Multi-rotor aircraft

Abstract

The multi-rotor aircraft includes a controller, a toroidal airframe, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components. The toroidal airframe includes at least two frames and at least two linkage units, with two adjacent frames operatively connected via the linkage units. The at least two first rotor units are respectively mounted on the toroidal airframe, electrically connected to the controller, and used to provide lift for flight. The at least two actuator components are respectively mounted on the toroidal airframe, electrically connected to the controller, and used to move the two adjacent frames toward or away from each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or reducing the enclosure of the toroidal airframe. The present invention employs a toroidal airframe consisting of at least two frames and at least two linkage units, and the at least two frames are driven by the at least two actuator components to move toward each other, thereby achieving the goal of reducing the enclosure of the toroidal airframe, thereby effectively solving the technical problem of large multi-rotor aircraft requiring large takeoff and landing sites.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of aircraft, and particularly relates to a multi-rotor aircraft.

Background Art

[0002] Currently, large multi-rotor aircraft are increasingly being applied in the civilian field. However, since a large area of space is required during takeoff and landing, the scope of use of large multi-rotor aircraft is limited. When an automatic storage device is used to accommodate a large multi-rotor aircraft, that is, when the large multi-rotor aircraft takes off and lands on the automatic storage device and is automatically stored and charged by the automatic storage device, a large-sized automatic storage device is required, which significantly increases the design and manufacturing cost of the automatic storage device and the difficulty of transportation and installation.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] Therefore, the present invention relates to a multi-rotor aircraft and solves technical problems including, but not limited to, the technical problem of large multi-rotor aircraft that require a large takeoff and landing area.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0004] A multi-rotor aircraft comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components. The annular fuselage comprises at least two frames and at least two connecting units, and two adjacent frames are movably connected via the connecting units. At least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for flight of the multi-rotor aircraft. At least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage.

[0005] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings necessary for the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. The drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the drawings of other embodiments can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] To facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the related drawings are referred to and the present invention is described in more detail.

Examples

[0008] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 includes a controller (not shown), an annular fuselage 11, at least two first rotor units 12, and at least two actuator components 13. This controller is a conventional flight controller and is provided on the annular fuselage 11. The annular fuselage 11 includes at least two frames 111 and at least two connecting units 112. Two adjacent frames 111 are movably connected via at least one connecting unit 112. At least two first rotor units 12 are respectively provided on the annular fuselage 11, that is, the first rotor unit 12 may be installed on the frame 111 or the connecting unit 112. The first rotor unit 12 is electrically connected to the controller and is used to provide lift for flight of the multi-rotor aircraft 1. At least two actuator components 13 are respectively provided on the annular fuselage 11 and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames 111 away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft 1 is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11.

[0009] Note that the multi-rotor aircraft 1 further includes a power supply component (not shown). The power supply component is provided in the annular fuselage 11 and is electrically connected to the controller. The power supply component is used to supply power to the controller, the first rotor unit 12, and the actuator component 13. The power supply component is a conventional battery module.

[0010] Optionally, the thrust of the first rotor unit 12 is also used to provide driving force for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to fly forward when the multi-rotor aircraft 1 flies forward.

[0011] Note that according to the actual function, the actuator component 13 of the present invention may also be called an execution component 13.

[0012] Furthermore, referring to FIG. 3, in the illustrated embodiment, each actuator component 13 includes a second rotor unit 130 and an elastic member (not shown). The second rotor unit 130 is provided on the frame 111 or the connecting unit 112, is electrically connected to the controller, and is used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames 111 away from each other. Specifically, the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 is directed outward of the annular fuselage 11 or is relatively inclined outward of the annular fuselage 11. Both ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to two adjacent frames 111, or are respectively connected to the frame 111 and the connecting unit 112 connected to the frame 111. The elastic force of the elastic member is used to move two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other. Also, when the connecting unit 112 is stretchable, both ends of the elastic member may be respectively installed on the connecting unit 112 such that the connecting unit 112 tends to contract. Preferably, the elastic member is a spring, and the number of its settings is not limited. When two adjacent frames 111 are at the closest distance, the spring is in the shortest state.

