KR102677782B1 - Battery Detachment Structure and Battery Replacement Method of Unmanned Aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a battery detachment structure and battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), and includes a rail 120 formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D); A rail groove 220 formed in the other selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), into which the rail 120 is detached and detached in a slide manner; A latch 140 formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) and preventing the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 from being separated; and a latch groove 240 formed on the other selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and including a latch groove 240 from which the latch 140 is slidably detached. Provides a battery detachment structure and a battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (D) using the same. According to the present invention, the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) can be replaced in a simple manner as it can be easily attached and detached using a slide method, and the battery 200 can be replaced while maintaining the hovering air of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). can do.

Description

Battery Detachment Structure and Battery Replacement Method of Unmanned Aircraft}

The present invention relates to a battery detachment structure and a battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone). According to one embodiment, when replacing a battery, the battery is simply replaced in a slide manner while maintaining the airspace of the unmanned aerial vehicle without cutting off the power. It relates to a battery detachment structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be replaced by detachment (separation and combination), and a method of replacing the battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle using the same.

An unmanned aerial vehicle is an aircraft that can fly and be controlled by the guidance of radio waves without a pilot, and is commonly referred to as a drone. Since around the 2010s, unmanned aerial vehicles have been used in the private sector for a variety of purposes other than military purposes. Recently, the production cost of unmanned aerial vehicles has been lowered due to the increase in the number of manufacturers and the development of related technology, and its versatility has emerged as an advantage. As it is used for various purposes such as leisure, video shooting, and pest control, demand is increasing in the private sector as well. . Accordingly, global companies, IT companies, engineering schools, etc., as well as the general public, are jumping into the development of unmanned aerial vehicles and attempting to commercialize them.

Generally, unmanned aerial vehicles are operated by batteries mounted on the aircraft. However, in order to increase the payload of the unmanned aerial vehicle and increase its endurance (time in the air), battery capacity must be increased, but this is difficult to solve in a short time due to limitations in battery technology.

Accordingly, in most cases, unmanned aerial vehicles are used with their batteries charged. For example, Korean Patent No. 10-1489641 and Korean Patent No. 10-1732713 propose a technology to seat an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) on the seat of a charging device and then supply power to charge the battery. It is done. However, since charging the battery requires waiting for charging to be completed while the unmanned aerial vehicle has landed, the operating time of the unmanned aerial vehicle is significantly reduced. As a solution to this, methods to reduce battery charging time are being studied, but this is difficult to improve due to the limitations of battery material technology and physical limitations (difficulty in reducing heat generation and conductor resistance).

Accordingly, attempts are being made to increase the usability of unmanned aerial vehicles by eliminating the time required for charging by generally allowing the battery to be replaced with a detachable structure. In this regard, Korean Patent No. 10-1705838 and Korean Patent No. 10-1765038 propose a technology for replacing batteries by landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) at a station.

However, the battery detachment (replacement structure) structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the prior art is structurally complex, so the detachment (replacement) method is very difficult, and in most cases, replacement is performed manually by workers, consuming manpower and time. In addition, there are many cases where additional tools are required for detachment (replacement). In addition, the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the prior art has a problem in that power (power supply) is inevitably cut off when the battery is replaced. Accordingly, in the conventional case, when replacing the battery, the operation of the aircraft itself is terminated due to power cut, making it difficult to maintain flight.

Korean Patent No. 10-1489641 (registration notice dated 2015.02.04) Korean Patent No. 10-1732713 (registration notice dated May 8, 2017) Korean Patent No. 10-1705838 (registration notice dated February 10, 2017) Korean Patent No. 10-1765038 (registration notice dated 2017.08.03)

Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to simplify the battery replacement method and provide a battery detachment structure and battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can prevent power (power supply) from being cut off when replacing the battery.

Specifically, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a battery replacement structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can be easily attached and detached using a slide method, allowing the battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle to be replaced in a simple manner, and a battery replacement method using the same.

