Unmanned aerial vehicle carrier for airborne robot delivery

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle carrier for airborne robot delivery, comprising a fixed mounting plate (1). Unmanned aerial vehicle mounting frames (2) are connected to the upper end of the fixed mounting plate (1); a stepping assembly is movably connected to the lower end of the fixed mounting plate (1); a claw assembly (5) is transmittingly connected to the lower end of the stepping assembly by means of a linkage assembly (4); and a damping assembly (6) is mounted between the fixed mounting plate (1) and the linkage assembly (4).

Description

A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery

[0001] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202510327266.5, filed with the Chinese Patent Office on March 19, 2025, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0002] This application belongs to the field of drone mounting technology, and for example relates to a drone carrier for airborne robot delivery. Background Technology

[0003] Based on existing technologies and products on the market, the main problem with heavy-load drone lifting systems is that before the drone can lift the equipment, someone must first attach the equipment to the drone's U-hook before takeoff and mission execution. This not only wastes time but also increases labor costs. Furthermore, during flight transport after the equipment is lifted, the U-hook surface of the lifting device is relatively smooth, and the lifting rope swings significantly. When the drone performs turns or starts, the swing of the lifted equipment is too large, requiring the drone to pause and wait for the lifting equipment to stabilize before resuming operation. This places extremely high demands on the operator's skills, affects the drone's flight safety, and reduces its flight endurance. The connection method between the heavy-load drone and the lifted item, as well as the inertial reaction force generated during transport after the lifted item is suspended in the air, which causes instability in the drone's attitude, are urgent problems that need to be solved, and there is currently no corresponding specialized equipment that meets these requirements.

[0004] To address the shortcomings of related technologies, people have conducted long-term explorations and proposed various solutions. For example, Chinese patent literature discloses an unmanned semi-flexible connection mounting and release device [202211673881.4], which has a mounting connecting plate at the bottom. The bottom of the mounting connecting plate is connected to a multi-section semi-flexible suspension device. The multi-section semi-flexible suspension device consists of upper and lower rigid connecting mechanisms and a middle semi-flexible connecting mechanism. A remote-controlled electronic lock is installed at the bottom of the lower rigid connecting mechanism, and a hook is provided on the top of the mounted object to cooperate with the remote-controlled electronic lock.

[0005] The above solution has solved the problem of rapid connection and release of the mounting structure to a certain extent, but it still has many shortcomings, such as the instability of motion due to inertia. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application provides a well-designed unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier with good motion stability for airborne robot delivery.

[0007] This application provides an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier for airborne robot delivery, including a fixed mounting plate, a UAV connecting frame, a stepping component, a linkage component, a claw component, and a damping component. The upper end of the fixed mounting plate is connected to the UAV connecting frame, the lower end of the fixed mounting plate is movably connected to the stepping component, the lower end of the stepping component is drivenly connected to the claw component through the linkage component, and the damping component is installed between the fixed mounting plate and the linkage component.

[0008] In one embodiment, the stepper assembly includes a gearbox and a reversing assembly. The reversing assembly is disposed in the gearbox, and a motor mounting plate is connected to the gearbox. A stepper motor is fixed on the motor mounting plate, and the stepper motor is connected to the reversing assembly via a synchronous pulley.

[0009] In one embodiment, the gearbox body includes an upper cover plate, a lower cover plate, and a spherical bearing, wherein the upper end of the upper cover plate is movably connected to the fixed mounting plate via the spherical bearing.

[0010] In one embodiment, the reversing assembly includes a rotating worm, a rotating worm wheel, and a transmission rod coupling. The rotating worm is driven by the synchronous belt pulley, the rotating worm is driven by the transmission rod coupling through the rotating worm wheel, and the transmission rod coupling is driven by the linkage assembly.

[0011] In one embodiment, the linkage assembly includes a linkage cylinder and a hollow transmission link. The hollow transmission link is rotatably mounted inside the linkage cylinder, the linkage cylinder is connected to the lower end of the gearbox, and the hollow transmission link is drively connected to the hook assembly.

