Liquid storage device and aircraft

Abstract

A liquid storage device and an aircraft, relating to the technical field of agricultural equipment. The liquid storage device comprises a liquid storage tank, an air pressure sensor, and an air chamber seat. The liquid storage tank is arranged on an airframe; the air pressure sensor is used for detecting the liquid level of a liquid in the liquid storage tank; and the air chamber seat is arranged in the liquid storage tank and is in communication with the air pressure sensor by means of an air pipe, the air chamber seat is provided with an opening and an air cavity that are in communication with each other, the air chamber seat is in communication with an air cavity in the liquid storage tank by means of the opening, and the opening is oriented perpendicular to the traveling direction of the airframe. By arranging the opening of the air chamber seat to be perpendicular to the traveling direction of the airframe, the opening of the air chamber seat faces the left-right direction of the airframe regardless of whether the airframe is tilted forward or backward during traveling, such that the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor is closer to the actual liquid level.

Description

Liquid storage device and aircraft

[0001] The present application claims priority to the following Chinese patent applications:

[0002] 1. Chinese patent application No. 202411386012.2, filed on September 30, 2024, with the Chinese Patent Office, and entitled "Liquid storage device and aircraft";

[0003] 2. Chinese patent application No. 202422410033.5, filed on September 30, 2024, with the Chinese Patent Office, and entitled "Liquid storage device and aircraft";

[0004] The entire contents of the above patent applications are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0005] The present application relates to the technical field of agricultural equipment, and in particular, to a liquid storage device and an aircraft. BACKGROUND

[0006] With the continuous development and application of unmanned aerial vehicles, they have gradually developed into one of the key means for crop pest control. As an important tool for modern agriculture, unmanned aerial vehicles have great potential in reducing pesticide waste and precise pesticide application. By being equipped with a precise pesticide spraying system, unmanned aerial vehicles can effectively overcome the limitations of traditional ground spraying equipment, such as low efficiency and inconvenience in operation.

[0007] However, during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the aircraft often assumes a forward and backward inclined posture, which causes the liquid level in the tank to change, resulting in a large deviation between the actual liquid level and the actual liquid level, and thus the amount of pesticide in the tank cannot be accurately detected. In addition, in the traditional agricultural operation mode, the overuse or unreasonable use of pesticides not only pollutes the environment, but also has a negative impact on the crops themselves and the surrounding ecosystem, as the amount of pesticide cannot be accurately detected during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle. SUMMARY

[0008] The present application provides a liquid storage device and an aircraft, which can more accurately detect the amount of pesticide in the liquid storage tank, while meeting the requirements of green technology and having a significant environmental protection effect.

[0009] Embodiments of the present application can be implemented as follows:

[0010] In a first aspect, the present application provides a liquid storage device, comprising:

[0011] a liquid storage tank, the liquid storage tank being arranged on the machine body;

[0012] an air pressure sensor for detecting the liquid level of the liquid in the liquid storage tank;

[0013] an air chamber seat arranged in the liquid storage tank, the air chamber seat being in communication with the air pressure sensor through an air pipe, the air chamber seat being provided with a communicating opening and an air cavity, the air chamber seat being in communication with the air cavity in the liquid storage tank through the opening, wherein the opening is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the machine body.

[0014] In the above embodiment, by arranging the opening of the air chamber seat to be perpendicular to the traveling direction of the machine body, the opening of the air chamber seat is directed to the left and right directions of the machine body regardless of the forward or backward inclination of the machine body during traveling, so that the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor is closer to the true liquid level, the liquid level detection is more accurate compared with the existing liquid storage device, the difficulty of compensation calculation by the calculation software is smaller, and the output liquid level is closer to the true liquid amount.

[0015] In an optional embodiment, the air chamber seat is arranged at the bottom wall of the liquid storage tank.

[0016] In an optional embodiment, the air chamber seat is arranged at the center of the bottom wall of the liquid storage tank.

[0017] In an optional embodiment, the liquid storage tank comprises a side wall and a bottom wall, the bottom wall comprises a mounting portion and a connecting portion, the outer edge of the connecting portion is connected with the side wall, the inner edge of the connecting portion at the center is connected with the mounting portion, the connecting portion is arranged to be inclined downward from the outer edge to the inner edge, and the air chamber seat is arranged at the mounting portion.

[0018] In an optional embodiment, the front-rear direction of the liquid storage tank is parallel to the traveling direction of the machine body, and the liquid storage tank is symmetrically arranged about a plane perpendicular to the front-rear direction and passing through the center of the liquid storage tank.

