Protection device, method and system for unmanned aerial vehicle nest, and unmanned aerial vehicle nest, unmanned aerial vehicle system and vehicle

Abstract

A protection device, method and system for an unmanned aerial vehicle nest, and an unmanned aerial vehicle nest, an unmanned aerial vehicle system and a vehicle. The protection device for an unmanned aerial vehicle nest is configured to protect a component to be protected of an unmanned aerial vehicle. The protection device comprises a protection seat, and the protection seat comprises a first state and a second state, wherein in the first state, the protection seat is adapted to protect said component, and in the second state, the protection seat is adapted to release said component.

Description

Hangar protection devices, methods, systems, hangars, unmanned aerial vehicle systems, and vehicles

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese patent application No. 202411223953.4, filed on September 2, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This disclosure relates to the field of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology, and more particularly to a hangar protection device, protection method, protection system, hangar, UAV system, and vehicle. Background Technology

[0003] Currently, drone hangars are installed on the vehicles to store drones.

[0004] The gimbal is a crucial component for drone aerial photography, used to mount and secure the camera and control its rotation and shooting angle. To prevent gimbal damage during drone storage in hangars, protective devices are typically installed to safeguard the gimbal. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This disclosure provides a hangar protection device, protection method, protection system, hangar, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system, and vehicle to solve the technical problem in related technologies that gimbal protection components need to be disassembled and reassembled each time the UAV is used, which is a relatively cumbersome operation.

[0006] In a first aspect, a protective device for a hangar is provided, the protective device being configured to protect a component of a drone, the hangar including a parking apron, the protective device including a protective seat adapted to be movably disposed on the parking apron to switch between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the protective seat is adapted to protect the component to be protected; in the second state, the protective seat is adapted to release the component to be protected.

[0007] In some embodiments, the protective seat is adapted to move relative to the helipad as it rises and falls with the helipad, in order to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0008] In some embodiments, the protective device further includes a drive member and a guide member, and the protective seat is adapted to switch between the first state and the second state under the action of the drive member and the guide member.

[0009] In some embodiments, the protection device further includes a drive member and a guide member, the drive member being adapted to be disposed between the helipad and the protection seat to drive the protection seat to move away from the helipad; the guide member includes a first portion and a second portion; the first portion is adapted to guide the protection seat to maintain the protection seat in the first state; the second portion is adapted to guide the protection seat to maintain the protection seat in the second state.

[0010] In some embodiments, the protective device further includes a mounting base adapted to be disposed on the helipad; the protective seat is slidably disposed on the mounting base; and the driving member is disposed between the mounting base and the protective seat.

[0011] In some embodiments, the mounting base is connected to or integrally formed with the helipad.

[0012] In some embodiments, the drive element is an elastic element disposed between the mounting base and the protective base, the elastic element exerting an elastic force on the protective base to move the protective base away from the helipad.

[0013] In some embodiments, the elastic element is a tension spring.

[0014] In some embodiments, the second portion is located above the first portion and the two are connected; in the first state, the first portion is in contact with the protective seat; in the second state, the second portion is in contact with the protective seat.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first portion has a vertical surface, the second portion has an inclined surface, one end of the inclined surface is connected to the vertical surface, and the other end of the inclined surface extends in a direction away from the helipad.

[0016] In some embodiments, the helipad includes a first sub-helipad and at least one second sub-helipad; along the lifting direction perpendicular to the lifting mechanism, the at least one second sub-helipad is disposed on both sides of the first sub-helipad, and the at least one second sub-helipad is telescopically movable relative to the first sub-helipad; the protective seat is slidably disposed on the second sub-helipad.

[0017] In some embodiments, the mounting base further includes a guide mechanism; the protective seat is slidably connected to the guide mechanism, and the guide mechanism guides the sliding of the protective seat.

[0018] In some embodiments, the guiding mechanism includes at least one of a guide shaft or a guide rail.

[0019] In some embodiments, the protective device further includes a rotating member rotatably connected to the protective seat, the rotating member being adapted to roll on the first portion and the second portion, and the protective seat engaging with the first portion and the second portion via the rotating member.

[0020] In some embodiments, the rotating element is a shaft or a bearing.

[0021] In some embodiments, a fixing groove is provided to cover the component to be protected; the flexible member is disposed in the fixing groove and at least partially covers the groove wall of the fixing groove.

[0022] In some embodiments, the sidewall of the fixing groove is provided with a recess that is adapted to the connecting arm of the component to be protected, and the recess is configured to fix the connecting arm of the component to be protected.

[0023] In some embodiments, the wall of the fixed groove is provided with a first limiting part; the flexible member is provided with a second limiting part, and the first limiting part and the second limiting part are inserted into each other.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion satisfy at least one of the following: the first limiting portion is a first limiting protrusion and the second limiting portion is an embedding groove; or, the first limiting portion is a limiting hole and the second limiting portion is a second limiting protrusion.

[0025] Secondly, a protection method is provided for protecting a component of a drone. The protection method includes: acquiring a landing signal of the drone; controlling a protection mount to switch to a first state, wherein the protection mount is adapted to protect the component to be protected in the first state; and controlling the component to be protected of the drone to be powered off.

[0026] In some embodiments, switching the control protection seat to a first state includes controlling the descent of the hangar's apron, wherein the protection seat moves relative to the apron as it descends to switch from a second state to the first state, wherein in the second state, the protection seat is adapted to release the component to be protected.

[0027] In some embodiments, after acquiring the landing signal of the UAV and before the control protection seat switches to the first state, the method further includes controlling the centering mechanism of the hangar to center the UAV.

[0028] Thirdly, a protection system is also provided, which includes a landing signal acquisition module, a protection device, and a component control module to be protected. The landing signal acquisition module is configured to acquire the landing signal of the UAV; the protection device is configured to control the protection base to switch to a first state; and the component control module to be protected is configured to control the component to be protected of the UAV to be powered off.

