Aircraft-mounted support for magnetic measurements

Abstract

The present invention relates to an aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) for magnetic surveying. The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) is configured to be towed at an erection operation position (6) by an aircraft (2). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) includes a frame (8) extending in the longitudinal direction (10). The longitudinal direction corresponds to the vertical direction (10) at the erection operation position (6). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) further includes an anchor assembly (22) configured to attach one or more towing lines (4) to the aircraft-mounted sensor support (1). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) further includes one or more sensor holders (30) for attaching magnetic sensors, connected to the frame (8). For improved handling, the frame is configured to be foldable from the operation position (6) to a transport configuration (38), and the length (40) of the aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) in the longitudinal direction is shorter than when in the operation position (6).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an aircraft-mounted sensor support for magnetic surveying configured to be towed in an erection operation position by an aircraft.

Background Art

[0002] Aircraft-mounted sensor supports of such a type are known and are used, for example, for surveying soil and underground in order to investigate exposed or hidden objects such as buildings, archaeology, ammunition, buried weapons and other contaminants. Since objects in the soil can be detected by changing the Earth's magnetic field, the above survey is usually performed using a magnetic sensor. In some applications, the gradient of the magnetic field is measured, and in order to perform this measurement, it is necessary to use two or more sensors spaced at a fixed distance from each other. The optimal distance between magnetic sensors varies for each application depending on the specific application and the required measurement resolution. Furthermore, in order to accurately obtain the gradient, it is necessary to accurately grasp the relative positions of the respective sensors.

Summary of the Invention

[0003] An object of the present invention is to provide an aircraft-mounted sensor support for magnetic surveying that is easy to handle while providing data of as high quality as possible.

[0004] The above object is solved by an aircraft-mounted sensor support comprising, in the erection operation position, a frame extending in a longitudinal direction corresponding to the vertical direction, an anchor assembly connected to the frame and configured to attach one or more towing lines to the aircraft-mounted sensor support, and one or more sensor holders each connected to the frame and configured for mounting a sensor, wherein the frame is configured to be foldable from the operation position into a transport configuration, and the length of the aircraft-mounted sensor support in the longitudinal direction in the transport configuration is shorter than when in the operation position.

[0005] By means of such a solution, the length of the transportation configuration is shortened, making the aircraft-mounted sensor support easier to transport.

[0006] The above solution can be solved by the following respective configurations. The following configurations are independent of each other, and the following configurations can be arbitrarily combined according to whether the technical effects related to a certain configuration are beneficial or not, and whether they are necessary in a specific application.

[0007] In one embodiment, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be configured to be towed in a horizontal operation position where the longitudinal direction corresponds to the horizontal direction or the flight direction. Thereby, the applicable range of the aircraft-mounted sensor support is even more diverse.

[0008] In the standing operation position, the longitudinal axis is perpendicular to the flight direction corresponding to the front-rear direction. The flight direction determines the yaw direction, pitch direction, and roll direction as in the conventional manner. The vertical direction is the direction aligned with the direction of gravity.

[0009] The aircraft used to tow the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be any one of a helicopter, drone, aircraft, airship, and / or balloon. At least one towing line can connect the aircraft-mounted sensor support portion to the aircraft.

[0010] The frame is preferably made of a non-magnetic material so as not to affect the measurement by the sensor.

[0011] By making the frame telescopic, it can be made foldable. For example, the frame can have two or more rods, and at least one rod can be movable within at least one other rod.

[0012] However, the folding joint assembly is more suitable than the telescopic configuration. In the telescopic frame, special attention needs to be paid to the cable extending into the telescopic rod, but such attention is not required in the case of the rotary joint.

[0013] Therefore, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can include at least one folding joint assembly for folding the support from the operating position to the transport configuration. The folding joint assembly is preferably arranged between at least one of the one or more sensor holders and the anchor assembly. The folding axis, which is the rotation axis of the at least one folding joint assembly, can be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. In particular, the folding joint assembly can be arranged at the midpoint of the frame in the longitudinal direction. Thus, the frame can be folded in half to equal lengths, thereby minimizing the length in the transport configuration.

[0014] When using multiple folding joint assemblies, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be folded into even smaller segments. In this case, two or more folding joint assemblies can be preferably spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction. For example, when two folding joint assemblies are provided, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be folded at two locations, that is, folded into three parts. These three folds are preferably of equal length.

[0015] In one embodiment, the aircraft-mounted sensor support may further include a sensor yaw angle adjustment joint configured to adjust the yaw angle of at least one of the one or more sensor holders. With this yaw angle adjustment joint, high-precision alignment of the sensors used in the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be achieved. Further, when the yaw angle is appropriately adjusted, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can be used in both the flight direction and the reverse direction without reconfiguration. In this way, the mobility of the drone can be utilized. The yaw angle adjustment joint can also be provided in an aircraft-mounted sensor support that cannot be folded.

