KR102635488B1 - Foldable drone - Google Patents

Abstract

A foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drone main body that includes an accommodating space therein and has a predetermined length, a foldable arm whose ends are rotatably coupled to both front and rear sides of the drone main body, and the drone main body. It includes a link member connecting the foldable arm coupled to the front and rear on both sides, and the foldable arm connected to the link member may be able to simultaneously rotate toward the drone main body.

Description

Foldable drone {FOLDABLE DRONE}

The present invention relates to a foldable drone, and more specifically, to a foldable drone in which interference between drone arms does not occur when the arms are stored or deployed.

Quadcopter-type drones are implemented with products that can store front and rear arms to reduce volume.

A representative example is DJI's drone (ex: Mavic series), which has a method of storing drone arms by crossing each other, as in prior art 1 (KR 10-2314218). Alternatively, in the case of drones with legs, a downward folding method is used in the direction of the legs, and in the case of large radial multicopters, the drone arm is folded to one side.

Meanwhile, foldable drone technologies are premised on manual storage of the drone arm.

Therefore, a drive motor must be added to automatically store the drone arm. However, existing foldable drones do not consider interference between arms when operating. In addition, multiple motors are attached to automatically retract each arm, which greatly increases the weight of the drone and directly leads to a decrease in the drone's operating performance.

Therefore, conventional foldable drones have limitations in automation, and even if automation is implemented using motors, there are issues of aircraft damage or performance degradation due to interference.

Republic of Korea Patent Publication No. 10-1885517 (2018.07.31)

Through embodiments of the present invention, the kinematic relationship such as the length and driving angle of the front arm and the rear arm is analyzed, and the analysis results are applied to provide a foldable drone with a drone arm structure that prevents interference between arms. .

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the problem(s) mentioned above, and other problem(s) not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

A foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a drone main body that includes an accommodating space therein and has a predetermined length, a foldable arm whose ends are rotatably coupled to both front and rear sides of the drone main body, and the drone main body. It includes a link member connecting the foldable arm coupled to the front and rear on both sides, and the foldable arm connected to the link member can be simultaneously rotated toward the drone body.

In addition, the foldable arm includes a first foldable arm disposed on one front side of the drone main body, a second foldable arm disposed on one rear side of the drone main body, a third foldable arm disposed on the other front side of the drone main body, and the drone. It includes a fourth foldable arm disposed on the other rear side of the main body, wherein the link member connects the first foldable arm and the second foldable arm, and the third foldable arm and the fourth foldable arm. It may include a second link member for connecting.

In addition, one end of the first foldable arm and one end of the third foldable arm are coupled to the front of the drone main body, and the arm and the fourth foldable arm are spaced apart from one end of the second foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1. The arm positioned at a predetermined distance b2 from one end of the arm may be coupled to the rear of the drone main body.

In addition, an arm at a position spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm and one end of the second foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1 is located on the same line, and one end of the third foldable arm and one end of the fourth foldable arm are positioned at a predetermined distance b1. Arms spaced apart by a distance b2 may be located on the same line.

In addition, one end of the first link member is coupled to one end of the first foldable arm at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance a1, and the other end of the first link member is coupled to one end of the second foldable arm, and the second end of the first link member is coupled to the second foldable arm. One end of the second link member may be coupled to one end of the third foldable arm at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance a2, and the other end of the second link member may be coupled to one end of the fourth foldable arm.

Additionally, the length of the link member may be the same as the length of the drone body.

Additionally, the length of a1 may be the same as the length of b1, and the length of a2 may be the same as the length of b2.

Additionally, the length of a1, the length of b1, the length of a2, and the length of b2 may be smaller than the length of the link member.

In addition, the foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an arm spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm and the third foldable arm or one end of the second foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1 and the fourth foldable arm. It may further include a motor provided on the arm at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance b2 from one end of the arm to provide rotational force so that the foldable arm can rotate toward the drone body.

Specific details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and accompanying drawings.

According to embodiments of the present invention, a foldable drone with a drone arm structure is provided that analyzes the kinematic relationship such as the length and driving angle of the front arm and the rear arm, and applies the analysis results to prevent interference between arms. can do.

