An unmanned aerial vehicle for detecting and disposing of hollow tiles on an external wall

Abstract

The utility model discloses an unmanned plane for outer wall hollow tile detection and disposal, including unmanned plane body, the bottom of unmanned plane body is loaded with metal support, is installed with hollow box in metal support, is equipped with power supply and electric control assembly in the hollow box, the metal disc is welded with metal support just below, and the mechanical arm is assembled to the metal disc bottom, and the mechanical arm includes rotary lever, and the rotary lever is connected with circular hollow pipe, and the one end of circular hollow pipe away from rotary lever is equipped with vacuum chuck, and is equipped with the top cone in circular hollow pipe. Realize remote visual positioning through camera, and the vacuum chuck and impact top cone integrated in the end of mechanical arm can complete the preliminary judgment and subsequent processing to outer wall tile without manual climbing, improve the operation safety and efficiency, the overall modular design is convenient for maintenance and upgrade, and power supply and electric control assembly are centrally arranged in the hollow box, which is beneficial to gravity control and electromagnetic shielding, and enhances flight stability.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of exterior wall treatment technology, and in particular to a drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls. Background Technology

[0002] The cavity tile robot is specifically designed for exterior wall inspection and maintenance, aiming to replace traditional manual high-altitude work. It effectively avoids the risks of working at heights, ensuring the safety of construction personnel in all aspects. The robot possesses precise detection capabilities, efficiently identifying potential hazards such as cavity tiles, resulting in more reliable inspection results. Simultaneously, its equipped specialized devices enable precise repair and surface finishing, significantly improving maintenance quality and efficiency. The application of this equipment not only greatly reduces safety risks but also optimizes the accuracy and effectiveness of exterior wall maintenance.

[0003] In current technologies, the inspection and treatment of ceramic tile exterior walls generally rely on manual operation, which has many drawbacks. Workers need to climb at heights, which is not only physically demanding but also poses serious safety risks such as falls, resulting in significant safety hazards and failing to meet the needs of modern urban high-rise building exterior wall maintenance for efficiency, safety, and precision. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls, in order to solve the problem mentioned in the background art that the detection and treatment of tiled exterior walls generally relies on manual operation, which is risky.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: a drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls, comprising a drone body, a metal bracket mounted below the drone body, a hollow box mounted on the metal bracket, a power supply and electronic control components inside the hollow box, a metal disc welded directly below the metal bracket, a robotic arm mounted at the bottom of the metal disc, the robotic arm including a rotating rod, a circular hollow pipe connected to the rotating rod, a vacuum suction cup at the end of the circular hollow pipe away from the rotating rod, and a top cone inside the circular hollow pipe.

[0006] In the preferred embodiment of this technical solution, a spring is fitted at the outer diameter of the top cone, and a motor for driving the spring compression is provided on the outside of the circular hollow pipe. The spring compression is used to store energy, so that the top cone generates an impact force.

[0007] In this preferred embodiment of the technical solution, the diameter of the rear end of the top cone is larger than the diameter of the front end of the circular hollow pipe, in order to ensure that the top cone will not burst out of the circular hollow pipe.

[0008] In a preferred embodiment of this technical solution, a vacuum generator is connected to the vacuum suction cup, which is used to generate negative pressure inside the vacuum suction cup.

[0009] Based on the preferred embodiment of this technical solution, the vacuum suction cup adopts an accordion-style structure to ensure airtightness, and the accordion-style vacuum suction cup can be folded.

[0010] Based on the preferred embodiment of this technical solution, the UAV body includes four spiral wings, which are symmetrically distributed.

[0011] Based on the preferred embodiment of this technical solution, the robotic arm is made of titanium alloy.

[0012] Based on the preferred embodiment of this technical solution, the robotic arm is equipped with a first drive motor and a second drive motor for changing the spatial position of the top cone and the vacuum suction cup. The robotic arm also includes a third drive motor for driving the rotating rod to rotate.

[0013] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are: 1. Remote visual positioning is achieved through a camera. Combined with the vacuum suction cup and impact cone integrated at the end of the robotic arm, preliminary judgment and subsequent processing of exterior wall tiles can be completed without the need for manual climbing.

