Unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

Provided is an unmanned aerial vehicle (100), comprising a fuselage (110) and an arm (120), wherein the arm (120) is movably connected to the fuselage (110), enabling the arm (120) to switch between an unfolded state and a folded state; and when the direction of movement of the arm (120) relative to the fuselage (110) comprises a first direction, the arm (120) in the unfolded state switches to the folded state, the first direction being the downward direction of the yaw axis of the unmanned aerial vehicle (100).

Description

A drone

[0001] Cross-references

[0002] This specification claims priority to Chinese application No. 202311520445.8 filed on November 14, 2023, and the entire contents of the above application are incorporated into this specification by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This specification relates to the technical field of unmanned aerial vehicle manufacturing, and in particular to a drone. Background Art

[0004] Drones are widely used in a variety of fields, including aerial photography, reconnaissance, and cargo transportation. Common types of drones include twin-rotor drones and quad-rotor drones. Twin-rotor drones have propellers that rotate along a fixed axis at the end of their arms, providing greater flexibility and maneuverability.

[0005] Current designs for twin-rotor drones often feature foldable arms for ease of portability and storage. These folding structures typically utilize elastic hinges to provide a degree of stability when the arms are deployed and retracted. However, the specific flight angles and lift forces of a drone can generate significant torque on the arms, potentially causing them to unexpectedly fold back, leading to loss of control and a crash.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a kind of UAV to solve the above-mentioned technical problems.

[0007] Summary of the Invention

[0008] One or more embodiments of the present specification provide a drone, comprising: a fuselage and an arm, wherein the arm is movably connected to the fuselage so that the arm can be converted between an expanded state and a folded state, and when the movement direction of the arm relative to the fuselage includes a first direction, the arm in the expanded state is converted to the folded state; wherein the first direction is a downward direction in the route axis of the drone.

[0009] In some embodiments, the drone also includes a pivot assembly, which is arranged in the fuselage. One end of the arm is installed on the pivot assembly and rotates around the first axis of the pivot assembly based on the rotation point. The other end of the arm extends outside the fuselage. There is an angle between the first axis and the plane formed by the pitch axis and roll axis of the drone.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the arm changes to the folded state, the motion trajectory of the arm constitutes a partial conical surface, the central axis of the conical surface is the first axis, and the vertex of the conical surface is the rotation point.

[0011] In some embodiments, the axis of the arm before folding and the axis of the arm after folding form a folding plane, and the angle between the first axis and the folding plane is in the range of -60° to 60°.

[0012] In some embodiments, the angle between the first axis and the folding plane is in the range of -15° to +30°.

[0013] In some embodiments, the shaft assembly is provided with a support portion and a rotating member, the arm is connected to the rotating member, and the rotating axis of the rotating member coincides with the first axis.

[0014] In some embodiments, the support part includes a first support part and a second support part, the first support part is provided with a first through hole, and the second support part is provided with a second through hole; wherein, the line connecting the center point of the first through hole and the center point of the second through hole coincides with the first axis, one end of the rotating part is connected to the first through hole, and the other end is connected to the second through hole.

[0015] In some embodiments, the arm includes a connecting portion and a rotor portion, the connecting portion is provided with a third through hole, one end of the connecting portion is connected to the rotor portion, and the other end is sleeved outside the rotating member through the third through hole.

[0016] In some embodiments, relative rotation between the third through hole and the rotating member is restricted.

[0017] In some embodiments, the drone includes at least two arms. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] This specification will be further described in the form of exemplary embodiments, which will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limiting, and in these embodiments, like numbers represent like structures, wherein:

[0019] FIG1 is a schematic structural diagram of a drone arm in an unfolded state according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0020] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a drone arm in a folded state according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0021] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a side arm of a drone transitioning between an unfolded state and a folded state according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0022] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a rotation trajectory of an arm according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0023] FIG5 is a schematic structural diagram of a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0024] FIG6A is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to some embodiments of the present specification;

[0025] FIG6B is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to other embodiments of the present specification;

[0026] FIG6C is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to yet other embodiments of the present specification;