[0029] Fourthly, a hangar is provided, the hangar including a parking apron and the aforementioned protective device, wherein the protective seat of the protective device is movably mounted on the parking apron.

[0030] Fifthly, a drone system is provided, comprising a drone and the aforementioned hangar, wherein the drone is located within the hangar.

[0031] In some embodiments, the component to be protected is the gimbal of the drone.

[0032] Sixthly, a vehicle is provided, the vehicle including the aforementioned hangar.

[0033] In the hangar protection device of some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective seat is a protective component used to protect the part to be protected. The protective seat includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the protective seat is adapted to protect the part to be protected, thereby achieving protection of the part to be protected. In the second state, the protective seat is adapted to release the part to be protected, without restricting the take-off and landing of the drone. The protection device of some embodiments of this disclosure does not require disassembly and assembly of the protective seat each time the drone is used, making the use of the protection device simple and convenient.

[0034] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution disclosed herein. In order to better understand the technical means of this disclosure and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of this disclosure more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of this disclosure are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0035] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in some embodiments or related technologies of this disclosure, the accompanying drawings used in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below.

[0036] Figure 1 is a front view of a drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0037] Figure 2 is another structural diagram of the usage state of the drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0038] Figure 3 is another structural diagram of the usage state of the drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0039] Figure 4 is another structural diagram of the usage state of the drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0040] Figure 5 is another structural diagram of the usage state of the drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0041] Figure 6 is a structural diagram of a drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0042] Figure 7 is another structural diagram of the protective housing according to some embodiments;

[0043] Figure 8 is another structural diagram of the protective housing according to some embodiments;

[0044] Figure 9 is a structural diagram of a flexible component according to some embodiments;

[0045] Figure 10 is another structural diagram of the flexible component according to some embodiments;

[0046] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of the mounting base according to some embodiments;

[0047] Figure 12 is another structural diagram of the mounting base according to some embodiments;

[0048] Figure 13 is a top view of a portion of the structure of a drone hangar according to some embodiments;

[0049] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view along line AA in Figure 13;

[0050] Figure 15 is a flowchart of a protection method according to some embodiments;

[0051] Figure 16 is a block diagram of a protection system according to some embodiments;

[0052] Figure 17 is a block diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle system according to some embodiments;

[0053] Figure 18 is a block diagram of a vehicle according to some embodiments.

[0054] Reference numerals: 1. Helipad; 11. First sub-helipad; 12. Second sub-helipad; 2. Lifting mechanism; 3. Hanger floor; 41. Protective seat; 411. Protective seat housing; 412. Flexible component; 413. First limiting protrusion; 414. Limiting hole; 415. Embedded groove; 416. First connecting part of the outer shell; 417. Reinforcing part of the outer shell; 418. Fixing groove; 419. Second connecting part of the outer shell; 420. Second limiting protrusion; 423. Recess; 42. Guide; 421. First part; 422. Second part; 43. Drive component; 44. Mounting base; 441. First connecting part of the mounting base; 442. Reinforcing part of the mounting base; 443. Connecting hole of the mounting base; 45. Guide shaft; 46. Rotating component; 47. Fastener; 48. Flat washer; 49. Outer shell bushing; 50. Rotating shaft; 51. Shaft end retaining ring; 61. First hatch; 62. Second hatch; 7. First centering assembly; 8. Second centering assembly; 9. UAV; 91. Component to be protected; 92. Connecting arm of component to be protected; 60. Vehicle; 40. UAV system; 30. Protection system; 20. Hangar; 10. Protection device. Detailed Implementation

[0055] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present disclosure may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

[0056] The gimbal protection components in related technologies need to be disassembled and reassembled each time the drone is used, which is quite cumbersome.

[0057] To address the aforementioned problems, some embodiments of this disclosure provide a hangar protection device for use in hangars where equipment can be stored according to usage requirements. For example, the hangar can be used to store a drone 9, thereby achieving storage and protection of the drone 9. In this case, the protection device is used to protect the component 91 of the drone 9 to be protected, and this will be described below as an example.

[0058] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the hangar 20 includes a parking apron 1, and the protection device 10 includes a protection seat 41. The protection seat 41 is adapted to be movably disposed on the parking apron 1 to switch between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the protection seat 41 is adapted to protect the component 91 to be protected. In the second state, the protection seat 41 is adapted to release the component 91 to be protected.

[0059] The protective base 41 is a protective element used to protect the component 91 to be protected. The protective base 41 includes a first state and a second state. In the first state, the protective base 41 is adapted to protect the component 91 to achieve protection. In the second state, the protective base 41 is adapted to release the component 91 to be protected, without restricting the take-off and landing of the drone 9. In some embodiments of this protective device, it is not necessary to disassemble and reassemble the protective base 41 each time the drone 9 is used, making the use of the protective device simple and convenient.

[0060] In some embodiments, the helipad 1 is suitable for placing the drone 9, and the protective seat 41 is movably disposed on the helipad 1, which can reduce the need for other mechanisms for setting the protective seat 41, thereby reducing the complexity of the structure.

[0061] Furthermore, the protective seat 41 is adapted to be movably mounted on the apron 1, which means that the protective seat 41 is adapted to be slidably mounted on the apron 1, or the protective seat 41 is adapted to be rotatably mounted on the apron 1, or other connection methods that allow the protective seat 41 to switch between the first state and the second state.

[0062] In some embodiments, the protective seat 41 is adapted to move relative to the helipad 1 during its raising and lowering to switch between a first state and a second state. In the above-described configuration of some embodiments of this disclosure, the movement of the protective seat 41 is coordinated with the raising and lowering of the helipad 1 to achieve switching between the first state and the second state.