[0016] The sensor yaw angle adjustment joint can be arranged between the anchor assembly and the at least one or more sensor holders. With such a configuration, the orientation of the anchor assembly does not change when the yaw angle of the at least one sensor holder is adjusted.

[0017] The yaw axis, which is the rotation axis of the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint, is parallel to the longitudinal direction.

[0018] In one embodiment, the folding joint assembly can be arranged between the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint and the anchor assembly. Such a configuration helps to maintain the structural integrity of the part of the frame that rotates when adjusting the yaw angle, and thus helps to maintain the stability of that part.

[0019] The sensor yaw angle adjustment joint can rotatably connect the upper part of the frame to the lower part of the frame. The upper part can include the anchor assembly, and the lower part can include at least one, preferably all, of the sensor holders.

[0020] The anchor assembly can comprise a towing line fixing member such as a clamp or a hook, the towing line fixing member being configured to be attached to at least one towing line and / or to attach at least one towing line to the aircraft-mounted sensor support, in particular to the frame. The towing line fixing member is preferably arranged at the center of gravity or, alternatively, at the aerodynamic center of the aircraft-mounted sensor support. The aerodynamic center is preferably determined at the airspeed at which the aircraft-mounted sensor support is mainly used. If the aircraft-mounted sensor support is used at a plurality of different airspeeds, the towing line fixing member can be arranged between two aerodynamic centers determined at two different operating airspeeds. Depending on the position of the towing line fixing member, the location where the towing force is introduced into the aircraft-mounted sensor support is determined, and by making that location the center of gravity or the aerodynamic center, the standing operating position is guaranteed to be stable during flight.

[0021] In another embodiment where the frame does not need to be foldable, at least one of the one or more sensor holders can comprise a sensor pitch angle adjustment joint and a sensor mount, the sensor pitch angle adjustment joint being arranged between the sensor mount and the frame. The sensor mount is configured to mount the sensor. For example, the sensor mount can be a clamping ring that clamps onto the sensor, or a cage-like receiving part into which the sensor can be inserted, or can comprise this.

[0022] The pitch angle adjustment joint of the sensor can adjust the pitch angle of the sensor. The sensor pitch angle adjustment joint connects the sensor mount to the frame so as to be rotatable about a pitch axis which is a rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The pitch axis is perpendicular to the yaw axis.

[0023] In the case of multiple different types of surveys, for example, when there are multiple different requirements regarding resolution and distance from the ground, it is advantageous if at least one of the one or more sensor holders and / or frames is configured to be fixed to the frame at at least two different positions along the longitudinal direction. For example, the at least one sensor holder can be fixed at two different positions on one or more rods of the frame. To do this, the sensor holder can be provided with a clamping device, the clamping device can be loosened to change its position, and the clamping device can be fastened to fix the position along the frame during flight.

[0024] In one embodiment, the frame can comprise at least two parallel rods, and at least one of the one or more sensor holders, preferably all of the sensor holders, is connected to the at least two parallel rods. For example, the at least one sensor holder can be arranged between the rods. The rods can extend in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft-mounted sensor support.

[0025] In particular, the use of fiber-reinforced rods such as carbon fiber-reinforced rods enables a very lightweight aircraft-mounted sensor support to be realized. The rods can be hollow to accommodate cables for energy supply and / or data transmission.

[0026] To improve stability, the parallel rods can be connected to each other by cross-links at a plurality of separate locations. The cross-links can be provided, for example, by sensor yaw angle adjustment joints and / or sensor holders.

[0027] The aircraft-mounted sensor support can include one or more device holders, which can preferably be arranged above the anchor assembly, particularly above the towing line fixing member. One or more device holders can be provided, with one device holder for holding a battery and / or one or more device holders for holding a controller and / or multiple device holders for holding support devices such as, for example, an inertial measurement unit, a geographical position sensor, and / or wireless link hardware. A plurality of aircraft-mounted sensor supports can be arranged in the circumferential direction of the frame, i.e., around the longitudinal direction.

[0028] The device holder and the aircraft-mounted sensor support held by the device holder are preferably arranged within a housing. This can protect the aircraft-mounted sensor support from the surroundings. Further, the housing can have an aerodynamic shape to reduce drag.

