffle attitude control is to control the change of the relative angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30. The baffle attitude control device in this embodiment consists of a baffle positioning device, a baffle locking device, and a baffle return spring 44. The baffle positioning device is used to set the relative angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30, and consists of a fixed baffle rotating shaft 37, a fixed baffle plug 38, and a baffle positioning shaft 39. The fixed baffle plug 38 cooperates with the baffle positioning shaft 39 to limit the maximum angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30. That is, when the fixed baffle plug 38 touches the baffle positioning shaft 39, it is the maximum angle that the fixed baffle 36 can rotate. In this embodiment, it is set to 90 degrees, that is, perpendicular to the slider 30. The baffle locking device is used to lock the relative angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30. The system comprises a ratchet groove 40, a baffle pawl 41, a pawl release key 42, and a baffle pawl rotating shaft 43. The ratchet groove 40 is disposed on the fixed baffle 36. The ratchet groove 40 and the baffle pawl 41 cooperate to lock the relative angle between the fixed baffle 36 and the slider 30. That is, when the ratchet groove 40 and the baffle pawl 41 are engaged, the fixed baffle 36, under the joint constraint of the baffle positioning shaft 39 and the baffle pawl 41, maintains a 90-degree angle with the slider 30. When the ratchet groove 40 and the baffle pawl 41 are disengaged, the fixed baffle 36... The plate returns to its initial position under the action of the plate return spring 44, that is, it is in a state of less than 90 degrees with the slider 30; the pawl release key 42 is connected to the baffle pawl 41 and is used to engage the linkage crossbar 45; the baffle return spring 44 is set on the fixed baffle rotating shaft 37, which serves as the baffle return device in this embodiment and is used to realize the fixed baffle 36 returning to its initial position; the fixed baffle rotating shaft 37, the baffle positioning shaft 39 and the baffle pawl rotating shaft 43 are set on the slider connector 35 and are connected to the slider 30 through the slider connector 35.The linkage release device in this embodiment is used to release the baffle pawl 41. It consists of a linkage crossbar 45, a linkage crossbar fixed turntable 46, a linkage crossbar rotating shaft 47, a linkage crossbar return spring 48, and a linkage crossbar drive rod 49. The linkage crossbar 45 drives the pawl release key 42, which is connected to the linkage crossbar fixed turntable 46 through the linkage crossbar rotating shaft 47. The linkage crossbar drive rod 49 drives the linkage crossbar fixed turntable 46 to rotate, thereby pushing the linkage crossbar 45 downward to press down the pawl release key 42 and achieve the purpose of releasing the baffle pawl 41. The linkage crossbar drive rod operation guide hole 50 is set at the slot 4 and extends vertically through the support arm to support the corresponding operation of the linkage crossbar drive rod 49. Since the linkage crossbar 45 runs horizontally through the support arm, it can simultaneously control the two fixed baffles 36 on the support arm to achieve the effect of "one-key release", thereby improving the efficiency of untying express items. The linkage crossbar return spring 48 is used to realize the linkage crossbar 45 returning to the initial position.

[0027] The vertical fixing device is used to secure the express delivery item in the vertical direction. (Refer to...) Figure 4 , Figure 5 The vertical fixing device in this embodiment consists of airbags ①51, ②52, ③53, and ④54, an air valve 55, a pressure plate 56, and a fixing baffle channel 57. The reason for setting up four independent airbags in this embodiment is to further ensure the fixing effect of the airbags, thereby avoiding the situation where the gas in a single airbag might be compressed to one side due to external forces, causing the pressure plate 56 to tilt and thus weakening the fixing effect on the express delivery. Airbags ①51, ②52, ③53, and ④54 are arranged side-by-side on the radial support. The intersection of arm 28 and weft support arm 29; air valve 55 is used to control the air intake or exhaust of the airbag, and airbags ①51, ②52, ③53 and ④54 share air valve 55; pressure plate 56 is set at the bottom of the airbag to cover the fixed express item to prevent it from fluctuating up and down; corresponding to the front, back, left and right fixed baffles 36, the pressure plate 56 is provided with corresponding fixed baffle channels 57 to ensure the movement of the fixed baffles 36, so as to maximize the covering range of the pressure plate 56 without reducing the movement range of the fixed baffles 36.