[0013] When the second rotor unit 130 starts up and increases the thrust, the two adjacent frames 111 move away from each other in opposite directions, and the distance between them gradually increases. As a result, the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 is significantly enlarged, and the spring is stretched until the frame 111 reaches the maximum mechanical movement stroke with respect to the connecting unit 112, or until the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 and the elastic force of the spring are balanced. At this time, the second rotor unit 130 may maintain a specific thrust to keep the two adjacent frames 111 in the separated state. The controller may adjust the magnitude of the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 so that the two adjacent frames 111 reach different separation distances. As a result, it is possible to adjust the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 at different expansion rates, which will be easily understood.

[0014] After the second rotor unit 130 reduces the thrust or stops rotating, the two adjacent frames 111 are driven by the elastic force of the spring to approach each other, and thus the distance between them gradually decreases until the annular fuselage 11 returns to the minimum surrounding area. At this time, the elastic force of the spring does not have to be zero to maintain the state where the distance between the two adjacent frames 111 is the closest.

[0015] In this way, through the second rotor unit 130 and the elastic member, the purpose of moving the two adjacent frames 111 away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft 1 is flying can be achieved.

[0016] Also, the resultant force of the thrusts of all the second rotor units 130 may always be set to zero so as not to affect the motion control of the multi-rotor aircraft 1. Alternatively, it may be set without making the magnitude of the resultant force zero, and this resultant force is used to drive the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to move in the same direction as the resultant force or another predetermined direction. For example, the direction of the resultant force is parallel to the horizontal plane, and at the same time, the lift provided by the first rotor unit 12 balances the gravity of the multi-rotor aircraft 1, and the resultant force may drive the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to fly in the horizontal direction, and as a result, contribute to the improvement of the maneuverability of the multi-rotor aircraft 1.

[0017] Note that the side where the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is located is the inner side of the annular fuselage, and the side opposite to the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is the outer side of the annular fuselage.

[0018] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the frame 111 includes a first frame body 1111, a second frame body 1112, and a connecting portion 1113. The first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 are connected via the connecting portion 1113. The first frame body 1111, the second frame body 1112, and the connecting portion 1113 are connected to form a U-shaped or L-shaped or V-shaped frame 111. Between the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 of two adjacent frames 111, they are connected via a connecting unit 112, that is, among two adjacent frames 111, the first frame body 1111 of one frame 111 and the second frame body 1112 of the other frame 111 are connected via one connecting unit 112.

[0019] Optionally, the connecting unit 112 may be a linear guide structure, that is, the connecting unit 112 may be a linear guide rail, a guide rod, a guide sleeve, etc., and at least one end of the connecting unit 112 is inserted and connected or sleeved and connected to the first frame body 1111 or the second frame body 1112 of the adjacent frame 111. Alternatively, the connecting unit 112 may be a telescopic structure connecting the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 of two adjacent frames 111, for example, a multi-link hinge telescopic mechanism.

[0020] Furthermore, the connecting unit 112 may also be a multi-section guide structure or a multi-section telescopic structure, that is, the connecting unit 112 may be a multi-section linear guide rail, a multi-section telescopic sleeve, etc., whereby the distance by which two adjacent frames 111 can be separated from each other becomes larger, and as a result, the variation range of the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is increased.

[0021] Optionally, the frame 111 may slide simultaneously with respect to the connecting unit 112 connected to the first frame body 1111 and the connecting unit 112 connected to the second frame body 1112, or the connecting unit 112 connected to the first frame body 1111 and the connecting unit 112 connected to the second frame body 1112 may expand and contract simultaneously.

[0022] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the illustrated embodiment, the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 are each provided with a first rotor unit 12. The connecting portion 1113 is provided with a second rotor unit 130. The second rotor unit 130 can simultaneously generate a non-zero component of thrust along the longitudinal direction of the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 of the frame 111 where it is located.

[0023] Optionally, the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 may be connected to the connecting unit 112 by sleeve connection respectively. One second rotor unit 130 generates a non-zero component of thrust along the longitudinal direction of the first frame body 1111 of the frame 111 where it is located. At the same time, the second rotor unit 130 on the adjacent frame 111 generates a non-zero component of thrust along the longitudinal direction of the second frame body 1112 of the frame 111 where it is located. The directions of these two non-zero components of thrust are opposite and are used to move the two frames 111 away from each other. When the second rotor units 130 on each frame 111 of the annular fuselage 11 generate or increase thrust simultaneously, the two adjacent frames 111 move away from each other, thereby making it possible to expand the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11.

[0024] In other embodiments of this embodiment, referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, at least one of the first frame body 1111 and the second frame body 1112 may be connected to the connecting unit 112 by insertion connection. In this configuration, the first rotor unit 12 and the second rotor unit 130 may be provided on the connecting unit 112.