Additionally, according to embodiments of the present invention, the size of the arm when stored can be greatly reduced compared to the actual size of the drone, and the drone station for accommodating the drone can also be miniaturized.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing a state in which a propeller is installed as a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the propeller is separated as a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a diagram showing a foldable arm of a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention in a folded state.
Figures 4 and 5 are diagrams schematically showing structural parameters of a foldable arm according to kinematic analysis in an embodiment of the present invention.
6A to 6C are diagrams sequentially showing the folding operation of the foldable arm, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a diagram showing a modified example of a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a plan view showing the front of the foldable drone of Figure 7.

The advantages and/or features of the present invention and methods for achieving them will become clear by referring to the embodiments described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and will be implemented in various different forms, but the present embodiments only serve to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and are within the scope of common knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains. It is provided to fully inform those who have the scope of the invention, and the present invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

FIG. 1 is a view showing a foldable drone in a state in which the propeller is mounted according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a view showing a foldable drone in a state in which the propeller is separated according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a foldable arm in a folded state as a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3, a foldable drone according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to include a drone body 100, a foldable arm 200, and a link member 300.

For reference, the propeller 20 is removable from the foldable arm described later and is a general configuration of a drone that functions to obtain propulsion for flight, so detailed description will be omitted.

The drone body 100 is located in the center of the drone and can perform the function of maintaining the overall balance of the drone.

In one embodiment, the drone body 100 is a housing that includes an accommodating space therein, and the accommodating space may be equipped with various modules such as a control module, communication module, and photography module that can be mounted on the drone.

In one embodiment, the drone body 100 may be manufactured to have a predetermined length, and the length direction may correspond to the direction in which the drone moves forward and backward.

One end of the foldable arm 200 may be rotatably coupled to both the front and rear sides of the drone main body 100.

That is, one end of the foldable arm 200 is coupled to the drone main body 100 based on the rotation axis and rotates to be inserted into the receiving space of the drone main body 100 to accommodate the drone, and the drone can be received from the drone main body 100. It can be configured to rotate so that it protrudes so that the drone can fly.

In one embodiment, the foldable arms 200 may be provided one on both sides of the front of the drone main body 100 and one on both sides of the rear of the drone main body 100, for a total of four arms.

Specifically, the foldable arm 200 includes a first foldable arm 210 disposed on the front side of the drone main body 100, a second foldable arm 220 disposed on the rear side of the drone main body 100, and the drone main body ( It may include a second foldable arm 230 disposed on the front side of the drone body 100 and a fourth foldable arm 240 disposed on the rear side of the drone main body 100.

The link member 300 can connect the foldable arms 200 coupled to the front and rear on both sides of the drone main body 100.

In other words, the link member 300 can connect two foldable arms 200 on one side and the other side of the drone main body 100, and accordingly, the link member 300 may be provided in a direction crossing the front and rear. You can.

In one embodiment, the link member 300 is a first link member 310 connecting the first foldable arm 210 and the second foldable arm 220 on one side of the drone main body 100 and the drone main body 100. It may include a second link member 320 connecting the second foldable arm 230 and the fourth foldable arm 240 on the other side.

In one embodiment, the foldable arm 200 connected to the link member 300 may be able to rotate simultaneously toward the drone main body 100. This is because the link member 300 has a structure that connects the foldable arm 200 disposed at the front and rear of the drone.

That is, when the foldable arm 200 coupled to one of the front and rear sides of the drone rotates, the foldable arm 200 coupled to the other side connected to the corresponding foldable arm 200 and the link member 300 rotates accordingly. It can be done. For reference, the coupling structure between the link member 300 and the foldable arm 200 may be a coupling structure using the hinge member 10, etc., and since this is extremely general, detailed description will be omitted.

Hereinafter, the connection structure and arrangement structure of the foldable arms (210, 220, 230, 240) and the link members (310, 320) will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 4, and 5.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, one end of the first foldable arm 210 may be coupled to the front of the drone main body 100, and as shown in FIG. 5, the second foldable arm 230 ) can be coupled to the front of the drone body 100.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the arm positioned at a predetermined distance b1 from one end of the second foldable arm 220 can be coupled to the rear of the drone main body 100, and as shown in FIG. 5 , the arm positioned at a predetermined distance b2 from one end of the fourth foldable arm 240 may be coupled to the rear of the drone main body 100. At this time, the direction in which the ends of the second foldable arm 220 and the fourth foldable arm 240 are separated is the direction in which the other end of the foldable arm faces.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, arms spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm 210 and one end of the second foldable arm 220 by a predetermined distance b1 may be located on the same line. .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, one end of the second foldable arm 230 and an arm spaced apart from one end of the fourth foldable arm 240 by a predetermined distance b2 may be positioned on the same line.