In addition, the present invention allows power to be continuously supplied by the newly replaced battery (charged battery) when replacing the battery, so that the battery can be replaced even while the unmanned aerial vehicle is in the air because the power is not cut off. The purpose is to provide a battery replacement structure for an aircraft and a battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle using the same.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention,

A rail formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion and the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle;

A rail groove formed in one selected from the battery mounting portion and the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and into which the rail is detached and detached in a slide manner;

a latch formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion and the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and preventing the battery mounting portion and the battery from being separated; and

Provided is a battery attachment and detachment structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle, which is formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion and the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle and includes a latch groove through which the latch is detached and detached in a sliding manner.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pair of rails and a pair of latches are formed in the battery mounting portion; The battery is formed with a pair of rail grooves into which the rail is attached and detached in a sliding manner, and a pair of latch grooves into which the latch is attached and detached by a sliding manner.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latch is formed on the mounting portion main body of the battery mounting portion, and includes a vertical portion formed at the bottom of the mounting portion main body; and a horizontal portion formed at an end of the vertical portion. In addition, the latch groove is formed in the battery body of the battery, and is formed at the top of the battery body, and includes a vertical groove into which the vertical part of the latch is inserted; and a horizontal groove extending from the vertical groove and into which the horizontal portion of the latch is inserted.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle further includes a separation prevention means that prevents the battery from being separated at least in the longitudinal direction after the battery mounting portion and the battery are coupled. The separation prevention means may include a locking protrusion formed on the latch according to one embodiment; and a stopper formed in the latch groove and onto which the latch jaw engages.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle has conductivity that allows power to be supplied by the newly replaced battery without power supply being cut off when the battery is replaced. According to one embodiment, at least one selected from the rail and the latch, and at least one selected from the rail groove and the latch groove are conductive.

In addition, the present invention provides a battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle, using the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and replacing the battery while the unmanned aerial vehicle is maintained in flight. According to an embodiment of the present invention, when replacing the battery, power is supplied by the newly replaced battery (buffer battery) and the battery is replaced while the unmanned aerial vehicle is maintained in flight.

The present invention can be easily attached and detached using a slide method, which has the effect of allowing the battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle to be replaced in a simple manner. According to the present invention, for example, even personnel with poor operating skills can easily replace the battery with little force, and no additional tools or skilled skills are required when replacing the battery.

In addition, the present invention has the effect of preventing the operating power of the unmanned aerial vehicle from being cut off because power is continuously supplied by the newly replaced battery during the battery replacement (detachment) process. Accordingly, according to the present invention, the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle does not end when the battery is replaced, so the unmanned aerial vehicle can continuously maintain loitering. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to replace the battery while maintaining the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

Figure 1 shows the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view diagram showing the schematic configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle and a separate configuration diagram showing the battery detachment structure.
Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the main part of the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the battery replacement process to explain a method of replacing a battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a perspective view showing the battery replacement process to explain a method of replacing a battery of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The term “and/or” used in the present invention is used to include at least one of the components listed before and after. Terms such as "first", "second", "one side" and "the other" used in the present invention are used to distinguish one component from another component, and each component is used in the above terms. It is not limited by

The present invention provides a battery detachment structure (hereinafter referred to as (abbreviated as “battery detachment structure” or “detachment structure”) is provided. In addition, the present invention uses the battery detachment structure of the present invention to easily and simply remove the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle by sliding it even in a state of hovering (floating in the air) without the power being cut off when replacing the battery. Provides a replaceable battery replacement method for an unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter abbreviated as “battery replacement method” or “replacement method” as the case may be).

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The attached drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and are provided solely to aid understanding of the present invention. In the attached drawings, the thickness may be enlarged to clearly express each layer and area, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited by the thickness, size, and ratio shown in the drawings. Hereinafter, in describing embodiments of the present invention, detailed descriptions of related well-known general functions or configurations will be omitted.

Figure 1 shows the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) according to the first embodiment of the present invention, which shows a front configuration diagram showing the schematic configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) and a separated view of the battery detachment structure. This is a separate configuration diagram. Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the main part of the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

First, referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) according to the present invention includes at least one rail (120); At least one rail groove 220 into which the rail 120 is attached and detached in a slide manner; At least one latch 140 to prevent the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 from being separated; And the latch 140 includes at least one latch groove 240 through which the latch 140 is detachable in a sliding manner. In the present invention, desorption means separation and combination.

The battery detachable structures are, for example, each composed of a pair. Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the rail 120 includes a first rail 120A formed on the left side of the drawing and a second rail 120B formed on the right side. The rail groove 220 is formed at a position corresponding to the first rail (120A) and the second rail (120B). The first rail groove (220A) is formed on the left side of the drawing and the second rail groove (220B) is formed on the right side. ) includes.

The first rail (120A) is slide-inserted into the first rail groove 220A and can be detached, and the second rail (120B) is slide-inserted into the second rail groove 220B and can be detached. do. Additionally, the latch 140 includes a first latch 140A formed on the left side of the drawing and a second latch 140B formed on the right side. The latch groove 240 is formed at a position corresponding to the first latch 140A and the second latch 140B. The first latch groove 240A is formed on the left side of the drawing and the second latch groove 240B is formed on the right side. ) includes. The first latch (140A) is slide-inserted into the first latch groove (240A) and can be detached, and the second latch (140B) is slide-inserted into the second latch groove (240B) and can be detached. do.

The rail 120 is formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and the rail groove 220 is formed on the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). It is formed in another one selected from among 200. That is, a rail 120 is formed in one of the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 200, and a rail groove 220 is formed in the other at a position corresponding to the rail 120. In addition, the latch 140 is formed on one selected from the battery mounting part 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and the latch groove 240 is formed on the battery mounting part 100 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). and the battery 200. That is, a latch 140 is formed on one of the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 200, and a latch groove 240 is formed on the other at a position corresponding to the latch 140.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) and a pair of latches (140) (140A) (140B) are formed in the battery mounting portion 100, and correspond to these. The battery 200 at the position includes a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) into which the rails 120 (120A) (120B) are detached in a sliding manner, and the latch (140) (140A) ( 140B) may be formed with a pair of latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B) that are detachable in a sliding manner. This detachment structure is as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, contrary to the above, the battery mounting portion 100 includes a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) and a pair of latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B). is formed, and the battery 200 at a position corresponding to these includes a pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) that are slidably attached and detached to the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B), and the latch. A pair of clasps 140, 140A, and 140B that are detachable in a slide manner may be formed in the grooves 240, 240A, and 240B. This detachment structure may be symmetrical to the x-axis of Figure 2.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) and a pair of latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are formed in the battery mounting portion 100. , a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) and a pair of latches 140 (140A) (140B) may be formed in the battery 200 at a position corresponding to these, and the opposite arrangement may be formed. You can have

In the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is included here if it is an aircraft that can fly and control without a pilot, and this includes, for example, a regular drone that can fly and control by guiding radio waves, etc. . In the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) includes those used for various purposes in various industries and private fields in addition to military purposes, such as leisure, video shooting, disaster observation, exploration, cargo delivery (courier), and food delivery. It includes being used for various purposes or purposes such as delivery, sowing (sowing seeds), and pest control (spraying pesticides, etc.). The unmanned aerial vehicle (D) may have the shape of, for example, an airplane or a helicopter. For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) includes an airframe 10, a rotary blade 20 installed on the airframe 10, and a rotary blade 20 installed on the airframe 10 as usual. It includes a driving unit 30, and a control unit (not shown) that controls flight and steering according to signals from the remote controller.

The battery mounting unit 100 is a part where the battery 200 is detached, and may be the body 10 itself or a separate member. For example, the battery mounting unit 100 may be located at the bottom center of the aircraft 10 as shown in FIG. 1 . The battery mounting portion 100 has a detachable structure according to the present invention at a portion coupled to the battery 200. According to one embodiment, the battery mounting unit 100 includes a mounting unit body 110 having a plate shape of approximately a predetermined thickness, and a pair of rails 120 (120A) at the bottom of the mounting unit main body 110. (120B) and a pair of latches (140) (140A) (140B) are formed, or a pair of rail grooves (220) (220A) (220B) are formed at the bottom of the mounting unit body 110. It has a structure in which clasp grooves 240, 240A, and 240B are formed.