[0029] The at least one battery can be used to supply energy to all electrical devices mounted on the aircraft-mounted sensor support. The one or more inertial measurement units can provide information regarding the movement of the aircraft-mounted sensor support. The controller can collect data from the sensors and transmit it wirelessly or wired, using, for example, wireless link hardware, to other devices such as, for example, a ground station or a receiver within the aircraft. The controller can further be configured to determine the position parameters and movement parameters of the aircraft-mounted sensor support based on received signals from the global navigation satellite system during operation. All of these devices can be part of the aircraft-mounted sensor support. The wireless link hardware can be configured to perform wireless data transmission between the aircraft-mounted sensor support and the aircraft and / or the ground station, and this wireless data transmission can be one-way or two-way.

[0030] Since all of the above devices affect the measurement of the magnetic sensor, these devices or their device holders are preferably arranged as far as possible remotely from the magnetic sensor or the sensor holder respectively in the aircraft-mounted sensor support. In particular, the device holder can be arranged at the upper end of the aircraft-mounted sensor support or frame, i.e., at the end closest to the aircraft in the standing position during operation.

[0031] In another embodiment, the aircraft-mounted sensor support can particularly comprise a crossbar assembly extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and this crossbar assembly particularly extends in the lateral direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction. The crossbar assembly can be used to support one or more device holders. For example, a device holder for an inertial measurement unit can be arranged on the crossbar assembly.

[0032] By using the crossbar assembly, the above-mentioned plurality of devices that can affect the measurement quality of the sensor in the sensor holder by disturbing the magnetic field can be packaged together.

[0033] Preferably, the crossbar assembly is arranged at the upper end of the frame. The anchor assembly can be arranged between the crossbar and the folding joint.

[0034] The crossbar assembly can extend from both sides of the frame such that device holders are arranged on the crossbar assembly on each side of the frame respectively. The crossbar assembly can be covered by the above housing.

[0035] The crossbar assembly can include one or more rods extending perpendicular to the frame, particularly along the lateral direction, i.e., from starboard to port with respect to the flight direction.

[0036] The crossbar assembly is provided regardless of the foldability of the frame, and the crossbar assembly can also be provided on a sensor support for aircraft that is not foldable.

[0037] To prevent uncontrolled rolling and yawing movements, the towing line arrangement configuration described in International Publication No. WO 2018 / 028956 can be used. All of the descriptions in the international publication are hereby incorporated by reference into the description of the present application. Thereby, two towing lines laterally spaced apart from each other can be grouped together in the anchor assembly.

[0038] The crossbar assembly can include a towing line guide assembly, and the towing line guide assembly can be configured to particularly maintain two towing lines laterally spaced apart from each other. In such a configuration, the crossbar assembly is not only used for receiving peripheral devices, but also used for guiding the towing line to stabilize the standing operation position.

[0039] To maintain the towing lines laterally spaced apart from each other, in one embodiment, the towing line guide assembly can include two or more towing line guides disposed at both ends of the crossbar. With such a configuration, a triangle is formed where one side is formed by the crossbar assembly and the other two sides are formed by two towing lines, and the two towing lines converge at the anchor assembly, where the towing lines are fixed to the frame. Each towing line is assigned to and held by a different towing line guide. The towing line guide is an optional configuration that can be attached to the crossbar as a separate unit.

[0040] In one embodiment, the towing line can be fixed to the towing line guide. However, it is preferable to place it within each corresponding towing line guide so that the towing line slides at least along the length direction of the towing line. However, in the most preferred embodiment, each towing line guide is configured to guide the towing line along a predetermined path in the front-rear direction. With such a configuration, the towing line can slide relative to the crossbar in the crossbar and in the front-rear direction while being fixed to the frame by the anchor assembly. Such a configuration helps to maintain the standing operation position even when the flight speed is different. This is because when the towing line shifts forward, it can compensate for the increased drag without causing the pitch of the sensor support.

[0041] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, each of the guide elements comprises a slot extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each slot is dimensioned to slidably receive the cross-section of the towing line in both the length direction and the front-rear direction of the towing line.

[0042] Each of the slots preferably extends in the front-rear direction. Preferably, all of the slots are arranged in the same plane, or equivalently, are arranged at the same height with respect to the longitudinal direction.

[0043] After the towing line advances at high speed along the towing line guide, it is advantageous to configure the towing line to automatically slide backward when the speed decreases. In one embodiment, this can be achieved by the distance between the slots of each guide element increasing as it moves away from the frame along the front-rear direction. This expansion can be performed on only one side of the frame, but preferably can be performed on both sides of the frame. Therefore, both slots can be symmetric about the front-rear direction and mirror-symmetric with respect to each other. Since the weight of the sensor support pulls the towing lines together, with the above configuration, the towing lines will automatically move to a position where the towing force is balanced by the weight. When there is only a small towing force, i.e., when the flight speed is low, both towing lines will automatically slide to a position where the distance between the two towing lines is minimized.

