Charge device for a drone

• US 10,079,497 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2017
• Issued: 09/18/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Coretronic Intelligent Robotics Corporation
• Inventors: Cheng, Hsu-Chih, Chen, Ying-Chieh, Hsieh, Chi-Tong
• Primary Examiner(s): Ngo, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/414,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20180212446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• Field of Search: 320107, 320108, 320109
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/25 for recharging batteries; for refuelling
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0044 specially adapted for holding portable devices containing batteries H02J7/0045 takes precedence

Abstract

A charge device for a drone includes a base and a covering mechanism. The base has a charge portion. The covering mechanism includes two covers, two first position-limiting components and two second position-limiting components. The two covers are movably disposed on the base. The covers are adapted to move toward each other to become a closed state and cover the charge portion, and the covers are adapted to move away from each other to become an expanded state and expose the charge portion. The first position-limiting components are connected to the covers respectively. Each of the second position-limiting components is connected between the covers. When the covers are in the closed state, the first position-limiting components and the second position-limiting components are located above the charge portion. When the covers are in the expanded state, the first position-limiting components and the second position-limiting components are away from the charge portion.

Claims

1. A charge device for a drone, comprising:

a base, having a charge portion; and

a covering mechanism, comprising;

two covers, movably disposed on the base, wherein the covers are adapted to move toward each other to become a closed state and cover the charge portion, and the covers are adapted to move away from each other to become an expanded state and expose the charge portion;

two first position-limiting components, connected to the covers respectively; and

two second position-limiting components, each of the second position-limiting components is connected between the covers.

2. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein when the covers are in the closed state, the first position-limiting components and the second position-limiting components are located above the charge portion, and when the covers are in the expanded state, the first position-limiting components and the second position-limiting components are away from the charge portion.

3. The charge device according to claim 2, wherein when the covers are in the expanded state, the drone is adapted to land on the charge portion or takeoff from the charge portion, and when the covers move from the expanded state to the closed state, the first position-limiting components and the second position-limiting components push the drone located on the charge portion to move to a predetermined position.

4. The charge device according to claim 3, wherein the drone has a plurality of stands for contacting the charge portion, and when the covers move from the expanded state to the closed state, each of the stands is pushed by one of the first position-limiting components and one of the second position-limiting components.

5. The charge device according to claim 3, wherein when the covers are in the closed state, a containing space is formed between the covers and the base and adapted to contain the drone.

6. The charge device according to claim 5, wherein each of the covers has an upper wall and a plurality side walls connected to the top wall, and when the covers are in the closed state, the upper walls are aligned to the charge portion and the side walls surround the charge portion to form the containing space.

7. The charge device according to claim 3, wherein the charge portion has a supporting surface adapted to support the drone, and the covers are slidably disposed on the base along a moving axis parallel to the supporting surface.

8. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first position-limiting components and each of the second position-limiting components are misaligned with each other along a moving axis of the covers.

9. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein the first position-limiting components are fixed at the covers respectively.

10. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the first position-limiting components comprises two first rods, each of the first rods has a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, the first ends are connected to each other, and the second ends are extended toward the corresponding cover.

11. The charge device according to claim 10, wherein each of the first position-limiting components further comprises at least one connecting element, and the at least one connecting element is connected between at least one of the first rods and the corresponding cover.

12. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the second position-limiting components is pivoted between the covers.

13. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the second position-limiting components comprises two second rods, each of the second rods has a third end and a fourth end opposite to the third end, the third ends are pivoted to each other, and the fourth ends are pivoted to the covers respectively.

14. The charge device according to claim 13, wherein each of the second rods comprises a first segment and a second segment slidably disposed on each other, the first segments are pivoted to the covers respectively, and the second segments are pivoted to each other.

15. The charge device according to claim 13, wherein when the covers are in the closed state, a distance between the two second position-limiting components is increased gradually from each of the third ends to the corresponding fourth end.

16. The charge device according to claim 13, wherein the fourth ends are located between the two first position-limiting components.

17. The charge device according to claim 13, wherein each of the second position-limiting components further comprises two extending rods disposed on the second rods respectively, and an extending direction of each of the extending rods is not parallel to an extending direction of the corresponding second rod.

18. The charge device according to claim 1, wherein each of the second position-limiting components comprises two third rods and a fourth rod, each of the third rods has a fifth end and a sixth end opposite to the fifth end, the fifth ends are pivoted to two opposite ends of the fourth rod respectively, and the sixth ends are pivoted to the covers respectively.

19. The charge device according to claim 18, wherein the base has two sliding rails, the two opposite ends of the fourth rod are slidably disposed at the two sliding rails respectively.

20. The charge device according to claim 19, wherein an extending direction of each of the two sliding rails is perpendicular to a moving axis of the covers.