[0019] In an optional embodiment, the number of the openings is two, and the two openings are arranged at two sides of the air chamber seat perpendicular to the traveling direction of the machine body.

[0020] In an optional embodiment, the opening is located at the bottom of the side of the air chamber seat.

[0021] In an optional embodiment, the opening extends from the bottom of the side of the air chamber seat in a vertically upward direction.

[0022] In an optional embodiment, the width of the opening is 4mm-8mm.

[0023] In an optional embodiment, the air chamber base is further provided with a connecting head, the air cavity is in communication with the connecting head, one end of the air pipe is connected with the air pressure sensor, and the other end of the air pipe is connected with the connecting head.

[0024] In an optional embodiment, the cross section of the air cavity is larger than the inner diameter of the air pipe.

[0025] In an optional embodiment, the liquid storage device further comprises a mounting rack for connecting with the machine body, and the liquid storage tank is arranged on the mounting rack.

[0026] In a second aspect, the present application provides an aircraft comprising a machine body and a liquid storage device according to any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the machine body is connected with the liquid storage device.

[0027] The liquid storage device and the aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application have the following beneficial effects: by arranging the opening of the air chamber base to be perpendicular to the advancing direction of the machine body, the opening of the air chamber base can be made to face the left and right directions of the machine body regardless of whether the machine body is in a forward or backward inclined posture during advancing, so that the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor is closer to the true liquid level, the liquid level detection is more accurate compared with the existing liquid storage device, the difficulty of compensation calculation by the calculation software is smaller, and the output liquid level is closer to the true amount of pesticide. At the same time, the present application has significant advantages in green development and environmental protection, and meets the requirements of green technology. Specifically, by accurately detecting the amount of pesticide, overuse and waste of pesticide can be avoided, pollution of soil and water by pesticide can be reduced, negative impact on the environment can be reduced, utilization rate of pesticide can be improved, green spraying operation can be realized, and sustainable development of agriculture can be promoted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0028] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings needed to be used in the embodiments. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present application, and therefore should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can also be obtained without creative labor.

[0029] Fig. 1 is a schematic view of the existing liquid storage device provided by the embodiments of the present application in an inclined posture.

[0030] Fig. 2 is a schematic view of the liquid storage device of the aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application in a forward and backward inclined posture.

[0031] Fig. 3 is a schematic view of the liquid storage device of the aircraft provided by the embodiments of the present application in a horizontal posture.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the structure of the liquid storage device provided by the embodiments of the present application.

[0033] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of a liquid storage tank structure according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0034] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a gas chamber seat structure according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0035] Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a gas chamber seat structure according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] In order to make the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely below with reference to the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some but not all of the embodiments of the present application. The components of the embodiments of the present application described and shown in the drawings herein can be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0037] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present application provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but only represents selected embodiments of the application. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative work fall within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0038] It should be noted that: similar reference numerals and letters represent similar items in the following drawings, therefore, once an item is defined in one drawing, it does not need to be further defined and explained in the subsequent drawings.

[0039] In the description of the present application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer" and the like indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship when the product of the present application is usually placed, which is only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the indicated device or element must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, therefore, it cannot be understood as a limitation on the present application.

[0040] In addition, if the terms "first", "second" and the like appear, they are only used to distinguish the description, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0041] It should be noted that the features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0042] With the continuous development and application of unmanned aerial vehicle technology, it gradually develops into one of the key means of crop pest control. As an important tool of modern agriculture, unmanned aerial vehicle has great potential in reducing pesticide waste and precise pesticide application. By equipping with precise pesticide spraying system, unmanned aerial vehicle can effectively overcome the limitations of traditional ground spraying equipment such as low efficiency and inconvenient operation.

[0043] However, during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the aircraft often assumes a forward and backward inclined posture, which causes the liquid level in the box to change, resulting in a large deviation between the actual liquid level and the detected liquid level, so that the amount of pesticide in the box cannot be accurately detected. In addition, in the traditional agricultural operation mode, the overuse or unreasonable use of pesticides not only pollutes the environment, but also has a negative impact on the crops themselves and the surrounding ecosystem due to the inability to accurately detect the amount of pesticide during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

[0044] In detail, as shown in FIG. 1, the opening 410 of the existing air chamber structure is usually directed to the front and rear direction of the aircraft (as shown in FIG. 1, direction A), and due to the forward and backward inclination of the aircraft during flight, the liquid levels of the two openings 410 of the air chamber seat 400 are different, and the liquid level detected by the barometer (as shown by H1 in FIG. 1) is the liquid level of the opening 410 closer to the liquid surface, resulting in a large error between the actual liquid level (as shown by H in FIG. 1) and the detected liquid level.