[0044] Preferably, the distance between the two slots is minimized at the position where the slots are closest to the frame. The slots can be linear, and each towing line guide can be V-shaped. Alternatively, the slots can be curved, and each towing line guide can be U-shaped. The apexes of the above V and U shapes, i.e., the location where the distance between the two slots is minimized, are preferably located on the frame.

[0045] The aircraft-mounted sensor support can further include an antenna mount attached to the frame, and the antenna mount is preferably attached to the upper end of the frame. The antenna mount can be configured to attach an antenna, and can also include an antenna folding joint for rotating the antenna between the operating position and the transport position. In the operating position, the antenna preferably extends along the longitudinal direction. In the transport configuration, the antenna is preferably folded.

[0046] The antenna can be used to receive signals from the global navigation satellite system and / or transmit and receive data.

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, elements that are equivalent to each other in terms of functional surfaces and / or structural surfaces are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0048] The combinations of the respective configurations shown in the embodiments can be changed as described above. For example, when the technical effect of one configuration of the embodiments described below is unnecessary in a specific application, the one configuration can be omitted. Conversely, when the technical effect of one configuration that is shown above but not included in the embodiments is useful or essential in a specific application, the one configuration can be added.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0049]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

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Figure 6

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Figure 8

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Figure 11

Figure 13

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0050] First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the structure of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 will be described.

[0051] The illustrated aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is configured to be mainly used in magnetic surveying. More specifically, the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can be configured to be towed by an aircraft 2, which can be a helicopter, a drone, an airplane, a dirigible, or a balloon. To perform towing, the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is connected to the aircraft by at least one towing line 4. International Publication No. 2018 / 028956 discloses a configuration example of a towing line for use with the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1, and all the descriptions in this document are incorporated herein by reference.

[0052] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is configured to be towed by the aircraft 2 in the standing operation position 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0053] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 includes a frame 8, which is preferably made of a non-magnetic material. The frame 8 has a shape extending in the longitudinal direction 10.

[0054] In the standing operation position 6, the longitudinal direction 10 is parallel to the vertical direction 12, that is, parallel to the direction of the gravitational force 14.

[0055] The frame 8 can include a plurality of rods 16, and all of these plurality of rods 16 can extend along the longitudinal direction 10. The rods 16 can be made of a resin material, and in particular can be fiber-reinforced rods. For example, the rod 16 can be a carbon rod, that is, a rod reinforced by carbon fibers. In order to impart structural stability and structural integrity, cross-links can be provided to connect at least some of the rods to each other.

[0056] During operation, the aircraft 2 and thus the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 towed by the aircraft 2 move in the flight direction 18 perpendicular to the vertical direction 12. The flight direction 18 corresponds to the front-rear direction 20 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1.

[0057] Conventionally, each of the pitch direction, yaw direction, and roll direction is determined by the flight direction 18 or the front-rear direction 20.

[0058] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 further includes an anchor assembly 22 configured to attach at least one of the above-mentioned towing lines 4. The attachment location 24 on at least one of the above-mentioned towing lines 4 is preferably arranged at the center of gravity of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1. Alternatively, the attachment location 24 can be arranged at the center of aerodynamic force, where the center of aerodynamic force is determined by a predetermined operating flight speed. The expression "arranged at a position" also includes positions near the said position. The predetermined operating flight speed can correspond to the flight speed at which the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is towed in the air in most of the surveying applications.

[0059] In another embodiment, the attachment location 24 can be arranged between the center of gravity and the center of aerodynamic force. By arranging the attachment location at any of these positions, it becomes easier for the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 to maintain its standing position during operation.

[0060] In order to attach at least one of the above-mentioned towing lines 4, the anchor assembly 22 can include a towing line fixing member 26, which can include one or more hooks or clamps (not shown) configured to fix the at least one towing line 4 to the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1. The towing line fixing member 26 is disposed at the attachment location 24 and is connected to the frame 8 or directly attached to the frame 8.

[0061] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can include one or more sensor holders 30 connected to the frame 8 or directly attached to the frame 8. As shown as an example in the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the frame 8 can include two or more parallel rods 16 in the region where the one or more sensor holders 30 are disposed. One or more sensor holders 30 can be disposed between two parallel rods 16 and can be connected to or directly attached to each of these parallel rods 16. In particular, each sensor holder can be shifted in the displacement direction 32 along the frame 8. The displacement direction 32 is parallel to the longitudinal direction 10. By displacing the sensor holder 32 in this way, the distance between two or more sensors 34 in the vertical direction 12 (i.e., the longitudinal direction 10) can be adjusted according to different applications.

[0062] When there are a plurality of sensor holders 30, these plurality of different sensor holders 30 are arranged spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction 10.