[0063] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 4 to 6, the protective device further includes a drive member 43 and a guide member 42, and the protective seat 41 is adapted to switch between a first state and a second state under the action of the drive member 43 and the guide member 42. In the above structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective seat 41 switches between a first state and a second state under the combined action of the drive member 43 and the guide member 42 without manual operation, making the use of the protective device simple and convenient.

[0064] In some embodiments, the protective device further includes a drive member 43 and a guide member 42. The drive member 43 is adapted to be disposed between the helipad 1 and the protective seat 41 to drive the protective seat 41 to move away from the helipad 1. The guide member 42 includes a first portion 421 and a second portion 422. The first portion 421 is adapted to guide the protective seat 41 to maintain the protective seat 41 in a first state. The second portion 422 is adapted to guide the protective seat 41 to maintain the protective seat 41 in a second state. The above-described structure of some embodiments of this disclosure also makes the use of the protective device simple and convenient.

[0065] In some embodiments, the drive member 43 is adapted to be disposed between the landing pad 1 and the protective seat 41 to drive the protective seat 41 to move. In a first state, the guide member 42 impedes the movement of the protective seat 41 so that the protective seat 41 protects the component 91 to be protected. In a second state, the guide member 42 allows the movement of the protective seat 41 so that the protective seat 41 releases the component 91 to be protected.

[0066] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective seat 41 is driven to move by the driving member 43, without the need for manual driving of the protective seat 41. The movement of the protective seat 41 is hindered by the guide member 42, and the movement of the protective seat 41 is allowed to switch between the first state and the second state. This method does not require manual operation and has the advantage of simple structure.

[0067] In some embodiments, referring to FIG6, the protective device further includes a mounting base 44, which is adapted to be disposed on the helipad 1; a protective seat 41 is slidably disposed on the mounting base 44; and a driving member 43 is disposed between the mounting base 44 and the protective seat 41.

[0068] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the protective seat 41 is slidably connected to the helipad 1 via the mounting seat 44, and the driving component 43 is disposed between the mounting seat 44 and the protective seat 41. Neither the protective seat 41 nor the driving component 43 is directly connected to the helipad 1, which can avoid the influence of the protective seat 41 and the driving component 43 on the structure and movement of the helipad 1.

[0069] In some embodiments, the mounting base 44 is fixedly connected to the helipad 1. The above-described structure in some embodiments of this disclosure allows the protective base 41 to be slidably mounted on the helipad 1 without damaging or altering its structure, thus improving the versatility of the protective base 41.

[0070] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 6 and 11, the mounting base 44 is provided with a first connecting part 441 at one end in the Y direction. The first connecting part 441 is connected to the helipad 1 by fasteners 47 such as bolts, and is limited and installed using flat washers 48, which has the advantages of simple and convenient connection and disassembly.

[0071] In other embodiments, the mounting base 44 is integrally formed with the apron 1, which can reduce assembly steps, improve the production efficiency of the protection device, and has the advantage of a robust structure.

[0072] In some embodiments, the drive member 43 is an elastic member disposed between the mounting base 44 and the protective base 41, and the elastic member applies an elastic force to the protective base 41 to move the protective base 41 away from the apron 1.

[0073] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the movement of the protective base 41 relative to the helipad 1 can be achieved using only an elastic element, which has the advantages of simple and reliable structure. Compared with drive mechanisms such as motors, the elastic element can reduce the number and size of the protective device components, resulting in a simple structure, small footprint, and reduced manufacturing cost. Furthermore, it effectively reduces the complexity of controlling the protective device.

[0074] In some embodiments, the driving member 43 is a tension spring, which is disposed between the mounting base 44 and the protective base 41. In the above structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, one end of the tension spring is fixedly connected to the mounting base 44, and the other end of the tension spring is fixedly connected to the protective base 41; in a first state, the tension spring elastically deforms and stores tension; in a second state, the tension spring recovers its elastic deformation and releases the stored tension to drive the protective base 41 to slide away from the apron 1 on the mounting base 44. In the above structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, the sliding of the protective base 41 on the mounting base 44 can be achieved using only a tension spring, which has the advantages of simple and reliable structure, small space occupation, and reduced manufacturing cost.

[0075] Referring to Figures 6 to 8, the protective base 41 has a first connecting portion 416 at both ends of the protective base housing 411 in the X direction, and the mounting base 44 has connecting holes at both ends of the mounting base 44 in the X direction. The first connecting portion 416 and the connecting holes are correspondingly arranged in the Y direction. A tension spring is arranged along the Y direction, with one end of the tension spring connected to the first connecting portion 416 in the Y direction and the other end of the tension spring connected to the connecting hole.

[0076] In some embodiments, the second portion 422 is located above the first portion 421 and the two are connected; in a first state, the first portion 421 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41 to prevent the protective seat 41 from sliding away from the apron 1; in a second state, the second portion 422 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41 to allow the protective seat 41 to slide away from the apron 1.

[0077] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the sliding of the protective seat 41 can be controlled by the first part 421 and the second part 422 of the guide member 42 contacting and cooperating with the protective seat 41, thereby realizing the switching of the protective seat 41 between the first state and the second state. No manual operation is required, and the protective device has the advantage of simple structure.

[0078] In some embodiments, the helipad 1 is a liftable helipad, with the second part 422 located above the first part 421 and the two connected; during the lifting and lowering of the helipad 1, when the first part 421 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41, the protective seat 41 is in a first state; when the second part 422 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41, the protective seat 41 is in a second state.

[0079] In some embodiments of the protective device disclosed herein, a second portion 422 is located above and connected to a first portion 421. During the raising and lowering of the helipad 1, when the helipad 1 lowers to the point where the first portion 421 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41, the protective seat 41 is in a first state; when the helipad 1 rises to the point where the second portion 422 contacts and engages with the protective seat 41, the protective seat 41 is in a second state. The raising and lowering of the helipad 1, in conjunction with the first portion 421 and the second portion 422 on the guide member 42, enables the protective seat 41 to switch between the first and second states, offering the advantage of a simple structure.