[0014] 2. The overall modular design facilitates maintenance and upgrades. The power supply and electronic control components are centrally located inside the hollow box, which is beneficial for center of gravity control and electromagnetic shielding, thereby enhancing flight stability. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a structural schematic diagram of one embodiment of the UAV for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the vacuum suction cup structure of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the vacuum suction cup structure of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the circular hollow pipe structure of this utility model; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the metal support structure of this utility model.

[0016] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating rod structure of this utility model.

[0017] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the mechanical model of this utility model.

[0018] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. UAV body; 11. Propeller wing; 21. Metal support; 22. Hollow box; 23. Metal disc; 3. Robotic arm; 31. First drive motor; 32. Second drive motor; 33. Rotating rod; 4. Circular hollow tube; 51. Vacuum suction cup; 52. Top cone; 53. Spring. Detailed Implementation

[0019] With the rapid pace of modern urbanization, the number of high-rise buildings continues to grow. Exterior wall tiles, as a common facade decoration material, are directly related to public safety and building durability. However, due to long-term exposure to wind, sun, temperature fluctuations, rain erosion, and material aging, exterior wall tiles are prone to problems such as adhesive layer failure, hollowing, cracking, and even detachment. In recent years, safety accidents caused by falling exterior wall tiles have been frequent, seriously threatening pedestrian safety and public order, becoming a "high-altitude hazard" that urgently needs to be addressed in urban governance. Traditional manual inspection methods mainly rely on workers climbing scaffolding or suspended platforms, using experience-based methods such as tapping and listening for sounds. This is not only inefficient and has limited coverage, but also poses significant risks of working at height, is costly, and difficult to implement routine inspections. Furthermore, for hollow tiles that have already been discovered, subsequent handling also requires close-range manual operation, further exacerbating safety hazards. Against this backdrop, developing an integrated device for the detection and handling of hollow exterior wall tiles that can replace manual labor and achieve efficient, safe, and intelligent operation is of significant practical importance. The drone system proposed in this utility model is designed to address this industry pain point. Its core value lies in the deep integration of advanced flight control technology, remote sensing capabilities, and automated actuators, constructing an intelligent solution that can assess the condition of exterior wall tiles and proactively intervene without requiring personnel to climb to heights. Through remote high-definition visual recognition and real-time image transmission, the device enables operators to conduct comprehensive and detailed inspections of building facades from a safe ground area, significantly improving the coverage and accuracy of the inspection. Combined with impact response analysis technology, it can perform non-destructive testing on suspected hollow areas, scientifically determining their internal adhesion and avoiding misjudgments and missed detections. More importantly, this system breaks through the limitations of traditional inspection methods that are only "finding problems," possessing proactive handling capabilities. Upon confirming a potential hazard, it can immediately implement controlled impact and mechanical stripping to promptly remove loose tiles, truly achieving "instant detection and immediate treatment," eliminating the risk of falling tiles at the source, and greatly improving emergency response speed and maintenance efficiency. Furthermore, this drone is suitable for various complex building types, including the exterior wall maintenance of high-rise residential buildings, commercial buildings, schools, hospitals, and other densely populated areas. It is particularly well-suited for special scenarios such as renovation of old buildings, pre-flood season safety inspections, and post-disaster assessments, helping to establish a routine building facade health monitoring mechanism. Its application not only significantly reduces the cost and safety risks of manual inspections but also promotes the transformation and upgrading of building maintenance towards digitalization and intelligence, aligning with the development trends of smart city construction and safety production management. Simultaneously, the promotion of this technology will also help reduce legal disputes and social conflicts caused by exterior wall peeling, improving property management standards and public safety.From a broader social perspective, the widespread adoption of this equipment will promote the in-depth application of drones in special operations, drive the development of related industrial chains, provide strong technical support for urban safety management, and serve as a typical example of "technology empowering safety." It has profound significance for building a safe, livable, and sustainable urban environment.

[0020] 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.