[0063] Each sensor holder 30 is configured for attaching a sensor 34. To this end, the sensor holder 30 can be provided with a sensor receiving portion 36 capable of receiving the sensor 34, and a plurality of such sensor receiving portions 36 can be provided as required.

[0064] To facilitate the transportation of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1, the frame 8 is configured to be foldable from the operating position 6 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to the transport configuration 38 shown in FIG. 8. In the transport configuration 38, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 1, 2 and FIG. 8, the length 40 in the longitudinal direction 10 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is shorter than that in the operating position 6.

[0065] The length 40 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be 1.5 m to 4 m in the operating position 6. This is towed about 4 to 10 m below the aircraft 2. In the transport configuration 38, the length 40 can be slightly longer than half of the length 40 in the operating position 6.

[0066] In order to fold the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 in the transport configuration 38, a telescopic configuration can be provided in which some of the rods 16a (see FIG. 2) slide inside the hollow rod 16b. Of course, instead of this, the rod 16a can be made hollow to receive the rod 16a.

[0067] However, a preferred configuration is one in which the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 includes at least one folding joint assembly 42, and this folding joint assembly 42 can fold the upper portion 44 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 relative to the lower portion 46 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1. The expressions "upper" portion and "lower" portion refer to the operating position 6 and the direction of gravity 14 in the operating position 6. To fold the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1, the folding joint assembly 42 can have a rotation axis 48 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 10. The direction of the folding axis 48, which is the axis about which the folding joint assembly 42 rotates, can be horizontal in the operating position 6. The relative folding movement of the lower portion 46 with respect to the upper portion 44 is indicated by reference numeral 49 in FIG. 1.

[0068] When two or more folding joint assemblies 42 are provided, the folding joint assemblies 42 are provided spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction 10. The segments formed by folding the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 around the folding joint assembly 42 preferably have equal lengths.

[0069] The folding joint assembly 42 can be arranged at the midpoint of the frame 8 in the longitudinal direction 10. That is, the length of the upper portion 44 of the frame 8 can be made substantially equal to the length of the lower portion 46 of the frame 8.

[0070] The folding joint assembly 42 can be arranged in a region of the frame 8 where two parallel rods 16 are provided. The folding joint assembly 42 can include a bracket member 50 or a cross-link, and this bracket member 50 or cross-link connects the two rods 16 described above not only in the transport configuration 38 but also in the operating position 6 where it is necessary to minimize the vibration generated in the frame 8 by the airflow, thereby providing stability to this region. Alternatively, or in addition to this, the folding joint assembly 42 can be arranged between at least one sensor holder 30 and the anchor assembly 22.

[0071] The folding joint assembly 42, the sensor holder 30 and / or the anchor assembly 22 are preferably made of a non-magnetic material in order to avoid magnetic distortion that could affect the measurement of at least one sensor 34. For example, all of these components can be made of a mesh material.

[0072] In a variant of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of folding joint assemblies 42 can be provided so that the frame 8 can be folded into an even smaller transport configuration 38. For example, two folding joint assemblies 42 can be provided spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction so that the frame 8 can be folded into three parts.

[0073] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can further include an antenna mount 52 configured to attach an antenna 54 for a global navigation satellite system and / or an antenna 54 for wireless data transmission. Of course, the antenna 54 can also be used for both receiving signals from the global navigation satellite system and transmitting and / or receiving data such as survey data.

[0074] As shown in the figure, the antenna 54 can extend along the longitudinal direction 10 in the operating position 6.

[0075] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can further include a crossbar assembly 56 that extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 10, and this crossbar assembly 56 preferably also extends in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction 20, that is, the lateral direction 58.

[0076] The crossbar assembly 56 can include two arms 60a, 60b that extend from both sides of the frame 8. The crossbar assembly 56 can be arranged at the upper end 62 of the frame 8. Together with this, or instead of this, the anchor assembly 22 can be arranged between the crossbar assembly 56 and the folding joint assembly 42. Alternatively or additionally, the attachment location 24 of at least one of the towing lines 4 described above can also be arranged in the middle between the crossbar assembly 56 and the folding joint assembly 42.

[0077] A housing 64 for receiving the crossbar assembly 56, particularly an aerodynamic housing, can be provided. Figures 1 and 2 show the crossbar assembly 56 with the housing 64. An example of the interior of the housing 64 is shown in Figure 11.

[0078] As can be seen from the figure, a device holder 66 can be connected to or directly attached to the vicinity of the upper end 62 of the frame 8. The device holder 66 is, for example, cage-shaped and can be configured to attach one or more batteries 68 and / or a controller 70.