[0080] In some embodiments, the lower end of the guide 42 is adapted to connect to the hangar floor 3 of the drone hangar, which can improve the connection strength of the guide 42 and the stability of the guide 42 during vehicle movement.

[0081] In some embodiments, the first part 421 has a vertical surface, and the second part 422 has an inclined surface. One end of the inclined surface is connected to the vertical surface, and the other end of the inclined surface extends away from the helipad 1.

[0082] In some embodiments of this disclosure, when the inclined plane contacts and engages with the protective seat 41 and the landing pad 1 continues to rise, the protective seat 41 gradually separates from the component 91 to be protected, thus avoiding poor controllability caused by the rapid movement of the protective seat 41 and enabling the protective seat 41 to be stably separated from the component 91 to be protected.

[0083] In some embodiments, referring to FIG4, the helipad 1 includes a first sub-helipad 11 and at least one second sub-helipad 12; along the lifting direction perpendicular to the lifting mechanism 2 (perpendicular to the moving direction of the lifting mechanism 2, i.e., the Z direction in FIG2), when at least one second sub-helipad 12 includes multiple second sub-helipads 12, the multiple second sub-helipads 12 are disposed on both sides of the first sub-helipad 11, and at least one second sub-helipad 12 can be telescopically moved relative to the first sub-helipad 11; a protective seat 41 is slidably disposed on the second sub-helipad 12; during the lifting and lowering of the helipad 1, when the first sub-helipad 11 and the second sub-helipad 12 are at least stacked, the protective seat 41 can be in a first state; when the second sub-helipad 12 extends at least partially beyond the first sub-helipad 11, the protective seat 41 is in a second state.

[0084] Referring to Figures 3 and 4, multiple second sub-landing pads 12 are disposed on both sides of the first sub-landing pad 11 in the Y direction. A protective seat 41 is slidably mounted on the second sub-landing pads 12 and can move with the second sub-landing pads 12 in the Y direction. During the raising and lowering of the landing pad 1, the first sub-landing pad 11 and the second sub-landing pad 12 are at least stacked, or the second sub-landing pad 12 at least partially extends out of the first sub-landing pad 11.

[0085] In the above-described structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, during the lifting and lowering of the landing pad 1, the protective seat 41 slides on the second sub-landing pad 12, and the superimposed protective seat 41 moves with the second sub-landing pad 12, realizing the switching between the first state and the second state. The protective seat 41 moves a relatively long distance relative to the component 91 to be protected during the switching between the first state and the second state, which can effectively prevent the UAV 9 from colliding with the protective seat 41 during takeoff and landing, thereby preventing damage to the UAV 9. Furthermore, when the second sub-landing pad 12 retracts into its position relative to the first sub-landing pad 11, the protective seat 41 and the component 91 to be protected are not in contact.

[0086] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the hangar further includes a first door 61, a second door 62, and a hangar floor 3. The first door 61 is rotatably connected to one side of the hangar floor 3, and the second door 62 is rotatably connected to the other side of the hangar floor 3. The first door 61 and the second door 62 rotate relative to the hangar floor 3 to open or close the drone hangar. A protective seat 41 is disposed between the first door 61 and the second door 62.

[0087] Referring to Figures 1 to 4, the first door 61 is rotatably connected to one side of the hangar floor 3 in the Y direction, and the first door 61 is rotatably connected to the other side of the hangar floor 3 in the Y direction. When the first door 61 and the second door 62 are opened by rotating around the X axis, the protective seat 41 is located between the first door 61 and the second door 62. The protective seat 41 will not interfere with the opening of the first door 61 and the second door 62, which can improve the space utilization rate and does not affect the original size, shape and function of the UAV hangar, thus having a wider range of applications.

[0088] In some embodiments, referring to FIG1, the hangar of the UAV also includes a lifting mechanism 2 and a hangar floor 3. The lifting mechanism 2 is disposed between the landing pad 1 and the hangar floor 3 to drive the landing pad 1 to move up and down. During the lifting and lowering of the landing pad 1, the protective seat 41 moves up and down with the landing pad 1 to switch between a first state and a second state.

[0089] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the lifting mechanism 2 drives the helipad 1 to move up and down on the hangar floor 3, so that the protective seat 41 moves up and down with the helipad 1 to switch between a first state and a second state. This eliminates the need for manual operation, making the protective device simple and convenient to use. Moreover, the movement of the protective seat 41 in coordination with the helipad 1 can protect the component 91 to be protected without affecting the takeoff of the UAV 9.

[0090] In some embodiments, the drone hangar further includes a centering mechanism, which includes a first centering component 7, a second centering component 8, and a hangar drive mechanism for driving the movement between the first sub-landing pad 11 and the second sub-landing pad 12. This disclosure does not limit the structure of the first centering component 7, the second centering component 8, the hangar drive mechanism, and the aforementioned lifting mechanism 2, as long as the requirements of the drone hangar are met. For example, the two second sub-landing pads 12 are part of the first centering component 7. When the two second sub-landing pads 12 retract towards the center, the flanges of the two second sub-landing pads 12 drive the legs of the drone 9, causing the drone 9 to move towards the center, completing centering and clamping in one direction. The second centering component 8 is used to center and clamp the drone 9 to prevent the drone 9 from shaking.

[0091] In some embodiments, the mounting base 44 further includes a guide mechanism, the protective base 41 is slidably connected to the guide mechanism, and the guide mechanism guides the sliding of the protective base 41.

[0092] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the guide mechanism is provided so that the protective seat 41 moves on the mounting seat 44 in a preset direction, thereby preventing the protective seat 41 from damaging the component 91 to be protected during the separation process from the component 91 to be protected.