[0021] Please see Figure 1-5 This utility model provides an embodiment of a drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls. The drone includes a main body 1, a metal support 21 mounted below the main body 1, and a hollow box 22 mounted on the metal support 21. The hollow box 22 contains a power supply and electronic control components. A metal disc 23 is welded directly below the metal support 21, and a robotic arm 3 is mounted at the bottom of the metal disc 23. The robotic arm 3 includes a rotating rod 33, connected to a circular hollow pipe 4. A vacuum suction cup 51 is located at the end of the circular hollow pipe 4 away from the rotating rod 33, and a top cone 52 is located inside the circular hollow pipe 4. Remote visual positioning is achieved through a camera. Combined with the vacuum suction cup 51 and impact top cone 52 integrated at the end of the robotic arm 3, preliminary judgment and subsequent processing of exterior wall tiles can be completed without manual climbing, improving operational safety and efficiency. The overall modular design facilitates maintenance and upgrades. The centralized arrangement of the power supply and electronic control components within the hollow box 22 is beneficial for center of gravity control and electromagnetic shielding, enhancing flight stability.

[0022] Please see Figure 1-5 A further solution based on this embodiment is as follows: a spring 53 is fitted onto the outer diameter of the top cone 52, and a motor for driving the spring 53 to compress is provided on the outside of the circular hollow pipe 4. The compression of the spring 53 is used to store energy, causing the top cone 52 to generate an impact force. Remote visual positioning is achieved through a camera. Combined with the vacuum suction cup 51 integrated at the end of the robotic arm 3 and the impact top cone 52, a preliminary judgment of the exterior wall tiles can be completed without manual climbing. The impact of the top cone 52 on the tiles facilitates subsequent peeling, improving operational safety and efficiency. The overall modular design facilitates maintenance and upgrades. The power supply and electronic control components are centrally arranged inside the hollow box 22, which is beneficial for center of gravity control and electromagnetic shielding, enhancing flight stability.

[0023] Please see Figure 1-4A further solution based on this embodiment is that the rear diameter of the top cone 52 is larger than the front diameter of the circular hollow pipe 4, in order to ensure that the top cone 52 will not burst out of the circular hollow pipe 4. This limiting structure effectively prevents the top cone 52 from detaching from the pipe body due to excessive impact during the release of the spring 53, ensuring the reliability and reusability of the actuator, and improving the safety and durability of the equipment operation.

[0024] Please see Figure 1-4 A further solution based on this embodiment is as follows: a vacuum generator is connected to the vacuum suction cup 51, which is used to generate negative pressure inside the vacuum suction cup 51. The vacuum generator can quickly establish a negative pressure environment, allowing the suction cup to firmly adhere to the surface of the tile.

[0025] Please see Figure 2-5 A further solution based on this embodiment is as follows: the vacuum suction cup 51 adopts an accordion-style structure to ensure airtightness. The accordion-style vacuum suction cup 51 can be folded. The accordion-style structure has good axial extension and contraction capabilities, which can adapt to height differences between exterior wall tiles or inclined surfaces, improving sealing and adhesion, and ensuring stable vacuum adsorption effect.

[0026] Please see Figure 2-5 A further embodiment of this solution is as follows: the UAV body 1 includes four rotor wings 11, which are symmetrically distributed. This quadcopter symmetrical layout provides excellent flight stability and maneuverability, making it suitable for low-speed hovering operations in complex urban environments and enabling precise positioning of target wall areas.

[0027] Please see Figure 2-5 A further solution based on this embodiment is that the robotic arm 3 is made of titanium alloy. Titanium alloy has the characteristics of high strength and low density, which can reduce the overall weight while ensuring the load-bearing capacity and vibration resistance of the robotic arm 3, thereby reducing the load pressure on the drone and extending its flight time.

[0028] Please see Figure 2-5 A further embodiment of this solution includes: a first drive motor 31 and a second drive motor 32 for changing the spatial positions of the top cone 52 and the vacuum suction cup 51; and a third drive motor for driving the rotating rod 33 to rotate. This multi-drive motor configuration enables multi-degree-of-freedom motion control of the robotic arm 3, allowing for flexible adjustment of the end effector's spatial orientation to accurately align with the tile surface at different positions and angles. This enhances the equipment's adaptability and operating range, meeting the needs of detection and handling in complex facade environments.