[0012] In one embodiment, the hook assembly includes a protective shell, a turntable coupling, a hook upper cover, a hook bottom cover, a telescopic hook, and a gear and rack assembly. The protective shell is fixedly installed at the lower end of the linkage cylinder. The turntable coupling is movably installed inside the protective shell and connected to the hollow transmission connecting rod. The hook upper cover is installed at the upper end of the turntable coupling, and the hook bottom cover is installed at the lower end of the turntable coupling. The telescopic hook is movably installed between the hook upper cover and the hook bottom cover and is centrally symmetrically arranged and can extend and retract relative to the protective shell. The gear and rack assembly is installed between the telescopic hook and the turntable coupling and drives the telescopic hook to extend and retract synchronously.

[0013] In one embodiment, the hook assembly further includes a position sensor, a data transmission line, and a control system. The position sensor is installed between the telescopic hook and the turntable coupling. The data transmission line is connected to the position sensor and passes through the hollow transmission link, extending upwards. The control system is mounted on the fixed mounting plate and connected to the data transmission line and the stepper motor. The control system communicates with the UAV via a wireless communication link.

[0014] In one embodiment, the damping assembly includes a plurality of extending protrusions, a movable seat, a damping rod, and a fixed seat. The extending protrusions extend outward relative to the fixed mounting plate. The movable seats are circumferentially rotatable and are respectively mounted on the lower ends of the extending protrusions. The damping rods are oscillating and rotatably connected to the lower ends of the movable seats. The fixed seats are slidable up and down and are movably mounted on the outside of the linkage assembly. The lower ends of the damping rods are oscillatingly connected to the fixed seats.

[0015] In one embodiment, the drone connection frame is fixedly connected to the fixed mounting plate via a threaded component, and the drone connection frame is arranged symmetrically relative to the fixed mounting plate.

[0016] In one embodiment, the fixed mounting plate and the UAV connecting frame have hollowed-out slots, and a reinforcing beam is installed at the lower end of the fixed mounting plate. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of this application;

[0018] Figure 2 is a structural schematic diagram of this application from another perspective;

[0019] Figure 3 is a structural schematic diagram of this application from another perspective;

[0020] Figure 4 is a structural cross-sectional view of this application;

[0021] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the hook assembly of this application;

[0022] Figure 6 is another structural schematic diagram of the hook assembly of this application;

[0023] In the diagram, the components are: fixed mounting plate 1, hollow slot 11, reinforcing beam 12, UAV connecting frame 2, motor mounting plate 31, stepper motor 32, synchronous pulley 33, linkage assembly 4, linkage cylinder 41, hollow transmission connecting rod 42, hook assembly 5, protective shell 51, turntable coupling 52, hook upper cover 53, hook bottom cover 54, telescopic hook 55, gear and rack assembly 56, position sensor 57, data transmission line 58, control system 59, damping assembly 6, extension protrusion 61, movable seat 62, damping rod 63, fixed seat 64, gearbox 7, upper cover plate 71, lower cover plate 72, spherical bearing 73, reversing assembly 8, rotating worm gear 81, rotating worm wheel 82, and transmission rod coupling 83. Detailed Implementation

[0024] The present application will now be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1-6, a drone carrier for airborne robot delivery aims to address the problem of reaction forces generated by the hoisted equipment when the drone performs forward, backward, or turning movements in heavy-duty drone transport equipment, thus affecting the drone's attitude stability and increasing energy consumption during flight. The drone carrier for airborne robot delivery includes a fixed mounting plate 1, with a drone connecting frame 2 connected to its upper end. A stepping component is movably connected to the lower end of the fixed mounting plate 1. The lower end of the stepping component is connected to a hook assembly 5 via a linkage assembly 4. A damping assembly 6 is installed between the fixed mounting plate 1 and the linkage assembly 4. The traditional U-shaped hook, which required manual attachment, has been replaced with the hook assembly 5, achieving automation and intelligence while ensuring the safety of operators. Secondly, to ensure the stable operation of the equipment after being hoisted by the drone and to prevent the equipment from swinging significantly due to wind and inertial forces, thus causing drone transportation accidents, a damping assembly 6 has been added to the hoisting mechanism. According to the principle and characteristics of the damping assembly 6, when an object under force changes from an equilibrium state to a non-equilibrium state, the damping rod will intervene to convert the change of force into a damping force to slow down the change of the moving object, effectively suppressing vibration or swaying. A linkage assembly 4 distributes the force to the damping assembly 6. With their intervention, the impact of forces from multiple angles on the suspended equipment can be effectively reduced.