[0028] The workflow of this embodiment is briefly described below: In use, first, place the two flip-up base plates 6 perpendicular to the vertical rod 3 of the box. Then, place each express item into its respective express item placement unit 5. Set the fixing baffle 36 of the express item fixing device to be perpendicular to the slider 30, and open the air valve 55. Then, insert the warp support arm 28 and the weft support arm 29 into their respective slots 4 and fix them in place. Move the corresponding slider 30 so that the fixing baffles 36 on all sides are tightly against the fixed express item. The package is handed over and positioned, thus securing it in all directions. Since the air valve 55 is open, when the package securing device is placed in the slot 4, the pressure plate 56 automatically adheres to the secured package. That is, when the secured package is lower than the original height of the pressure plate 56, the pressure plate 56, under its own weight, causes the airbags ①51, ②52, ③53, and ④54 to draw in air evenly, lowering the height of the pressure plate 56 until it adheres to the secured package. When the package is lower than its original height, the pressure plate 56, under its own weight, causes the airbags ①51, ②52, ③53, and ④54 to draw in air evenly, lowering the height of the pressure plate 56 until it adheres to the secured package. When the package is higher than the original height of the pressure plate 56, after the pressure plate 56 adheres to the package, airbags ①51, ②52, ③53, and ④54 will continuously release air to raise the position of the pressure plate 56, preventing excessive compression of the package. This continues until the package securing device is in place. Then, the air valve 55 is closed to maintain the corresponding air pressure in the airbags, keeping the pressure plate 56 in a state of contact with the package. This prevents the package from fluctuating vertically, thus completing the vertical fixation of the package. This completes the fixation of the package. The operation process for the package involves the following steps: After all the packages have been secured, the package can be mounted onto the drone using the drone mounting device. First, the hook locking release lever 27 is triggered, causing the hook locking tongue 25 to disengage from the tongue slot 20. Then, the hook 16 is mounted on the drone. After mounting, the hook 16 returns to its initial position under the action of the hook reset spring 19, and the hook locking tongue 25 re-engages into the tongue slot 20 to lock the hook 16 in its current state, thus completing the mounting process.

[0029] When it is necessary to unload the express items carried in this embodiment, the linkage crossbar drive rod 49 is first driven to release the vertical state of the fixed baffle 36, allowing the fixed baffle 36 to return to its initial tilted state. Thus, the fixed baffles 36 in all directions (front, back, left, and right) can detach from the fixed express items, achieving the release of the fixation on the express items. Then, the bottom plate pawl release push rod 13 is driven to separate the bottom plate pawl 11 from the bottom plate ratchet gear 10. The flip-up bottom plate 6 then flips using the flip bearing 9, changing from a vertical state to a parallel state with the box's vertical rod 3, thereby unloading the express items placed on it. Since the entire unloading process only requires triggering the linkage crossbar drive rod 49 and the bottom plate pawl release push rod 13 to release the fixation on the express items vertically, horizontally, and horizontally, and to achieve self-unloading, without the need for a power device, the untying efficiency is effectively improved.

[0030] The above embodiments, through the planar fixing device and the vertical fixing device, can achieve all-round fixing of express items of various shapes and sizes from top to bottom, left to right, and front to back, further improving the applicability to express items of various shapes and sizes; secondly, the above embodiments realize the self-unloading of the express items carried, avoiding the need for recycling the vehicle, thereby effectively improving the utilization efficiency of the vehicle and saving the cost of recycling; thirdly, under the premise of separate fixing, this embodiment can load 6 express items at the same time, further improving the transportation efficiency.

[0031] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the present invention can have various modifications and variations. All equivalent transformations and modifications made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A drone carrier, comprising a container and a package securing device, characterized in that, The container includes a container frame, a flip-up base plate, a base plate flipping control device, and a mounting device. The flip-up base plate has a fence-like structure, with one end connected to the container frame and the other end open. The base plate flipping control device is mounted on the container frame and is used to control the flip-up of the base plate. The mounting device is used to dock with relevant devices on the drone. The package securing device includes a parallel securing device and a vertical securing device. The parallel securing device includes a support arm, a slider, and a fixing baffle. The support arm includes a warp support arm and a weft support arm, which are arranged intersecting each other. The slider is mounted on the support arm and can slide back and forth on the support arm. It is equipped with a positioning device to set the position of the slider on the support arm. The fixing baffle is mounted on the slider and moves with the slider to secure the package.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The vertical fixing device includes an airbag, an air valve, and a pressure plate. The airbag is mounted on the support arm, the air valve controls the airbag's air intake / exhaust, and the pressure plate is located at the bottom of the airbag to cover and press down the fixed express item.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parallel fixing device is equipped with a fixing baffle state control device, which is used to fix / release the fixed express item by controlling the relative angle change between the fixing baffle and the slider. The fixing baffle state control device includes a baffle positioning device, a baffle locking device, and a baffle resetting device. The baffle positioning device is used to set the relative angle between the fixing baffle and the slider. The baffle locking device is used to lock / release the relative angle between the fixing baffle and the slider. The baffle resetting device is used to reset the fixing baffle.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 1, characterized in that, The mounting device is equipped with a control lever for adjusting the angle of the hook.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 3, characterized in that, The express delivery fixing device is equipped with a linkage release device, which includes a linkage crossbar, a return spring, and a release drive rod. The linkage release device is used to release the baffle locking device.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 2, characterized in that, The pressure plate is provided with a fixed baffle channel.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The rotatable base plate is equipped with a base plate slow-descent device to reduce the rotatable base plate's rotation speed.

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