[0025] Also, referring to FIG. 3, the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 may simultaneously have a non-zero component along the thrust direction of the first rotor unit 12. After the second rotor unit 130 is activated, it is used to increase the lift of the multi-rotor aircraft 1 or to increase the driving force for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to fly forward.

[0026] Furthermore, referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, in this embodiment, the annular fuselage 11 further includes at least two landing gears 14. The at least two landing gears 14 may be respectively provided on at least two frames 111 or at least two connecting units 112, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to land smoothly.

[0027] To explain the operating principle of the multi-rotor aircraft 1, a rectangular annular fuselage 11 will be taken as an example for explanation. Here, the annular fuselage 11 includes four L-shaped frames 111 and four connecting units 112. One second rotor unit 130 is provided at each corner of each L-shaped frame 111, and one or more first rotor units 12 are respectively provided on the side edges of each L-shaped frame 111. An elastic member is connected between two adjacent L-shaped frames 111. After the multi-rotor aircraft 1 takes off, the four second rotor units 130 are controlled by the controller to start simultaneously and increase the thrust. The four L-shaped frames 111 move synchronously in a direction away from each other by the thrust of the four second rotor units 130, thereby expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11. Before the multi-rotor aircraft 1 lands, the four second rotor units 130 are controlled by the controller to gradually reduce the thrust simultaneously or stop rotating. The four L-shaped frames 111 move synchronously in a direction approaching each other by the elastic force of the elastic member, thereby reducing the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11.

[0028] The annular fuselage 11 is not limited to a square. For example, the annular fuselage 11 may be triangular (see FIGS. 6 and 7) or other shapes, and is not particularly limited herein.

[0029] Note that the elastic member may be omitted. In one embodiment, each actuator component 13 includes two sets of second rotor units 130, and each set of second rotor units 130 includes at least one second rotor unit 130. One set of the two sets of second rotor units 130 is used to provide a driving force for separating two adjacent frames 111 from each other, and the other set of second rotor units 130 is used to provide a driving force for bringing two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other. Specifically, in order to provide a driving force for bringing two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other, the thrust of the other set of second rotor units 130 is directed toward the inside of the annular fuselage 11 or is relatively inclined toward the inside of the annular fuselage 11. When it is necessary to expand or contract the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11, one set of second rotor units 130 is activated or the thrust is increased, and at the same time, the other set of second rotor units 130 stops rotating or the thrust is decreased. For example, one set of second rotor units 130 for providing a driving force for bringing two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other is activated or the thrust is increased, and the other set of second rotor units 130 stops rotating or the thrust is decreased. At this time, the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 is reduced.

[0030] In another embodiment, the second rotor unit 130 is used to provide a driving force for separating two adjacent frames 111 from each other, and the first rotor unit 12 is used not only to provide lift for the flight of the multi-rotor aircraft 1 but also to provide a driving force for bringing two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other. Specifically, the thrust of the first rotor unit 12 acting on the annular fuselage 11 is relatively inclined toward the inside of the annular fuselage 11. Thereby, a part of the thrust of the first rotor unit 12 is used to drive two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other, and at the same time, the first rotor unit 12 maintains a non-zero component in the vertical direction of the thrust acting on the annular fuselage 11 as the lift of the flight of the multi-copter aircraft 1.

[0031] The multi-rotor aircraft 1 provided by the present invention adopts an annular airframe 11 composed of at least two frames 111 and at least two connecting units 112. Adjacent frames 111 are moved away from or closer to each other by the drive of the actuator component 13 to achieve the purpose of expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular airframe 11. As a result, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 can actively change the size of its overall area during flight: During the takeoff and landing stages of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 shrinks the surrounding area of the annular airframe 11, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to take off and land in a limited area. During the remaining stages of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 may expand the surrounding area of the annular airframe 11 to suit special operations. For example, it can capture an unmanned aircraft 2 that has entered a no-fly zone, display a large advertising banner in the air, or inspect the structure of a tower-type building.

[0032] Specifically, when the multi-rotor aircraft 1 is used to display a large advertising banner in the air, the advertising banner is provided on the annular airframe 11, and the multi-rotor aircraft 1 unfolds the advertising banner in the air by expanding the surrounding area of the annular airframe 11 during flight.