In the present invention, the battery 200 is not particularly limited as long as it can supply power (electrical energy) to the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). The battery 200 includes, for example, a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, a hydrogen fuel cell, a nickel-hydrogen (Ni-H) battery, an alkaline battery, a lead acid battery, a lithium ion capacitor (LiC; Lithium Ion Capacitor), and an electric battery. It may be selected from a double layer capacitor (EDLC; Electric Double Layer Capacitor) and/or a hybrid form thereof. The battery 200 is a secondary battery capable of charging/discharging, and may be selected from, for example, a lithium ion battery.

The battery 200 has a detachable structure according to the present invention at a portion coupled to the battery mounting portion 100. According to one embodiment, the battery 200 includes a battery body 210, and a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) and a pair of latches at the top of the battery body 210. It has a structure in which grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are formed, or a pair of rails 120 (120) (120A) (120B) and a pair of latches (140) (140A) are provided at the top of the battery body 210. (140B) has a formed structure. The battery body 210 includes, for example, an external case and a battery cell built inside the external case, and can be detached from the battery mounting part 100 in a slide manner at the top of the external case. It may have a detachable structure. The battery cell may include one unit cell, or may be modularized to include a cell stack in which a plurality of unit cells are connected in series and/or parallel. As is well known, the unit cell has cell components such as an anode (+), a cathode (-), and an electrolyte.

The rail 120 and the rail groove 220 are formed along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200, and they can be used at least in a slide manner when replacing the battery 200. Attempts to detach. Specifically, the rail 120 and the rail groove 220 guide the battery 200 to be detached (moved) in the sliding direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2) when replacing the battery 200, and together with the sliding direction (x-axis direction) It prevents the battery 200 from being separated in a direction perpendicular to the y-axis direction (i.e., the y-axis direction in FIG. 2).

In addition, the latch 140 and the latch groove 240 are formed along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the battery mounting part 100 and the battery 200, and these 140 and 240 are slidingly coupled. Afterwards, separation (separation) between the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 is prevented. Specifically, the latch 140 and the latch groove 240 are connected to the battery in at least the vertical direction (z-axis direction in FIG. 2) during flight (flight) of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) or detachment (replacement) of the battery 200. (200) is prevented from being separated from the battery mounting portion (100).

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the latch 140 may include a vertical portion 142 and a horizontal portion 144 formed at an end of the vertical portion 142. At this time, the vertical portion 142 is formed on both sides (left and right in FIGS. 1 and 2) selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the latch 140 is formed on the mounting unit body 110 of the battery mounting unit 100, and the vertical portion 142 formed on the lower left and right sides of the mounting unit main body 110 ) and a horizontal portion 144 integrally formed at the end of the vertical portion 142. The latch 140 may include a vertical portion 142 and a horizontal portion 144 as described above, and may have an approximately “L” shaped cross-sectional shape.

Additionally, the latch groove 240 is a structure corresponding to the latch 140 and may include a vertical groove 242 and a horizontal groove 244 extending from the vertical groove 242. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the latch groove 240 is formed in the battery body 210 of the battery 200, and the vertical groove 242 is formed on the upper left and right sides of the battery body 210. ) and a horizontal groove 244 extending from the vertical groove 242, and may have an approximately “L” shaped cross-sectional shape. At this time, the vertical part 142 of the latch 140 is inserted into the vertical groove 242, and the horizontal part 144 of the latch 140 is inserted into the horizontal groove 244. Accordingly, the battery 200 is not separated from the battery mounting portion 100 at least in the vertical direction (z-axis direction in FIG. 2) by insertion coupling of the horizontal portion 144 and the horizontal groove 244. .

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the rail 120 and the latch 140 are formed to extend downward from the mounting unit body 110 of the battery mounting unit 100, and the latch 140 is connected to the rail 120. ) can be formed at a predetermined interval on the side. In addition, the rail groove 220 and the latch groove 240 are formed in a groove structure on the upper surface of the battery body 210, and the latch groove 240 is formed at a predetermined interval on the side of the rail groove 220. It can be.

Referring to FIG. 3, according to another embodiment of the present invention, after the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 200 are coupled, a separation prevention means ( It may further include 150)(250). The separation prevention means 150, 250 may include a locking protrusion 150 formed on the latch 140 and a stopper 250 formed on the latch groove 240 according to one embodiment. You can. At this time, when the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 are slidably coupled, the locking protrusion 150 is in close contact with the stopper 250, thereby preventing excessive movement.

As shown in Figure 3, the locking protrusion 150 is formed on the horizontal part 144 of the latch 140, and is located on one side (front in Figure 3) and the other side (back in Figure 3) of the horizontal part 144. can be formed in In addition, the stopper 250 is formed in the horizontal groove 244 of the latch groove 240, and is formed long in a plate shape along the longitudinal direction of the horizontal groove 244 (x-axis direction in FIG. 3). It can be. More specifically, the stopper 250 is formed on the horizontal wall 244a forming the horizontal groove 244, and has an integrated structure along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 3) of the horizontal wall 244a. can be formed.

When sliding through the detachable structure of the battery mounting part 100 and the battery 200 (when replacing the battery 200), when these 100 and 200 reach an appropriate position, the locking protrusion 150 It is caught in the stopper 250 to prevent further movement, and after the battery 200 is coupled, the battery 200 is prevented from being separated at least in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2). In the present invention, the separation prevention means 150 and 250 are capable of preventing the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 200 from being separated by excessive movement at least in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2). Not limited. The separation prevention means 150 and 250 include, for example, a locking protrusion 150 and a stopper 250 as above, but, according to another embodiment, are formed on the rail 120 and the rail groove 220. It can be.

Additionally, the battery detachable structure according to the present invention has conductivity to prevent power supply from being cut off when the battery 200 is replaced. According to an embodiment of the present invention, one or more selected from the rail 120 (120A) (120B) and the latch 140) (140A) (140B), and the rail groove 220 (220) (220A) ( 220B) and one or more of the latch grooves 240, 240A, and 240B are conductive. More specifically, the rail 120 (120A) (120B) and the rail groove 220 (220A) (220B) are conductive, or the latch 140 (140A) (140B) and the latch groove 240 (240A) (240B) may be conductive, and in some cases, all of them may be conductive. In the present invention, the conductivity ensures that power supply is not cut off during the sliding process (detachment process) when replacing the battery 200, and that power is continuously supplied by the newly replaced battery 200, so that the battery 200 can be replaced. It is good if it allows the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) to maintain endurance.

According to one embodiment, when the rails 120 (120A) (120B) are conductive, this means, for example, the rails 120 (120A) (120B) themselves are composed of a conductor, or the rails 120 ) It may be formed by laminating (attaching) a conductor to the surface of the rails 120A and 120B. For example, the rail 120 may be formed by coating a conductor on the surface of the rail 120 (120A) (120B). In addition, when the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) are conductive, at least the portion in contact with the rail 120 (120A) (120B) can be conductive through the above configuration. According to another embodiment, the above is the same even when the clasps 140 (140A) (140B) and the clasp grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are conductive. The conductor is not particularly limited as long as it has electrical conductivity, and may include, for example, a metal selected from aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and/or alloys thereof.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the battery detachment structure according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery mounting unit 100 includes a mounting unit body ( 110), but may be formed by covering the surface of the rail 120 (120A) (120B) and/or the latch 140 (140A) (140B) with a conductive thin film (160A) (160B). there is. At this time, the first conductive thin film 160A formed on the left side of the mounting unit body 110 and the second conductive thin film 160B formed on the right side are insulated. For example, the mounting unit body 110 is made of an insulator (e.g., non-conductive plastic, etc.), and the first conductive thin film 160A and the second conductive thin film 160B are spaced apart (short-circuited) without contacting each other. ), it can be insulated. The conductive thin films 160A and 160B are electrically connected to the electrode wiring of the base 10. For example, the first conductive thin film 160A is electrically connected to the positive (+) wire of the base 10, and the second conductive thin film 160B is electrically connected to the negative (-) wire of the base 10. It can be connected to and vice versa.

