Towing unmanned aerial vehicle and towing system

Abstract

The present application relates to a towing unmanned aerial vehicle and a towing system. The towing unmanned aerial vehicle comprises a plurality of vertical rotors, two tension rotors, and a towing assembly. The axial direction of rotation of each vertical rotor is a first direction. The axial direction of rotation of each tension rotor is a second direction. An included angle between the second direction and the first direction is in the range of 90° to 70°, or in the range of 85° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 75°. The towing assembly is configured to be connected to a towing rope. By means of providing the towing assembly and the tension rotors of which the axial direction of rotation is different from the axial direction of rotation of the vertical rotors, the present disclosure provides a towing unmanned aerial vehicle dedicated to towing operations, thereby mitigating the problem of unmanned aerial vehicles being prone to going out of control or crashing during towing operations.

Description

Towing drone and towing system

[0001] Cross-reference to related applications

[0002] The present application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. CN202421538890.7, filed on July 02, 2024, Chinese Patent Application No. CN202411198266.1, filed on August 29, 2024, Chinese Patent Application No. CN202510329363.8, filed on March 19, 2025, Chinese Patent Application No. CN202510329316.3, filed on March 19, 2025, Chinese Patent Application No. CN202520485801.5, filed on March 19, 2025, and Chinese Patent Application No. CN202520483061.1, filed on March 19, 2025, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] The present disclosure relates to the technical field of drones, and in particular, to a towing drone and a towing system. BACKGROUND

[0004] In related technologies, a drone generally includes four or six rotors with rotation axes in a vertical direction. When such a drone is used for towing operations, the front part of the drone needs to be tilted forward or laterally in order to generate a horizontal pulling force. The forward or lateral tilt will cause the lift direction of the rotors to be inconsistent with the center of gravity of the drone, reducing the flight stability and energy efficiency of the drone, and making the drone prone to losing control or crashing during long-time towing operations.

[0005] There is an urgent need in the art for a drone that is specifically designed for towing operations such as paragliding towing. SUMMARY

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a towing drone to solve the problem of general-purpose drones losing control or crashing during towing operations.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the present application relates to a towing drone. The towing drone includes a plurality of vertical rotors, two pulling rotors, and a towing assembly. The rotation axis of each vertical rotor is in a first direction. The rotation axis of each pulling rotor is in a second direction. The included angle between the second direction and the first direction is in a range of 90° to 70°, or in a range of 85° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 75°. The towing assembly is configured to connect a towing rope.

[0008] According to a second aspect of the present disclosure, the present application relates to a towing system. The towing system comprises the above-mentioned towing drone and a non-powered aircraft. The non-powered aircraft is configured to be connected to the towing drone by the towing rope.

[0009] The present disclosure provides a novel towing drone. The towing drone comprises a plurality of vertical rotors, two pull rotors and a towing assembly. The rotation axis of each vertical rotor is in a first direction. The rotation axis of each pull rotor is in a second direction. The included angle between the second direction and the first direction is in the range of 90° to 70°, or in the range of 85° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 75°. The towing assembly is configured to connect the towing rope. The present disclosure provides a towing drone dedicated to towing operation by providing the towing assembly and the pull rotors with rotation axis different from the rotation axis of the vertical rotors, thereby reducing the problem of easy loss of control or crash of the unmanned aerial vehicle during towing operation. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0010] Fig. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a towing system according to some embodiments of the present application;

[0011] Fig. 2 shows a perspective schematic diagram of a towing drone according to a first embodiment of the present application;

[0012] Fig. 3 shows another perspective schematic diagram of the towing drone of Fig. 2;

[0013] Fig. 4 shows a partial perspective view of the towing drone shown in Fig. 2;

[0014] Fig. 5 shows an exploded schematic diagram of the part shown in Fig. 4;

[0015] Fig. 6 shows an installation schematic diagram of a battery pack;

[0016] Fig. 7 shows a structural schematic diagram of a power assembly of the towing drone in Fig. 2;

[0017] Fig. 8 is an exploded schematic diagram of a lift unit in Fig. 7;

[0018] Fig. 9 is an exploded schematic diagram of a pull unit in Fig. 7;

[0019] Fig. 10 shows a perspective schematic diagram of a pull motor support in Fig. 9;

[0020] Fig. 11 shows an internal structural schematic diagram of a main load-bearing structure in Fig. 5;

[0021] Fig. 12 shows a perspective schematic diagram of the main load-bearing structure in Fig. 5;

[0022] Fig. 13 shows a perspective schematic diagram of a towing assembly of the towing drone shown in Fig. 3;

[0023] Figure 14 shows an exploded view of the traction assembly shown in Figure 13;

[0024] Figure 15 shows a perspective view of the support bar assembly in Figure 14;

[0025] Figure 16 shows an exploded view of the base and support bar in Figure 15;

[0026] Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view in the direction of A-A in Figure 14;

[0027] Figure 18 shows an exploded view of the guide head in Figure 15;

[0028] Figure 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the guide head in Figure 15 in the direction of B-B in Figure 18;

[0029] Figure 20 shows a perspective view of the capstan assembly shown in Figure 13;

[0030] Figure 21 shows an exploded view of the capstan assembly shown in Figure 20;

[0031] Figure 22 shows a perspective view of the first rotating member;

[0032] Figure 23 shows a perspective view of the second rotating member;

[0033] Figure 24 shows a perspective view of the outer frame;

[0034] Figure 25 shows a cross-sectional view in the direction of C-C in Figure 20;

[0035] Figure 26 shows a perspective view of the pull arm shown in Figure 2;

[0036] Figure 27 shows an exploded view of the pull arm shown in Figure 26;

[0037] Figure 28 shows a perspective view of the body connection joint in Figure 27;

[0038] Figure 29 shows an exploded view of the outer arm shown in Figure 27;

[0039] Figure 30 shows a perspective view of the inner joint shown in Figure 29;

[0040] Figure 31 shows a perspective view of the outer joint shown in Figure 29;

[0041] Figure 32 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the connection between the outer arm and the inner arm;

[0042] Figure 33 shows a perspective view of the support frame in Figure 2;

[0043] Figure 34 shows a perspective view of the support frame connection joint in Figure 33;

[0044] Fig. 35 shows a perspective view of the tee fitting in Fig. 33;

[0045] Fig. 36 shows a perspective view of a tow drone according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0046] Fig. 37 is another perspective view of the tow drone of Fig. 36;

[0047] Fig. 38 is an enlarged view of section E in Fig. 37;

[0048] Fig. 39 is yet another perspective view of the tow drone of Fig. 36;

[0049] Fig. 40 shows a perspective view of a tow drone according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0050] Fig. 41 shows another perspective view of the tow drone of Fig. 40;

[0051] Fig. 42 shows an enlarged view of section F in Fig. 41.

[0052] Reference: 1, traction system; 10, traction unmanned aerial vehicle; 91, traction rope; 92, unpowered aircraft; 20, power assembly; 21, lift unit; 211, vertical rotor; 212, lift motor support; 213, lift motor lower support; 214, lift motor upper support; 215, lift motor; 22, tension unit; 221, tension motor support; 2211, tension arm sleeve; 2212, motor mounting platform; 222, tension motor; 223, tension rotor; 232, power supply; 30, lift arm; 40, tension arm; 41, inner arm; 42, outer arm; 43, body connection joint; 431, body connection sleeve; 4312, body connection edge; 432, tension arm connection sleeve; 4321, tension arm connection edge; 44, joint assembly; 441, outer joint; 4411, single ear; 4412, positioning groove; 442, inner joint; 4421, double ear; 4422, positioning block; 443, clasp assembly; 4431, outer clasp; 4432, inner clasp; 50, unmanned aerial vehicle body; 51, main bearing structure; 52, shell; 53, boss; 60, support frame; 61, longitudinal beam; 62, cross beam; 63, chassis; 64, support frame connection joint; 641, bevel structure; 642, longitudinal beam matching sleeve; 65, tee joint; 66, tension arm placement plate; 67, rubber sleeve; 70, traction assembly; 71, winch assembly; 711, first rotating part; 7111, first end plate; 7112, first support column; 7113, traction rope shaft; 712, second rotating part; 7121, second end plate; 7122, second support column; 713, outer frame; 7131, third end plate; 7132, third support column; 7133, connection seat; 714, outer bearing; 715, inner bearing; 72, support rod assembly; 721, support rod base; 7211, base joint; 72111, base; 72112, vertical plate; 7212, adapter joint; 72121, longitudinal rod; 72122, transverse rod; 7213, support rod rotating shaft; 7214, rotating shaft seat; 722, support rod; 723, guide head; 7231, clamping plate; 72311, support rod mounting hole; 7232, ball head; 72321, guide hole; 73, winch motor; 731, motor support; 80, power supply; 81, battery pack; 82, electronic speed controller; 83, battery pack placement rack; 831, bottom plate; 832, fixed plate; 833, side plate; 834, top plate; 835, clamping assembly; 8351, guide block; 8352, clamping rod; 8353, spring; 836, reinforcing rib; 540, flight controller; 541, navigation equipment; 542, data link equipment; 543, altitude sensor; 544, image transmission equipment; 545, radar; 546, antenna; 55, buffer device; 551, telescopic rod; 552, telescopic spring; 553, support seat; 554, buffer motor; 555, buffer motor connection seat; 556, grounding plate; 557, mounting seat; X, first direction;Y, second direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] The scheme of the embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0054] In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth in order to thoroughly understand the present application. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present application can be practiced without the specific details.