[0033] When the multi-rotor aircraft 1 is used to inspect tower-type buildings such as communication towers, factory chimneys, and wind turbine blades, sensors 17 related to inspection (see Figure 7), such as cameras, are annularly arranged on the inner surface of the annular airframe 11. When performing the inspection work, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 penetrates the tower-type building into the surrounding area of the annular airframe 11, thereby improving the inspection efficiency.

Embodiment

[0034] 1 to 3, the multi-rotor aircraft provided in this embodiment is basically the same as that in the first embodiment, with the following differences: the actuator component 13 is a linear actuator, and both ends of the linear actuator are respectively connected to two adjacent frames 111, or to the frame 111 and a connecting unit 112 connecting the frame 111. In addition, when the connecting unit 112 has an extendable structure, both ends of the linear actuator may be respectively connected to the connecting unit 112.

[0035] Specifically, the linear actuator is a general mechanical device that can realize the linear motion of a load, which can realize the conversion of the rotational motion of a motor into the linear motion of a load through a slide screw or belt transmission, and can be a pneumatic slide, a hydraulic cylinder, etc. That is, in order to drive two adjacent frames 111 to move away from or toward each other, a fixed end of the linear actuator is connected to one of the two adjacent frames 111, and a movable end of the linear actuator is connected to the other of the two adjacent frames 111, or a fixed end of the linear actuator is connected to one of the frames 111 and a connecting unit 112 connected thereto, and a movable end of the linear actuator is connected to the other of the frames 111 and a connecting unit 112 connected thereto, or both the fixed end and the movable end of the linear actuator are connected to the connecting unit 112. EXAMPLES

[0036] 8 to 10, the multi-rotor aircraft provided in this embodiment is basically the same as that in the first embodiment, with the following differences: the actuator component 13 is electrically connected to the first rotor unit 12 and is used to drive the first rotor unit 12 so that the first rotor unit 12 changes the direction of the thrust applied to the annular airframe 11, thereby achieving the purpose of moving the two adjacent frames 111 away from or toward each other to enlarge or reduce the enclosed area of the annular airframe 11 when the multi-rotor aircraft flies.

[0037] Optionally, the actuator component 13 may include a driving member and a transmission member. The driving member is provided on the frame 111. One end of the transmission member is connected to the power output shaft of the driving member, and the other end of the transmission member is connected to the first rotor unit 12. The driving member can rotate the first rotor unit 12 about the power output shaft of the driving member via the transmission member so that the direction of the thrust exerted by the first rotor unit 12 on the annular fuselage 11 is changed.

[0038] Referring to FIG. 9, when the actuator component 13 tilts the thrust of the first rotor unit 12 acting on the annular fuselage 11 at a specific angle outside the annular fuselage 11, a partial thrust of the first rotor unit 12 is used to drive two adjacent frames 111 away from each other, and at the same time, the first rotor unit 12 maintains a non-zero component in the vertical direction of the thrust acting on the annular fuselage 11 as the lift force for the flight of the multi-rotor aircraft 1.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 8, when the actuator component 13 tilts the thrust of the first rotor unit 12 acting on the annular fuselage 11 at a specific angle inside the annular fuselage 11, a partial thrust of the first rotor unit 12 is used to drive two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other, and at the same time, the first rotor unit 12 maintains a non-zero component in the vertical direction of the thrust acting on the annular fuselage 11 as the lift force for the flight of the multi-rotor aircraft 1.

[0040] In this way, the first rotor unit 12 can not only provide lift force for the flight of the multi-rotor aircraft 1, but also provide a driving force to expand or contract the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11.

[0041] When the driving member rotates the first rotor unit 12 about the power output shaft of the driving member, the controller controls the first rotor unit 12 to dynamically change the magnitude of the thrust so that the magnitude of the lift force of the multi-rotor aircraft 1 does not change, which helps the multi-rotor aircraft 1 maintain flight at a certain altitude.

[0042] In one embodiment of this embodiment, the drive member is provided inside the frame 111. The frame 111 may be provided with a guide groove 1110. One end of the transmission member protrudes from the guide groove 1110 and is connected to the first rotor unit 12. The guide groove 1110 can guide the transmission member to swing along the cross-section of the frame 111, and can avoid the transmission member vibrating along the longitudinal direction of the frame 111.

[0043] Also, the number of the first rotor units 12 provided on each frame 111 is not limited to one as shown in the figure. For example, a multi-rotor aircraft includes two frames 111, and each frame 111 is provided with two first rotors 12, thereby jointly constituting a quad-rotor layout. The actuator components 13 on each frame 111 are used to synchronously drive the two first rotors 12 on the frame 111 where it is located so as to change the thrust direction exerted by the two first rotors 12 on the annular fuselage 11.

Embodiment

[0044] Referring to FIGS. 11 to 13, the multi-rotor aircraft provided in this embodiment is basically the same as the multi-rotor aircraft provided in any one of Embodiments 1 to 3, and the differences are as follows. The multi-rotor aircraft 1 further includes a net bag 15. The net bag 15 may be provided on the frame 111 or the connecting unit 112 or the landing device 14, and the bag mouth of the net bag 15 can be expanded or contracted according to the expansion or contraction of the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11, that is, when the annular fuselage 11 expands or contracts the surrounding area, it simultaneously expands or contracts the bag mouth of the net bag 15 accordingly. Optionally, the net bag 15 is detachably connected to the frame 111 or the connecting unit 112 or the landing device 14, and the net bag 15 may be installed on the annular fuselage 11 as required.

[0045] Furthermore, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 may be used to capture the unmanned aircraft 2 that intrudes into the no-fly zone. Specifically, when it is necessary to capture the unmanned aircraft 2, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 can expand the opening of the net bag 15 by expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11. As a result, the success rate of the unmanned aircraft 2 being captured into the net bag 15 during capture can be increased, and when the multi-rotor aircraft 1 flies forward at high speed, the net bag 15 can be kept in a tensioned state to avoid the possibility that the net bag 15 vibrates due to the influence of the airflow and contacts the first rotor unit 12.

[0046] One implementation method for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to capture the unmanned aircraft 2 is, as shown in FIG. 12, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 approaches the unmanned aircraft 2 from behind the unmanned aircraft 2, tilts the annular fuselage 11 relatively along the flight direction, and finally makes the unmanned aircraft 2 enter the net bag 15. As a result, not only can the first rotor unit 12 and / or the second rotor unit 130 provide the driving force for forward flight to increase the flight speed of the multi-rotor aircraft 1, but also the opening of the net bag 15 can be directed towards the unmanned aircraft 2 so that the multi-rotor aircraft 1 catches up with the unmanned aircraft 2 and at the same time makes the unmanned aircraft 2 enter the net bag 15.

[0047] After the captured unmanned aircraft 2 enters the net bag 15, the multi-rotor aircraft 1 can narrow the opening of the net bag 15 by reducing the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11. As a result, the risk of the captured unmanned aircraft 2 escaping from the opening of the net bag 15 can be reduced, and the net bag 15 can be loosened to entrap the captured unmanned aircraft 2.

Embodiment

[0048] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 11 to 13, the multi-rotor aircraft provided in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 4, and the differences are as follows. A protection frame 16 is provided on the frame 111 or the connection unit 112. The protection frame 16 extends to one side of the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 and is used to prevent the net bag 15 from contacting the propeller of the first rotor unit 12.

[0049] Specifically, the protection frame 16 is composed of a plurality of protection bars 160. The plurality of protection bars 160 are respectively provided on the frame 111 or the connection unit 112 and are located between the propeller of the first rotor unit 12 and the net 15. When the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 is enlarged, the plurality of protection bars 160 move away from each other. As a result, it is possible to avoid closing the mouth of the net bag 15, enabling the captured unmanned aircraft 2 to smoothly enter the net bag 15. When the surrounding area of the annular fuselage 11 is reduced, the plurality of protection bars 160 approach each other. As a result, it is possible to partially or completely close the mouth of the net bag 15, preventing the captured unmanned aircraft 2 from escaping from the mouth of the net bag 15.

Embodiment

[0050] The multi-rotor aircraft provided in this embodiment is basically the same as that in Embodiment 1, and the differences are as follows. The elastic member is replaced by a direction-changing mechanism. The direction-changing mechanism is electrically connected to the controller and is drivably connected to the second rotor unit 130. It is used to drive the second rotor unit 130 so that the direction of the thrust exerted by the second rotor unit 130 on the annular fuselage 11 is changed. Thereby, the second rotor unit 130 is not only used to move two adjacent frames 111 away from each other but also used to move two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other.