The battery 200 includes a battery body 210 in which rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) and latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are formed, wherein the rail grooves 220 (220A) Conductive terminals 260A and 260B may be formed by covering the surfaces of 220B and/or latch grooves 240, 240A and 240B. At this time, the first conductive terminal 260A formed on the left side of the battery body 210 and the second conductive terminal 260B formed on the right side are insulated. For example, the battery body 210 is composed of an insulator (for example, an external battery case made of non-conductive plastic, etc.), and the first conductive terminal 260A and the second conductive terminal 260B are connected to each other. If they are separated and not touching, they can be insulated. The conductive terminals 260A and 260B are electrically connected to the electrode terminals of the battery 200. For example, the first conductive terminal 260A is electrically connected to the positive (+) terminal of the battery 200, and the second conductive terminal 260B is electrically connected to the negative (-) terminal of the battery 200. It can be connected to and vice versa.

In addition, the conductive thin films 160A and 160B and the conductive terminals 260A and 260B are located in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the sliding direction) of the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 100, respectively, in the x-axis direction in FIG. 2. ) can be formed along the lines. For example, when the rail 120 (120A) (120B) and the rail groove 220 (220A) (220B) are conductive, the conductive thin film (160A) (160B) and the conductive terminal (260A) (260B) may be formed to be long along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) of the rails 120 (120A) (120B) and the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B), respectively. At this time, at least one of the conductive thin films (160A) (160B) and the conductive terminals (260A) (260B) is located in the longitudinal direction ( It can be formed continuously without being short-circuited along the x-axis direction. The conductive thin film (160A) (160B) and/or the conductive terminal (260A) (260B) may have the same length as the rail (120) (120A) (120B) or the rail groove (220) (220A) (220B), , they can be formed through attachment of a conductive film and/or coating of a conductive material. For example, the conductive thin films 160A and 160B are formed along the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction in FIG. 2) of the rails 120 (120A) (120B) using long conductive films. ) are laminated on the surface of (120A) (120B), and the conductive terminals (260A) (260B) may be formed in the form of a spot on the surface within the rail grooves (220) (220A) (220B). For another example, the conductive terminals 260A and 260B are formed in the form of a spot on the surface of the rail grooves 220 (220A) and 220B, and a plurality of stops are arranged at predetermined intervals. It can have a structure.

Therefore, during the sliding process when replacing the battery 200, the power supply is not cut off due to continuous electrical contact between the conductive thin films 160A and 160B and the conductive terminals 260A and 260B. That is, in the process of replacing the battery 200, the newly replaced battery 200 is supplied without a separate auxiliary power source (for example, an auxiliary battery installed in the aircraft 100 or a separate power source supplied from outside). As power is continuously supplied, at least the operation of the rotary blades 20 and the like does not end. Accordingly, the battery 200 can be replaced even while the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is maintained in flight.

In Figure 4, the conductive thin film (160A) (160B) and the conductive terminal (260A) (260B) are attached to the rail (120) (120A) (120B) and the rail groove (220) (220A) (220B) as well as the latch 140. (140A) (140B) and latch grooves (240) (240A) (240B) are also shown as examples, but these (160A) (160B) (260A) (260B) are respectively rails (120) (120A) (120B). and may be formed only in the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B), or may be formed only in the latch 140 (140A) (140B) and the latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B). In addition, when the conductive thin film (160A) (160B) and the conductive terminal (260A) (260B) are formed in the rail (120) (120A) (120B) and the rail groove (220) (220A) (220B), respectively, these ( 160A) (160B) (260A) (260B) is formed on one surface of the rail 120 (120A) (120B) and the rail groove 220 (220A) (220B), that is, the horizontal surface (lower surface or upper surface) or the side. Alternatively, it may be formed on the entire surface.