[0045] Based on the above problems, the embodiment of the present application provides a kind of aircraft for solving above problems, it can be applicable to unmanned aerial vehicle field, especially applicable to agricultural equipment field, can be carried out by the aircraft to scatter material, convenient and efficient, significantly improve work efficiency.

[0046] In detail, the aircraft includes a body and a liquid storage device 10, and the body is connected to the liquid storage device 10. The liquid storage device 10 can be used to load liquid materials such as drugs, and the body drives the liquid storage device 10 to fly and complete the scattering operation during flight through the liquid storage device 10, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of agricultural work.

[0047] Optionally, the body can be a rotary-wing unmanned aerial vehicle, specifically a quadcopter. Of course, it can also be a single-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, a double-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, a six-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, an eight-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle, etc. The flight body can automatically operate according to the preset path, flight speed, attitude, etc., or be manually controlled by an operator.

[0048] Please continue to refer to FIGS. 2 to 6, wherein FIG. 2 shows the aircraft in a horizontal flight attitude, and FIG. 3 shows the aircraft in a forward and backward inclined flight attitude.

[0049] In detail, the liquid storage device 10 comprises a liquid storage tank 200, an air pressure sensor 300 and an air chamber seat 400.

[0050] The liquid storage tank 200 is arranged on the machine body, which can be the flight vehicle as mentioned above, or a vehicle running on land or water in other embodiments of the present application, which is not limited here.

[0051] The air pressure sensor 300 is used to detect the liquid level in the liquid storage tank 200, and the air chamber seat 400 is arranged in the liquid storage tank 200 and communicates with the air pressure sensor 300 through the air pipe 500. The air chamber seat 400 is provided with a communicating opening 410 and an air cavity 420, and the air chamber seat 400 communicates with the air cavity 420 in the liquid storage tank 200 through the opening 410, wherein the opening 410 is perpendicular to the running direction of the machine body.

[0052] In this embodiment, by arranging the opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 to be perpendicular to the running direction of the machine body, no matter whether the machine body is in a forward or backward inclined posture during running, the opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is oriented to the left and right directions of the machine body, so that the opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is less affected by the inclined posture of the machine body, so that the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor 300 is closer to the true liquid level. Compared with the existing liquid storage device 10, the liquid level detection is more accurate, and the difficulty of compensation calculation by the calculation software is smaller, and the output liquid level is closer to the true liquid amount.

[0053] At the same time, the present application has obvious advantages in green development and environmental protection effect, which meets the requirements of green technology. Specifically, by accurately detecting the amount of pesticide, the overuse and waste of pesticide can be avoided, the pollution of pesticide to soil and water source is reduced, the negative impact on the environment is reduced, the utilization rate of pesticide is improved, the green spraying operation is realized, and the sustainable development of agriculture is promoted.

[0054] However, in practical application, it is found that the size of the opening 410 also affects the detected liquid level deviation. As shown in FIG. 3, when the opening 410 is arranged on the left and right sides of the air chamber seat 400 relative to the forward and backward directions of the body, the detected liquid level (H1 in FIG. 3) is the vertical distance from the liquid surface, i.e., the shortest distance between the highest point of the opening 410 and the liquid surface (H1 in FIG. 3) when the body is in a forward or backward inclined posture. Although the detection deviation can be reduced to a certain extent by shortening the distance between the front and rear openings, the volume of the air cavity 420 of the air chamber seat 400 is also reduced. However, the volume of the air cavity 420 of the air chamber seat 400 has certain requirements and cannot be greatly shortened, otherwise the air pressure detection function cannot be realized. Therefore, by arranging the opening 410 on the left and right sides of the air chamber seat 400 relative to the forward and backward directions of the body, the liquid level detection deviation is reduced compared with the existing air chamber seat 400, and in this case, the detection deviation depends on the size of the opening 410. Therefore, the liquid storage device 10 can also reduce the liquid level deviation by reducing the size of the opening 410.

[0055] However, although the smaller the opening 410, the smaller the deviation, if the opening 410 is too small, the drug liquid has a certain viscosity, and the surface tension of the liquid will form a mucous membrane at the opening 410, thereby affecting the air pressure reading. Therefore, the width of the opening 410 is set to 4-8 mm, so that the detection liquid level error is small, and the drug liquid does not form a mucous membrane at the opening 410.