[0026] The stepper assembly includes a gearbox 7, to which a motor mounting plate 31 is connected. A stepper motor 32 is fixed on the motor mounting plate 31. To reduce the lateral installation size, the stepper motor 32 is connected to a reversing assembly 8 located inside the gearbox 7 via a synchronous pulley 33, which greatly saves installation space. Space is provided between the UAV connecting frames 2 for the stepper motor 32 to move.

[0027] When a drone adjusts its attitude during loading operations, the cargo may swing erratically. To address this issue, the gearbox 7 includes an upper cover plate 71 and a lower cover plate 72. The upper end of the upper cover plate 71 is movably connected to the fixed mounting plate 1 via a spherical bearing 73. To prevent deformation of parts caused by the erratic movement of the cargo, the spherical bearing 73 transforms the lifting mechanism from a rigid connecting rod to a semi-flexible state, while also reducing the risk of deformation due to excessive stress on the parts. The spherical bearing 73 has two parts: the upper part is connected to the fixed mounting plate 1, and the lower part is connected and installed to the gearbox 7.

[0028] The reversing assembly 8 includes a rotating worm 81 that is driven by a synchronous belt pulley 33. The rotating worm 81 is driven by a rotating worm wheel 82 and a transmission rod coupling 83, which is driven by a linkage assembly 4. Worm gears are suitable for compact environments. When the lead angle of the rotating worm 81 is less than the equivalent friction angle between the meshing teeth, the worm gear mechanism has self-locking properties. This characteristic is very important in some devices that require protection against reverse rotation. For the rotating worm 81 to rotate within the gearbox 7, two connecting rod bearings are added to both sides of the gearbox 7. Adding these bearings allows the rotating worm 81 to rotate easily.

[0029] The linkage assembly 4 includes a linkage cylinder 41 connected to the lower end of the gearbox 7. A hollow transmission connecting rod 42 is rotatably mounted inside the linkage cylinder 41 to ensure normal rotation without any stiffness. The hollow transmission connecting rod 42 is connected to the hook assembly 5. The upper and lower ends of the linkage cylinder 41 are fixed with six M3 screws respectively. The linkage assembly 4 provides transmission torque to the hook assembly 5 on one hand, and provides a support and limiting structure for the damping assembly 6 on the other hand.

[0030] In addition, the hook assembly 5 includes a protective shell 51 fixedly installed at the lower end of the linkage cylinder 41. The protective shell 51 is symmetrically assembled and fixed with two screws. A turntable coupling 52, connected to the hollow transmission connecting rod 42, is movably installed inside the protective shell 51. A hook upper cover 53 is installed on the upper end of the turntable coupling 52, and a hook bottom cover 54 is installed on the lower end of the turntable coupling 52. A telescopic hook 55, centrally symmetrically arranged and retractable relative to the protective shell 51, is movably installed between the hook upper cover 53 and the hook bottom cover 54. A gear and rack assembly 56, which drives the telescopic hook 55 to extend and retract synchronously, is installed between the telescopic hook 55 and the turntable coupling 52. When the hook assembly 5 rotates forward, the telescopic hook 55 opens; when the hook assembly 5 rotates in reverse, the telescopic hook 55 retracts.

[0031] Meanwhile, a position sensor 57 is installed between the telescopic claw 55 and the turntable coupling 52. The position sensor 57 is connected to a data transmission line 58, which passes through the hollow transmission link 42 and extends upward. A control system 59, connected to the data transmission line 58 and the stepper motor 32, is installed on the fixed mounting plate 1. The movement position of the telescopic claw 55 is acquired in real time by the position sensor 57, and its movement is precisely controlled through feedback adjustment. The control system 59 can interact with the UAV in real time via a wireless communication link, and can also send the UAV's flight coordinates to the cloud. The UAV will then fly to the sent coordinates and accurately perform the tasks of grasping and deploying transportation equipment.

[0032] Unlike conventional hook structures, the telescopic hook 55 in this embodiment has excellent expandability, featuring downward-facing and side-extending clamping portions that provide sufficient clamping stability. Additionally, slots on the telescopic hook 55 facilitate module expansion, further enhancing its applicability.