[0029] Working Principle: The symmetrical quadcopter configuration enables stable flight and precise hovering, allowing for safe approach to the exterior walls of high-rise buildings in complex urban environments. Operators use a high-definition camera mounted on the drone for remote real-time observation, combining image recognition technology to initially locate areas where tiles may be hollow or loose. Subsequently, the drone adjusts its attitude, and through the coordinated control of the first, second, and third drive motors on the robotic arm 3, the end effector precisely aligns with the target tile. At this point, the vacuum generator activates, creating negative pressure inside the accordion-style vacuum suction cup 51. Thanks to its excellent axial extensibility and self-adaptive bonding capabilities, it effectively adapts to height differences or inclined surfaces between tiles, achieving a firm and sealed adsorption. Once adsorption is stable, the drive motor compresses the spring 53, storing energy, and then releases it, propelling the top cone 52 forward at high speed along the circular hollow pipe 4, applying an instantaneous impact force to the tile surface. Because the diameter of the rear end of the top cone 52 is larger than that of the front end of the pipe, a reliable mechanical limit is formed, ensuring a safe and controllable impact process. By analyzing the vibration, sound, or displacement feedback generated by the impact, it is possible to remotely determine whether there is hollowness in the tiles. For tiles that have been confirmed to be loose, repeated impacts can be used in conjunction with the robotic arm 3 to actively break and remove them. The entire operation is remotely controlled from a ground terminal. The power supply and electrical control system are centrally located inside the hollow housing 22, which is beneficial for center of gravity balance and electromagnetic protection. The modular design facilitates maintenance and upgrades, which not only significantly improves the safety and efficiency of high-altitude operations but also realizes the integration of external wall inspection and treatment.

[0030] Based on their takeoff mechanism, multi-functional cavity robots can be categorized into several locomotion methods, including vertical takeoff, gliding takeoff, hand-launched takeoff, and catapult takeoff. A comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each method is as follows: Vertical takeoff: This takeoff method is particularly suitable for tiltrotor drones, which combine the advantages of rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft. During takeoff and landing, the rotor shaft is in a vertical position, ensuring the drone's vertical takeoff and landing. After successful takeoff, the rotor shaft will turn to a horizontal position, allowing the drone to transition to flight mode.

[0031] Taxi takeoff: This is the most common takeoff method for fixed-wing drones. It is safe, but relatively less maneuverable and flexible, making it more suitable for military drones.

[0032] Catapult takeoff: This is a more mobile and flexible method, suitable for certain types of small drones.

[0033] Hand-launched takeoff: This is the simplest takeoff method, similar to launching a paper airplane, and is suitable for lightweight, small-sized micro drones.

[0034] Considering the need for stable flight, the flight mechanism of a drone should possess powerful propulsion, reliability, flexible movement, high stability, and wide adaptability. After comprehensively analyzing the above flight methods, vertical takeoff can meet the requirements. This involves a propeller-driven wing design, with four propellers providing power to the drone. This structure provides sufficient propulsion due to the symmetrical design of the robot's center, resulting in good stability.

[0035] When selecting a mechanical model for the impact of the apex cone on the rock: The main methods for breaking ceramic tiles using drilling equipment during drilling and sampling include impact crushing, rotary cutting, and rotary impact crushing. The optimal drilling method is selected based on the drilling conditions and the type of ceramic tile being drilled. Impact crushing is suitable for ceramic tiles with high hardness and brittle mechanical properties. During impact crushing, the cutting teeth are subjected to axial static pressure and impact force. The impact force is relatively large and has a short duration, mainly used to break hard ceramic tiles; while the axial static pressure is mainly used to resist the rebound of the cutting teeth during impact. When the applied impact energy (impact force) is large, a single impact can reach the ceramic tile's breaking stress, thus breaking the tile. However, large impact energy can lead to negative effects such as system vibration and reduced drill bit life, while small impact energy is insufficient to cause cracks in the ceramic tile. Therefore, selecting an impact energy within a reasonable range is crucial for impact crushing of ceramic tiles. Based on the ceramic tile's fracture morphology and combined with wave dynamics theory, the mechanical model of the interaction between the drill bit cutting teeth and the ceramic tile is established as follows: Figure 7 .

