• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The invention relates to a drone (1) of multicopter type comprising a substantially planar frame (2) on which are arranged a central unit (4a) connected to at least one inclination sensor (4b) generating a signal relating to the inclination the attitude of the drone with respect to a horizontal plane (H), a battery (13) and at least three propulsion units (5) adapted to propel the drone and piloted by the central unit, the drone (1) comprising in in addition to an articulated arm (11) arranged on a beam (10) fixed to the frame (2), the beam comprising a first end (10a) and a second end (10b) located on either side of the frame, the articulated arm (11) being arranged on said first end and the battery (13) being fixed to a support (12) arranged on said second end. The drone (1) according to the invention is usable for repair operations of an aircraft fuselage via its articulated arm (11) operable while the drone is kept hovering via the central unit (4a).
    公开号:FR3036381A1
    申请号:FR1554479
    申请日:2015-05-19
    公开日:2016-11-25
    发明作者:Ronie Gnecco；Alain Fontaine
    申请人:Airbus Operations SAS；Airbus SAS；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    [0001] The invention relates generally to the field of remote controlled flying objects, or drones, and more particularly a multicopter drone (ie a multi-rotor helicopter). When the inspection of a fuselage reveals a defect, the ground crews intervene to correct it. Such a defect is for example a damage of the structure of an antenna located on the upper part of the vertical drift of the aircraft. In this case, the ground crews must bring a high ladder to reach the antenna and unscrew it, possibly tapping the fixing holes and finally reposition a new antenna. Such an operation mobilizes a plurality of technicians and is long since the establishment of high ladders around an aircraft is difficult.
    [0002] The invention aims to provide a device for performing these repairs on a fuselage quickly and easily. For this purpose, the invention relates to a multicopter type drone comprising a substantially plane frame on which are arranged a central unit connected to at least one inclination sensor generating a signal relating to the inclination of the attitude of the drone relative to to a horizontal plane, a battery and at least three propulsion units adapted to propel the drone and driven by the central unit, characterized in that the drone further comprises an articulated arm arranged on a beam fixed to the frame, the beam s' extending on either side of the frame and comprising a first end and a second end located on either side of the frame, the articulated arm being arranged on said first end and the battery being fixed to a support arranged on said second end; end.
    [0003] The invention meets the aforementioned need since the drone according to the invention is usable for repair operations of an aircraft fuselage via its articulated arm operable while the drone is kept hovering via the central unit. The characteristics of the invention mentioned above, as well as others, will emerge more clearly on reading the following description of exemplary embodiments, said description being given in relation to the attached drawings, among which: FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the drone according to one embodiment of the invention, the drone comprising a beam on which are arranged on both sides an articulated arm and a battery mounted on a support; - Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 and shows the drone according to another embodiment of the invention, the battery being mounted on a movable support in a longitudinal direction of the beam; FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrammatic side views of the drone of FIG. 2 illustrating the rebalancing in different cases of the attitude of the drone by the battery forming a mobile counterweight during the use of the articulated arm; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of means for isolating and damping the beam relative to the chassis of the drone of FIG. 1 or 2 according to one embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1 or 2 and shows the drone according to another embodiment of the invention, the drone comprising an arm for attaching the drone to a surface. With reference to FIG. 1, a quadrocopter-type drone 1 according to the invention comprises a chassis 2 having a central portion 3 of parallelepipedal shape carrying an electronic charge 4 and four extensions 5 extending out of the central portion 3 so to form, for example, a cross. The electronic load 4 is composed of a central unit 4a for controlling the drone connected to various sensors 4b, as well as various measuring devices 4c such as cameras or laser measuring devices, and transmitting / receiving means of 4d signals. The sensors 4b notably comprise inclination sensors giving the inclination of the attitude of the drone with respect to a horizontal plane H determined after a calibration, and are for example of the type of gyro sensors, accelerometers or inclinometers. Conventionally, the drone 1 comprises four propellant groups 6 arranged on the chassis and controlled by the central unit 4a to ensure the flight of the drone. Each propulsion unit is attached to one end 5 of the frame 2 and comprises a motor driving a propeller 7 directed towards the sky and movable in a plane substantially parallel to the chassis 2. On the face of the chassis facing the ground, the drone comprises four feet (only three are shown in Figure 1) through which the drone can rest on the ground, each of the feet being fixed under an extension of the chassis. According to the invention, the drone 1 further comprises a beam 10. The beam 10 is fixed under the frame 2 and comprises two ends 10a, 10b extending out of the frame with each end of the beam extending between two extensions of the chassis 2. One of the ends 10a of 3036381 3 the beam comprises a movable articulated arm 11. The opposite end 10b is provided with a support 13 for housing the battery 12 feeding the elements of the drone 1. The articulated arm 11 comprises, at its free end, a head 11a. The head 11a is rotated by a motor of the articulated arm (not shown) and can be coupled to a plurality of tools such as, for example, a gripper or screwdriver bits that the rotation of the head causes. . In order to be able to operate under different angles, the head is fixed in a ball joint connection relative to the arm 11 and can be deployed in translation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the beam X. The central unit 4b drives the motors of the groups propellants of the drone and the articulated arm 10 11 as a function of signals received by the transmitting / receiving means 4d and transmitted by an operator of the drone 1 located at a distance from the latter. The fixing of the battery 12 on the end 10b of the beam opposite to that on which is fixed the articulated arm 11 allows, by positioning the battery in a suitable manner, to compensate the weight of the articulated arm 11 and the tool that l 'team to balance the drone so that its center of gravity is located substantially on a line through the center of the central portion 3 of the chassis 2. To position the battery appropriately, the support 13 is movable on the second end 10b of the beam 10. The battery 12 can thus, during a calibration operation, be positioned by an operator so as to balance the drone when the latter 20 is in the rest position (ground). The support 13 is displaceable on the second end 10b in that, for example, it is provided with means of hooks that can cooperate with an attachment band disposed on the second end (VELCRO® type) or that it is movable on a rail extending along the second end 10b of the beam.
