An unmanned aerial vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable

Abstract

The application discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable, which comprises, from inside to outside, a hollow optical fiber, a tensile coating and a protective layer, wherein the tensile coating is coated on the outer peripheral part of the hollow optical fiber, and the protective layer covers the whole outer peripheral part of the hollow optical fiber and the tensile coating. The unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable can reduce the overall weight, increase the signal transmission distance between the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground control system on the basis of signal stability, low latency, low loss, high laser damage threshold, strong anti-interference capability and real-time information transmission reliability, and meet the demand of long-distance operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The application further discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising the unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable, and the unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable is used for connecting the unmanned aerial vehicle and the ground control system, thus having the same advantages as the unmanned aerial vehicle umbilical optical cable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of communication equipment technology, and more specifically, to a drone and its umbilical optical cable. Background Technology

[0002] The application of drones in military reconnaissance, environmental monitoring, security patrols, and emergency rescue is becoming increasingly widespread. Specific mission scenarios place extremely high demands on the reliability of data transmission. Traditional connection schemes between drones and ground control systems primarily rely on wireless communication, employing multi-band collaborative technology and proprietary communication protocols. The ground control unit sends control commands to the drone, while the drone sends its own status information and data recorded by its onboard camera back to the ground control unit. While this wireless communication method can meet basic information transmission requirements, it suffers from unstable signals, limited bandwidth, susceptibility to interference, high latency, and a tendency to cause operational errors. Real-time information transmission is also poor, resulting in low reliability. In some specific applications, wired transmission is used between drones and ground control systems. However, this wired communication connection also has many drawbacks, including heavy cables, limited drone load capacity, short signal transmission distance, and inability to meet long-distance operational requirements. Utility Model Content

[0003] To address the aforementioned technical problems, this utility model provides a drone and its umbilical optical cable, which can reduce overall weight and, while maintaining stable signal, low latency, low loss, high laser damage threshold, strong anti-interference capability, and reliable real-time information transmission, increase the signal transmission distance between the drone and the ground control system, thus meeting the needs of long-distance drone operations.

[0004] This utility model provides an umbilical optical cable for unmanned aerial vehicles, comprising a hollow optical fiber, a tensile coating, and a protective layer arranged sequentially from the inside out. The tensile coating is applied to the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber, and the protective layer covers the entire outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber and the tensile coating.

[0005] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the tensile coating is a carbon fiber reinforced polymer coating.

[0006] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the tensile coating is spirally coated on the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber.

[0007] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the number of tensile coatings is at least three.

[0008] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the protective layer is a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer layer.

[0009] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the thickness of the protective layer is 0.03 mm to 0.07 mm.

[0010] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the protective layer is a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer masterbatch material layer.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the width of the tensile coating is 1 / 15 to 1 / 8 of the circumference of the hollow optical fiber.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the thickness of the tensile coating is 5% to 20% of the width of the tensile coating.

[0013] The present invention provides a drone, including a drone umbilical optical cable as described in any of the above claims, wherein the drone umbilical optical cable is used to connect the drone to a ground control system.

[0014] As can be seen from the above technical solution, the UAV umbilical optical cable provided by this utility model, with its hollow-core optical fiber, tensile coating, and protective layer arranged sequentially from the inside out, wherein the tensile coating is applied to the outer periphery of the hollow-core optical fiber and the protective layer covers the entire outer periphery of the hollow-core optical fiber and the tensile coating, can reduce the overall weight by utilizing this hollow-core optical fiber. Combined with the application of the tensile coating and protective layer, it can increase the signal transmission distance between the UAV and the ground control system while maintaining signal stability, low latency, low loss, high laser damage threshold, strong anti-interference ability, and reliable real-time information transmission, thus meeting the needs of long-distance UAV operations. The UAV provided by this utility model has the same advantages. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this utility model or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an umbilical optical cable for a drone provided by this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The core of this utility model is to provide a drone and its umbilical optical cable, which can reduce the overall weight and increase the signal transmission distance between the drone and the ground control system on the basis of stable signal, low latency, low loss, high laser damage threshold, strong anti-interference ability and reliable real-time information transmission, so as to meet the needs of drone long-distance operation.