[0056] Further, the air chamber seat 400 is arranged on the bottom wall 220 of the liquid storage tank 200.

[0057] In this embodiment, by arranging the air chamber seat 400 on the bottom wall 220 of the liquid storage tank 200, the position of the opening 410 can more accurately detect the liquid level of the drug liquid.

[0058] Further, the air chamber seat 400 is arranged at the center of the bottom wall 220 of the liquid storage tank 200.

[0059] In this embodiment, since the existing air chamber seat 400 is arranged at one end of the tank body close to the head, when the aircraft flies forward or backward, the liquid level is inclined, which can cause inaccurate detection of the liquid level, and the calculation software needs to perform more compensation calculations, and it is easy to read inaccurately. Therefore, by arranging the air chamber seat 400 at the center of the bottom wall 220 of the liquid storage tank 200, the influence of the liquid level inclination when the aircraft flies forward or backward is reduced, so that the air pressure of the air chamber seat 400 is close to the average value even when the aircraft is in an inclined posture, thereby detecting the amount of drug liquid that is closer to the true liquid level by the air pressure sensor 300.

[0060] Further, the liquid storage tank 200 comprises a side wall 210 and a bottom wall 220, the bottom wall 220 comprises a mounting portion 221 and a connecting portion 222, the outer edge of the connecting portion 222 is connected with the side wall 210, the inner edge of the connecting portion 222 is connected with the mounting portion 221, and the connecting portion 222 is arranged in a downwardly inclined manner from the outer edge to the inner edge, and the air chamber seat 400 is arranged on the mounting portion 221.

[0061] In other words, the mounting portion 221 is arranged at the lowest position of the liquid storage tank 200, so that the air chamber seat 400 is arranged at the lowest position in the liquid storage tank 200. Therefore, even when only a small amount of liquid is loaded in the liquid storage tank 200, the air chamber seat 400 can be ensured to be arranged at the lowest liquid level of the liquid storage tank 200, so that the corresponding liquid level can be detected, thereby improving the liquid level detection range of the liquid storage device 10.

[0062] Further, the front-rear direction of the liquid storage tank 200 is parallel to the running direction of the aircraft, and the liquid storage tank 200 is symmetrically arranged about a plane (as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 5) which is perpendicular to the front-rear direction and passes through the center of the liquid storage tank 200.

[0063] In the embodiment, by designing the liquid storage tank 200 as a left-right symmetric structure (as shown in the plane in FIG. 5) and arranging the air chamber seat 400 at the center of the bottom wall 220 of the liquid storage tank 200 which is at the lowest liquid level, even when only a small amount of liquid is loaded in the liquid storage tank 200, the corresponding liquid level can be detected by the air chamber seat 400 and the air pressure sensor 300, thereby improving the liquid level detection range of the liquid storage device 10.

[0064] Further, the number of the openings 410 is two, and the two openings 410 are arranged on the two side portions of the air chamber seat 400 which are perpendicular to the running direction of the aircraft.

[0065] In the embodiment, since the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor 300 is the liquid level closest to the vertical distance from the water surface, by arranging the openings 410 at the bottom of the side portions of the air chamber seat 400, the liquid level detection range of the liquid storage device 10 can be further improved.

[0066] In detail, the opening 410 extends from the bottom of the side portion of the air chamber seat 400 in a vertically upward direction.

[0067] In the embodiment, when the aircraft is in a horizontal attitude, the opening 410 extends upward from the bottom of the air chamber seat 400 in a vertical direction.

[0068] Further, the liquid storage device 10 further comprises an air pipe 500, the air chamber seat 400 further comprises a connecting head 430, the connecting head 430 is in communication with the air cavity 420, one end of the air pipe 500 is connected with the air pressure sensor 300, and the other end of the air pipe 500 is connected with the connecting head 430.

[0069] In the embodiment, the cross-sectional dimension of the air cavity 420 is larger than the inner diameter of the air pipe 500, so as to reduce the influence of water-soluble gas, temperature change, air pipe 500 leakage and the like, and the design can also reduce the influence of the vibration of the liquid storage tank 200. The connecting head 430 in the shape of a pagoda is arranged on the top of the air chamber seat 400, and is used for plugging with the air pipe 500, so as to realize that the air pressure sensor 300 can detect the air pressure of the air cavity 420 of the air chamber seat 400 through the air pipe 500.