[0027] FIG7 is a schematic structural diagram of a machine arm according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0028] FIG8A is a schematic diagram of a pre-connected state of a machine arm and a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0029] FIG8B is a schematic diagram of a connection state between a machine arm and a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0030] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a connection state between an arm and a fuselage according to some embodiments of this specification;

[0031] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a folding plane according to some embodiments of the present specification;

[0032] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an angle between a first axis and a folding plane according to some embodiments of this specification. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this specification, the following briefly describes the drawings required for describing the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely examples or embodiments of this specification. Those skilled in the art can apply this specification to other similar scenarios based on these drawings without inventive effort. Unless otherwise apparent from the context or otherwise noted, the same reference numerals in the figures represent the same structure or operation.

[0034] It should be understood that the terms "system," "device," "unit," and / or "module" used herein are a method for distinguishing different components, elements, parts, portions, or assemblies at different levels. However, if other terms can achieve the same purpose, the terms may be replaced by other expressions.

[0035] As used in this specification and claims, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the words "a," "an," "an," and / or "the" do not refer to the singular but also include the plural. Generally speaking, the terms "comprises" and "include" only indicate the inclusion of the steps and elements specifically identified, and these steps and elements do not constitute an exclusive list. A method or apparatus may also include other steps or elements.

[0036] Flowcharts are used throughout this specification to illustrate the operations performed by systems according to embodiments of this specification. It should be understood that preceding or following operations do not necessarily need to be performed in exact order. Instead, the steps may be processed in reverse order or simultaneously. Furthermore, other operations may be added to these processes, or one or more operations may be removed from these processes.

[0037] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a drone 100 in an unfolded state according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG1 , the drone 100 includes a body 110 and an arm 120 .

[0038] The fuselage 110 is the main body of the drone 100. The fuselage 110 can be used to support other components and to mechanically protect and / or retain the components. For example, the fuselage 110 can support the arms 120.

[0039] In some embodiments, the body 110 may further include a plurality of other components not shown, such as a power module, a communication module, a control module, and the like.

[0040] In some embodiments, the drone 100 includes at least two arms. In other embodiments, the drone 100 may include other numbers of arms, such as four arms, without limitation. For ease of illustration, the embodiments in this specification use the example of a drone 100 including two arms.

[0041] In some embodiments, the arm 120 is movably connected to the body 110 to allow the arm to transition between an extended state and a folded state. When the arm's motion relative to the body includes a first direction, the arm transitions from the extended state to the folded state. The first direction is a downward direction along the drone's flight axis.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the deployed state of the arms 120 means that the axes of the two arms 120 and the roll axis of the fuselage 110 (i.e., the Z axis shown in Figure 3) are located on both sides of the fuselage 110 at a fixed angle. The aforementioned fixed angle can be preset. For example, the fixed angle can be an angle in the range of 25° to 45°. The fixed angle can also be other reasonable angles, which are not limited here. When the arms 120 are in the deployed state, the two arms 120 are arranged in a basic V-shaped form on both sides of the fuselage 110. The arms 120 can also be in other forms, for example, arranged in a U-shaped form on both sides of the fuselage 110.

[0043] FIG2 is a schematic structural diagram of a drone arm in a folded state according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0044] As shown in FIG2 , the folded state of the arms 120 means that the two arms 120 are parallel or substantially parallel to the pitch axis of the fuselage 110 (i.e., the Y axis shown in FIG3 ) and should be as close to the fuselage 110 as possible. In this state, the drone 100 is small in size and easy to store and carry.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present specification, the arms and body of the drone are movably connected, so that the arms of the drone can be flexibly switched between an unfolded state and a folded state, thereby increasing the portability of the drone and facilitating transportation and storage; at the same time, it can also adapt to different flight environments and needs.

[0046] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a drone arm transitioning between an extended and folded state, according to some embodiments of this specification. As shown in Figure 3 , 120-1 indicates arm 120 in an extended state (referred to as state A), 120-2 indicates arm 120 in a rotational transition state (referred to as state B), and 120-3 indicates arm 120 in a folded state (referred to as state C).

[0047] In some embodiments, when the movement direction of the arm 120 relative to the body 110 includes a first direction, the arm 120 may change from an unfolded state to a folded state.

[0048] The first direction is the downward direction along the flight path axis of drone 100. As shown in Figure 3, the first direction is the downward direction along the X-axis. The X-axis is the flight path axis, the Y-axis is the pitch axis, and the Z-axis is the roll axis. Drone 100 can achieve different motion directions along different axes. For example, based on the drone operator, the drone can move up and down along the X-axis, and forward and backward, left and right, and so on along the Y and Z axes.

[0049] Continuing with FIG3 , when the direction of movement of arm 120 relative to body 110 includes a first direction (i.e., the direction of movement of arm 120 includes a downward X-axis direction), arm 120 can transition from the deployed state to the rotational transition state, and further to the folded state, completing the folding of the arm. Specifically, arm 120 transitions from state A to state B, and further to state C.

[0050] The rotational transition state refers to a transition state in which the arm 120 moves along a trajectory of a partial conical surface during the folding (or unfolding) process.

[0051] Similarly, when the arm 120 needs to be deployed, the arm 120 changes from the folded state to the rotation transition state, and then further changes to the deployed state to complete the deployment of the arm. That is, the arm 120 changes from state C to state B, and further changes to state A.

[0052] In some embodiments, when the arm 120 transitions between the unfolded state and the folded state, its motion trajectory forms a partial conical surface. For more information on the rotational motion trajectory of the arm 120, please refer to the relevant sections below, such as Figures 4, 10, and 11.

[0053] It is understandable that the above embodiment only describes the folding method of one arm of the drone 100. The folding methods of the other arms of the drone 100 are the same and will not be described in detail here.

[0054] It's worth noting that drones operate in a complex manner, potentially generating torque that could cause the arms to unexpectedly fold, leading to loss of control or even a crash. Under normal flight conditions, the arms' movement relative to the drone's body generally doesn't include a downward direction (i.e., the first direction). Even during descent, the lift generated by the rotors is reduced to a value less than the weight of the drone, and the arms don't move downward relative to the drone's body.

[0055] Furthermore, because the rotors are mounted on the arms, when the drone ascends, the arms provide an upward lift to the fuselage. Under the weight of the fuselage, the two tend to move away from each other. When the drone descends, the weight of the fuselage drives the arms downward. Under the inertia of the arms, the two also tend to move away from each other. In other words, the arms are unlikely to move toward the fuselage during ascent, descent, and flight. By configuring the arms to fold only when they are moving toward the fuselage, accidental arm folding can be avoided in most cases.

[0056] In some embodiments of the present specification, when the movement direction of the arm relative to the fuselage includes a first direction, the arm can be transformed from an unfolded state to a folded state, and the problem of accidental folding of the arm caused by torque generated during the flight of the drone can be avoided without setting up additional limiting devices.

[0057] In some embodiments, the drone 100 further includes a shaft assembly, and the fuselage 110 and the arm 120 of the drone 100 are connected by the shaft assembly. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the rotation trajectory of the arm according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0058] As shown in Figure 4, the shaft assembly is set in the fuselage 110, one end of the arm 120 is installed on the shaft assembly, and rotates around the first axis L of the shaft assembly based on the rotation point O. The other end of the arm 120 extends outside the fuselage 110. The rotation point O is determined based on the axis and the arm 120. There is an angle between the first axis L and the plane formed by the pitch axis Y and the roll axis Z of the drone 100.

[0059] The first axis L refers to the axis of the rotating shaft assembly 140 .

[0060] The angle between the first axis L and the plane formed by the pitch axis Y and the roll axis Z of the drone 100 can be preset in advance.

[0061] In some embodiments, the shaft assembly is provided with a support portion and a rotating member, the arm 120 is connected to the rotating member, and the rotation axis of the rotating member coincides with the first axis L of the shaft assembly.