[0055] The term "and / or" herein is merely used to describe associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships, for example, A and / or B can indicate that there are three cases of A alone, A and B together, and B alone. In addition, the character " / " herein generally indicates that the front and rear associated objects are a "or" relationship. In addition, "multiple" herein means two or more than two.

[0056] The terms "first", "second", "third" in the present application are only for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined with "first", "second", "third" can explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In the description of the present application, the meaning of "multiple" is at least two, for example, two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly limited in some embodiments. All directional indications (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.) in the embodiments of the present application are only used to explain the relative positional relationship, movement condition, etc. between components in a certain posture (as shown in the drawings), and if the certain posture changes, the directional indications also change accordingly. In addition, the terms "include" and "have" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. For example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but can optionally include steps or units not listed, or can optionally include other steps or units inherent to the process, method, product or device.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a towing system 1 according to some embodiments of the present application. As shown in FIG. 1, the towing system 1 comprises a towing drone 10 and a non-powered aircraft 92. The towing drone 10 is configured to be connected to the non-powered aircraft 92 by a tow rope 91. The towing drone 10 can comprise any one of the towing drones 10 described below. The towing drone 10 is communicatively connected with the non-powered aircraft 92. The non-powered aircraft 92 refers to a device that does not rely on its own power device to propel, but instead achieves flight by utilizing natural forces such as wind, gravity, air flow, etc. The non-powered aircraft 92 can be, for example, a paraglider, a fixed-wing glider, a parachute, etc. In some embodiments, the towing system 1 can further comprise a control station (not shown). The control station can comprise a communication device, a data processing device, a visualization terminal, etc. The control station can be, for example, a fixed control station or a mobile control station. For example, the control station can be a ground control station, a vehicle-mounted control station, a ship-mounted control station, etc. In some embodiments, the control station can also be implemented as a portable terminal such as a notebook computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, etc.

[0058] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, FIG. 2 shows a perspective schematic diagram of a towing drone 10 according to a first embodiment of the present application, and FIG. 3 shows another perspective schematic diagram of the towing drone 10 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the towing drone 10 comprises a plurality of vertical rotors 211, two pull rotors 223, and a towing assembly 70. The rotation axis of each vertical rotor 211 is in a first direction X. The first direction X is generally a vertical direction or an up-down direction. The rotation axis of each pull rotor 223 is in a second direction Y. The included angle between the second direction Y and the first direction X is a right angle or an acute angle. In some embodiments, the included angle is an angle greater than or equal to 45° and less than or equal to 90°. For example, the included angle can be in a range of 90° to 70°, or in a range of 85° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 75°. The towing assembly 70 is configured to connect the tow rope 91 to tow the non-powered aircraft 92 by the tow rope 91. In some embodiments, the towing assembly 70 is also configured to receive and / or retract the tow rope 91, which will be described in detail below. The towing drone 10 of the present disclosure allows the vertical rotors 211 to focus more on ascending, descending, or adjusting the attitude of the towing drone 10 by providing the towing assembly 70 and the pull rotors 223 whose rotation axis is different from that of the vertical rotors 211, and the pull rotors 223 can be mainly used to provide towing force, thereby reducing the risk caused by the long-time towing operation of the vertical rotors 211 in the related art. The present application thus provides a towing drone 10 that is specialized for towing operation, thereby reducing the problem that the unmanned aerial vehicle is prone to lose control or crash during towing operation.

[0059] Referring to FIGS. 2-5, FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the towing drone 10 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the portion shown in FIG. 4. As shown, the towing drone 10 can include a drone body 50. Each of the plurality of vertical rotors 211 can be mounted on the drone body 50. The inside or outside of the drone body 50 can be provided with at least one of a flight controller, a radar, a navigation device, a data transmission device, a height sensor, a picture transmission device, and an antenna. The flight controller can be configured to drive the drone to operate. The towing drone 10 further includes one or more support frames 60 connected to the drone body 50. The support frames 60 are generally provided at the bottom of the drone body 50, i.e., at the side of the towing drone 10 facing the ground. In the description of the present application, the bottom or lower side generally refers to the side close to the ground when the towing drone 10 is placed on the ground, and the top or upper side generally refers to the side away from the ground when the towing drone 10 is placed on the ground.

[0060] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the drone body 50 can include a main load-bearing structure 51 and an outer shell 52. The outer shell 52 can be mounted at the upper end of the main load-bearing structure 51. The main load-bearing structure 51 can bear the main force of the towing drone 10 and participate in the force transmission of the towing drone 10. The outer shell 52 provides an element that can be configured to protect and / or mount the flight controller, etc., to prevent the influence of the external environment on the flight controller and improve the service life of the flight controller. When the towing drone 10 flies forward, especially at high speed, in a maneuvering action, or is affected by air flow, the outer shell 52 can uniformly distribute various forces experienced by the towing drone 10 to the entire drone body 50, avoiding local stress concentration leading to structural damage, and enhancing the strength and stability of the overall structure of the towing drone 10. In some embodiments, the towing assembly 70 can be mounted below the drone body 50, for example, below the side of the main load-bearing structure 51. The towing assembly 70 fixes the towing rope 91 within a certain length range at the rear of the towing drone 10, which can effectively prevent the towing rope 91 from being blown by the propeller of the towing drone 10 and then entangled with the blades, causing an accident, and ensure the safety and reliability of the towing rope 91.

[0061] In some embodiments, a plurality of lift arms 30 can be mounted on the outer side wall of the main load-bearing structure 51. A tension arm 40 can be provided at the lower center of the main load-bearing structure 51. The lift arms 30 and / or the tension arm 40 are foldable structures at the joints, facilitating the folding and unfolding of the towing drone 10. When the towing drone 10 is folded, the volume occupied can be reduced, thereby improving the convenience of transportation of the towing drone 10.

[0062] In some embodiments, the traction assembly 70 can be arranged at the middle of the tension arm 40, such as the middle position of the inner arm 41 of the tension arm 40 as described below, to reduce the moment generated on the tension arm 40 by the tension force from the glider that the traction assembly 70 conducts, thereby simplifying the control difficulty of the traction rotor 223.

[0063] In some embodiments, one or more support frames 60 are symmetrically arranged on the lower end surface of the main load-bearing structure 51. The support frame 60 can include longitudinal beams 61 and cross beams 62. The longitudinal beams 61 can be connected together through the cross beams 62. The support frame 60 can be used to support the body of the traction UAV 10. The lower part of the support frame 60 is in contact with the ground and bears the gravity of the traction UAV 10 on the ground and the overload of the traction UAV 10 during landing. The cross beams 62 can be connected to the longitudinal beams 61 on both sides to improve the stability and load-bearing capacity of the support frame 60 as a whole and bear the overload of the traction UAV 10. In some embodiments, at least one of the lift arm 30, the tension arm 40, and the support frame 60 can have a circular tube structure and be connected together through joints to form a continuous force transmission structure.

[0064] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 6, FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the installation of the battery pack 81. The power supply 80 can be installed below the body of the traction UAV 10. The power supply 80 is configured to provide energy for the traction UAV 10. As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply 80 can include a battery pack 81 installed on the cross beam 62 of the support frame 60. The cross beam 62 can be configured to bear the gravity of the battery pack 81, thereby improving the stability of the battery pack 81.