[0018] 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. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0019] An embodiment of the umbilical optical cable for unmanned aerial vehicles provided by this utility model is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of an embodiment of an umbilical optical cable for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provided by this utility model. The UAV umbilical optical cable may include, from the inside out, a hollow optical fiber 1, a tensile coating 2, and a protective layer 3. It should be noted that the hollow optical fiber 1 is a special type of optical fiber with a hollow core, replacing the traditional quartz glass core with an air core. Through the "anti-resonance" or "photonic bandgap" effect, the optical signal is confined to the air for transmission. Using this hollow optical fiber 1 as the optical transmission unit, and with the sequentially layered sheathing, the weight of the optical cable can be significantly reduced, forming an ultra-lightweight umbilical optical cable. This greatly reduces the weight burden on the UAV, allowing it to fly to farther locations. Furthermore, it offers advantages such as low latency, low loss, low nonlinearity, high laser damage threshold, wider operating bandwidth, stronger anti-interference capability, and more reliable real-time information transmission. The tensile coating 2 is applied to the hollow optical fiber... The tensile coating 2 on the outer periphery of the hollow fiber 1 is a functional coating used to improve the strength, toughness and durability of the hollow fiber 1 under tensile load. Through material composite, interface strengthening and microstructure optimization, it significantly enhances the tensile strength, fracture toughness and fatigue life of the hollow fiber 1, thereby improving the bending and tensile performance of the hollow fiber 1. Specifically, the tensile coating 2 can preferably be a carbon fiber reinforced polymer coating, which is a carbon fiber-polymer composite structure realized at the "thin coating" scale (tens to hundreds of micrometers). It retains the advantages of macroscopic CFRP in terms of light weight and high strength, and also has the advantages of "surface functionalization" and "in-situ construction". The protective layer 3 covers the entire outer periphery of the hollow fiber 1 and the tensile coating 2, thereby effectively protecting the hollow fiber 1 and the tensile coating 2 inside and preventing the hollow fiber 1 from being damaged by external forces.

[0020] As can be seen from the above technical solution, in the embodiment of the UAV umbilical optical cable provided by this utility model, the hollow optical fiber, tensile coating and protective layer are arranged sequentially from the inside to the outside. The tensile coating is coated on the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber, and the protective layer covers the entire outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber and the tensile coating. Therefore, the overall weight can be reduced by using the hollow optical fiber. Combined with the application of the tensile coating and the protective layer, the signal transmission distance between the UAV and the ground control system can be increased on the basis of stable signal, low latency, low loss, high laser damage threshold, strong anti-interference ability and reliable real-time information transmission, so as to meet the needs of UAV long-distance operation.

[0021] In a specific embodiment of the aforementioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the tensile coating 2 can be spirally coated on the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber 1, retaining the ultra-low latency and low loss characteristics of the hollow optical fiber 1 while significantly improving its longitudinal tensile strength. Furthermore, the number of tensile coatings 2 is preferably at least three; that is, three, four, or more tensile coatings can be used, without limitation. A higher number results in better tensile performance, but increases cost. When three tensile coatings are used, they can be evenly distributed at a 120° angle on the circumference of the hollow optical fiber 1. This unidirectional spiral winding method further increases the stiffness and strength of the hollow optical fiber 1, further improving the bending resistance of the entire cross-section of the umbilical optical cable.

[0022] In another specific embodiment of the aforementioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the protective layer 3 can preferably be a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer layer. This is a perfluorothermoplastic coating copolymerized from tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) and hexafluoropropylene (HFP), possessing both the chemical inertness and melt-processing properties of PTFE. It has a melting point of 260°C to 280°C, a dielectric constant of 2.0 to 2.1, which hardly changes with frequency, making it suitable for high-speed optical signals. It also exhibits excellent insulation, is hydrophobic and oleophobic, has a water contact angle greater than 110°, is non-flammable, and has strong chemical inertness, not reacting with any chemicals. Of course, other materials capable of achieving the same effect can also be selected to make this protective layer 3 according to actual needs; there are no limitations here. Furthermore, the thickness of this protective layer can preferably be 0.03mm to 0.07mm. This relatively large thickness effectively provides protection, preventing external forces from damaging the internal components and affecting normal signal transmission.