    [0004] A stable flight of the drone is thus made possible despite the presence of the beam 10 fixed to the frame 2 and carrying an articulated arm 11 at one of its ends 10a. In addition, in order to balance the attitude of the drone 1 with respect to the horizontal plane H, the central unit 4a is configured to automatically and independently drive each propulsion unit 5 according to the signals received by the inclination sensors. The central unit thus modulates the speed of each engine in order to restore the attitude of the drone with respect to the horizontal plane H.
    [0005] The invention meets the aforementioned need since the drone 1 according to the invention is usable for repair operations of an aircraft fuselage via its articulated arm 11 operable while the drone is kept hovering via the unit. Central 4a. The use of a multicopter drone whose propulsion units are controlled independently by the central unit makes it possible to ensure a stable flight with respect to the horizontal plane H and thus makes it possible to use the articulated arm 11 to produce precision works on an aircraft fuselage. The movable head 11a can be equipped with various tools and thus gives the drone 1 according to the invention a significant flexibility of use. Indeed, the use of several UAVs 1 10 according to the invention, each having a movable head 11a equipped with a specific tool, allows to quickly perform tasks currently assigned to technicians, such as a change of antenna. Referring to Figure 2 and in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the support 13 is mounted movably on the second end 10b of the beam under the action of displacement means 30. The support 13 is movable on at least a rail 31, preferably two, extending in the longitudinal direction X of the beam 10 between the second end 10b of the latter and the frame 2. The support 13 is for example a plate comprising a vice or links to enclose the battery 12 and block its movement relative to the support 13. The means for moving the support 30, controlled by the central unit 4a, comprise a servomotor 32 arranged in the central portion 3 of the frame. The servomotor 32 conventionally comprises a motor inserted into a casing driving in rotation, via an output reducer, an axis protruding out of the housing (not shown in the figures). The shaft is coupled to a fixing wheel 33 and the support 13 is mechanically connected to the fixing wheel via a rod 14 so that the rotation of the wheel 33 causes the support 13 to move. When the battery 12 is attached in the support 13, the displacement of the support 13 causes a mass transfer which modifies the position of the center of gravity of the drone 1 and thus modifies the attitude of the latter.
    [0006] The actuation of the servomotor 32, and in particular the direction of rotation of its motor and its speed are functions of the information provided by the inclination sensor measuring the inclination of the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis of the beam X This sensor generates a signal whose amplitude is a function of the inclination of the attitude of the drone with respect to the horizontal plane H. When this signal is greater or less than a predetermined amplitude value, the central unit 4a drives the displacement means 30 to move the support 13 in order to return the amplitude value in a window of predetermined amplitude value. With reference to FIGS. 3A and 3B, when the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis 5 X of the beam has a negative angle of inclination -a with respect to the horizontal plane H, a displacement L1 of the battery 12 towards the second end 10b of the beam 10 will bring the angle of inclination a to a zero value. Conversely, when the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis X of the beam has a positive angle of inclination + a with respect to the horizontal plane H, a displacement L2 of the battery 12 towards the frame 2 will reduce the angle of inclination α to zero. This last embodiment makes it possible to equip the drone 1 according to the invention with a plurality of tools the use of which could unbalance the drone, such as for example drilling drills. Indeed, to use a drill bit drilled through a drill bit fitted to the movable head 11a, the head 11a of the drone 1 is deployed so as to have an advance movement in the drilling direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction X of the beam 10. A change of material of the pierced part or the breakage / seizure of the drill will cause a sudden change of resistance resulting in an unbalance of the attitude of the drone 1 which can make it fall.