[0051] The principle of driving the second rotor unit 130 so that the direction-changing mechanism changes the direction of the thrust exerted by the second rotor unit 130 on the annular fuselage 11 is basically the same as the principle of driving the first rotor unit 12 by the actuator component 13 in Embodiment 3 so that the first rotor unit 12 changes the direction of the thrust exerted on the annular fuselage 11. However, in this embodiment, the second rotor unit 130 may only provide the driving force to move two adjacent frames 111 away from and closer to each other, and does not provide the lift force for the multi-rotor aircraft 1 to fly. That is, when the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 acting on the annular fuselage 11 faces outside the annular fuselage 11 and is orthogonal to the direction of the thrust of the first rotor unit 12, the second rotor unit 130 is only used to move two adjacent frames 111 away from each other. When the thrust of the second rotor unit 130 acting on the annular fuselage 11 faces inside the annular fuselage 11 and is orthogonal to the thrust direction of the first rotor unit 12, the second rotor unit 130 is only used to move two adjacent frames 111 closer to each other.

[0052] Each technical feature of the above embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. For the sake of brevity of description, not all possible combinations of each technical feature of the above embodiments are described. However, these combinations of technical features should be regarded as within the scope described in this specification as long as there is no contradiction.

[0053] The above embodiments only describe some implementation manners of the present invention, and the description is more specific and detailed. However, it cannot be understood as a limitation of the scope of the claims. For those of ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the concept of the present invention, some changes and improvements are possible, and these belong to the protection scope of the present invention. Therefore, the patent protection scope of the present invention should be based on the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-rotor aircraft, comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components, wherein the annular fuselage comprises at least two frames and at least two connecting units, and two adjacent frames are movably connected via the connecting units, the at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift force for the multi-rotor aircraft to fly, the at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, the actuator component comprises a second rotor unit, the second rotor unit is provided on the frame or the connecting unit and is electrically connected to the controller, the second rotor unit is used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames away from each other, and the actuator component further comprises an elastic member, and the elastic force of the elastic member is used to move two adjacent frames closer to each other, alternatively, the second rotor units are divided into two groups, each group of the second rotor units comprises at least one of the second rotor units, and the first group of the second rotor units among the two groups of the second rotor units is used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames away from each other, and the second group of the second rotor units is used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames closer to each other, alternatively, the second rotor unit is used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames away from each other, and the first rotor unit is also used to provide a driving force to move two adjacent frames closer to each other, A multi-rotor aircraft.

2. The frame includes a first frame body, a second frame body, and a connecting portion. The first frame body and the second frame body of the frame are connected via the connecting portion, and between the first frame body of the first frame and the second frame body of the second frame of two adjacent frames, they are connected via the connecting unit. The first rotor unit is provided on each of the first frame body and the second frame body, and the second rotor unit is provided on the connecting portion. The second rotor unit is used to simultaneously generate a non-zero component of thrust along the longitudinal direction of the first frame body and the longitudinal direction of the second frame body. Alternatively, the connecting unit is provided with the first rotor unit and the second rotor unit. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 1.

3. The resultant force of the thrusts of all the second rotor units is always zero so as not to affect the motion control of the multi-rotor aircraft. Alternatively, the resultant force of the thrusts of all the second rotor units is non-zero, and is used to drive the multi-rotor aircraft to move in the same direction as the resultant force or another predetermined direction. And / or, the thrust of the second rotor unit simultaneously has a non-zero component along the thrust direction of the first rotor unit, and after the second rotor unit is activated, it is used to increase the lift of the multi-rotor aircraft or to increase the driving force for the multi-rotor aircraft to fly forward. And / or, the thrust of the second rotor unit is directed towards the outside of the annular fuselage, or is relatively inclined towards the outside of the annular fuselage. Alternatively, the thrust of the second set of the second rotor units is directed towards the inside of the annular fuselage, or is relatively inclined towards the inside of the annular fuselage, in order to provide a driving force to bring two adjacent frames closer to each other. And / or, the controller can adjust the magnitude of the thrust of the second rotor unit so that two adjacent frames reach different separation distances, thereby making it possible to adjust the surrounding area of the annular fuselage at different expansion rates. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 1.