[0033] As can be seen, the damping component 6 includes multiple outwardly extending protrusions 61 relative to the fixed mounting plate 1. The lower ends of the protrusions 61 are respectively equipped with circumferentially rotatable movable seats 62. The lower ends of the movable seats 62 are rotatably connected to swingable damping rods 63. A fixed seat 64 that can slide up and down is movably mounted on the outer side of the linkage component 4. The lower ends of the damping rods 63 are swayingly connected to the fixed seats 64. In this embodiment, four damping rods 63 are used. The upper end of each damping rod 63 is installed to the movable seat 62 via a pin and a snap ring, and the lower end of the damping rod 63 is installed on the fixed seat 64, also via a pin and a snap ring. The fixed seat 64 is fixed to the linkage cylinder 41 by a clamp. When the drone is operating without cargo, each damping rod 63 is constrained by balanced forces, and the linkage cylinder 41 is in a vertical state. When cargo is present below, it sways left and right due to airflow disturbances. The four damping rods 63, experiencing different forces, begin to counteract the swaying to ensure vertical transport of the cargo.

[0034] The drone connecting frame 2 is fixedly connected to the fixed mounting plate 1 via threaded parts, and the drone connecting frame 2 is arranged symmetrically relative to the fixed mounting plate 1.

[0035] Optionally, considering the need for lightweight design of drone parts without compromising their strength, the mounting plate 1 and the drone connecting frame 2 are provided with perforated slots 11. These slots 11 provide a flow channel for air, increasing the exhaust volume and allowing air to pass through the mounting plate 1 area more quickly, reducing the obstruction of airflow on the equipment surface and effectively reducing excess wind resistance. Reinforcing ribs are added to weak points to effectively resist torsion. A reinforcing beam 12 is installed at the lower end of the mounting plate 1 to ensure that the mounting plate 1 will not affect the deformation under excessive weight of transported goods. Aviation-grade aluminum is used as the main material for this mounting mechanism.

[0036] In summary, the principle of this embodiment is as follows: the stepper assembly is movably connected to the fixed mounting plate 1 through the joint bearing 73. The stepper assembly provides driving force, and the linkage assembly 4 drives the claw assembly 5 to perform clamping action. The damping assembly 6 provides multi-directional damping buffer for the linkage assembly 4 and the fixed mounting plate 1, thereby reducing the impact on the claw assembly 5 during the movement of the UAV and improving its load stability.

[0037] Compared with related technologies, in this embodiment, the damping component provides all-round buffering for the claw component, which can absorb vibration energy in different directions, thereby reducing external interference to the lifting mechanism and ensuring the stable operation of the UAV; the stepping component drives the claw component to perform high-precision extension and retraction, meeting the needs of claw position adjustment under different working conditions, and its feedback adjustment mechanism helps to improve the intelligence and ease of operation of the lifting system; the plate and frame adopt a combination of hollow structure and reinforcing beams to achieve lightweighting of the mounting mechanism while ensuring overall load-bearing strength.

[0038] The specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative examples of the spirit of this application. Those skilled in the art to which this application pertains may make various modifications or additions to the described specific embodiments or use similar methods to substitute them, without departing from the spirit of this application or exceeding the scope defined by the appended claims.

[0039] Although this document frequently uses terms such as fixed mounting plate 1, hollow slot 11, reinforcing beam 12, UAV connecting frame 2, motor mounting plate 31, stepper motor 32, synchronous pulley 33, linkage assembly 4, linkage cylinder 41, hollow transmission connecting rod 42, hook assembly 5, protective shell 51, turntable coupling 52, hook upper cover 53, hook bottom cover 54, telescopic hook 55, gear and rack assembly 56, position sensor 57, data transmission line 58, control system 59, damping assembly 6, extension protrusion 61, movable seat 62, damping rod 63, fixed seat 64, gearbox 7, upper cover plate 71, lower cover plate 72, spherical bearing 73, reversing assembly 8, rotating worm 81, rotating worm wheel 82, and transmission rod coupling 83, the possibility of using other terms is not excluded. The use of these terms is merely for the convenience of describing and explaining the essence of this application; interpreting them as any additional limitation would be contrary to the spirit of this application.