[0070] When the liquid storage tank 200 is in the full liquid state, the air cavity 420 provides a relatively large space to accommodate more gas. Even if the gas is dissolved in water, the liquid level is fluctuated, the gas is leaked in a small amount, the temperature is changed and the like, the air cavity 420 is arranged, and the above-mentioned conditions will not cause too much fluctuation of the air pressure, so as to play a role of stabilizing the air pressure and filtering out the interference.

[0071] Optionally, the cross section of the air cavity 420 can be circular or square, as long as the cross-sectional area is larger than the inner diameter of the air pipe 500, and the structure of the air cavity 420 is not limited here.

[0072] Further, the liquid storage device 10 further comprises a mounting frame 100, the mounting frame 100 is used for connecting with the machine body, and the liquid storage tank 200 is arranged on the mounting frame 100.

[0073] In the embodiment, the air pressure sensor 300 can be arranged on the mounting frame 100, or can be directly arranged on the liquid storage tank 200, and the specific arrangement is not limited here.

[0074] In summary, the embodiment of the present application provides a liquid storage device 10 and an aircraft. The opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is arranged perpendicular to the advancing direction of the machine body, so that the opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is directed to the left and right directions of the machine body, regardless of the forward or backward inclination of the machine body during the advancing process. Therefore, the opening 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is not affected by the inclination of the machine body, that is, the liquid level of the two openings 410 of the air chamber seat 400 is the same, regardless of the forward or backward inclination of the machine body. Therefore, the liquid level detected by the air pressure sensor 300 is closer to the real liquid level. Compared with the existing liquid storage device 10, the liquid level detection is more accurate, the difficulty of compensation calculation by the calculation software is smaller, and the output liquid level is closer to the real liquid amount.

[0075] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited to this. Any skilled person in the art can easily think of changes or replacements within the technical range disclosed by the present application, which should be covered within the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be subject to the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A liquid storage device, characterized by, include: A liquid storage tank (200) is disposed on the machine body; A pressure sensor (300) is used to detect the liquid level in the storage tank (200); An air chamber seat (400) is disposed inside the liquid storage tank (200). The air chamber seat (400) is connected to the air pressure sensor (300) through an air pipe (500). The air chamber seat (400) is provided with a communicating opening (410) and an air chamber (420). The air chamber seat (400) is connected to the air chamber (420) inside the liquid storage tank (200) through the opening (410). The orientation of the opening (410) is perpendicular to the direction of travel of the machine body.

2. The liquid storage device of claim 1, wherein, The gas chamber seat (400) is disposed on the bottom wall (220) of the liquid storage tank (200).

3. The liquid storage device of claim 2, wherein, The gas chamber seat (400) is located at the center of the bottom wall (220) of the liquid storage tank (200).

4. The liquid storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The liquid storage tank (200) includes a side wall (210) and a bottom wall (220). The bottom wall (220) includes a mounting part (221) and a connecting part (222). The outer edge of the connecting part (222) is connected to the side wall (210). The inner edge of the connecting part (222) located at the center is connected to the mounting part (221). The connecting part (222) is inclined downward from the outer edge toward the inner edge. The air chamber seat (400) is disposed on the mounting part (221).

5. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-4, wherein, The front-to-back direction of the liquid storage tank (200) is parallel to the travel direction of the machine body, and the liquid storage tank (200) is symmetrically arranged about a plane that is perpendicular to the front-to-back direction and passes through the center of the liquid storage tank (200).

6. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-5, wherein, The number of openings (410) is two, and the two openings (410) are respectively located on two sides of the air chamber seat (400) that are perpendicular to the direction of travel of the machine body.

7. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-6, wherein, The opening (410) is located at the bottom of the side of the air chamber seat (400).

8. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-7, wherein, The opening (410) extends vertically upward from the bottom of the side of the air chamber seat (400).

9. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-8, wherein, The width of the opening (410) is 4mm to 8mm.

10. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-9, wherein, The air chamber seat (400) is also provided with a connector (430), which is connected to the air chamber (420). One end of the air tube (500) is connected to the air pressure sensor (300), and the other end is connected to the connector (430).

11. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-10, wherein, The cross-section of the air cavity (420) is larger than the inner diameter of the air tube (500).

12. The liquid storage device of any one of claims 1-11, wherein, The liquid storage device also includes a mounting bracket (100) for connecting to the machine body, and the liquid storage tank (200) is disposed on the mounting bracket (100).

13. An aircraft characterized by, It includes a body and a liquid storage device as described in any one of claims 1-12, wherein the body is connected to the liquid storage device.

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