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view showing the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 5 , according to another embodiment of the present invention, the latch 140 may be formed in the rail 120, and the latch groove 240 may be formed in the rail groove 220. Specifically, a pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) are formed on both sides (left and right in FIG. 5) of the battery mounting portion 100, and the rails 120 (120A) (120B) A pair of clasps 140, 140A, and 140B may be extended to form an integrated structure. In addition, a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) are formed on both sides (left and right in FIG. 5) of the battery 200, and from the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) A pair of latch grooves 240, 240A, and 240B may be formed in an extended structure.

In Figure 5, the clasps 140 (140A) (140B) and the clasp grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are illustrated as being formed only in the horizontal direction (y-axis direction in Fig. 5), but they are formed in the vertical direction (Fig. It may further include a portion extending upward in the z-axis direction in 5, and may have an approximately “L” shaped cross-sectional shape.

Meanwhile, the battery 200 replacement method according to the present invention can be performed through the following process using the battery detachment structure of the present invention as described above. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a replacement process of the battery 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a replacement process of the battery 200 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, the battery 200 that is used up and needs to be replaced is referred to as the “discharged battery 200 (200a)”, and the fully charged battery 200 that is newly replaced is referred to as the “buffered battery 200 (200b).”

Referring to FIG. 6, the discharged battery 200 (200a) is brought close to the fully charged battery 200 (200) (200b) through the control of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and the discharged battery 200 (200a) and the fully charged battery 200 are connected to each other. After ensuring that (200b) is positioned in a straight line, the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is advanced toward the buffer battery (200) (200b). At this time, the battery mounting part 100 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is lowered so that the separation prevention means 150 and 250 between the battery mounting part 100 and the discharged batteries 200 and 200a are released. . In other words, the lock between the locking protrusion 150 and the stopper 250 is released. Thereafter, the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is advanced in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 to separate the discharged battery 200 (200a) from the battery mounting portion 100 by sliding, and the battery mounting portion is attached to the adjacent fully charged battery 200 (200b). Replace the battery (200) so that (100) is slidably inserted and coupled.

The above replacement process can be carried out while maintaining flight without terminating the operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) due to the conductivity of the detachment structure. Specifically, when the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is advanced in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6, the discharged batteries (200) (200a) are replaced with the fully charged batteries (200) (200b) in a slide manner. In this process, the conductivity of the detachable structure is changed. That is, by the conductive thin film (160A) (160B) and the conductive terminal (260A) (260B) as described above, power is continuously supplied through the newly replaced buffer battery (200) (200b) without a separate power source. This can be done as supply progresses.

Referring to FIG. 7, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the guide member 300 may be used when replacing the battery 200. The guide member 300 may be any one that allows the discharging battery 200 (200a) and the fully charged battery 200 (200b) to be positioned in a straight line. The guide member 300 may include a base plate 310 and guide portions 320 formed on both sides of the base plate 310, according to one embodiment. In addition, the guide member 300 may further include an inflow guide portion 321 formed in an expanded structure on one side (left side in FIG. 7) of the guide portion 320. At this time, in FIG. 7, the inflow guide part 321 is shown as a straight line, but it may extend from the guide part 320 and be rounded with a predetermined radius of curvature. Accordingly, the discharged battery 200 (200a) coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is easily introduced between the two guide parts 320 by the inflow guide part 321, and is then introduced into both guide parts 320. It can be easily positioned in a straight line with the fully charged battery 200 (200b).

Additionally, in the present invention, replacement of the battery 200 may be performed on the ground or in the air. For example, after placing the fully charged battery 200 (200b) on the ground surface, it can be replaced with the fully charged battery 200 (200b) while maintaining the airspace using the sliding method described above. For another example, the charging battery 200 (200b) can be replaced in the air by bringing a separate flying vehicle (drone) close to the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) in the air. At this time, the buffer battery 200 (200b) is mounted on the top of the aircraft, and then the aircraft is flown close to the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and the hovering air of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is maintained using the sliding method as described above. It can be replaced with a fully charged battery (200) (200b).

According to the present invention described above, for example, it has the following effects.

First, the battery detachment structure according to the present invention can be easily detached using a slide method, so the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) can be replaced in a simple manner. For example, even personnel with limited operating skills can easily replace batteries with little effort, and replacement of batteries does not require additional tools or skilled skills.