[0062] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in FIG5 , the rotating shaft assembly 140 includes a supporting portion 141 and a rotating member 142 .

[0063] The support portion 141 is used to provide support and position limiting for the rotating member 142 connecting the arm 120 and the body 110. In some embodiments, the support portion includes a first support portion 1411 and a second support portion 1412.

[0064] Figure 6A is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to some embodiments of the present specification; Figure 6B is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to other embodiments of the present specification; and Figure 6C is an exemplary schematic diagram of a support portion according to yet other embodiments of the present specification.

[0065] As shown in Figures 6A to 6C , a first through hole 14110 is provided on the first support portion 1411, and a second through hole 14120 is provided on the second support portion 1412. A line connecting the center points of the first through hole 14110 and the second through hole 14120 coincides with the axis L. One end of the rotating member 142 is connected to the first through hole 14110, and the other end is connected to the second through hole 14120.

[0066] Rotating member 142 is used to achieve a movable connection between arm 120 and body 110. That is, arm 120 can be transformed between an unfolded state and a folded state based on rotating member 142. Rotating member 142 can be a mechanical component with a rotational function, for example, an octagonal rotary pump.

[0067] In some embodiments, one end of the rotating member 142 has a protrusion structure, which can be connected to the first through hole. As shown in FIG5 , the protrusion structure 1421 of the rotating member 142 can be connected to the first through hole 14110 .

[0068] In some embodiments, the other end of the rotating member 142 has a fixing structure, which can be used to fix the rotating member to the support portion. As shown in FIG5 , the fixing structure 1422 of the rotating member 142 can fix the rotating member 142 to the second support portion 1412 .

[0069] In some embodiments of the present specification, the support portion includes a first support portion 1411 and a second support portion 1412 , which makes the shaft assembly more modular, facilitates maintenance and replacement, and makes the structure of the drone more stable.

[0070] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram of the structure of a machine arm according to some embodiments of this specification. In some embodiments, the machine arm 120 includes a connecting portion 121 and a rotor portion 122. The connecting portion 121 is provided with a third through hole 1211. One end of the connecting portion 121 is connected to the rotor portion 122, and the other end is sleeved outside the rotating member 142 through the third through hole 1211.

[0071] The rotor portion 122 is disposed at one end of the arm, and the rotor portion 122 can provide power for the flight of the UAV 100 .

[0072] Connecting portion 121 is used to connect rotor portion 122 and fuselage 110. Referring to Figures 5 and 7 , the end of connecting portion 121 connected to fuselage 110 is provided with a bent structure, and third through-hole 1211 is disposed in this bent structure. It is understood that the bent structure provided at one end of the connecting portion, coupled to rotating member 142 via the third through-hole on this bent structure, enables the arm 120 to achieve a partial conical surface rotation trajectory. For further description of the partial conical surface rotation trajectory of arm 120, see Figures 10 and 11 .

[0073] The rotating member 142 can pass through the third through hole 1211 to connect the arm 120 and the shaft assembly 140 .

[0074] In some embodiments, relative rotation between the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142 is restricted, and relative rotation between the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142 does not occur. The relative movement between the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142 can be restricted in various ways. For example, a stopper can be provided between the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142.

[0075] In some embodiments, the third through hole 1211 may be configured as a non-circular structure to limit relative rotation between the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142. For example, the third through hole may be configured as a quadrilateral, a hexagon, an octagon, or the like.

[0076] In some embodiments, the shape of the third through hole 1211 can be the same as that of the rotating member 142, so that the connection between the shaft assembly and the machine arm can be more tightly connected. For example, the third through hole 1211 and the rotating member 142 can both be configured as octagonal shapes.

[0077] In some embodiments of the present specification, the relative rotation between the third through hole and the rotating member is restricted, which can provide higher connection stability and help prevent components (such as the arm 120) from falling off under high pressure, high-speed rotation and other scenarios.

[0078] In some embodiments, the hinge assembly 140 may connect the arm 120 and the body 110 based on the following steps.

[0079] Step S1 : Connect the arm 120 to the shaft assembly 140 .

[0080] FIG8A is a schematic diagram of a pre-connected state of a machine arm and a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of this specification; FIG8B is a schematic diagram of a connected state of a machine arm and a rotating shaft assembly according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0081] Referring to Figures 5, 8A and 8B, the end of the connecting portion 121 of the arm 120 having the third through hole 1211 can be placed between the first support portion 1411 and the second support portion 1412, wherein the third through hole 1211 and the second through hole 14120 overlap, and the arm and the shaft assembly are in a pre-connected state (as shown in Figure 8A). Further, the rotating member 142 is inserted into the third through hole 1211 and the second through hole 14120, wherein the protruding structure 1421 of the rotating member 142 is connected to the first through hole 14110. Finally, the rotating member 142 is fixed to the second support portion 1412 by the fixing structure 1422 of the rotating member 142, and the arm 120 and the shaft assembly 140 are in a connected state (as shown in Figure 8B). The rotating member 142 can be fixed in a variety of ways, for example, the fixing methods can include screw fixing, rivet fixing, welding fixing, etc.

[0082] Step S2 , connecting the connected arm 120 to the hinge assembly 140 and the body 110 .

[0083] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection between the arm and the body, according to some embodiments of this specification. As shown in Figure 9 , the hinge assembly 140 connected to the arm 120 can be placed inside the body 110 and secured. This can be done in a variety of ways, including screws, rivets, and welding.

[0084] In some embodiments of the present specification, the shaft assembly 140 is disposed inside the fuselage 110 , which can provide more stable and flexible flight control for the drone 100 , simplify the mechanical structure, and reduce costs and maintenance difficulties to a certain extent.

[0085] In some embodiments, when the arm 120 of the drone 100 changes from an unfolded state to a folded state, the motion trajectory of the arm 120 constitutes a partial conical surface, the central axis of the conical surface is the first axis, and the vertex of the conical surface is the rotation point when the arm 120 rotates.

[0086] Referring to Figure 4 , the conical surface M represents the motion trajectory of the arm 120. The central axis of the conical surface M is the first axis L of the rotating shaft assembly 140, and the vertex of the conical surface M is the rotation point O of the arm 120 during rotation. Specifically, the arm 120 follows the trajectory shown by the portion of the conical surface M, transitioning from the deployed state A to the rotational transition state B, and then to the folded state C, completing the folding of the arm. Similarly, when the arm 120 needs to be deployed, it follows the trajectory shown by the portion of the conical surface M, transitioning from the folded state C to the rotational transition state B, and then to the deployed state A.

[0087] In some embodiments of the present specification, the arm 120 changes from an unfolded state to a folded state (or from a folded state to an unfolded state) through a trajectory as shown by the conical surface M, which can ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the folding (or unfolding) process and reduce the loss caused by mechanical friction or conflict to a certain extent.

[0088] In some embodiments, the axis of the arm before folding and the axis of the arm after folding form a folding plane, and the angle between the first axis and the folding plane is in the range of -60° to 60°.

[0089] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a folding plane according to some embodiments of the present specification. For ease of explanation, the conic surface in FIG10 is placed with its vertex facing upward. As shown in FIG10 , OA represents the axis of the arm 120 when in the deployed state (which may be referred to as the axis OA); OC represents the axis of the arm 120 when in the folded state (which may be referred to as the axis OC), and the curved arrow N represents the rotation direction of the arm 120. In some embodiments, when the arm 120 changes from the deployed state to the folded state, the motion trajectory of the arm 120 constitutes a partial conic surface. That is, the partial conic surface formed during the rotation of the arm's axis from OA to OC is the motion trajectory of the arm 120.

[0090] Continuing to refer to FIG10 , the rotation point O and the axis of the arm before folding (ie OA) and the axis of the arm after folding (ie OC) form a folding plane AOC, and an angle α exists between the first axis L and the folding plane.

[0091] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of an angle between a first axis and a folding plane according to some embodiments of this specification.

[0092] In some embodiments, due to reasons such as the installation angle of the rotating member 142, the position of the first axis L may be lower with reference to the plane formed by the flight axis (i.e., the X-axis) of the drone. At this time, the axis of the arm 120 in the unfolded state and the folded state may be above the first axis L.

[0093] As shown in FIG11 , axis OA′ represents the state in which the axis of the arm 120 in the deployed state is above the first axis L; axis OC′ represents the state in which the axis of the arm 120 in the folded state is above the first axis L; axis OA represents the state in which the axis of the arm 120 in the deployed state is below the first axis L; and axis OC represents the state in which the axis of the arm 120 in the folded state is below the first axis L. The positional relationship between the axis of the arm 120 and the first axis L is referenced to the flight path axis (i.e., the X-axis) of the drone.

[0094] As shown in Figure 11, when the axes of the arm 120 in the unfolded and folded states (i.e., the axis OA and the axis OC) are both below the first fold line L, the angle α (such as angle α1) between the folding plane OAC and the first fold line L is positive; when the axes of the arm 120 in the unfolded and folded states (i.e., the axis OA' and the axis OC') are both above the first fold line L, the angle α (such as angle α2) between the folding plane OA'C' and the first fold line L is negative.

[0095] In some embodiments, the angle α between the first axis L and the folding plane is in the range of -60° to 60°.

[0096] In some embodiments of the present specification, the angle α between the first axis L and the folding plane is in the range of -60° to 60°, which increases the flexibility of the arm 120 and can meet the flight and folding requirements in most cases.

[0097] In some preferred embodiments, the angle α between the first axis L and the folding plane is in the range of -15° to 30°.

[0098] In some embodiments of the present specification, the angle α between the first axis L and the folding plane is in the range of -15° to 30°, which further optimizes the rotational motion trajectory of the arm 120 and can more effectively balance the torque generated by the drone 100 during flight, thereby reducing the risk of accidental folding of the arm 120 during flight.

[0099] The drone described in this specification can at least achieve the following effects: (1) when the movement direction of the arm relative to the fuselage includes the first direction (i.e., when the arm moves toward the fuselage), the arm is changed from the unfolded state to the folded state, and no additional limiting device is required to avoid the problem of accidental folding of the arm due to the torque generated during the flight of the drone, which is simple and convenient to operate and reduces costs; (2) the arm is changed from the unfolded state to the folded state (or from the folded state to the unfolded state) through the trajectory of a partial conical surface, which can ensure the smoothness and accuracy of the folding (or unfolding) process and reduce the loss caused by mechanical friction or conflict to a certain extent; (3) by setting the angle between the axis of the arm during rotation and the folding plane, the rotation trajectory of the arm is further optimized, which can more effectively balance the torque generated by the drone during flight, thereby reducing the risk of accidental folding of the arm during flight.

[0100] While the basic concepts have been described above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the detailed disclosure is merely illustrative and does not limit this specification. Although not explicitly stated herein, various modifications, improvements, and revisions to this specification may be made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications, improvements, and revisions are suggested in this specification and remain within the spirit and scope of the exemplary embodiments of this specification.

[0101] This specification also uses specific terms to describe the embodiments of this specification. For example, "one embodiment," "an embodiment," and / or "some embodiments" refer to a feature, structure, or characteristic associated with at least one embodiment of this specification. Therefore, it should be emphasized and noted that references to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," or "an alternative embodiment" two or more times in different locations in this specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, certain features, structures, or characteristics of one or more embodiments of this specification may be appropriately combined.

[0102] In addition, unless expressly stated in the claims, the order of the processing elements and sequences, the use of alphanumeric characters, or the use of other names described in this specification are not intended to limit the order of the processes and methods of this specification. Although the above disclosure discusses some of the invention embodiments currently considered useful through various examples, it should be understood that such details are for illustrative purposes only, and the appended claims are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the claims are intended to cover all modifications and equivalent combinations that are consistent with the spirit and scope of the embodiments of this specification. For example, although the system components described above can be implemented by hardware devices, they can also be implemented only by software solutions, such as installing the described system on an existing server or mobile device.