    [0007] The use of the battery 12 as a mobile counterweight to correct the inclination of the attitude of the drone 1 along the longitudinal axis X with respect to the horizontal plane H thus makes it possible to safely use the articulated arm 11 for drilling. This counterweight makes it possible to quickly rebalance the drone 1, since even a limited movement of the battery significantly modifies the position, along the longitudinal axis X, of the center of gravity of the drone, while the use of a servomotor 32 makes it possible to This counterweight system is furthermore simple to implement and does not require, in addition to the low weight servomotor 32, the addition of a single counterweight. extra weight since it is the battery 12 of the drone is used.
    [0008] In another embodiment of the invention, the beam 10 is fixed to the frame via insulation and damping means 20 located under the central portion 3. Said means 3036381 6 comprising at least one surface attached to the beam covering a surface fixed to the frame, said two surfaces being fixed together with at least one damping element of elastic material arranged between them.
    [0009] With reference to FIG. 4 and in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the insulation and damping means 20 of the beam 10 to the chassis 3 comprise a first support 30 fixed to the central part of the chassis 3, between the end of the legs 8 and the frame 3 and a second support 31 fixed to the beam 10. The two supports 31,32 face each other and both comprise a frame (not shown) substantially parallelepipedic. A tray is fixed to each corner of a frame and the trays are arranged so that each plate 42 of the second support 32 faces and covers a plate 41 of the first support 31. Each of the trays 41, 42 comprises three holes distributed according to a triangular diagram and which are coaxial with the three holes made on the plateau facing it. Two trays 41, 42 facing one another are attached to each other via three bolt-type fasteners 50 inserted into the three holes and arranged so that the two trays have a non-zero space therebetween. For each bolt 50, a sleeve 51 made of an elastic material such as the damper rubber is attached to the bolt shank and is positioned in the space between the two trays.
    [0010] Each tray may thus have limited relative movement in the three directions relative to the tray facing it. The insulation and damping means 20 make it possible to maintain the balance of the drone 1 in flight during the use of the articulated arm 11 by absorbing forces exerted by the arm on the chassis via the beam. Absorbed forces include those induced by the movements of the head 11a operable at different angles or by torques induced by the use of certain tools, such as screwdrivers or drill bits. In relation with FIG. 5 and in another embodiment of the invention, the drone 1 according to the invention comprises an attachment arm 50 of the drone on a surface. This embodiment is compatible with the other embodiments described above. The attachment arm 50 is a deployable arm fixed to the frame 2 and can be deployed parallel to the beam 10. The free end of the attachment arm comprises a hooking means 51 of the suction cup or gripper type, which when the arm 11 is deployed completely, extends beyond the first end 10a of the beam carrying the articulated arm 11. Note that when the attachment means 51 is sucker type, the arm attachment 50 is associated with pneumatic means (not shown) connected to the suction cup so as to create and maintain a vacuum in the suction cup to glue it to a surface or to inject air into the suction cup to unhook it from a surface . Such a latching arm 50 is driven by the central unit 4a as a function of signals received by the transmitting / receiving means 4d and coming from an operator of the drone 1. The attachment of the attachment means 51 of the arm to a surface provides increased stability to the drone 1 allowing it to operate on a fuselage more accurately and less stressing propellant groups 10 to ensure the stability of the drone. The autonomy of the drone 1 is thus improved. Preferably, the drone 1 comprises two attachment arms 50 located on either side of the beam 10 in order to increase the flight stability of the drone 1. When the attachment arm (s) 50 are attached to a surface and that the movable head 11a of the articulated arm 11 is equipped with a drill bit, the advancement of the drone 1 towards the piercing direction is accompanied by a progressive withdrawal of the arm or arms to reduce their longitudinal extension. In the examples described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, the drone 1 is equipped with four propulsion units 6. The invention is in no way restricted to this number and the description above is applicable to any drone comprising minus three propulsive groups so as to ensure sufficient flight stability to the drone.