Claims

1. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery, comprising a fixed mounting plate (1), a drone connecting frame (2), a stepping assembly, a linkage assembly (4), a grappling hook assembly (5), and a damping assembly (6), wherein, The upper end of the fixed mounting plate (1) is connected to the UAV connecting frame (2), the lower end of the fixed mounting plate (1) is movably connected to the stepping component, the lower end of the stepping component is connected to the hook component (5) through the linkage component (4), and the damping component (6) is installed between the fixed mounting plate (1) and the linkage component (4).

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 1, wherein, The stepper assembly includes a gearbox (7) and a reversing assembly (8). The reversing assembly (8) is disposed inside the gearbox (7). The gearbox (7) is connected to a motor mounting plate (31). A stepper motor (32) is fixed on the motor mounting plate (31). The stepper motor (32) is connected to the reversing assembly (8) via a synchronous pulley (33).

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 2, wherein, The gearbox body (7) includes an upper cover plate (71), a lower cover plate (72), and a spherical bearing (73). The upper end of the upper cover plate (71) is movably connected to the fixed mounting plate (1) through the spherical bearing (73).

4. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 2, wherein, The reversing assembly (8) includes a rotating worm (81), a rotating worm wheel (82), and a transmission rod coupling (83). The rotating worm (81) is connected to the synchronous pulley (33) for transmission. The rotating worm (81) is connected to the transmission rod coupling (83) through the rotating worm wheel (82). The transmission rod coupling (83) is connected to the linkage assembly (4) for transmission.

5. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 4, wherein, The linkage component (4) includes a linkage cylinder (41) and a hollow transmission link (42). The hollow transmission link (42) is rotatably installed inside the linkage cylinder (41). The linkage cylinder (41) is connected to the lower end of the gearbox body (7). The hollow transmission link (42) is connected to the hook claw assembly (5) in a transmission connection.

6. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 5, wherein, The hook assembly (5) includes a protective shell (51), a turntable coupling (52), a hook upper cover (53), a hook bottom cover (54), a telescopic hook (55), and a gear and rack assembly (56). The protective shell (51) is fixedly installed at the lower end of the linkage cylinder (41). The turntable coupling (52) is movably installed inside the protective shell (51) and connected to the hollow transmission connecting rod (42). The hook upper cover (53) is installed at the upper end of the turntable coupling (52). The hook bottom cover (54) is installed at the lower end of the turntable coupling (52). The telescopic hook (55) is movably installed between the hook upper cover (53) and the hook bottom cover (54) and is centrally symmetrically arranged and can extend and retract relative to the protective shell (51). The gear and rack assembly (56) is installed between the telescopic hook (55) and the turntable coupling (52) and drives the telescopic hook (55) to extend and retract synchronously.

7. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 5, wherein, The hook assembly (5) also includes a position sensor (57), a data transmission line (58), and a control system (59). The position sensor (57) is installed between the telescopic hook (55) and the turntable coupling (52). The data transmission line (58) is connected to the position sensor (57) and passes through the hollow transmission link (42) and extends upward. The control system (59) is installed on the fixed mounting plate (1) and is connected to the data transmission line (58) and the stepper motor (32). The control system (59) communicates with the UAV through a wireless communication link.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for airborne robot delivery according to claim 1, wherein, The damping assembly (6) includes multiple extending protrusions (61), movable seats (62), damping rods (63), and fixed seats (64). The extending protrusions (61) extend outward relative to the fixed mounting plate (1). The movable seats (62) are circumferentially rotatable and are respectively installed at the lower end of the extending protrusions (61). The damping rods (63) are swingable and rotatably connected to the lower end of the movable seats (62). The fixed seats (64) are slidable up and down and are movably installed on the outside of the linkage assembly (4). The lower end of the damping rods (63) is swingably connected to the fixed seats (64).

9. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 1, wherein, The UAV connector (2) is fixedly connected to the fixed mounting plate (1) by a threaded part, and the UAV connector (2) is symmetrically arranged relative to the fixed mounting plate (1).

10. A drone carrier for airborne robot delivery according to claim 1, wherein, The fixed mounting plate (1) and the UAV connecting frame (2) have hollowed-out grooves (11), and a reinforcing beam (12) is installed at the lower end of the fixed mounting plate (1).

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