[0093] In some embodiments, the guiding mechanism is at least one of a guide shaft 45 and a guide rail. Both the guide shaft 45 and the guide rail are simple guiding mechanisms, which can reduce the size of the protective device components and lower manufacturing costs.

[0094] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 6 to 8 and Figures 11 to 14, the guiding mechanism is a guide shaft 45, which is arranged along the Y direction. The mounting base 44 has mounting base connecting holes 443 at both ends in the Y direction. The protective base housing 411 is provided with a housing bushing 49 corresponding to the mounting base connecting holes 443, and the through hole in the housing bushing 49 is coaxially arranged with the mounting base connecting holes 443. After the protective base housing 411 is placed inside the mounting base 44, the middle part of the guide shaft 45 passes through the through hole of the housing bushing 49, and the two ends of the guide shaft 45 are inserted into the mounting base connecting holes 443 one by one. It can be understood that the structure and installation method of the guide shaft 45 can be set according to the usage requirements. For example, referring to Figure 14, the right end of the guide shaft 45 adopts a stepped shaft structure, and the left end of the guide shaft 45 is connected to the shaft end retaining ring 51 to connect the guide shaft 45 to the protective base 41 and effectively prevent the guide shaft 45 from automatically disengaging.

[0095] In some embodiments, referring to FIG3, the protective device further includes a rotating member 46, which is rotatably connected to the protective seat 41. The rotating member 46 is adapted to roll on the first part 421 and the second part 422, and the protective seat 41 contacts and engages with the first part 421 and the second part 422 through the rotating member 46.

[0096] The rotation axis of the rotating component 46 is perpendicular to the lifting direction of the helipad 1. Referring to Figure 6, the rotation axis of the rotating component 46 is along the X direction. Referring to Figure 2, the lifting direction of the helipad 1 is along the Z direction.

[0097] In some embodiments of this disclosure, referring to FIG6, the arrangement of the rotating member 46 allows the protective seat 41 to contact and engage with the first part 421 and the second part 422 via the rotating member 46. The rotating member 46 rolls on the first part 421 and the second part 422, which can effectively reduce the frictional force when the protective seat 41 contacts and engages with the first part 421 and the second part 422.

[0098] In some embodiments, the rotating component 46 is a shaft or a bearing. In this case, the rotating component 46 has the advantages of simple structure and long service life.

[0099] In some embodiments, to improve the service life of the rotating member 46, the rotating member 46 is a shaft sleeve. In this case, referring to Figures 6 to 8, the protective device also includes a rotating shaft 50. The protective base 41 has two housing second connecting portions 419 at one end along the X direction, and the two housing second connecting portions 419 are arranged along the Y direction. Both ends of the rotating shaft are respectively connected to the two housing second connecting portions 419, and the shaft sleeve is fitted onto the rotating shaft 50 and located between the two housing second connecting portions 419.

[0100] The connection structure between the rotating shaft 50 and the second connecting part 419 of the housing can also be configured according to usage requirements. For example, one end of the rotating shaft 50 in the X direction adopts a stepped shaft structure, and the other end of the rotating shaft 50 in the X direction is connected to the shaft end retaining ring 51 to connect the rotating shaft 50 to the two second connecting parts 419 of the housing and effectively prevent the rotating shaft 50 from automatically disengaging.

[0101] In some embodiments, the protective base 41 includes a protective base housing 411 and a flexible member 412. The protective base housing 411 is provided with a fixing groove 418 suitable for covering the component 91 to be protected. The flexible member 412 is disposed in the fixing groove 418 and at least partially covers the groove wall of the fixing groove 418.

[0102] In some embodiments of this disclosure, when the flexible member 412 is disposed in the fixing groove 418 and at least partially covers the groove wall of the fixing groove 418, the component to be protected 91 is connected to the fixing groove 418 through the flexible member 412. The flexible member 412 is more flexible than the protective seat housing 411, which avoids collision and wear of the protective seat 41 on the component to be protected 91, and buffers the vibration and impact of the component to be protected 91 during vehicle movement.

[0103] In some embodiments, the flexible member 412 is a rubber material member, which has excellent elasticity and toughness and can quickly return to its original shape after being subjected to pressure, so as to achieve effective protection of the component 91 to be protected.

[0104] In some embodiments, both the protective base 41 and the mounting base 44 need to have sufficient strength. Therefore, the protective base 41 is further provided with a housing reinforcement 417, and the mounting base 44 is further provided with a mounting base reinforcement 442.

[0105] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 7 and 8, the sidewall of the fixing groove 418 is provided with a recess 423 that is adapted to the connecting arm 92 of the component to be protected 91, and the recess 423 is used to fix the connecting arm 92 of the component to be protected.

[0106] In the above structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, after the recessed portion 423 fixes the connecting arm 92 of the component to be protected 91, the recessed portion 423 can restrict the movement of the connecting arm 92 of the component to be protected, thereby better achieving the fixing effect of the component to be protected 91, so as to achieve effective protection of the component to be protected 91.

[0107] For example, when the protective seat 41 is in the first state, the component to be protected 91 is located in the fixing groove 418 of the protective seat housing 411. The component to be protected 91 is in contact with the flexible member 412 in the fixing groove 418, thus avoiding collision and wear between the component to be protected 91 and the protective seat housing 411. The connecting arm 92 of the component to be protected 91 is located in the recess 423, which can limit the shaking of the connecting arm 92 in the Z direction, thereby limiting the shaking of the component to be protected 91 in the Z direction. The two side walls at both ends of the fixing groove 418 in the Y direction limit the shaking of the component to be protected 91 in the Y direction. The side wall at one end of the fixing groove 418 in the X direction limits the shaking of the component to be protected 91 in the X direction. The fixing groove 418 and the flexible member 412 can limit the shaking of the component to be protected 91 in the X, Y, and Z directions, thereby effectively realizing the protection function of the component to be protected 91 during vehicle operation.

[0108] In some embodiments, the wall of the fixing groove 418 is provided with a first limiting portion; the flexible member 412 is provided with a second limiting portion, and the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion are inserted into each other. In the above structure of some embodiments of this disclosure, the insertion of the first limiting portion and the second limiting portion has the advantages of simple structure and reliable connection, and makes the connection between the fixing groove 418 and the flexible member 412 simple and convenient.

[0109] In some embodiments, referring to FIG7, the first limiting part is a first limiting protrusion 413, and the second limiting part is an embedding groove 415. At this time, during the connection of the protective base housing 411 and the flexible member 412, the first limiting protrusion 413 is aligned with the embedding groove 415, the flexible member 412 is inserted into the fixing groove 418, and the first limiting protrusion 413 is inserted into the embedding groove 415, thus completing the connection of the protective base housing 411 and the flexible member 412, which has the advantages of simple and convenient connection.

[0110] In some embodiments, the first limiting part is a limiting hole 414, and the second limiting part is a second limiting protrusion 420. During the connection of the protective base housing 411 and the flexible member 412, the second limiting protrusion 420 is aligned with the limiting hole 414, the flexible member 412 is inserted into the fixing groove 418, and the second limiting protrusion 420 is inserted into the limiting hole 414, thus completing the connection between the protective base housing 411 and the flexible member 412, which has the advantages of simple and convenient connection.

[0111] In some embodiments, referring to Figures 7 to 10, the three vertical (in the Z direction) sidewalls of the fixing groove 418 are provided with multiple elongated first limiting protrusions 413, and the two vertical sidewalls of the fixing groove 418 on both sides of the X direction are provided with multiple limiting holes 414. The outer wall of the flexible member 412 is provided with multiple embedding grooves 415 and multiple second limiting protrusions 420. During the connection process between the protective housing 411 and the flexible member 412, the first limiting protrusions 413 are inserted into the embedding grooves 415, and the second limiting protrusions 420 are inserted into the limiting holes 414. The protective housing 411 and the flexible member 412 are connected through the first limiting protrusions 413, the embedding grooves 415, the second limiting protrusions 420, and the limiting holes 414, which can make the protective housing 411 and the flexible member 412 fit better and prevent the flexible member 412 from falling off.

[0112] In use, the protection device of some embodiments of this disclosure cooperates with the first hatch 61, the second hatch 62, the parking apron 1, the second centering assembly 8, and the first centering assembly 7 in the hangar to achieve the purpose of protecting the component 91 to be protected. The working process of the UAV hangar and the protection device in the UAV hangar is as follows.

[0113] Referring to Figure 1, it shows a schematic diagram of the first door 61 and the second door 62 of the drone hangar in the closed state.

[0114] When the UAV 9 needs to take off, the first hatch 61 and the second hatch 62 open. Figure 2 shows the position of the protective seat 41 when the UAV 9 has not taken off. The protective seat 41 is in the first state. Under the action of the elastic member, the protective seat 41 abuts against the first part 421 of the guide member 42, which ensures the stability of the protective seat 41 and the secure fixation and protection of the component 91 to be protected.

[0115] Figure 3 shows the position of the protective seat 41 during the lifting and lowering of the helipad 1. The lifting mechanism 2 drives the mounting base 44 and the protective seat 41 to rise together via the second sub-helipad 12. During the lifting process, when the rotating component 46 disengages from the first part 421, the rotating component 46 abuts against the second part 422 under the action of the elastic component, and the protective seat 41 begins to move away from the component to be protected 91, separating from the component to be protected 91. After the rotating component 46 separates from the first part 421, the protective seat 41 is stopped from moving further by the limit of the mounting base 44. At this time, the protective seat 41 and the component to be protected 91 are not in contact. Then, as the second sub-parking pad 12 rises, it extends beyond the first sub-parking pad 11. The mounting base 44 and the protective base 41 will continue to rise with the second sub-parking pad 12 and continue to move away from the component to be protected 91. After the second sub-parking pad 12 rises to the upper stop point, the second sub-parking pad 12 stops rising. At this time, the protective base 41 is far away from the component to be protected 91.

[0116] Figure 4 shows the position of the protective seat 41 when the UAV 9 is about to take off. When the UAV 9 is about to take off, the second sub-parking pads 12 on both sides open, and the protective seat 41 and mounting base 44 connected to the second sub-parking pads 12 move away from the UAV 9 to ensure the smooth takeoff of the UAV 9.

[0117] After the UAV 9 lands, the first centering component 7 and the second centering component 8 center and clamp the UAV 9. Since the protective seat 41 is far from the protected component 91 before the UAV 9 takes off, it will not collide with the protected component 91 during the centering and clamping process. After centering and clamping, the lifting mechanism 2 will lower the second centering component 8, the first centering component 7, the protective seat 41, and the mounting base 44 together. During the descent, the second sub-landing pad 12 retracts towards the first sub-landing pad 11. The mounting base 44 and the protective seat 41 will continue to descend with the second sub-landing pad 12, moving closer to the protected component 91 until the second sub-landing pad 12 and the first sub-landing pad 11 are stacked and retracted into place. Even then, the protective seat 41 and the protected component 91 will remain in a non-contact state. As the protective seat 41 and mounting seat 44 continue to descend with the second sub-pad 12, after the rotating member 46 begins to contact the second part 422, the second part 422 overcomes the tension of the elastic member, causing the protective seat 41 to move toward the part to be protected 91 and begin to contact the part to be protected 91; after the rotating member 46 contacts the first part 421, the protective seat 41 covers the part to be protected 91 to protect the part to be protected.

[0118] During vehicle operation, the component 91 to be protected is in the protected state shown in Figure 5. The fixing groove 418 and the flexible member 412 of the protection device can limit the swaying of the component 91 to be protected in the X, Y, and Z directions, thereby realizing the protection function of the component 91 to be protected during vehicle operation.

[0119] The protective device of some embodiments disclosed herein includes a protective base 41 that is driven by an elastic element to slide along the Y direction on the second sub-landing pad 12 and move along the Y direction with the second sub-landing pad 12, switching between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the protective base 41 is adapted to cover the component 91 of the UAV 9 to be protected on the landing pad 1 to fix the component 91 to be protected; in the second state, the protective base 41 is separated from the component 91 to be protected. The protective base 41 can automatically connect and separate from the component 91 to be protected, and the protective device is relatively simple and convenient to use. The protective device uses the tension of the elastic element to make the protective base 41 slide. The protective device does not use a motor or other drive mechanism, and uses the elastic element as a power source to achieve the drive function within a limited space.

[0120] Referring to FIG15, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a protection method for protecting the component 91 to be protected of a drone 9. The protection method includes the following steps S11 to S13.

[0121] In S11, acquire the landing signal of UAV 9.

[0122] In this step, the landing signal of the UAV 9 can be obtained using conventional methods, which will not be elaborated upon in this disclosure.

[0123] In S12, the control protection seat 41 is switched to the first state. In the first state, the protection seat 41 is adapted to protect the component 91 to be protected.

[0124] In this step, after the control protection seat 41 is switched to the first state, the protection seat 41 is adapted to protect the component 91 to be protected, so as to achieve the protection of the component 91 to be protected.

[0125] In some embodiments, during this step, the hangar apron 1 is lowered, and the protective seat 41 moves relative to the apron 1 as it descends to switch from a second state to a first state. In the second state, the protective seat 41 is adapted to release the component 91 to be protected. In the above methods of some embodiments of this disclosure, the movement of the protective seat 41 is coordinated with the raising and lowering of the apron 1 to achieve switching between the first state and the second state.

[0126] In S13, the protected component 91 controlling the drone 9 is de-energized.

[0127] In this step, the protected component 91 of the drone 9 can be powered off using conventional methods, which will not be elaborated upon in this disclosure.

[0128] The protection method of some embodiments of this disclosure can protect the component 91 by acquiring the landing signal of the drone 9, controlling the protective base 41 to switch to the first state, and controlling the power off of the component 91 to be protected of the drone 9. It does not require disassembling and assembling the protective base 41 every time the drone 9 is used, which has the advantages of being simple and convenient.

[0129] In some embodiments, between steps S11 and S12, a centering mechanism of the control hangar is further included to center the drone 9. In the above method of some embodiments of this disclosure, the centering mechanism is used to center the drone 9 so that the drone 9 is located at a preset position on the helipad 1, thereby allowing the protective seat 41 to cover the component 91 to be protected when the control protective seat 41 switches to the first state, effectively protecting the component 91. The centering mechanism includes a first centering component 7 and a second centering component 8.

[0130] Referring to FIG16, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide a protection system 30, which includes a landing signal acquisition module 301, a protection device 10, and a component control module 303 to be protected. The landing signal acquisition module is configured to acquire the landing signal of the UAV 9; the protection device is configured to control the protection base 41 to switch to a first state; and the component control module to be protected is configured to control the component 91 to be protected of the UAV 9 to be powered off.

[0131] The protection system of some embodiments of this disclosure can acquire the landing signal of the UAV 9, control the protective base 41 to switch to the first state, and control the power off of the protective component 91 of the UAV 9 through the landing signal acquisition module, the protection device and the component to be protected control module. It can protect the component to be protected 91 without having to disassemble and assemble the protective base 41 every time the UAV 9 is used, which has the advantages of being simple and convenient.

[0132] This disclosure provides a hangar 20, which includes a parking apron 1 and the aforementioned protective device, wherein a protective base 41 of the protective device is movably mounted on the parking apron 1.

[0133] Since the protective device in the hangar does not require the protective base 41 to be disassembled and reassembled every time the drone 9 is used, the hangar is relatively simple and convenient to use.

[0134] Referring to FIG17, some embodiments of the present disclosure provide an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system 40, which includes a UAV 9 and the aforementioned hangar 20. The UAV 9 is housed in the hangar, and the hangar's protective device can protect the protected components 91 of the UAV 9.

[0135] In some embodiments of the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system 40 disclosed herein, a hangar is connected to a protection device. The UAV 9 can be placed in the hangar, and the protection device can protect the components 91 of the UAV 9 to be protected, so as to avoid damage to the components 91.

[0136] In some embodiments, the component 91 to be protected is the gimbal of the drone 9. The gimbal typically includes an electrically adjustable bracket and a working component, which may be a camera or other detection device. The electrically adjustable bracket is in a free state when power is off, causing the working component to also be in a free state; therefore, the working component is protected and secured by a protective device.

[0137] Referring to FIG18, some embodiments of this disclosure also provide a vehicle 60, which includes the hangar 20 described above.

[0138] In some embodiments of this disclosure, the drone's hangar can provide a safe storage and maintenance space for the drone 9. The vehicle body equipped with the aforementioned hangar allows the vehicle to carry the drone 9, meeting the user's carrying needs for the drone 9; moreover, when the drone 9 takes off and lands, the protective seat 41 can automatically connect and disconnect from the component 91 to be protected, thus protecting and releasing the component 91, enhancing user satisfaction with the vehicle.

[0139] It should be noted that the protective devices, hangars, protective systems and vehicles can be referenced to each other. The vehicles have the same or similar beneficial effects as any of the aforementioned protective devices, hangars and protective systems. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0140] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0141] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a related manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0142] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this disclosure and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A hangar protection device (10) configured to protect a component (91) of a drone (9), wherein the hangar includes a parking apron (1), the protection device (10) comprising: A protective seat (41) is adapted to be movably disposed on the apron (1) to switch between a first state and a second state; in the first state, the protective seat (41) is adapted to protect the component to be protected (91); in the second state, the protective seat (41) is adapted to release the component to be protected (91).