[0065] Referring to FIG. 7, FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of the structure of the power assembly 20 of the traction UAV 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the power assembly 20 includes the lift unit 21, the tension unit 22, and the power supply 80. The lift unit 21 is configured to generate the lift of the traction UAV 10, providing power for the take-off, landing, and flight of the traction UAV 10. The lift unit 21 can be fixed on the lift arm 30. The lift arm 30 bears the lift generated by the lift unit 21 and transmits it to the body of the traction UAV 10. The tension unit 22 is configured to generate tension for providing traction to the unpowered aircraft 92 such as a glider. The tension unit 22 is fixed on the tension arm 40. The tension arm 40 bears the tension generated by the tension unit 22 and transmits it to the body of the traction UAV 10 and the traction assembly 70. The power supply 80 includes the battery pack 81 and the electronic speed controller 82 electrically connected. The electronic speed controller 82 is configured to control the lift motor 215 of the lift unit 21 and the tension motor 222 in the tension unit 22. The electronic speed controller 82 can control the rotational speed of the lift motor 215 and the tension motor 222, thereby controlling the size of the force generated by the lift unit 21 and the tension unit 22 to meet the needs of the traction UAV 10.

[0066] Referring to FIGS. 3, 7 and 8, FIG. 8 is an exploded schematic view of the lift unit 21 in FIG. 7. The lift unit 21 includes a lift motor bracket 212, a lift motor 215, and vertical rotors 211. The lift motor bracket 212 can include a lift motor lower bracket 213 and a lift motor upper bracket 214. The lift motor lower bracket 213 can be configured to fit on one side of the lift arm 30. The lift motor upper bracket 214 is configured to be mounted on an upper end of the lift motor lower bracket 213. The lift motor 215 can be mounted on an upper end surface of the lift motor upper bracket 214. An output shaft of the lift motor 215 can be drivingly connected to the vertical rotors 211. The vertical rotors 211 can also be referred to as lift rotors. The rotors can also be propellers. Each vertical rotor 211 can include one or more blades. The vertical rotors 211 can be driven to rotate by the lift motor 215 to generate lift in the first direction X. The magnitude of the lift generated by the vertical rotors 211 can be changed by changing the rotational speed of the lift motor 215. By increasing or decreasing the lift, the speed of the UAV ascending or descending can be controlled. By changing the direction of rotation of the vertical rotors 211, the UAV 10 can also be controlled to ascend or descend. By making the magnitude of the lift generated by different vertical rotors 211 different, the UAV 10 can also be driven to tilt and / or move in different directions, which is not specifically limited in the present application. The drawings of the present application show four lift units 21 as an example, and those skilled in the art should understand that the UAV 10 can also include two, six, eight or any other number of vertical rotors 211.

[0067] Referring to FIGS. 3, 7 and 9, FIG. 9 is an exploded schematic view of the pull unit 22 in FIG. 7. The pull unit 22 includes a pull motor bracket 221, a pull motor 222, and pull rotors 223. The pull motor bracket 221 can fit on both sides of the pull arm 40. The pull motor 222 can be mounted on the pull motor bracket 221. An output shaft of the pull motor 222 can be drivingly connected to the pull rotors 223. Each pull rotor 223 can include one or more blades. The pull rotors 223 can be driven to rotate by the pull motor 222 to generate pull in the second direction Y. The magnitude of the pull can be changed by changing the rotational speed of the pull motor 222. The pull can be mainly used to pull a non-powered aircraft 92 such as a paraglider.

[0068] Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the tension motor bracket 221 in FIG. 9. The tension motor bracket 221 can define a tension arm sleeve 2211. One end of the tension arm sleeve 2211 can be provided with a slot, and the structure on both sides of the slot can be tightened by a fastener. When the fastener is tightened, the slot can become smaller, and thus the inner diameter of the tension arm sleeve 2211 becomes smaller, so that the tension arm sleeve 2211 is tightly abutted against the tension arm 40, completing the fixation of the tension motor bracket 221 and the tension arm 40. The end of the tension arm sleeve 2211 away from the slot can be provided with a motor mounting platform 2212. The motor mounting platform 2212 is used to fix the tension motor 222. For example, the motor mounting platform 2212 can be provided with a fastener hole, and the tension motor 222 can be fixed on the tension motor bracket 221 by a fastener passing through the fastener hole, so as to ensure the reliability of the connection between the tension motor 222 and the tension arm 40.

[0069] In some embodiments, the lift arm 30 and / or the tension arm 40 can have a hollow structure. The wires for connecting the lift motor 215 and the battery pack 81 can be arranged in the hollow structure of the lift arm 30, and the wires for connecting the tension motor 222 and the battery pack 81 can be arranged in the hollow structure of the tension arm 40. In this way, the arrangement of the wires is more reasonable, the distance is shorter, the weight of the wires can be reduced, and thus the overall weight of the towing UAV 10 can be reduced.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 11, FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of the internal structure of the main load-bearing structure 51 in FIG. 5. The main load-bearing structure 51 can at least partially define a box structure. The box structure can be assembled by a plurality of plates. The end of the lift arm 30 away from the vertical rotor 211 can be mounted into the box structure. The longitudinal beam 61 of the support frame 60 can be mounted to the bottom of the box structure. In this way, the main load-bearing structure 51 connects the lift arm 30 and the support frame 60 into an integral structure. As shown in FIG. 11, the electronic speed controller 82 can be mounted on the box structure. The electronic speed controller 82 can also be mounted with the battery pack 81 below the main load-bearing structure 51. Mounting the battery pack 81 below the main load-bearing structure 51 can help to lower the center of gravity of the towing UAV 10 and enhance its stability.

[0071] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, FIG. 5 and FIG. 12, FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the main load-bearing structure 51 in FIG. 5. The flight controller can be installed inside the outer shell 52, for example, on the upper surface of the main load-bearing structure 51. Inside the outer shell 52, around the flight controller, a navigation device, a data transmission device, an altitude sensor and a video transmission device can be installed respectively. This arrangement can improve the environmental adaptability of the flight controller and related devices, separate the flight controller from devices such as power supply 80, and avoid electromagnetic interference between devices with different voltages, thereby improving electromagnetic compatibility. The radar can be installed on the upper side of the traction assembly 70 to facilitate monitoring of the unpowered aircraft 92. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the antenna for the data transmission device and the antenna for the video transmission device can be installed on the upper side of the outer shell 52. Specifically, a boss 53 can be installed on the outer shell 52. The boss 53 is provided with holes for the antennas to pass through and extend out. The flight controller can control the attitude of the traction UAV 10 flying to meet the attitude requirements of the traction UAV 10 flying, while controlling the control devices in the traction assembly 70 to control the traction rope 91 to be retracted or extended, the degree of tension or traction force, etc., to ensure that the traction UAV 10 has a safe distance from the rear parachute. The radar can monitor the position of the rear parachute and feed back the monitored information to the flight controller, so that the flight controller controls the attitude of the traction UAV 10 flying to ensure that the rear parachute is directly below the traction UAV 10, ensuring the safety of the parachute flying. The navigation device can provide a navigation system for the traction UAV 10, enabling the traction UAV 10 to fly according to the planned route or airspace, avoiding the traction UAV 10 from getting lost. The data transmission device can transmit control instructions, sensor data and other non-video data for remote control operation, flight state monitoring, sensor data acquisition and transmission of the traction UAV 10. The data transmission device can form a two-way link, enabling ground control personnel to remotely monitor the flight state of the traction UAV 10 and send instructions for remote control operation. The video transmission device can transmit real-time video data to provide real-time video stream captured by the camera of the traction UAV 10 for real-time monitoring and operation by the ground station or operator, ensuring safety during flight. The altitude sensor can monitor the height information of the traction UAV 10 in real time, especially the distance between the traction UAV 10 and the ground during landing, enabling the traction UAV 10 to land at a smaller sinking speed, reducing the overload of the traction UAV 10 and the impact of the ground on the support frame 60, thereby improving the service life of the support frame 60. The antenna provides signal transmission between the traction UAV 10 and the ground station, and also provides signal transmission between the traction UAV 10 and the positioning satellite, ensuring the accuracy of the positioning of the traction UAV 10 and the accuracy and timeliness of information transmission.

[0072] The towing drone 10 of the present application can be connected to a non-powered aircraft 92 such as a paraglider through a towing rope 91. The lift unit 21 of the towing drone 10 can be mainly used to drive the towing drone 10 to fly up and down or to make attitude adjustment of the towing drone 10 itself. The pulling unit 22 can be mainly used to generate a towing force to help the paraglider take off. In this way, the scope of application of paragliding can be expanded.

