Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64U—UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR
  • B64U70/00—Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
  • B64U70/90—Launching from or landing on platforms
  • B64U70/92—Portable platforms
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64F—GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B64F1/00—Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations
• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B64—AIRCRAFT; AVIATION; COSMONAUTICS
  • B64F—GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT; DESIGNING, MANUFACTURING, ASSEMBLING, CLEANING, MAINTAINING OR REPAIRING AIRCRAFT, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HANDLING, TRANSPORTING, TESTING OR INSPECTING AIRCRAFT COMPONENTS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • B64F1/00—Ground or aircraft-carrier-deck installations
  • B64F1/007—Helicopter portable landing pads

Definitions

• the invention is in the field of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and relates to landing pads for vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial systems (UAS), especially multicopters.
• UAS unmanned aerial systems
• VTOL vertical take-off and landing
• multicopters especially multicopters.
• Document CN108674683 specifies a square landing pad consisting of four parts of equal dimensions, fitted with individually adjustable legs.
• the landing pad is equipped with a control unit and the individual parts are height-adjustable.
• the surface is provided with a photovoltaic panel.
• the landing pad legs are too short to eliminate the effect of a dusty or wet surface sufficiently. They are also too short for more uneven or sloping ground, tall grass or thick snow cover.
• ease of handling is not a strong point of the solution in that the individual parts need to be manually assembled and secured in the working position with a side-mounted safety.
• Document WO2021055402 describes a portable landing pad with a GPS system and laser guidance for the drone, with the batteries recharged by photovoltaic cells.
• the pad is foldable in half and is fitted with a grip handle.
• the major drawback of this design is the absence of legs; the pad rests on the ground, which makes it unsuitable for use on dusty or wet surfaces as it fails to provide sufficient protection against blowing dust or water spray. For the same reason, the pad cannot be used on uneven or sloping grounds or on surfaces with tall grass.
• Document CN106892128 presents a landing pad on four adjustable and foldable legs; it folds in half around the central hinge and features a spring-loaded landing panel with a surface made of a soft material. While this design is high enough to ensure protection against blowing dust and water spray and can also be used in tall grass, its legs are adjustable only manually, making it difficult to level the pad horizontally on uneven or sloping grounds as it does not include any device to check the horizontal levelling of the landing pad. In addition, the hinge around which the pad folds in half protrudes from the landing surface. The pad needs to be secured in the working position manually with a latch. The portability of the pad is also problematic because it can only be folded in half and its legs, even when folded, extend too far past its contour.
• Document CN 107878776 describes a landing pad the landing surface of which consists of four hinged segments, making it possible to fold the landing surface to one-quarter of its size.
• the pad is fitted with folding telescopic legs. Their ends are provided with spikes, which disqualifies the solution from being used on soft ground, and their position perpendicular to the landing surface reduces stability on slopes.
• This design has no navigation aids to facilitate landing, either light or photogrammetric targets.
• the objective of the present invention is to introduce a landing pad for vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial systems, especially multicopters, that would be usable on the widest possible range of surfaces, including on heavily soiled, very wet, uneven or sloping surfaces and that would be easily portable and as stowable as possible in the transport state.
• the pad should provide sufficient navigation aids for landing. Disclosure of the Invention
• the invention is a landing pad for vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial systems, especially multicopters, consisting of the landing element fitted with folding support legs.
• the principle of the invention is that the landing element consists of four square landing segments, which are arranged to form a square and are interconnected w'rth three pairs of concealed hinges to enable the landing element to be folded into the footprint of a single landing segment.
• the support legs are telescopic and are provided with an adjustable extension mechanism; their lower ends are fitted with feet mounted onto the legs with an omnidirectional joint, and the landing element is provided with a spirit level and its upper surface includes at least one photogrammetric target.
• the landing pad is provided with a battery that powers a control unit
• the upper surface of the landing element includes a photovoltaic cell to which the battery is connected