[0023] In another specific embodiment of the aforementioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the protective layer 3 can preferably be a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer color masterbatch material layer. This layer is a blend of particles made from FEP as the base resin and high-concentration pigments / functional fillers. Through melt extrusion, electrostatic spraying, or co-extrusion coating, a colored functional coating is formed on the surface of the hollow optical fiber 1. This retains all the advantages of FEP itself, such as chemical resistance, high temperature resistance, and low dielectric constant, while simultaneously solving the problems of color identification, ultraviolet shielding, laser absorption, and melt lubrication through the "color masterbatch," achieving the purpose of differentiating the color of the umbilical optical cable and meeting the functional requirements of protection, identification, and customization. Furthermore, the surface of this protective layer 3 can also be treated with a matte finish to reduce surface reflection, further enhancing the physical concealment of the optical cable and making it suitable for military and other fields.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the aforementioned UAV umbilical optical cable, the width of the tensile coating 2 can preferably be 1 / 15 to 1 / 8 of the circumference of the hollow optical fiber 1, and further, the thickness of the tensile coating 2 can preferably be 5% to 20% of the width of the tensile coating 2. Specifically, the aforementioned UAV umbilical optical cable can be produced using a continuous production line of the following type: such a production line should be able to integrate the spiral coating of the hollow optical fiber with the polymer fiber coating, and co-extrude it with the composite layer, using servo synchronous control technology, achieving a production speed of up to 50m / min, and also be able to perform intelligent process optimization, using machine learning algorithms to adjust the parameters of each production unit in real time: wire tension (±0.5N), curing temperature (±1°C), extrusion temperature (±1°C), extrusion amount, take-up tension (±0.5N), etc., to ensure product consistency.

[0025] In summary, the UAV umbilical optical cable embodiments provided in this application employ hollow optical fiber as the transmission medium, combined with lightweight composite materials such as silicone resin, epoxy acrylate, polyimide, and photocurable polysilane, and an integrated functional layer. This solves the problems of unstable signal, limited bandwidth, susceptibility to interference, high latency, easy misoperation, and poor real-time information transmission when wirelessly connecting UAVs to ground control systems. It also solves the problems of heavy connection medium and short transmission distance when UAVs are wired to ground control systems. Furthermore, the physical stealth function of this ultra-lightweight UAV umbilical optical cable is suitable for special application scenarios such as military reconnaissance. This solution can significantly improve the reliability of UAV operations.

[0026] In one embodiment of the drone provided by this utility model, a drone umbilical optical cable as described above is included. This drone umbilical optical cable is used to connect the drone to a ground control system. Because this drone uses the aforementioned drone umbilical optical cable, it also possesses the same advantages, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0027] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to make or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. An umbilical optical cable for unmanned aerial vehicles, characterized in that, It includes a hollow optical fiber, a tensile coating, and a protective layer arranged sequentially from the inside out, wherein the tensile coating is applied to the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber, and the protective layer covers the entire outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber and the tensile coating.

2. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tensile coating is a carbon fiber reinforced polymer coating.

3. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 2, characterized in that, The tensile coating is spirally applied to the outer periphery of the hollow optical fiber.

4. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 3, characterized in that, The number of tensile coatings is at least three.

5. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective layer is a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer layer.

6. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 5, characterized in that, The thickness of the protective layer is 0.03 mm to 0.07 mm.

7. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective layer is a fluorinated ethylene propylene copolymer masterbatch material layer.

8. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the tensile coating is 1 / 15 to 1 / 8 of the circumference of the hollow optical fiber.

9. The UAV umbilical optical cable according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the tensile coating is 5% to 20% of the width of the tensile coating.

10. A drone, characterized in that, Includes the drone umbilical optical cable as described in any one of claims 1-9, wherein the drone umbilical optical cable is used to connect the drone to the ground control system.

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