In addition, according to the present invention, as described above, during the process of replacing (removing) the battery 200, power is continuously supplied by the newly replaced battery 200, so that the operating power of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) is not cut off. It has an effect. That is, according to the present invention, the newly replaced buffer battery 200 (200b) is supplied without the supply of a separate auxiliary power source (for example, an auxiliary battery installed in the aircraft 10 or a separate power source supplied from the outside). Power is continuously supplied by Accordingly, according to the present invention, when the battery 200 is replaced, at least the operation of the rotary blade 20 does not end, so that the unmanned aerial vehicle D can continuously maintain loitering. That is, according to the present invention, it is possible to replace the battery 200 while maintaining the endurance of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D).

In addition, the battery 200 is replaced while maintaining the airborne state, thereby preventing interruption of specific tasks due to termination of operation of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). Accordingly, according to the present invention, it is possible to replace the battery while maintaining flight, allowing various uses in various fields such as video shooting, agriculture (pest control, etc.), military, etc., thereby increasing the usability of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D). This is expected to be maximized.

D: Unmanned aerial vehicle 100: Battery mounting part
120, 120A, 120B: Rail 140, 140A, 140B: Clasp
142: vertical part 144: horizontal part
150: Stopper 200: Battery
220, 220A, 220B: Rail groove 240, 240A, 240B: Clasp groove
250: Stopper 300: Guide member

Claims (9)

A rail 120 formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D);
A rail groove 220 formed in the other selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), into which the rail 120 is detached and detached in a slide manner;
A latch 140 formed on one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) and preventing the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 from being separated; and
It is formed on the other one selected from the battery mounting portion 100 and the battery 200 of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), and includes a latch groove 240 from which the latch 140 is slidably detached,
The latch 140 is formed on the mounting unit body 110 of the battery mounting unit 100, and includes a vertical portion 142 formed at the bottom of the mounting unit body 110; And a horizontal portion 144 formed at the end of the vertical portion 142,
The latch groove 240 is formed in the battery body 210 of the battery 200, and is formed at the top of the battery body 210, and is vertical into which the vertical portion 142 of the latch 140 is inserted. Home(242); and a horizontal groove 244 extending from the vertical groove 242 and into which the horizontal portion 144 of the latch 140 is inserted.
According to paragraph 1,
A pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) and a pair of latches (140) (140A) (140B) are formed in the battery mounting portion 100,
The battery 200 includes a pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) into which the rails 120 (120A) (120B) are detached in a slide manner, and the clasps 140 (140A) (140B). Battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) formed with a pair of latch grooves 240, 240A, and 240B that are detachable in a sliding manner.
According to paragraph 1,
A pair of rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B) and a pair of latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B) are formed in the battery mounting portion 100,
The battery 200 includes a pair of rails 120 (120A) (120B) that are slidably detached from the rail grooves 220 (220A) (220B), and the latch grooves 240 (240A) (240B). ) Battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) with a pair of latches (140) (140A) (140B) that are detachable in a slide manner.
According to paragraph 1,
The battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) includes separation prevention means 150 that prevent the battery 200 from being separated in the longitudinal direction (x-axis direction) after the battery mounting unit 100 and the battery 200 are coupled. )(250),
The separation prevention means 150 and 250 include a locking protrusion 150 formed on the latch 140; And a battery detachment structure for an unmanned aerial vehicle (D) including a stopper 250 formed in the latch groove 240 and onto which the latch protrusion 150 is caught.
According to paragraph 1,
The battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) has conductivity so that power is supplied by the newly replaced battery 200 without the power supply being cut off when the battery 200 is replaced. structure.
According to clause 5,
In the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D), at least one selected from the rail 120 and the latch 140, and at least one selected from the rail groove 220 and the latch groove 240 are conductive, and the new A battery detachment structure for the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) that allows power to be supplied by the replaced battery (200) and thus maintains flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) when the battery (200) is replaced.
An unmanned aerial vehicle that uses the battery detachment structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and replaces the battery 200 while maintaining the airspace of the unmanned aerial vehicle (D) ( D) Battery replacement method.
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