    权利要求:
    Claims (1)
    [0001]
    CLAIMS1) Multicopter type drone (1) comprising a substantially plane frame (2) on which are arranged a central unit (4a) connected to at least one inclination sensor (4b) generating a signal relating to the inclination of the attitude of the drone with respect to a horizontal plane (H), a battery (12) and at least three propulsion units (5) adapted to propel the drone and piloted by the central unit, characterized in that the drone (1) comprises in addition an articulated arm (11) arranged on a beam (10) fixed to the frame (2), the beam extending on both sides out of the frame and comprising a first end (10a) and a second end (10b). ) located on either side of the chassis, the articulated arm (11) being arranged on said first end and the battery (12) being fixed to a support (13) arranged on said second end.2) 3) 4) Drone (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulated arm comprises a movable head (11a) located at its free end, the head being fixed in ball-and-socket relation relative to the arm (11) and being able to be deployed in translation in a direction parallel to the longitudinal axis of the Drone beam (X) (1 ) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the support (13) is movable along the second end of the beam (10). Drone (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the drone (1) comprises displacement means (30) of said support driven by the central unit (4a) to move the support along the the second end of the beam (10b) as a function of the signal generated by the at least one inclination sensor measuring the inclination of the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis of the beam (X). 5) Drone (1) according to any one of claims 3 to 4, characterized in that the carrier (13) is movable on at least one rail (31) arranged on the beam (10). 6) Drone (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the displacement means (30) comprise a servomotor (32). 7) Drone (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the beam (10) is fixed to the frame (2) via insulation means and damping (20) of the beam by relative to the frame, said means comprising at least one fixed surface (42) to the beam covering a surface (41) fixed to the frame, said two surfaces being fixed to each other with at least one element of elastic material (51) arranged between them . 8) Drone (1) according to claim 7, characterized in that the insulation and damping means (20) comprise four plates (42) fixed to the beam and four plates (41) fixed to the frame (2), each tray (42) fixed to the beam covering a plate fixed to the frame (41), each plate (41, 42) comprising three bores distributed in a triangular pattern and coaxial with three bores made on a plate facing said each plate, two trays. facing each other are secured to one another via three bolt-type fasteners (50) inserted into the three holes. 9) Drone (1) according to any one of claims 7 to 8, characterized in that a member of elastic material (51) is a sleeve. 10) A method of using a drone (1) with an articulated arm according to claim 4, characterized in that the method comprises measuring, via the at least one inclination sensor (4b), the angle of inclination of the attitude of the drone along a longitudinal axis of the beam (X) with respect to the horizontal plane (H); and when the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis of the beam has a negative angle of inclination (-a) with respect to the horizontal plane (H), the displacement of the support towards the second end of the beam via the means of movement controlled by the central unit - when the attitude of the drone along the longitudinal axis of the beam has a positive angle of inclination (+ a) with respect to the horizontal plane (H), the displacement of the support towards the via the moving means controlled by the central unit.
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    FR3036381B1|2017-05-12|
    引用文献:
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    US20090050750A1|2007-06-11|2009-02-26|Honeywell International Inc.|Airborne Manipulator System|
    JP2010058779A|2008-09-05|2010-03-18|Tokyo Denki Univ|Flying robot|
    WO2012013878A1|2010-07-27|2012-02-02|Cofice|Device for non-destructively checking structures, comprising a drone and an onboard measurement probe|
    ES2508990A1|2013-04-16|2014-10-16|Universidad De Sevilla|System of compensation of displacement of the center of gravity by handling of loads for underground aerial system equipped with robot arm. |
    WO2015035428A2|2013-07-02|2015-03-12|Pons Jasper Mason|Airborne scanning system and method|
    EP2832641A1|2013-07-29|2015-02-04|OIC-GmbH|Aircraft for conveying one or more recorders and system for the same|WO2017178898A3|2017-07-27|2018-06-07|Wasfi Alshdaifat|Robotic technician drone|
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    US10620002B2|2017-11-14|2020-04-14|Saudi Arabian Oil Company|Incorporate wall thickness measurement sensor technology into aerial visual inspection intrinsically safe drones|
    FR3087271A1|2018-10-12|2020-04-17|Institut De Soudure|NON-DESTRUCTIVE AERIAL CONTROL DEVICE|
    EP3738892A1|2019-05-13|2020-11-18|The Boeing Company|In-service maintenance process using unmanned aerial vehicles|
    WO2020254526A1|2019-06-18|2020-12-24|Total Se|Drone equipped with an ultrasonic sensor|
    EP3862267A1|2020-02-05|2021-08-11|The Boeing Company|Repair of structures using unmanned aerial vehicles|
    US11275391B2|2019-05-13|2022-03-15|The Boeing Company|In-service maintenance process using unmanned aerial vehicles|
    法律状态:
    2016-05-20| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 2 |
    2016-11-25| PLSC| Search report ready|Effective date: 20161125 |
    2017-05-23| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 3 |
    2018-05-22| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 4 |
    2019-05-23| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 5 |
    2020-05-22| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 6 |
    2021-05-20| PLFP| Fee payment|Year of fee payment: 7 |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    FR1554479A|FR3036381B1|2015-05-19|2015-05-19|FLYING DRONE|FR1554479A| FR3036381B1|2015-05-19|2015-05-19|FLYING DRONE|
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