Accordingly, the ends of the second foldable arm 220 and the fourth foldable arm 240 are drawn more into the receiving space of the drone main body 100 than the ends of the first foldable arm 210 and the second foldable arm 230. It can have a structure that is

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, one end of the first link member 310 is coupled to a position spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm 210 by a predetermined distance a1, and the first link member 310 ) The other end may be coupled to one end of the second foldable arm 220.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, one end of the second link member 320 is coupled to a position spaced apart from one end of the second foldable arm 230 by a predetermined distance a2, and the other end of the second link member 320 may be coupled to one end of the fourth foldable arm 240.

Accordingly, the link members 310 and 320 are connected between the foldable arms 210, 220, 230, and 240 in an oblique form, and may have a structure where one end is partially open relative to the rear end.

Meanwhile, through analysis of the kinematic relationship between the foldable arm 200 and the link member 300, including the drone main body 100, the parameters of each configuration can be defined in advance to minimize interference between arms when storing the drone. , Drones can be manufactured by applying defined parameters.

For reference, in this example, in order to analyze the kinematic relationship, a kinematic simulation was performed on the drone arm structure using a four-bar link using a Python program.

In one embodiment, the length d1 of the link members 310 and 320 may be equal to the length d2 of the drone body 100. That is, the lengths (310, 320) of the link members and the lengths (d1, d2) of the drone body 100 may be proportional.

In one embodiment, the length of a1, which represents the distance between the position where one end of the first foldable arm 210 is coupled to one end of the first link member 310, is the length of the drone body 100 from one end of the second foldable arm 220. ) may be equal to the length of b1, which represents the distance between the positions of the second foldable arm 220 coupled to the rear.

In one embodiment, the length of a2, which represents the distance between the position where one end of the second foldable arm 230 is coupled to one end of the second link member 320, is the length of the drone body 100 from one end of the fourth foldable arm 240. ) may be equal to the length of b2, which represents the distance between the positions of the fourth foldable arm 240 coupled to the rear.

In one embodiment, the length of a1, the length of b1, the length of a2, and the length of b2 may be smaller than the length of the link member. Alternatively, the length of a1, b1, a2, and b2 described above may be smaller than the length of the drone main body 100.

For example, the length of a1, the length of b1, the length of a2, and the length of b2 have a length of 1/8 based on the length (d1) of the link members (310, 320) or the length (d2) of the drone body 100. You can.

The rotation process of the foldable arm according to the above-described structure can be explained with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C. The explanation will be based on one side of the drone main body 100, but the same process can be applied to the other side.

First, referring to FIG. 6A, when an external force is applied to the first foldable arm 210 and the second foldable arm 220 in an unfolded state, each arm may rotate toward the drone main body 100.

Next, referring to FIG. 6B, as one of the first foldable arm 210 and the second foldable arm 220 rotates, the other arm connected to the first link member 310 moves together. You can meet up.

Next, referring to FIG. 6C, the first foldable arm 210, the second foldable arm, and the first link member 310 can all form a straight line and be stored in the receiving space of the drone main body 100.

Meanwhile, as described above, the foldable arm may not be rotated manually by an external force, but may be implemented to rotate automatically by receiving separate power.

To this end, the foldable drone may further include a motor 400 to provide rotational force so that the foldable arm can automatically rotate toward the receiving space of the drone main body 100.

In one embodiment, referring to FIGS. 7 and 8 , the motor 400 may be provided at one end of the first foldable arm 210 and the second foldable arm 230. Accordingly, when the motor 400 provided in the first foldable arm 210 is driven, the first foldable arm 210 rotates to form a second arm connected to the first foldable arm 210 and the first link member 310. The foldable arm 220 also rotates at the same time, and when the motor 400 provided in the second foldable arm 230 is driven, the second foldable arm 230 rotates to connect the second foldable arm 230 and the second link member. The fourth foldable arm 240 connected through 320 also rotates at the same time.