[0079] Furthermore, the crossbar assembly 56 can also include one or more device holders 66 having the same configuration as or a different configuration from the device holder 66 of the frame 8. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, each arm 60a, 60b of the crossbar assembly 56 includes a device holder 66 configured to attach a support device 72, such as a sensor or an electronic device, to the crossbar assembly 56. The support device 72 that can be accommodated in the device holder 66 can include, for example, an inertial measurement unit, a geographical position sensor, and / or wireless link hardware. Each arm 60a, 60b can accommodate different devices.

[0080] Preferably, all the device holders 56 and any devices attached thereto are preferably disposed within the housing 64.

[0081] Since the antenna 54, the support device 72, the battery 68, and the controller 70 can all affect the magnetic measurement by the sensor 34, they are disposed as far as possible from the sensor 34. Thus, the above devices are disposed at the upper end 62 to minimize the influence of the devices.

[0082] Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can include a towing line guide assembly 76. The towing line guide assembly 76 is configured to guide at least one towing line 4 along a predetermined path relative to the frame 8 when the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 is being towed.

[0083] In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 where two towing lines 4 can be used as an example, two towing line guides 78 spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction 58 are used. Each guide 78 is preferably assigned to a different towing line.

[0084] The towing line guide assembly 76 can be arranged between the anchor assembly 22 and the aircraft 2, together with the optional towing line guide 78, and preferably can be arranged at the upper end 62 of the frame 8.

[0085] By way of example only, the guide 78 can be provided at the lateral ends 80 of the crossbar assembly 56. In this way, a triangle 82 is formed between the anchor assembly 22 and the towing line guide assembly 76, and this triangle 82 stabilizes the standing position 6 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 and can prevent pitching, yawing and rolling movements during flight.

[0086] The aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can further include a sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84 configured to adjust the yaw angle of at least one of the one or more sensor holders 30. The sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84 connects the first part 86 of the frame 8 to the second part 90 of the frame 8 rotatably about the yaw axis 88. The yaw axis 88 extends parallel to the longitudinal direction 10. In particular, the yaw axis 88 can be included in a plane that serves as a reference plane for the mirror symmetry of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1.

[0087] The first part 86 preferably includes the crossbar assembly 56, the anchor assembly 22, and the towing line guide assembly 76. The second part 90 can mainly include the sensor holder 30.

[0088] The sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84 can be arranged between the anchor assembly 22 and at least one sensor holder 34. In particular, the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84 can be arranged between the anchor assembly 22 and the folding joint assembly 42.

[0089] Figure 3 shows the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 in operating position 6, where the second part 90 of the frame 8 has rotated 90° about the yaw axis 88 compared to FIGS. 1 and 2. Of course, it is also possible to rotate at other angles about the yaw axis by means of the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84.

[0090] In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, the sensor holder 30 is arranged at a yaw angle at which the sensor 34 can be used without performing a repositioning process when the aircraft reverses its flight direction, and such a reversal of the flight direction can be performed without any problem in the case of a drone.

[0091] The lower end 94 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 can be formed by the frame 8. The lower end 94 is on the opposite side of the upper end 62 in the longitudinal direction and can include a ground protection part 96. The ground protection part 96 protects the frame 8 and the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1.

[0092] Two parallel rods 16a, 16b can extend substantially from the yaw angle adjustment joint 84 to the lower end 94. The ground protection part 96 can connect the two rods 16 by forming a bracket 50 that cross-links the two rods 16.

[0093] Figure 4 shows an example of an antenna mount 52 provided with an antenna 54. The antenna mount 52 can include an antenna folding joint 100 arranged between the antenna 54 and the frame 8. The rotation axis 102 of the antenna folding joint 100 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction 10 and is preferably parallel to the lateral direction 58. Locking means 104 such as a latch can be provided to lock the antenna folding joint 100 in the operating position 6 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 4 shows a transport configuration 38 in which the antenna 54 is folded towards the frame 8 using the antenna folding joint 100.

[0094] FIG. 5 shows an example of the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84. The sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 84 can connect the central rod 16c of the first portion 86 of the frame 8 to the two parallel rods 16a and 16b of the second portion 90 of the frame 8. The central rod 16c preferably extends coaxially with the yaw axis 88 in the longitudinal direction 10. A further bracket 106 rotatably connects the ends of the two parallel rods 16a, 16b to the central rod 16c so that these rods 16a, 16b, 16c overlap and are parallel to each other between the bracket 106 and the swivel joint 84. During the operation of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1, a yaw angle lock 108 can be provided to fix the relative yaw position between the second portion 90 and the first portion 86.