[0036] According to the theory of impact rock breaking, when the top cone cutting teeth impact a ceramic tile, the impact force is transmitted to the tile in the form of a stress wave through the indenter. Refraction and reflection occur at the impact contact surface. Based on force balance, it can be concluded that… F(t) = -P(t) + Q(t) In the formula, P(t) represents the equation for the impact force of the indenter. Q(t) — Equation for the reflective force of the ceramic tile surface; F(t) — Dynamic mechanical parameters of ceramic tile impact.

[0037] The influencing factors of the impact indentation force function and reflection force function in the above formula include the peak value of the impact force waveform, the impact fracture time, and the physical and mechanical properties of the tile itself. Among them, the mechanical models of the tile include elastic models, elastoplastic models, and viscoelastic-plastic models.

[0038] Because the tiles break under impact, that is F(t) = Fp + Kh(t) Where Fp is the ultimate plastic stress of the ceramic tile, and h(t) is the depth to which the cutting teeth penetrate the ceramic tile.

[0039] When Fp=0, it is elastic deformation; when the stress intensity factor K=0, it is plastic deformation.

[0040] Using the principle of energy conversion, the model does not consider energy loss before the impact occurs. According to the law of conservation of energy, we have: 1 / 2mv²=mgh The theoretical impact velocity of the top cone cutting tooth in the model is V²=2gh Based on the depth to which the top cone cutting teeth penetrate the ceramic tile, its actual speed can be determined as follows: In the formula, x is a resistance parameter related to the ceramic tile material. Setting the boundary condition t=0, the functional relationship between the crater depth h(t) and the indentation force P(t) can be obtained. It can be seen that the depth of the impact crater formed on a tile after being subjected to an impact load is related to the impact indentation force function, the time of tile breakage due to impact, and the stress intensity factor. Therefore, when judging the impact breakage effect, the peak value of the impact force waveform should be considered in addition to the duration of the impact breakage. Therefore, in our experimental study, we used an impact force acquisition device to collect the impact time and a three-dimensional topography instrument to measure the impact depth. We then combined these factors to study the tile breakage effect under impact load.

[0041] 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.

Claims

1. A drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls, characterized in that: The device includes a drone body (1), a metal bracket (21) mounted below the drone body (1), a hollow box (22) mounted on the metal bracket (21), a power supply and electronic control components inside the hollow box (22), a metal disc (23) welded directly below the metal bracket (21), a robotic arm (3) mounted at the bottom of the metal disc (23), the robotic arm (3) including a rotating rod (33), a circular hollow pipe (4) connected to the rotating rod (33), a vacuum suction cup (51) provided at the end of the circular hollow pipe (4) away from the rotating rod (33), and a top cone (52) provided inside the circular hollow pipe (4).

2. The drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 1, characterized in that: A spring (53) is fitted on the outer diameter of the top cone (52). A motor is provided on the outside of the circular hollow pipe (4) to drive the spring (53) to compress. The compression of the spring (53) is used to store energy, so that the top cone (52) generates an impact force.

3. The drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 2, characterized in that: The diameter of the rear end of the top cone (52) is larger than the diameter of the front end of the circular hollow pipe (4) to ensure that the top cone (52) will not burst out of the circular hollow pipe (4).

4. The drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 3, characterized in that: A vacuum generator is connected to the vacuum suction cup (51), which is used to generate negative pressure inside the vacuum suction cup (51).

5. The drone for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 4, characterized in that: The vacuum suction cup (51) adopts an accordion-style structure to ensure airtightness. The accordion-style vacuum suction cup (51) can be folded.

6. The UAV for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 5, characterized in that: The UAV body (1) consists of four spiral wings (11), which are symmetrically distributed.

7. The UAV for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 6, characterized in that: The robotic arm (3) is made of titanium alloy.

8. The UAV for detecting and treating hollow tiles on exterior walls according to claim 7, characterized in that: The robotic arm (3) is equipped with a first drive motor (31) and a second drive motor (32) for changing the spatial position of the top cone (52) and the vacuum suction cup (51). The robotic arm (3) also includes a third drive motor for driving the rotating rod (33) to rotate.

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