4. During the takeoff and landing stages of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft can actively reduce the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft to take off and land in a place with limited area. And / or, the side where the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is located is the inside of the annular fuselage, and the side opposite to the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is the outside of the annular fuselage. And / or, both ends of the elastic member are respectively connected to two adjacent frames, or are respectively connected to the frame and the connection unit connected to the frame, or are respectively connected to the connection unit. And / or, when it is necessary to expand or contract the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, one set of the second rotor units in the two sets of second rotor units starts or increases the thrust, and at the same time, the other set of the second rotor units stops rotating or reduces the thrust. The multi-rotor aircraft according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A multi-rotor aircraft, comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components. The annular fuselage includes at least two frames and at least two connection units, and two adjacent frames are movably connected through the connection units. The at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for the multi-rotor aircraft during flight. The at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or reducing the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. The actuator component is drivably connected to the first rotor unit and is used to drive the first rotor unit so as to change the direction of the thrust exerted by the first rotor unit on the annular fuselage, thereby achieving the purpose of expanding or reducing the surrounding area of the annular fuselage by moving two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying. Multi-rotor aircraft.

6. When the actuator component tilts the thrust of the first rotor unit acting on the annular fuselage outward of the annular fuselage, a partial thrust of the first rotor unit is used to drive two adjacent frames away from each other. At the same time, as lift for flight of the multi-rotor aircraft, the first rotor unit maintains a non-zero component in the vertical direction of the thrust acting on the annular fuselage. When the actuator component tilts the thrust of the first rotor unit acting on the annular fuselage inward of the annular fuselage, a partial thrust of the first rotor unit is used to drive two adjacent frames closer to each other. At the same time, as lift for flight of the multi-rotor aircraft, the first rotor unit maintains a non-zero component in the vertical direction of the thrust acting on the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 5.

7. During the takeoff and landing phases of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft can actively reduce the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft to take off and land in a location with limited area. And / or, the side where the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is located is inside the annular fuselage, and the side opposite to the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is outside the annular fuselage. And / or, the actuator component includes a driving member and a transmission member. One end of the transmission member is connected to the power output shaft of the driving member, and the other end of the transmission member is connected to the first rotor unit. The driving member is provided inside the frame, and a guide groove is provided in the frame. One end of the transmission member protrudes from the guide groove and is connected to the first rotor unit. The guide groove can guide the transmission member to swing along the cross-section of the frame and can avoid the transmission member vibrating along the longitudinal direction of the frame. And / or, the actuator component is used to synchronously drive the first rotor units so that the thrust directions of the two first rotor units acting on the annular fuselage at the frame where the actuator component is located are changed. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 5 or 6.

8. A multi-rotor aircraft, comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components, wherein the annular fuselage comprises at least two frames and at least two connecting units, and two adjacent ones of the frames are movably connected via the connecting units, the at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for flight of the multi-rotor aircraft, the at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent ones of the frames away from or close to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, the actuator component comprises a second rotor unit and a direction-changing mechanism, the second rotor unit is provided on the frame or the connecting unit, the direction-changing mechanism is electrically connected to the controller and is drivably connected to the second rotor unit, and is used to drive the second rotor unit to change the direction of the thrust exerted by the second rotor unit on the annular fuselage, thereby achieving the purpose of expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage by moving two adjacent ones of the frames away from or close to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, A multi-rotor aircraft.

9. When the thrust of the second rotor unit acting on the annular fuselage faces the outside of the annular fuselage, the second rotor unit is used to move two adjacent ones of the frames away from each other; when the thrust of the second rotor unit acting on the annular fuselage faces the inside of the annular fuselage, the second rotor unit is used to move two adjacent ones of the frames close to each other, and / or, the resultant force of the thrusts of all the second rotor units is always zero so as not to affect the motion control of the multi-rotor aircraft, or the resultant force of the thrusts of all the second rotor units is not zero and is used to drive the multi-rotor aircraft to move in the same direction as the resultant force or another predetermined direction, The multi-rotor aircraft according to Claim 8.

10. During the takeoff and landing phases of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft can actively reduce the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft to take off and land in a location with limited area. And / or, the side where the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is located is the inner side of the annular fuselage, and the side opposite to the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is the outer side of the annular fuselage. And / or, the second rotor unit only provides a driving force to move two adjacent frames away from and closer to each other, and does not provide lift for the multi-rotor aircraft during flight. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 8 or 9.

11. A multi-rotor aircraft, comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components. The annular fuselage includes at least two frames and at least two connecting units. Two adjacent frames are movably connected via the connecting units. The at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for the multi-rotor aircraft during flight. The at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or reducing the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft further includes a net bag. The net bag is provided on the frame or the connecting unit, or the annular fuselage further includes at least two landing devices. The landing devices are respectively provided on at least two of the frames or at least two of the connecting units, and the net bag is provided on the landing devices. The mouth of the net bag can be expanded or reduced in accordance with the expansion or reduction of the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. Multi-rotor aircraft.