[0095] FIG. 6 shows an example of the folding joint assembly 42. As can be seen from the figure, the folding axis 48 can be offset by a distance 110 from the frame 8 in the front-rear direction 20 or from the plane defined by the two parallel rods 16a, 16b. This distance 110 is a distance that allows the second portion 90 of the frame 8 to be folded parallel to the first portion 86 of the frame 86. Here too, locking means 111 can be provided to lock the folding joint in the operating position 6. For example, the locking means 111 can be inserted into the two rotatable parts of the swivel joint 84 so that the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint 42 is fixed as soon as it is inserted.

[0096] FIG. 7 shows an example of the sensor holder 30. The sensor holder 30 can include a sensor pitch adjustment joint 112 that connects the sensor receiving portion 36 to be rotatable relative to the frame 8 about the pitch axis 116. The sensor receiving portion 36 can be a clamping ring or a cage configured to receive and fix the sensor 34. As already described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sensor holder 30 can be displaced in the displacement direction 32 along the frame 8, particularly along the two parallel rods 16a, 16b.

[0097] The sensor pitch adjustment joint 112 can also be provided with locking means 118 configured to fix the sensor pitch adjustment joint 112 at any rotational position or a plurality of separate rotational positions. For example, a lock bar can be inserted into the sensor pitch angle adjustment joint 112 to lock the sensor pitch angle adjustment joint 112 at a predetermined rotational position. The lock bar used to fix the sensor pitch adjustment joint 112 can be the same as that used to fix the folding joint assembly 42.

[0098] Figs. 9 and 10 show examples of towing line guides 78 respectively attached to both lateral ends 80 of the crossbar assembly 56. Each towing line guide 78 has a continuous slot 120 sized to receive a cross-section of the towing line 4 (not shown in Figs. 9 and 10). Each slot 120 is further sized such that the corresponding towing line 4 can slide along the slot 120 perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the towing line 4. In particular, each towing line 4 can slide along the corresponding slot 120 in the front-rear direction 20. The slot 120 is preferably disposed in a horizontal plane and extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. Each slot 120 extends along the flight direction 18, i.e., the front-rear direction 20. However, the distance 124 between the opposing slots 120 increases along the front-rear direction 20 or in a direction away from the frame 8. The distance between the two slots 120 is minimized at the position where the slot 120 is closest to the frame 8. The two towing line guides 78 are preferably mirror-symmetrical to each other and / or symmetrical in the front-rear direction 20.

[0099] As shown in Fig. 9, each slot 120 can be V-shaped and have two linear legs 126 extending in the front-rear direction. Alternatively, the slot 120 can be curved, for example, U-shaped.

[0100] In FIG. 11, the extension of the towing line 4 through the towing line guide 78 or the slot 120 is shown. The towing line 4 extends from the attachment point 24 in a direction that is laterally away from each other towards the towing line guide 78 and further away towards the aircraft 2. This triangular or V-shaped configuration stabilizes the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 during flight.

[0101] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 12, 13, and 14, the effect of the slots 120 that diverge symmetrically from each other in the longitudinal direction 20 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 will be described.

[0102] FIG. 12 shows the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 being towed at a low flight speed 130. The flight speed 130 is low enough to reduce the drag force 132 generated by the airflow around the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1. Due to the weight of the sensor support 1, the two towing lines 4 automatically move along the slots 120 to a position where the distance between the slots 120 is minimized. This is because the weight of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 tends to pull the two towing lines 4 together.

[0103] FIG. 13 shows the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 being towed at a flight speed 130 higher than the flight speed 130 in FIG. 12. To overcome the increased drag force 132, it is necessary to exert a greater towing force 134 in the flight direction 18. As a result, the towing line 4 slides along the slot 120 in the flight direction 18 until it reaches the position shown in FIG. 13. At this position, the force generated by the weight of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 attempts to bring the two towing lines 4 closer to each other and move them along the slot to the location shown in FIG. 12, and such a force is offset by the towing force 134.

[0104] The towing line 4 not only exerts a towing force only at the attachment location 24 of the towing line 4, but also exerts a towing force on the slot 120. The force generated in the slot 120 generates a rightening momentum 136, and this rightening momentum increases as the flight speed increases. The rightening momentum 136 maintains the operating position 6 of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 in an upright state and compensates for the increased drag force applied to the lower half of the frame 8 where the sensor 34 is disposed.

[0105] As shown in FIG. 14, when the flight speed 130 further increases, the towing line 4 slides further forward along the slot 120 and maintains the upright position of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1 despite the further increase in the drag force 132.

[0106] When the flight speed 130 decreases, the towing line 4 slides back toward the frame, and here, due to the weight of the aircraft-mounted sensor support 1, the separation distance between the towing lines 4 becomes smaller.