[0103] Similarly, it should be noted that, in order to simplify the presentation of this specification and thus facilitate understanding of one or more embodiments of the invention, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments of this specification sometimes combine multiple features into a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this disclosure method does not imply that the subject matter of this specification requires more features than those recited in the claims. In fact, an embodiment may have fewer features than all of the features of a single disclosed embodiment.

[0104] In some embodiments, numbers are used to describe the quantity of components and attributes. It should be understood that such numbers used in the description of the embodiments are modified by the modifiers "about", "approximately" or "substantially" in some examples. Unless otherwise stated, "about", "approximately" or "substantially" indicate that the numbers are allowed to vary by ±20%. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the numerical parameters used in the description and claims are approximate values, which may change according to the required characteristics of individual embodiments. In some embodiments, the numerical parameters should take into account the specified significant digits and adopt the general method of retaining digits. Although the numerical domains and parameters used to confirm the breadth of their range in some embodiments of this specification are approximate values, in specific embodiments, the settings of such numerical values ​​are as accurate as possible within the feasible range.

[0105] Each patent, patent application, patent application publication, and other materials, such as articles, books, specifications, publications, and documents, cited in this specification is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. This includes application history documents that are inconsistent with or conflict with the content of this specification, as well as documents (currently or subsequently attached to this specification) that limit the broadest scope of the claims of this specification. It should be noted that if the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in the accompanying materials are inconsistent or conflicting with the content of this specification, the descriptions, definitions, and / or terminology used in this specification will control.

[0106] Finally, it should be understood that the embodiments described in this specification are intended only to illustrate the principles of the embodiments of this specification. Other variations may also fall within the scope of this specification. Therefore, by way of example and not limitation, alternative configurations of the embodiments of this specification may be considered consistent with the teachings of this specification. Accordingly, the embodiments of this specification are not limited to the embodiments explicitly described and illustrated in this specification.

Claims

1. A drone, characterized in that: The drone comprises: A fuselage and an arm, wherein the arm is movably connected to the fuselage so that the arm can be converted between an unfolded state and a folded state, and when the movement direction of the arm relative to the fuselage includes a first direction, the arm in the unfolded state is converted to the folded state; wherein the first direction is a downward direction in the flight axis of the drone.

2. The drone according to claim 1, characterized in that: The drone also includes a rotating shaft assembly, which is arranged in the fuselage. One end of the arm is installed on the rotating shaft assembly and rotates around a first axis of the rotating shaft assembly based on a rotation point. The other end of the arm extends outside the fuselage. There is an angle between the first axis and the plane formed by the pitch axis and roll axis of the drone.

3. The drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: When the machine arm changes to the folded state, the movement trajectory of the machine arm constitutes a partial conical surface, the central axis of the conical surface is the first axis, and the vertex of the conical surface is the rotation point.

4. The drone according to claim 2, characterized in that: The axis of the arm before folding and the axis of the arm after folding form a folding plane, and the angle between the first axis and the folding plane is in the range of -60° to 60°.

5. The drone according to claim 4, characterized in that: The angle between the first axis and the folding plane is in the range of -15° to +30°.

6. The drone according to claim 2, wherein: The rotating shaft assembly is provided with a supporting portion and a rotating member, the machine arm is connected to the rotating member, and the rotating axis of the rotating member coincides with the first axis.

7. The drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: The support part includes a first support part and a second support part, the first support part is provided with a first through hole, and the second support part is provided with a second through hole; wherein a line connecting the center point of the first through hole and the center point of the second through hole coincides with the first axis, one end of the rotating part is connected to the first through hole, and the other end is connected to the second through hole.

8. The drone according to claim 6, characterized in that: The machine arm includes a connecting portion and a rotor portion, the connecting portion is provided with a third through hole, one end of the connecting portion is connected to the rotor portion, and the other end is sleeved outside the rotating member through the third through hole.

9. The drone according to claim 8, characterized in that: The relative rotation between the third through hole and the rotating member is restricted.

10. The drone according to claim 1, wherein: The drone comprises at least two arms.

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