Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Used in Fishing

• US 20180370632A1
• Filed: 07/09/2017
• Published: 12/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ningbo Pelican Drone Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ningbo Pelican Drone Company Limited
• Inventors: GAN, TAO
• Granted Patent: US 10,427,789 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 79/00 Methods or means of catching fish in bulk not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K77/00, e.g. fish pumps; Detection of fish; Whale fishery
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 83/00 Fish-hooks
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 91/02 Devices for casting lines
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 93/00 Floats for angling, with or without signalling devices
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/02 Devices for laying ground-bait, e.g. chum dispensers , e.g. also for throwing ground-bait
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 97/125 using electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 99/00 Methods or apparatus for fishing not provided for in groups A01K69/00 - A01K97/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/00 Dropping, ejecting, releasing, or receiving articles, liquids, or the like, in flight with respect to weapon sights devices F41G takes precedence, parachutes per se B64D17/00; ejectable seats B64D25/10; ejectable capsules B64D25/12; refuelling during flight B64D39/00; launching apparatus for projecting projectiles or missiles F41F1/00, F41F7/00; rocket or torpedo launchers F41F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/02 Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/22 Taking-up articles from earth's surface
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/05 for sports or gaming, e.g. drone racing
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 15/96 for locating fish
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0094 involving pointing a payload, e.g. camera, weapon, sensor, towards a fixed or moving target

Abstract

The present disclosure discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising a housing having a top part and a bottom part, a plurality of arms arranged on the top part, each arm having a motor and an airscrew, a battery unit arranged within the housing, a processor arranged within the housing, a sonar unit having a wire connected thereto, and a positioning unit detachably mounted within a mounting groove recessed from the bottom part, wherein the positioning unit is connected to the wire and configured to retract or release the wire. An UAV readily configured for fishing can be provided by embodiments of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used in fishing, comprising:

a housing, said housing having a top part and a bottom part;

a plurality of arms arranged on the top part, each arm having a motor and an airscrew;

a battery unit arranged within the housing;

a processor arranged within the housing;

a sonar unit having a wire connected thereto; and

a positioning unit detachably mounted within a mounting groove recessed from the bottom part, wherein the positioning unit is connected to the wire and configured to retract or release the wire.

2. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the positioning unit comprises a rotator to engage the wire and a power component to actuate the rotator.

3. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the positioning unit comprises a supporting component to support the wire, and a first sensor to sense the force between the wire and the supporting component, and wherein the processor is configured to instruct the power component to stop or decelerate in response to the first sensor sending a signal to the processor indicating the sensed force is less than a first predetermined threshold.

4. The UAV of claim 3, wherein the first sensor comprises a first microswitch in contact with the supporting component, and wherein the processor is configured to instruct the power component to stop or decelerate in response to the first microswitch sending a signal to the processor indicating a displacement of the supporting component caused by a change in the force between the wire and the supporting component.

5. The UAV of claim 4, wherein the supporting component is hinged within the positioning unit, and wherein the processor is configured to instruct the power component to stop or decelerate in response to the first microswitch switching off due to a rotation of the supporting component caused by a change in the force between the wire and the supporting component.

6. The UAV of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a second sensor to detect the distance between the sonar unit and the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to instruct the power component to stop in response to the second sensor sending a signal to the processor indicating a detected distance between the sonar unit and the housing is less than a second predetermined threshold.

7. The UAV of claim 6, wherein the second sensor comprise second microswitch arranged on the housing, and wherein the processor is configured to instruct the power component to stop in response to the second microswitch sending a signal to the processor indicating a contact of the second microswitch with the sonar unit.

8. The UAV of claim 2, wherein the power component comprises a driving shaft on one end, the positioning unit comprises a fixing shell and a back shell covering the power component, the rotator is arranged on the back shell and engages with the driving shaft, and the fixing shell is connected to the back shell to form a first cavity to contain the power component.

9. The UAV of claim 8, wherein the positioning unit comprises a front shell which is connected with a rim of the back shell to form a second cavity to contain the rotator, and wherein the rim extends from a side of the back shell away from the driving shaft and engages with an end region of the rotator.

10. The UAV of claim 8 wherein the front shell comprises a linking component in connection with the rim and a lid detachably connected to the linking component.