Explanation of Signs

[0107] 1 Aircraft-mounted sensor support 2 Aircraft 4 Towing line 6 (Upright) operating position 8 Frame 10 Longitudinal direction 12 Vertical direction 14 Direction of gravity 16, 16a, 16b, 16c Rod 18 Flight direction 20 Front-rear direction 22 Anchor assembly 24 Attachment location of at least one towing line 26 Towing line fixing member 30 Sensor holder 32 Displacement direction of the sensor holder 34 Sensor 36 Sensor receiving part 38 Transportation structure 40 Length of the sensor support for aircraft mounting 42 Folding joint assembly 44 Upper part of the frame 46 Lower part of the frame 48 Folding axis 49 Folding operation 50 Stabilizing bracket 52 Antenna mount 54 Antenna 56 Crossbar assembly 58 Lateral direction 60a, 60b Arms 62 Upper end of the frame 64 Housing 66 Device holder 68 Battery 70 Controller 72 Support equipment 76 Towing line guide assembly 78 Guide 80 Lateral end of the crossbar assembly 82 Triangle 84 Sensor yaw adjustment / swivel joint 86 First part of the frame 88 Yaw axis 90 Second part of the frame 94 Lower end of the frame 96 Ground protection part 100 Antenna folding joint 102 Rotation axis of the antenna folding joint 104 Locking means 106 Bracket 108 Yaw angle lock 110 Offset distance 111 Locking means 112 Sensor pitch adjustment joint 116 Pitch axis 118 Locking means 120 Slot 124 Distance between slots Legs of the 126 slots 130 Flight speed 132 Drag 134 Towing force 136 Righting moment

Claims

1. An aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) for magnetic surveying configured to be towed in an erected operating position (6) by an aircraft (2), wherein in the erected operating position (6), a frame (8) extending in a longitudinal direction (10) corresponding to the vertical direction (12), an anchor assembly (22) connected to the frame (8) and configured to attach one or more towing lines (4) to the aircraft-mounted sensor support (1), one or more sensor holders (30) each connected to the frame (8) and configured for attachment of a sensor (34), are provided, the frame (8) is configured to be foldable from the operating position (6) into a transport configuration (38), and the length (40) of the aircraft-mounted sensor support in the longitudinal direction (10) in the transport configuration is shorter than when in the operating position (6). An aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) characterized by the above.

2. A folding joint assembly (42) for folding the aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) from the operating position into the transport configuration, the folding joint assembly (42) having a joint arranged between at least one of the one or more sensor holders and the anchor assembly (22), wherein the axis of rotation of the folding joint assembly (42) is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (10). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to Claim 1.

3. Further comprising a sensor yaw angle adjustment joint (84) configured to adjust the yaw angle of at least one of the one or more sensor holders (30), wherein the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint (84) is arranged between the anchor assembly (22) and the at least one sensor holder (30), and the yaw axis (88) about which the sensor yaw angle adjustment joint (84) is rotatable extends parallel to the longitudinal direction (10). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to Claim 1 or 2.

4. At least one of the one or more sensor holders (30) comprises a sensor pitch angle adjustment joint (112) and a sensor receiving part (36) configured to be attached to the sensor (34). The sensor pitch angle adjustment joint (112) is disposed between the sensor receiving portion (36) and the frame (8), The sensor pitch angle adjustment joint (112) further connects the sensor receiving portion (36) to the frame (8) so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (10) in order to adjust the pitch angle of the sensor receiving portion (36). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. At least one of the one or more sensor holders (30) is configured to be fixed to the frame (8) at at least two different positions along the longitudinal direction (10). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The frame (8) includes at least two parallel rods (16, 16a, 16b), At least one of the one or more sensor holders (30) is connected to the at least two parallel rods (16, 16a, 16b). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. It includes a crossbar assembly (56) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (10). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The crossbar assembly (56) extends from both sides of the frame (8). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 7.

9. The crossbar assembly (56) includes a towing line guide assembly (76). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 7 or 8.

10. The towing line guide assembly (76) includes two towing line guides (78) disposed at both ends of the crossbar. The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 9.

11. Each of the towing line guides (78) includes a slot (120) extending perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (10). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 10.

12. The distance (124) between the slots (124) increases along with the distance from the frame (8) in the front-rear direction (20). The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 11.

13. comprising an antenna mount (52) attached to the frame (8), the antenna mount (52) being configured to attach an antenna (54), the antenna mount (52) comprising an antenna folding joint (100) for pivoting the antenna (54) between the operating position (6) and the transport position (38), The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. the frame (8) being formed by connecting a plurality of rods (16) with a cross link (50), The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. one or more of the sensor holders (30) being slidably disposed between two parallel rods, The aircraft-mounted sensor support (1) according to claim 14.

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