• the spirit level is fitted with an electronic sensor connected to the control unit
• the telescoping mechanism of the support legs is provided with an electric actuator connected to both the battery and the control unit.
• the landing element It is also preferred to equip the landing element with both at least one navigation light connected to the battery via the control unit and a camera connected to the battery via the control unit.
• the present invention achieves a novel and higher effect in that the landing pad provides for the safe take-off and landing of small unmanned multicopters regardless of the roughness and nature of the terrain, including on significantly steep slopes.
• Another advantage is the protection of the drone and its electronics as well as of the payload such as recording equipment and optical devices against rising dust and other contamination.
• Fig. 1 the axonometric top angle view of the landing pad in the working position
• Fig. 2 the axonometric top angle view of the landing pad while being folded into the transport position
• Fig. 3 the axonometric bottom angle view of the landing pad in the working position
• Fig. 4 the axonometric bottom angle view of the landing pad while being folded into the transport position
• Fig. 5 the axonometric top angle view of the landing pad folded into the transport position.
• the landing pad comprises a flat landing element 1_consisting of four square landing segments 11 arranged to form a square and interconnected with three pairs of concealed hinges 14 of conventional design.
• the underside of the landing segments 11 is provided with spars 12 that support the cover plates 13, as shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. Unmarked cavities are thus formed between the spars 12 to house both the battery 2 and the control unit 3.
• the joint between the landing segments 11 follows a U-shaped line, with the landing segments 11 corresponding to the ends of the U-shaped arms not being joined together and, during folding, their lower edge touching the neighbouring landing segments 11, which, when folded even further, fit against one another with their upper sides, as is shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 4.
• the resulting shape in the transport position is shown in Fig. 5.
• the underside outside comers of the landing segments 11 are provided with folding support legs 15, which are telescopically collapsible and are fitted with the undepicted extension mechanism, and in the folded position, they do not extend past the lateral outline of the landing segments 11 of the landing pad.
• the lower ends of the support legs 15 are with feet 151. which are installed on the support legs 15 with the undepicted omnidirectional joint.
• the support legs 15 are provided with a conventional-design locking mechanism 152 where they attach to the landing segments 11.
• the extension mechanism of the support legs 15 is provided with an undepicted electric actuator connected to the control unit 3 and the battery 2; alternatively, the support leas 15 extend telescopically manually.
• the outer circumference of one of landing segments 11 is fitted with a handle 4.
• the surface of two of the cover plates 13 which are mutually diagonal are provided with a photovoltaic panel 131, which is electronically connected to the battery 2 and the control unit 3.
• the surface of the other two mutually diagonal cover plates 13 is provided with a photogrammetric target 132. and the inner comer of one of these cover plates 13 is fitted with a spirit level 133, equipped with an undepicted sensor that is connected to the control unit 3, while the other one of these cover plates 13 is equipped with a camera 134 in the inner comer of its surface.
• each of the landing segments 11 is equipped with a navigation light 5 that is connected to the battery 2 via the control unit 3.
• the landing segments 11 are equipped with magnets 6 in their outer comers to fix them in the transport position.
• the landing segments 11 are provided with conventionally designed locking members 7.
• the landing segments 11 are simply pushed apart, whereby they are released to form a flat surface after the locking members 7 are engaged.
• the support legs 15 are then swung open into the working position.
• the control unit 3 is then activated and it automatically levels the landing element 1 horizontally. Alternatively, the levelling is performed manually by adjusting the support legs 15 with the spirit level 133.
• the landing pad according to this invention is applicable in aviation engineering to operate small unmanned multicopters or other vertical take-off and landing unmanned systems.
• the application is in the film industry as well as for inspection and rescue operations, and in the rapidly growing sector of parcel delivery to the end customer by drones.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Control Of Position, Course, Altitude, Or Attitude Of Moving Bodies (AREA)
• Tents Or Canopies (AREA)
• Forklifts And Lifting Vehicles (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=82799568

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (4)

• 2021
  • 2021-08-18 CZ CZ2021381A patent/CZ2021381A3/cs unknown
• 2022
  • 2022-08-05 WO PCT/CZ2022/000032 patent/WO2023020639A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (4)

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