[0073] Towing assembly 70

[0074] Referring to FIG. 3, FIG. 13 and FIG. 14, FIG. 13 shows a perspective view of the towing assembly 70 of the towing drone 10 shown in FIG. 3, and FIG. 14 shows an exploded view of the towing assembly 70 shown in FIG. 13. The towing assembly 70 can be installed below the drone body 50 of the towing drone 10, for example, on the lower end surface of the main load-bearing structure 51. In some embodiments, the towing assembly 70 can also be installed on the pulling arm 40 or the support frame 60.

[0075] The towing assembly 70 can include a winch assembly 71, a support rod assembly 72 and a winch motor 73. The winch assembly 71 can be configured to wind and unwind the towing rope 91. The support rod assembly 72 can be installed on the side surface of the winch assembly 71 away from the main body of the towing drone 10, i.e. the lower end surface. The winch motor 73 can be configured to drive at least a part of the winch assembly 71 to rotate. The winch assembly 71 can be connected with the drone body 50, for example, the main load-bearing structure 51. A radar and / or a camera can be installed on the upper side of the winch assembly 71. The winch motor 73 can be installed on the side wall of the winch assembly to facilitate driving at least a part of the winch assembly 71 to rotate.

[0076] The support rod assembly 72 can be configured to support the towing rope 91 to an area away from the rotor and to support the towing rope 91 near the towing drone 10, preventing the wind caused by the rotation of the rotor from dragging the towing rope 91, causing entanglement between the rotor and the towing rope 91, resulting in damage to the towing rope 91 and the rotor, and further causing damage to the towing drone 10. The towing rope 91 can be fixed inside the winch assembly 71. The winch assembly 71 winds and unwinds the towing rope 91 by rotating, while ensuring that the towing rope 91 is not knotted and tidy, ensuring that the towing rope 91 can be used multiple times. The winch motor 73 is used to control the fixing and rotation of the winch assembly 71, to maintain control over the length and tension of the towing rope 91, to ensure that the towing rope 91 is in a taut state and does not interfere with other structures of the towing drone 10, and to ensure the safety of the towing drone 10.

[0077] In some embodiments, the winch assembly 71 is fixed at the rear of the towing UAV 10, i.e. the side close to the parafoil when the towing UAV 10 is towing the parafoil. The proximal end of the support pole assembly 72 is fixed at the lower part of the winch assembly 71, and the distal end limits the towing rope 91. The axis of the winch motor 73 can be aligned with the axis of the winch assembly 71. The radar and / or camera can be fixed at the upper part of the winch assembly 71 and / or the support pole 722, so as to align the monitoring field of view of the radar and / or camera with the preset position of the parafoil, and facilitate efficient monitoring of the parafoil.

[0078] Referring to FIG. 14, FIG. 15, FIG. 16 and FIG. 17, FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the support pole assembly 72 in FIG. 14, FIG. 16 shows an exploded view of the base and the support pole 722 in FIG. 15, and FIG. 17 shows a sectional view along the direction of A-A in FIG. 14. As shown, the support pole assembly 72 can include a support pole base 721, a support pole 722 and a guide head 723. One end of the support pole 722 is rotatably connected to the support pole base 721, and the other end of the support pole 722 is connected to the guide head 723. The support pole 722 can be, for example, a hollow long tube. The support pole base 721 can include a base joint 7211, an adapter joint 7212 and a support pole rotation shaft 7213. The adapter joint 7212 can be configured to connect the support pole 722 and the support pole rotation shaft 7213. The support pole rotation shaft 7213 is rotatably connected to the base joint 7211.

[0079] In some embodiments, the base joint 7211 includes a base 72111 and two vertical plates 72112 oppositely arranged on both sides of the base 72111. The base 72111 can be, for example, a flat plate. The base 72111 can be arranged on the top of the two vertical plates 72112. The base 72111 can be configured to mount the support pole assembly 72 to the winch assembly 71. The vertical plates 72112 can be provided with through holes for the support pole rotation shaft 7213 to pass through. The support pole rotation shaft 7213 can at least partially extend into the through holes in the vertical plates 72112 to drive the adapter joint 7212 and the support pole 722 to rotate relative to the base joint 7211.

[0080] In some embodiments, the adapter 7212 can comprise, for example, a cross-shaped adapter 7212. The cross-shaped adapter 7212 comprises longitudinal rods 72121 and horizontal rods 72122 intersecting in a cross shape. The longitudinal rods 72121 can be connected to the support rods 722. For example, the longitudinal rods 72121 can be hollow tubes, and one end of the support rods 722 can be inserted into the hollow tubes of the longitudinal rods 72121. The two ends of the horizontal rods 72122 can be connected to the support rod shafts 7213 passing through the through holes of the corresponding side vertical plates 72112, thereby connecting the support rods 722 to the two support rod shafts 7213. The two ends of the horizontal rods 72122 can be, for example, threadedly connected to the corresponding support rod shafts 7213. Through this arrangement, the support rods 722 connected to the support rod shafts 7213 can rotate relative to the base joint 7211 and relative to the drone body 50 of the towing drone 10. Referring to FIG. 17, the support rod base 721 further comprises two rotating shaft seats 7214 disposed outside the two vertical plates 72112, respectively, each of which defines a rotating hole for allowing the rotation of the support rod shaft 7213 to support the rotation of the support rod shaft 7213 therein. In the present disclosure, by allowing the support rods 722 to rotate, the support rods 722 can be rotated about the axis of the support rod shaft 7213, so that the support rods 722 only bear axial tension and do not bear bending moment, thereby avoiding the bending of the support rods 722.

[0081] Referring to FIGS. 15, 18 and 19, FIG. 18 shows an exploded view of the guide head 723 in FIG. 15, and FIG. 19 shows a cross-sectional view of the guide head 723 along B-B in FIG. 18. As shown, the guide head 723 can comprise two clamping plates 7231 disposed opposite to each other, and a ball head 7232 rotatably disposed between the two clamping plates 7231. Specifically, the ball head 7232 is installed at a middle position between the two clamping plates 7231. A gap is left between the ball head 7232 and the inner side walls of the clamping plates 7231, and / or grease can be applied, so that the ball head 7232 can rotate easily. The ball head 7232 can define a guide hole 72321. The guide hole 72321 can be configured to allow the towing rope 91 from the winch assembly 71 to pass therethrough. The two clamping plates 7231 collectively define a support rod mounting hole 72311, in which the support rod 722 is clamped. When the towing rope 91 is deflected, the ball head 7232 rotates correspondingly to reduce the lateral force of the towing rope 91. The inner side walls of the clamping plates 7231 can be provided with grooves for clamping the support rod 722, so as to increase the area of cooperation between the clamping plates 7231 and the support rod 722 and increase the clamping force on the support rod 722. The upper and lower ends of the clamping plates 7231 can be fixedly connected together by fasteners. As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the fasteners can be bolt assemblies.

[0082] Referring to FIGS. 20-25, FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the winch assembly 71 shown in FIG. 13, FIG. 21 is an exploded view of the winch assembly 71 shown in FIG. 20, FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the first rotating member 711, FIG. 23 is a perspective view of the second rotating member 712, FIG. 24 is a perspective view of the outer frame 713, and FIG. 25 is a cross-sectional view along C-C in FIG. 20. As shown, the winch assembly 71 can include the first rotating member 711, the second rotating member 712, and the outer frame 713 mounted in sequence from inside to outside.

[0083] As shown in FIG. 22, the first rotating member 711 can include two first end plates 7111, a plurality of first struts 7112, and a traction rope shaft 7113. The two first end plates 7111 can be oppositely arranged and connected to each other by the plurality of first struts 7112. The first struts 7112 are arranged along the axial direction of the first rotating member 711 for keeping the traction rope 91 tight and untangled. The first struts 7112 are optionally equidistantly distributed. The traction rope shaft 7113 is arranged inside the plurality of first struts 7112 and connected to the two first end plates 7111. The traction rope shaft 7113 is used for connecting the traction rope 91. For example, the traction rope 91 can be wound around the traction rope shaft 7113. The winch motor 73 is configured to drive the traction rope shaft 7113 to rotate. The traction rope shaft 7113 can be reversibly rotated under the action of the winch motor 73 to implement the traction rope 91 winding and unwinding operation. The first struts 7112 have a larger stroke or diameter than the traction rope shaft 7113, and can store a longer traction rope 91 inside when the traction rope 91 is wound.

[0084] As shown in FIG. 23, the second rotating member 712 can include two second end plates 7121 and a plurality of second struts 7122. The two second end plates 7121 can be oppositely arranged and connected to each other by the plurality of second struts 7122. The plurality of second struts 7122 can be equidistantly distributed in the circumferential direction. The second struts 7122 can be arranged along the axial direction of the second rotating member 712.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 24, the outer frame 713 can include two third end plates 7131 and a plurality of third struts 7132. The two third end plates 7131 can be oppositely arranged and can be connected to each other by the plurality of third struts 7132. The lower end of the third end plate 7131 can include a downwardly extending support plate for mounting the support rod base 721. The plurality of third struts 7132 can be distributed equidistantly in the circumferential direction. The third struts 7132 can be arranged in the axial direction of the outer frame 713. The outer frame 713 can be configured to fixedly connect the winch assembly 71 to other parts of the towing drone 10. The upper end of the outer frame 713 can be mounted with a connecting seat 7133 connected to the drone body 50 for keeping the outer frame 713 stationary. Specifically, the upper side of the connecting seat 7133 can form a mounting surface for mounting or supporting the radar and / or camera. As an example but not limitation, the flight controller described above can also be mounted on the mounting surface of the connecting seat 7133. The connecting seat 7133 is also configured to be connected to the drone body 50, thereby providing support for the winch assembly 71, providing tension for the towing rope 91, etc.

[0086] In the towing assembly 70 of the present disclosure, the towing rope 91 can pass between the third struts 7132 of the outer frame 713 and the second struts 7122 of the second rotating member 712, so that the second struts 7122 and the third struts 7132 play a role in guiding in advance when the towing rope 91 is reeled in or out, reducing the friction of the towing rope 91. In addition, the first struts 7112, the second struts 7122 and the third struts 7132 can keep the towing rope 91 relatively fixed in the direction during the unwinding process, avoiding the towing rope 91 winding randomly or crossing each other on the surface of the towing rope shaft 7113, thereby reducing the possibility of knotting.

[0087] As shown in FIG. 25, the outer bearing 714 is symmetrically mounted between the outer frame 713 and the second rotating member 712, and the inner bearing 715 is symmetrically mounted between the second rotating member 712 and the first rotating member 711, so that the outer frame 713 and the second rotating member 712, and the first rotating member 711 and the second rotating member 712 can smoothly rotate relative to each other, which can ensure that the towing rope 91 is wound on the towing rope shaft 7113 of the first rotating member 711. The outer side wall of the first end plate 7111 and the inner side wall of the second end plate 7121 can be respectively provided with a first clamping groove and a second clamping groove for clamping the inner bearing 715, and the outer side wall of the second end plate 7121 and the inner side wall of the third end plate 7131 can be respectively provided with a third clamping groove and a fourth clamping groove for clamping the outer bearing 714. These clamping grooves can help install and constrain the inner bearing 715 and the outer bearing 714.

[0088] Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, the traction assembly 70 further includes a motor bracket 731 coupled to the outer frame 713, on which the winch motor 73 can be mounted. The winch motor 73 can be configured to maintain a constant torque to keep the traction line 91 in a taut state, thereby providing a stable traction force to the rear parafoil; or, to increase the torque rotation to wind up the traction line 91 by the winch assembly 71, thereby reducing the distance between the parafoil and the traction UAV 10; or, to decrease the torque rotation to unwind the traction line 91 by the winch assembly 71, thereby increasing the distance between the parafoil and the traction UAV 10.

[0089] In some embodiments, the traction assembly 70 further includes an angle sensor (not shown). The angle sensor is configured to detect the angle of the support rod 722, so as to determine the relative position between the traction UAV 10 and the parafoil.

[0090] Pull arm 40 of traction UAV 10

[0091] Referring to FIGS. 2, 26 and 27, FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the pull arm 40 shown in FIG. 2, and FIG. 27 is an exploded view of the pull arm 40 shown in FIG. 26. The pull arm 40 can include an inner arm 41 located in a middle position, and two outer arms 42. The two outer arms 42 can be foldably connected to the two sides of the inner arm 41, respectively. One of the two pull rotors 223 can be connected to one of the two outer arms 42, and the other of the two pull rotors 223 can be connected to the other of the two outer arms 42.

[0092] The inner arm 41 can be connected to the body of the traction UAV 10 or the support frame 60. In some embodiments, the inner arm 41 can also be mounted on a dedicated pull arm 40 placement plate. The pull arm 40 placement plate can be provided on the support frame 60, for example, without limitation.

[0093] In some embodiments, referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a body connection joint 43. The inner arm 41 can be connected to the UAV body 50 or the support frame 60 of the traction UAV 10 through two symmetrically distributed body connection joints 43. The body connection joint 43 includes a body connection sleeve 431 and a pull arm connection sleeve 432 integrally formed. The body connection sleeve 431 and the pull arm connection sleeve 432 can be perpendicular to each other. A round pipe structure on the UAV body 50 or the support frame 60 can pass through the body connection sleeve 431, and the inner arm 41 can pass through the pull arm connection sleeve 432, thereby fixing and connecting the UAV body 50 or the support frame 60 and the inner arm 41 together through the body connection joint 43.

[0094] In some embodiments, the body connecting sleeve 431 is provided with symmetrically distributed body connecting edges 4312 at one end away from the tension arm connecting sleeve 432. The tension arm connecting sleeve 432 is provided with tension arm connecting edges 4321 at one end of the body connecting sleeve 431. The adjacent tension arm connecting edges 4321 can be connected together by fasteners. The adjacent body connecting edges 4312 can be connected together by fasteners. The tension arm connecting edges 4321 and the body connecting edges 4312 are both slotted structures, which can be fastened by fasteners to fix the circular tube structure and the inner arm 41 part inserted therein, respectively. The outer side wall of the tension arm connecting sleeve 432 can be provided with positioning holes, and the positioning holes are detachably installed with positioning bolt assemblies, which can ensure that the inner arm 41 cannot rotate around its axis after installation, and realize accurate fixing of the body connecting joints 43 on both sides and the inner arm 41.

[0095] Referring to FIGS. 29, 30 and 31, FIG. 29 is an exploded schematic view of the outer arm 42 shown in FIG. 27, FIG. 30 is a perspective schematic view of the inner joint 442 shown in FIG. 29, and FIG. 31 is a perspective schematic view of the outer joint 441 shown in FIG. 29. The two sides of the inner arm 41 can be connected to the outer arm 42 through the joint assembly 44, respectively. The joint assembly 44 can include the outer joint 441, the inner joint 442 and the clasp assembly 443. The inner joint 442 can be configured to be sleeved on the outer side of the inner arm 41. The outer joint 441 can be configured to be sleeved on the outer side of the outer arm 42. The inner joint 442 and the outer joint 441 can be connected together through the clasp assembly 443. The inner joint 442 can be fixed to the inner arm 41 by bonding, one-piece forming or other ways. The outer joint 441 can be fixed to the outer arm 42 by bonding, one-piece forming or other ways.

[0096] In some embodiments, one of the inner joint 442 and the outer joint 441 includes a one-piece double ear 4421 and a positioning block 4422 at the end, and the other includes a one-piece single ear 4411 and defines a positioning slot 4412. The double ear 4421 and the single ear 4411 are configured to be connected through a hinged shaft. Through rotation of the double ear 4421 and the single ear 4411 on the hinged shaft, folding between the inner arm 41 and the outer arm 42 is realized. The positioning block 4422 and the positioning slot 4412 can be configured to cooperate with each other, thereby facilitating quick positioning and installation of the inner arm 41 and the outer arm 42 in the telescopic state. The double ear 4421 and the positioning block 4422 can be distributed in opposition. The positioning slot 4412 can be, for example, a square opening structure, and the positioning block 4422 can be, for example, a cubic structure, which is not specifically limited in the present application.

[0097] In some embodiments, the inner joint 442 comprises a double lug 4421 and a positioning block 4422, and the outer joint 441 comprises a single lug 4411 and a positioning slot 4412. Referring to FIG. 32, which shows a longitudinal sectional view of the connection between the outer arm 42 and the inner arm 41. Specifically, the inner joint 442 is provided with a first thread on the outer side wall of the end portion of the inner arm 41. The clamping ring assembly 443 comprises an outer clamping ring 4431 and an inner clamping ring 4432. The outer clamping ring 4431 is sleeved on the outer periphery of the outer joint 441. The outer clamping ring 4431 is provided with a second thread on the inner side of the end portion away from the outer joint 441. The second thread can be connected with the first thread. The outer joint 441 is provided with an inwardly protruding annular structure on the inner side wall of the end portion away from the second thread, and an outwardly protruding annular structure on the outer side wall of the outer joint 441. When the outer clamping ring 4431 is threadedly connected, the inwardly protruding annular structure and the outwardly protruding annular structure are in contact with each other, and cooperate with the thread connection to fix the inner joint 442 and the outer joint 441. The outer clamping ring 4431 is threadedly connected with the inner clamping ring 4432 on the outer side of the end portion away from the outer joint 441. The inner clamping ring 4432 is sleeved on the inner joint 442, and the inner side wall of the inner clamping ring 4432 is also provided with an inwardly protruding annular structure, which cooperates with the outwardly protruding annular structure on the outer side wall of the inner joint 442 to fix the outer clamping ring 4431.

[0098] The inner joint 442 of the tension arm 40 of the present disclosure, when the tension arm 40 needs to be unfolded, the double lug 4421 on the inner joint 442 and the single lug 4411 on the outer joint 441 can be connected by a hinged shaft, and the positioning block 4422 can be clamped in the positioning slot 4412, so that the inner arm 41 and the outer arm 42 are connected in the same straight line. Finally, the outer clamping ring 4431 is threadedly fixed to the thread on the inner joint 442, and the inner clamping ring 4432 is threadedly connected to the outer thread on the outer clamping ring 4431, to fix the connection of the inner arm 41 and the outer arm 42. When the tension arm 40 needs to be folded, in the straightened state, first, the fixing of the inner clamping ring 4432 to the outer clamping ring 4431 is released, then the fixing of the outer clamping ring 4431 to the inner joint 442 is released, and finally, the double lug 4421 or the single lug 4411 is rotated around the hinged shaft, so that the positioning block 4422 is disengaged from the positioning slot 4412, and the inner arm 41 and the outer arm 42 can be in a folded state.

[0099] Support frame 60 for pulling unmanned aerial vehicle 10

[0100] Referring to FIG. 2 and FIG. 33, FIG. 33 shows a perspective view of the support frame 60 in FIG. 2. The support frame 60 is installed at the lower end of the body of the towing drone 10. The support frame 60 can include a plurality of longitudinal beams 61, one or more cross beams 62, and one or more undercarriages 63. The plurality of longitudinal beams 61 can be arranged vertically or obliquely. At least two of the plurality of longitudinal beams 61 are connected together by at least one of the one or more cross beams 62. The undercarriage 63 is connected to at least one of the plurality of longitudinal beams 61 away from the side of the body of the towing drone 10.

[0101] In some embodiments, the undercarriage 63 can be a skid. When the towing drone 10 lands, there will be a landing speed and force in the forward direction. The skid provides stability adjustment when landing. When the towing drone 10 lands obliquely, the end of the skid lands first, so that under the action of the gravity of the towing drone 10, the landing end acts as a fulcrum, and the towing drone 10 quickly adjusts the attitude to be horizontal.

[0102] In some embodiments, the support frame 60 further includes one or more pulleys (not shown) arranged on the side of the undercarriage 63 away from the body of the towing drone 10, to facilitate the carrying of the towing drone 10.

[0103] In some embodiments, the plurality of longitudinal beams 61 can include symmetrically distributed longitudinal beams 61. A plurality of cross beams 62 are installed equidistantly between the longitudinal beams 61. The cross beams 62 are arranged between the longitudinal beams 61, improving the stability of the longitudinal beams 61 when bearing compression load, and preventing the longitudinal beams 61 from buckling.

[0104] In some embodiments, the battery pack 81 can be installed between the longitudinal beams 61. In this way, the support frame 60 can be used to support the battery pack 81, ensuring that the battery pack 81 is securely connected. In addition, the battery pack 81 is installed on the cross beam 62, which can free up the internal space of the fuselage for other equipment, improving the versatility of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10. The battery pack 81 is installed between the cross beams 62, so that its weight distribution is closer to the center of gravity of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10, reducing the moment interference during flight, and improving the stability and maneuverability of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10; the battery pack 81 is exposed to the outside, which can be inspected, repaired or replaced without disassembling the fuselage, reducing maintenance costs and technical threshold. The battery pack 81 can be fixed by quick release device, which is convenient for ground personnel to quickly replace the battery, shorten the downtime, and is suitable for task scenarios that require frequent charging. When the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is flying, the airflow directly flows through the surface of the battery, enhancing the heat dissipation effect and avoiding the influence of the high-temperature environment inside the fuselage on the service life of the battery. The support frame 60 is the bottommost structure of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10, which can absorb impact energy first in the event of a collision, and the battery pack 81 supported by the cross beam 62 is lower in position and independently fixed, which can reduce the extrusion damage of other parts of the fuselage to the battery. Finally, the battery pack 81 is installed between the cross beams 62 of the support frame 60, away from the propeller airflow area, reducing the influence of airflow disturbance on the flight attitude, especially when hovering or flying at low speed.

[0105] In some embodiments, referring to FIG. 34 and FIG. 35, FIG. 34 shows a perspective view of the support frame 60 connection joint, and FIG. 35 shows a perspective view of the three-way joint 65. The upper end of the longitudinal beam 61 can be connected to the main body of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 through the support frame 60 connection joint. The longitudinal beam 61 can be connected together with the chassis 63 or the cross beam 62 through the three-way joint 65.

[0106] The fuselage connection joint can include a bevel structure 641 located at the top and a longitudinal beam matching sleeve 642 integrally formed with the bevel structure 641. The upper end surface of the bevel structure 641 can be provided with a lightening hole at the center position to reduce the structural weight. A plurality of studs are symmetrically installed around the lightening hole. The studs are connected together with the main body of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 through nuts. In addition to bearing the pressure of the support frame 60, the studs also bear the bending moment when the support frame 60 is unbalanced. The longitudinal beam matching sleeve 642 is longitudinally provided with a first slot. Considering the assembly deformation and tolerance, the first slot can help quickly insert the upper part of the longitudinal beam 61 into the longitudinal beam matching sleeve 642.

[0107] Referring to FIGS. 36, 37, 38 and 39, FIG. 36 shows a perspective schematic view of the towing drone 10 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 37 is another perspective schematic view of the towing drone 10 shown in FIG. 36, FIG. 38 is an enlarged schematic view of portion E in FIG. 37, and FIG. 40 is still another perspective schematic view of the towing drone 10 shown in FIG. 36. As shown, the support frame 60 can be provided with a pull arm 40 placement plate, and the pull arm 40 or the inner arm 41 of the pull arm 40 described above can be mounted on the pull arm 40 placement plate. The towing drone 10 can include a flight attitude detection assembly. The flight attitude detection assembly can be arranged inside the pull arm 40.

[0108] In some embodiments, the plurality of vertical rotors 211 can include pairs of vertical rotors 211 arranged symmetrically about a center. As shown in FIG. 36, four vertical rotors 211 are provided, and two vertical rotors 211 at opposite corners can constitute a pair of vertical rotors 211. The distance between the two pull rotors 223 can be in the range of 1.5 to 2 times the distance between the pairs of rotors. The longer pull arm 40 can increase the moment of the pull force generated by the pull rotor 223, making the towing drone 10 more stable when towing a heavy object. When the towing drone 10 is subjected to external disturbances such as wind, the longer towing rod can help maintain balance and reduce fluctuations in flight attitude.

[0109] In some embodiments, the power supply 80 can further include a battery pack placement rack 83 for placing and / or storing the battery pack 81. The battery pack placement rack 83 can be connected with the support frame 60. One or more battery packs 81 can be arranged in the battery pack placement rack 83. The battery pack 81 is used to provide energy for the towing drone 10.

[0110] Specifically, the battery pack placement rack 83 can include a bottom plate 831 configured to define a battery pack 81 accommodation space, two fixed plates 832 arranged oppositely, and a side plate 833. The bottom plate 831 is, for example, rectangular, rhombic, or the like. The two fixed plates 832 can be fixedly connected to the support frame 60. The fixed plates 832 are, for example, connected to the longitudinal beams 61 of the support frame 60. The bottom plate 831 is connected to the two fixed plates 832. The side plate 833 is rotatably connected to the bottom plate 831. The side plate 833 is detachably connected to at least one of the two fixed plates 832. The battery pack 81 can be arranged in the battery pack 81 accommodation space.

[0111] Specifically, the bottom plate 831 is connected with the two fixed plates 832 arranged on the support frame 60 at a set of parallel edges, and the bottom plate 831 is rotatably connected with the side plate 833 at another set of parallel edges. The side plate 833 is detachably connected to at least one of the two fixed plates 832 by a clamping assembly 835.

[0112] In the embodiment, the battery pack rack 83 can adopt an assembled structure, and the bottom plate 831 and the side plate 833 can be rotatably connected through, for example, a hinge. The mounting and dismounting between the side plate 833 and the fixed plate 832 can be achieved by using the clamping assembly 835. The mounting and dismounting are simpler and more convenient, and the quick mounting and dismounting effect can be achieved.

[0113] The two fixed plates 832 are fixedly connected through at least one reinforcing rib. One or more reinforcing ribs are also arranged between the two fixed plates 832. The two ends of the reinforcing rib can be connected with the bottom of the two fixed plates 832 through, for example, threaded connection. By arranging the reinforcing rib, the supporting effect of the bottom plate 831 can be improved, and the stability of the battery pack rack 83 can be strengthened.

[0114] As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the clamping assembly 835 includes a guide block 8351, a clamping rod 8352, and a spring 8353. The guide block 8351 can be arranged on the side plate 833. The clamping rod 8352 is slidably connected with the fixed plate 832 through the guide block 8351. One end of the spring 8353 is connected with the guide block 8351, and the other end is connected to the clamping rod 8352. By matching the clamping rod 8352 and the spring 8353, the connection between the side plate 833 and the fixed plate 832 can be quickly achieved. By pulling the clamping rod 8352 to compress the spring 8353, the battery pack rack 83 can be quickly unlocked. Overall, the assembly and unlocking of the battery pack rack 83 can be quickly achieved, and the maintenance of the battery pack 81 stored in the battery pack rack 83 can be facilitated.

[0115] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 36, the battery pack rack 83 further includes a top plate 834. The top plate 834 is connected to the side of each fixed plate 832 away from the bottom plate 831. The top plate 834 and the fixed plate 832 can be connected through an L-shaped block. The top plate 834 can limit the battery pack 81, so as to avoid the problem of the battery pack 81 falling when the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 tilts and flies. The L-shaped block can achieve the fastening connection between the top plate 834 and the fixed plate 832.

[0116] The battery pack rack 83 shown in FIGS. 36-39 can be incorporated into the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 described in conjunction with FIGS. 2-35, and can be mounted on the support frame 60 of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10.

[0117] In some embodiments, the bottom frame 63 of all the support frames 60 described in the present disclosure can be at least partially sleeved with a rubber sleeve 67. By arranging the rubber sleeve 67, the vibration generated during the towing of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be absorbed and reduced, the impact on the main body and electronic devices of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be reduced, and the service life of the towing unmanned aerial vehicle 10 can be prolonged.

[0118] Referring to FIGS. 40-42, FIG. 40 shows a perspective schematic view of the towing drone 10 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure, FIG. 41 shows another perspective schematic view of the towing drone 10 described in FIG. 40, and FIG. 42 shows an enlarged schematic view of portion F in FIG. 41. The towing drone 10 can include a buffer device 55. The buffer device 55 can be located on the same side of the main body of the towing drone 10 as the one or more support frames 60. The buffer device 55 can include an extension rod 551, an extension spring 552, and a support base 553. The extension spring 552 can be sleeved on the outer periphery of the extension rod 551. The support base 553 can be connected to the first end of the extension rod 551 away from the main body of the towing drone 10.

[0119] In some embodiments, the buffer device 55 further includes a motor mounted to the main body of the towing drone 10 or the support frame 60. The output end of the motor is connected to the second end of the extension rod 551 opposite the first end.

[0120] Specifically, the bottom of the main body of the towing drone 10 is mounted with a detachable buffer device 55. The buffer device 55 includes a buffer motor 554. The buffer motor 554 is fixedly mounted on the bottom end face of the main body of the towing drone 10. The central portion of the bottom end face of the main body of the towing drone 10 is mounted with the extension rod 551. The bottom end of the extension rod 551 is fixedly mounted with the support base 553. The support base 553 can be, for example, a cross-shaped support base 553, a circular support base 553, or a support base 553 of other shapes. The towing assembly 70 can be fixedly mounted on the upper surface of the cross-shaped support base 553.

[0121] In this embodiment, by mounting the buffer device 55 on the bottom end face of the main body of the towing drone 10 and mounting the extension rod 551 of the buffer device 55 on the bottom of the fuselage, the extension rod 551 has the function of extension and retraction, which can provide buffer when the towing drone 10 lands, reduce impact and damage. The extension spring 552 is sleeved on the outside of the extension rod 551, which further enhances the buffer effect and protects the towing drone 10 from being damaged when landing. The support base 553 is mounted on the bottom end of the extension rod 551, which can provide a stable support structure.

[0122] In some embodiments, the second direction Y of the pull rotor 223 is perpendicular to the first direction X of the vertical rotor 211, i.e. at an angle of 90°. The angle between the second direction Y and the first direction X can also be in the range of 90° to 70°, or in the range of 85° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 70°, or in the range of 80° to 75°. In some embodiments, the bottom of the buffer motor 554 is fixed with a connecting seat 7133. The outer part of the telescopic end of the telescopic spring 552 is sleeved with a mounting seat. One end of the telescopic spring 552 is connected to the outer wall center of the connecting seat 7133, and the other end of the telescopic spring 552 is fixedly connected to the mounting seat. In this embodiment, the buffer motor 554 is located at the bottom end face of the fuselage, serving as the driving component of the buffer device 55. The bottom of the buffer motor 554 is fixed with the connecting seat 7133 through bolts, and the connecting seat 7133 serves as the connecting component between the buffer motor 554 and the telescopic rod 551. The outer wall center of the connecting seat 7133 is connected to one end of the telescopic spring 552, allowing the telescopic spring 552 to produce telescopic deformation when the towing UAV 10 lands, thereby providing a buffering effect. In some embodiments, the bottom of the support seat 553 is fixedly installed with a ground plate 556 at the four corners. The ground plate 556 can increase the stability of the towing UAV 10 when landing. When the towing UAV 10 lands, the ground plate 556 first contacts the ground, and the large contact area thereof disperses the impact force when the towing UAV 10 lands, thereby improving the stability of the towing UAV 10 when landing. The ground plate 556 can be made of a material with anti-skid function, ensuring that the towing UAV 10 does not slip or overturn when landing due to a wet or inclined ground. The buffer device 55 can also be incorporated into the embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1-39. Specifically, the buffer device 55 can be detachably installed at the bottom of the main body of the towing UAV 10 described above.

[0123] In some embodiments, the traction assembly 70 is installed on the side of the support seat 553 facing the main body of the towing UAV 10. Specifically, the traction end of the traction assembly 70 is connected to the center of the cross support seat 553.

[0124] The above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present disclosure, but not to limit them.

Claims

1. A towed drone, characterized by, Comprising: a plurality of vertical rotors, wherein a rotation axis of each vertical rotor is in a first direction; two drag rotors, wherein a rotation axis of each drag rotor is in a second direction, an included angle between the second direction and the first direction is in a range of 90° to 70°, or in a range of 85° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 70°, or in a range of 80° to 75°; and a traction assembly configured to connect a traction rope.

2. The traction drone according to claim 1, wherein: the traction assembly is further configured to receive and / or retract the traction rope.

3. The towed drone according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that Further comprising: a drone body, wherein each of the plurality of vertical rotors is mounted on the drone body, at least one of a flight controller, a radar, a navigation device, a data transmission device, a height sensor, a picture transmission device, and an antenna is disposed inside or outside the drone body; and one or more support frames connected to the drone body.

4. The traction drone according to claim 3, wherein: the traction drone further comprises a drag arm, the drag arm is connected to the drone body or the support frame, and the two drag rotors are symmetrically fixed on the drag arm.

5. The traction drone according to claim 4, wherein: an extension direction of the drag arm is parallel to a symmetry axis of the drone body.