2. The protection device (10) according to claim 1, wherein, The protective seat (41) is adapted to move relative to the helipad (1) as it rises and falls with the helipad (1) to switch between the first state and the second state.

3. The protective device (10) according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a drive member (43) and a guide member (42), wherein the protective seat (41) is adapted to switch between the first state and the second state under the action of the drive member (43) and the guide member (42).

4. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3 further includes a drive member (43) and a guide member (42), the drive member (43) being adapted to be disposed between the helipad (1) and the protective seat (41) to drive the protective seat (41) to move away from the helipad (1); The guide (42) includes a first part (421) and a second part (422); The first part (421) is adapted to guide the protective seat (41) so that the protective seat (41) maintains the first state; The second part (422) is adapted to guide the protective seat (41) so that the protective seat (41) maintains the second state.

5. The protective device (10) according to claim 4 further includes a mounting base (44) adapted to be installed on the helipad (1); The protective base (41) is slidably disposed on the mounting base (44); The drive unit (43) is disposed between the mounting base (44) and the protective base (41).

6. The protection device (10) according to claim 5, wherein, The mounting base (44) is connected to or integrally formed with the parking apron (1).

7. The protective device (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein, The drive element (43) is an elastic element, which is disposed between the mounting base (44) and the protective base (41). The elastic element applies an elastic force to the protective base (41) to move the protective base (41) away from the parking apron (1).

8. The protection device (10) according to claim 7, wherein, The elastic element is a tension spring.

9. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein, The second part (422) is located above the first part (421) and the two are connected; In the first state, the first part (421) is in contact with the protective seat (41); In the second state, the second part (422) contacts and engages with the protective seat (41).

10. The protection device (10) according to claim 9, wherein, The first part (421) has a vertical surface, and the second part (422) has an inclined surface. One end of the inclined surface is connected to the vertical surface, and the other end of the inclined surface extends away from the helipad (1).

11. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein, The helipad (1) includes a first sub-helipad (11) and at least one second sub-helipad (12); along the lifting direction perpendicular to the lifting mechanism (2), the at least one second sub-helipad (12) is located on both sides of the first sub-helipad (11), and the at least one second sub-helipad (12) can be telescopically moved relative to the first sub-helipad (11); the protective seat (41) is slidably disposed on the second sub-helipad (12).

12. The protection device (10) according to claim 5, wherein, The mounting base (44) also includes a guide mechanism; The protective seat (41) is slidably connected to the guide mechanism, and the guide mechanism guides the sliding of the protective seat (41).

13. The protection device (10) according to claim 12, wherein, The guiding mechanism includes at least one of a guide shaft (45) or a guide rail.

14. The protective device (10) according to claim 9 further includes a rotating member (46) rotatably connected to the protective seat (41), the rotating member (46) being adapted to roll on the first part (421) and the second part (422), and the protective seat (41) engaging with the first part (421) and the second part (422) through the rotating member (46).

15. The protective device (10) according to claim 14, wherein, The rotating component (46) is a shaft or a bearing.

16. The protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 15, wherein, The protective base (41) includes a protective base housing (411) and a flexible member (412). The protective base housing (411) is provided with a fixing groove (418) suitable for covering the component (91) to be protected. The flexible member (412) is disposed in the fixing groove (418) and at least partially covers the groove wall of the fixing groove (418).

17. The protective device (10) according to claim 16, wherein, The side wall of the fixing groove (418) is provided with a recess (423) that is adapted to the connecting arm (92) of the component to be protected (91), and the recess (423) is configured to fix the connecting arm (92) of the component to be protected.

18. The protective device (10) according to claim 16 or 17, wherein, The wall of the fixing groove (418) is provided with a first limiting part; The flexible component (412) is provided with a second limiting part, and the first limiting part and the second limiting part are inserted into each other.

19. The protective device (10) according to claim 18, wherein, The first limiting portion and the second limiting portion satisfy at least one of the following: The first limiting part is a first limiting protrusion (413), and the second limiting part is an embedding groove (415); or, The first limiting part is a limiting hole (414), and the second limiting part is a second limiting protrusion (420).

20. A protection method for protecting a component (91) of a drone (9), wherein, The protection method includes: Obtain the landing signal of the UAV (9); The control protection seat (41) is switched to a first state, in which the protection seat (41) is adapted to protect the component to be protected (91); and The protected component (91) of the control drone (9) is de-energized.

21. The protection method according to claim 20, wherein, The control protection seat (41) switches to the first state, including: The control hangar's parking apron (1) descends, and the protective seat (41) moves relative to the parking apron (1) as it descends to switch from a second state to a first state. In the second state, the protective seat (41) is adapted to release the component to be protected (91).

22. The protection method according to claim 20 or 21, wherein, After acquiring the landing signal of the UAV (9) and before the control protection seat (41) switches to the first state, the method further includes, The centering mechanism of the control hangar centers the UAV (9).

23. A protection system (30), comprising: The landing signal acquisition module (301) is configured to acquire the landing signal of the UAV (9); The protection device (10) is configured to control the protection base (41) to switch to the first state; as well as The protected component control module (303) is configured to control the power-off of the protected component (91) of the UAV (9).

24. A hangar (20) comprising a parking apron (1) and a protective device (10) according to any one of claims 1-19, wherein a protective base (41) of the protective device (10) is movably disposed on the parking apron (1).

25. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system (40) comprising a UAV (9) and a hangar according to claim 24, wherein the UAV (9) is located within the hangar.

26. The unmanned aerial vehicle system according to claim 25, wherein, The component to be protected (91) is the gimbal of the UAV (9).

27. A vehicle (60) comprising a hangar (20) according to claim 24.

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