12. The frame or the connecting unit is provided with a protective frame, and the protective frame extends to one side of the surrounding area of the annular fuselage and is used to prevent the net bag from contacting the propeller of the first rotor unit. The protective frame is composed of a plurality of protective bars. When the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is reduced, the plurality of protective bars approach each other and are used to partially or completely close the bag mouth of the net bag. And / or, during the process of expanding or shrinking the surrounding area, the annular fuselage simultaneously expands or shrinks the bag mouth of the net bag accordingly. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 11.

13. The multi-rotor aircraft is used to capture a drone. When it is necessary to capture the drone, the multi-rotor aircraft can expand the bag mouth of the net bag by expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. After the drone enters the net bag, the multi-rotor aircraft can narrow the bag mouth of the net bag by shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. And / or, the multi-rotor aircraft can approach the drone from behind the drone, tilt the annular fuselage relatively along the flight direction, and finally make the drone enter the net bag. And / or, the multi-rotor aircraft can keep the net bag in a tensile state by expanding the bag mouth of the net bag, and the multi-rotor aircraft can loosen the net bag by narrowing the bag mouth of the net bag to entangle the captured drone. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 11 or 12.

14. When using the multi-rotor aircraft according to any one of claims 11 to 13, the multi-rotor aircraft is used to capture a drone. When it is necessary to capture the drone, the multi-rotor aircraft expands the bag mouth of the net bag by expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. After the drone enters the net bag, the multi-rotor aircraft narrows the bag mouth of the net bag by shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. The method of using the multi-rotor aircraft including the above.

15. The multi-rotor aircraft approaches the unmanned aircraft from behind the unmanned aircraft, and relatively inclines the annular fuselage along the flight direction, directs the mouth of the net bag towards the unmanned aircraft, and when the multi-rotor aircraft catches up with the unmanned aircraft, at the same time, allows the unmanned aircraft to enter the net bag. The method of using the multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 14.

16. A multi-rotor aircraft, comprising a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components. The annular fuselage includes at least two frames and at least two connecting units. Two adjacent frames are movably connected via the connecting units. The at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for the multi-rotor aircraft to fly. The at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and are electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft further includes an advertising banner provided on the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft can deploy the advertising banner in the air by expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage during flight in order to display the advertising banner in the air. And / or, the multi-rotor aircraft further includes a sensor used to inspect the structure of a tower-type building. The sensor is annularly arranged on the inner surface of the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft can penetrate a tower-type building into the surrounding area of the annular fuselage when performing inspection work. Multi-rotor aircraft.

17. During the takeoff and landing stages of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft can actively shrink the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft to take off and land in a place with limited area. And / or, the side where the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is located is the inside of the annular fuselage, and the side opposite to the surrounding area of the annular fuselage is the outside of the annular fuselage. The multi-rotor aircraft according to claim 16.

18. When using a multi-rotor aircraft, the multi-rotor aircraft includes a controller, an annular fuselage, at least two first rotor units, and at least two actuator components, the annular fuselage includes at least two frames and at least two connecting units, and two adjacent ones of the frames are movably connected via the connecting units, the at least two first rotor units are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to provide lift for the multi-rotor aircraft during flight, the at least two actuator components are respectively provided on the annular fuselage and electrically connected to the controller, and are used to move two adjacent ones of the frames away from or closer to each other when the multi-rotor aircraft is flying, thereby expanding or shrinking the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, the multi-rotor aircraft is used to display a large advertising banner in the air, the advertising banner is provided on the annular fuselage, and the multi-rotor aircraft unfolds the advertising banner in the air by expanding the surrounding area of the annular fuselage during flight, and / or the multi-rotor aircraft is used to inspect the structure of a tower-type building, sensors related to inspection are annularly arranged on the inner surface of the annular fuselage, and the multi-rotor aircraft penetrates the tower-type building into the surrounding area of the annular fuselage when performing the inspection work, and / or during the takeoff and landing stages of flight, the multi-rotor aircraft shrinks the surrounding area of the annular fuselage, which is advantageous for the multi-rotor aircraft to take off and land in a place with limited area, A method of using the multi-rotor aircraft as described above.

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