6. The traction drone according to claim 4 or 5, wherein: the one or more support frames comprise two support frames arranged at intervals along a third direction, and an extension direction of the drag arm is parallel to the third direction.

7. The traction drone according to any one of claims 3-6, wherein: the traction drone comprises a buffer device, the buffer device is located on the same side of the drone body as the one or more support frames, the buffer device comprises a telescopic rod, a telescopic spring, and a support seat, the telescopic spring is sleeved on an outer periphery of the telescopic rod, and the support seat is connected to a first end of the telescopic rod away from the drone body.

8. The traction drone according to claim 7, wherein: the traction assembly is mounted on a side of the support seat facing the drone body.

9. The traction drone according to claim 7 or 8, wherein: the buffer device further comprises a motor mounted to the drone body or the support frame, an output end of the motor is connected to a second end of the telescopic rod opposite to the first end.

10. The traction drone according to any one of claims 4-9, wherein: the support frame further comprises a drag arm placement plate, and the drag arm is mounted on the drag arm placement plate.

11. The traction drone according to any one of claims 4-10, wherein The traction drone further comprises a pulling force motor for each of the two pulling force rotors, and a flight attitude detection assembly arranged inside the pulling force arm; the flight attitude detection assembly is configured to detect the flight attitude of the traction drone and is connected to the flight controller; the pulling force motor is configured to be connected to the flight controller.

12. The traction drone according to any one of claims 4-11, characterized in that, the pulling force arm comprises an inner arm and two outer arms, which are respectively foldably connected on both sides of the inner arm; one of the two pulling force rotors is connected to one of the two outer arms, and the other of the two pulling force rotors is connected to the other of the two outer arms.

13. The traction drone according to claim 12, characterized in that, the inner arm is connected to the drone body, or the inner arm is connected to the support frame, or when claim 12 depends on claim 10 or 11, the inner arm is mounted on the pulling force arm placement plate.

14. The traction drone according to any one of claims 1-13, characterized in that, the traction drone further comprises a lifting force arm configured to arrange the vertical rotors; the plurality of vertical rotors comprises a pair of vertical rotors arranged symmetrically about the center; the distance between the two pulling force rotors is in the range of 1.5 to 2 times the distance between the pair of rotors.

15. The traction drone according to any one of claims 4-14, characterized in that, the traction drone further comprises a power supply arranged on the side of the pulling force arm away from the drone body.

16. The traction drone according to claim 15, characterized in that, the power supply comprises a battery pack and a battery pack placement rack; wherein the battery pack placement rack is arranged on the support frame on the side of the pulling force arm away from the drone body, or the battery pack placement rack is hung on the pulling force arm on the side of the pulling force arm away from the drone body.

17. The traction drone according to claim 15, characterized in that, the battery pack placement rack comprises a bottom plate configured to define a battery pack accommodation space, two fixed plates arranged oppositely, and a side plate; the two fixed plates are connected to the support frame; the bottom plate is connected to the two fixed plates; the side plate is rotatably connected to the bottom plate; the side plate is detachably connected to at least one of the two fixed plates; the battery pack is arranged in the battery pack accommodation space.

18. The traction drone according to claim 17, characterized in that, the two fixed plates are fixedly connected by at least one reinforcing rib; and / or the side plate is detachably connected to at least one of the two fixed plates by a clamping assembly; the clamping assembly comprises a guide block, a clamping rod, and a spring; the guide block is fixed on the side plate; the clamping rod is slidingly connected to the fixed plate through the guide block; one end of the spring is connected to the guide block, and the other end is connected to the clamping rod.

19. The towed drone of claim 17, wherein: the battery pack holder further comprises a top plate, the top plate is connected to the two fixing plates on a side away from the bottom plate.

20. The towed drone of any one of claims 1-19, wherein: the tow assembly comprises a winch assembly, a support rod assembly, and a winch motor, the winch assembly is configured to wind and unwind the tow rope, the support rod assembly is mounted on a side surface of the winch assembly away from the drone body, the winch motor is configured to drive at least a portion of the winch assembly to rotate.

21. The towed drone of claim 20, wherein: the support rod assembly comprises a support rod base, a support rod, and a guide head, one end of the support rod is rotatably connected to the support rod base, the other end of the support rod is connected to the guide head.

22. The towed drone of claim 21, wherein: the guide head comprises two clamping plates oppositely arranged, and a ball head rotatably arranged between the two clamping plates, the ball head defines a guide hole, the guide hole is configured to allow the tow rope from the winch assembly to pass therethrough, the two clamping plates collectively define a mounting hole, the support rod is clamped in the mounting hole.

23. The towed drone of any one of claims 20-22, wherein: the winch assembly comprises, in sequence from inside to outside, a first rotating member, a second rotating member, and an outer frame; the first rotating member comprises two first end plates oppositely arranged and connected to each other by a plurality of first struts, and a tow rope shaft arranged in the plurality of first struts for connecting the tow rope, the winch motor is configured to drive the tow rope shaft to rotate; the second rotating member comprises two second end plates oppositely arranged and connected to each other by a plurality of second struts; and the outer frame comprises two third end plates oppositely arranged and connected to each other by a plurality of third struts, the outer frame is configured to fixedly connect the winch assembly to other parts of the towed drone.

24. The towed drone of claim 23, wherein: the two third end plates are rotatably connected to the two second end plates by outer bearings respectively, the two second end plates are rotatably connected to the two first end plates by inner bearings respectively.

25. The towed drone of claim 24, wherein: the outer side wall of the first end plate and the inner side wall of the second end plate respectively define a first clamping groove and a second clamping groove clamping the inner bearings respectively, the outer side wall of the second end plate and the inner side wall of the third end plate respectively define a third clamping groove and a fourth clamping groove clamping the outer bearings respectively.

26. The towed drone of any one of claims 21-25, wherein: The support rod base comprises a base joint and a support rod rotating shaft; the support rod rotating shaft is configured to connect the support rod and is rotatably connected to the base joint.

27. The towed drone of claim 26, wherein, The base joint comprises a base and vertical plates oppositely arranged on both sides of the base, and the vertical plates are provided with rotating holes through which the support rod rotating shaft passes.

28. The towed drone of any one of claims 21-27, wherein, The tow assembly further comprises an angle sensor configured to detect the angle of the support rod.

29. The towed drone of any one of claims 4-28, wherein, The towed drone further comprises a pulling unit; the pulling unit comprises a pulling motor support, a pulling motor, and the pulling rotor; the pulling motor support is sleeved on the pulling arm; the pulling motor is installed on the pulling motor support; and the output end of the pulling motor is connected to the pulling rotor.

30. The towed drone of any one of claims 12-28, wherein, The outer arm is connected to the inner arm through a joint assembly; the joint assembly comprises an outer joint, an inner joint, and a clasp assembly; the inner joint is configured to be sleeved outside the inner arm; the outer joint is configured to be sleeved outside the outer arm; and the inner joint and the outer joint are connected through the clasp assembly.

31. The towed drone of claim 30, wherein, One of the inner joint and the outer joint comprises a double lug, and the other comprises a single lug; the double lug and the single lug are configured to be connected through a hinged shaft; and / or One of the inner joint and the outer joint comprises a positioning block, and the other defines a positioning slot; the positioning block and the positioning slot are configured to cooperate with each other.

32. The towed drone of claim 30 or 31, wherein, The clasp assembly comprises an inner clasp and an outer clasp; the inner clasp is configured to be sleeved around the outer periphery of the inner joint; the outer clasp is configured to be sleeved around the outer periphery of the outer joint; and the end of the outer clasp away from the outer joint is fixed to the end of the inner clasp away from the inner joint.

33. The towed drone of any one of claims 3-32, wherein, The support frame comprises a plurality of longitudinal beams, one or more cross beams, and one or more chassis; the plurality of longitudinal beams are vertically or obliquely arranged; at least two of the plurality of longitudinal beams are connected together through at least one of the one or more cross beams; and the chassis is connected to at least one of the plurality of longitudinal beams on a side away from the drone body.

34. The towed drone of claim 33, wherein, The support frame further comprises one or more pulleys arranged on the side of the chassis away from the drone body.

35. The towed drone of any one of claims 4-34, wherein, The tow assembly is connected to the middle part of the pulling arm.

36. A tow system, comprising: The towed drone of any one of claims 1-35; and The unpowered aircraft is configured to be connected to the tow drone by a tow line.

37. The tow system of claim 36, wherein, The unpowered aircraft is a paraglider.

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