In another embodiment, although not shown in the drawings, the motor 400 is positioned at a predetermined distance b1 from one end of the second foldable arm 220 and a predetermined distance b2 from one end of the fourth foldable arm 240. It can be provided on the arm at a spaced apart location. Accordingly, when the motor 400 provided in the second foldable arm 220 is driven, the second foldable arm 220 rotates and the first foldable arm 220 is connected to the first link member 310. The foldable arm 210 also rotates at the same time, and when the motor 400 provided in the fourth foldable arm 240 is driven, the fourth foldable arm 240 rotates to connect the fourth foldable arm 240 and the second link member. The second foldable arm 230 connected through 320 also rotates at the same time.

Meanwhile, the present embodiment may further include a control unit for controlling each configuration of the above-described foldable drone, and the control unit is a small module that performs functions such as data operation and storage, signal processing, and signal control, and is connected to the drone main body ( 100) can be provided inside.

Accordingly, according to embodiments of the present invention, a foldable drone with a drone arm structure that analyzes the kinematic relationship such as the length and driving angle of the front arm and the rear arm and applies the analysis results to prevent interference between arms. can be provided.

Additionally, according to embodiments of the present invention, the size of the arm when stored can be greatly reduced compared to the actual size of the drone, and the drone station for accommodating the drone can also be miniaturized.

Although specific embodiments according to the present invention have been described so far, it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be determined by the scope of the patent claims described below as well as equivalents to the claims of this patent.

As described above, although the present invention has been described with reference to limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and those skilled in the art can make various modifications and modifications from these descriptions. Transformation is possible. Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should be understood only by the scope of the claims set forth below, and all equivalent or equivalent modifications thereof shall fall within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

10: Hinge member
20: propeller
100: Drone body
200: folding arm
210: first folding arm
220: second folding arm
230: Third folding arm
240: Fourth folding arm
300: Link member
310: first link member
320: second link member
400: motor

Claims (9)

A drone body that includes an accommodation space inside and has a predetermined length;
A foldable arm whose ends are rotatably coupled to both front and rear sides of the drone main body; and
It includes a link member connecting the folding arms coupled to the front and rear on both sides of the drone main body,
The foldable arm connected to the link member is characterized in that it can simultaneously rotate toward the drone main body,
The folding arm is
A first foldable arm disposed on one front side of the drone main body, a second foldable arm disposed on one rear side of the drone main body, a third foldable arm disposed on the other front side of the drone main body, and a third foldable arm disposed on the other rear side of the drone main body. It includes a fourth foldable arm,
The link member is
Characterized by comprising a first link member connecting the first foldable arm and the second foldable arm and a second link member connecting the third foldable arm and the fourth foldable arm,
One end of the first foldable arm and one end of the third foldable arm are coupled to the front of the drone main body,
A foldable drone, wherein an arm spaced apart from one end of the second foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1 and an arm spaced apart from one end of the fourth foldable arm by a predetermined distance b2 are coupled to the rear of the drone main body. .
delete delete According to paragraph 1,
Arms spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm and one end of the second foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1 are located on the same line,
A foldable drone, wherein one end of the third foldable arm and an arm spaced apart from one end of the fourth foldable arm by a predetermined distance b2 are located on the same line.
According to paragraph 4,
One end of the first link member is coupled to one end of the first foldable arm at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance a1, and the other end of the first link member is coupled to one end of the second foldable arm,
One end of the second link member is coupled to one end of the third foldable arm at a position spaced apart by a predetermined distance a2, and the other end of the second link member is coupled to one end of the fourth foldable arm. drone.
According to clause 5,
A foldable drone, characterized in that the length of the link member is the same as the length of the drone body.
According to clause 6,
A foldable drone, wherein the length of a1 is equal to the length of b1, and the length of a2 is equal to the length of b2.
In clause 7,
A foldable drone, wherein the length of a1, the length of b1, the length of a2, and the length of b2 are smaller than the length of the link member.
According to paragraph 1,
An arm spaced apart from one end of the first foldable arm and the third foldable arm by a predetermined distance b1 from one end of the second foldable arm, and an arm spaced from one end of the fourth foldable arm by a predetermined distance b2. A motor is provided to provide rotational force so that the foldable arm can rotate toward the receiving space of the drone main body.
A foldable drone further comprising: