Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a collapsible carriage and release system that enables the transport and release of munition for unmanned aerial vehicles.

State of the Art

Military aircraft are equipped with various hanger equipment for transporting the munition. Hanger equipment is the equipment that allows the load transported in the military aircraft to be connected to the vehicle, transported on the aircraft, and released from the aircraft. The release mechanisms are hanger equipment that allows the transported munition to be safely separated from military aircraft when desired.

Today, unmanned aerial vehicle technology, which is one of the military aircraft, is also developing at a rapid pace. It can perform many tasks autonomously without human factor. It is widely used in many areas such as search and rescue, useful load transportation, vision control in a certain area, military, and civil aviation, and at the same time its usage areas are expanding.

Since there is no need for a pilot in unmanned aerial vehicles, more useful loads can be carried. They can function in environments that pose a risk to the personnel. Even if the contact with the ground control station is lost, it can fulfill the task by means of its ability to be planned in advance.

The payload system in autonomously moving Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) is frequently used in civil and military areas. It is of great importance that the useful load taken from the location determined in the operation regions where the geographical conditions are unfavorable is followed by a certain route and released to the targeted location with minimum error. In order to successfully perform such missions, the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) should follow the determined route with minimum error. When the studies in the literature are examined, it is observed that many studies have been carried out recently on the subject of UAVs carrying useful loads and releasing this load to the targets by following a determined route. Various controllers are suggested to solve the route tracking problems of UAVs.

In the prior art, transport systems are used to connect the useful loads to the aircraft and release them from the aircraft at a desired time. Said transport systems should be practical such that the useful loads can be easily connected and disconnected from the aircraft when desired, however, they also should be reliable so as to prevent the useful load from disconnecting the aircraft when it is not desired.

The invention subject to the patent numbered "TR 2017/22464" in the state of the art is a system that is used for offensive purposes in the defense industry, and that enables weapons, explosives, and unguided rockets to be loaded onto unmanned aerial vehicles and used to destroy targets miles away by means of this remotely controlled aerial vehicle. Weapons used in close combats, such as RPG-7 anti-personnel and warhead rockets, Law M-72 rocket or explosives grenades, flare, mortar shells, and improvised explosive have been integrated into unmanned aerial vehicles and have been made possible to use them at a distance of kilometers by means of the invention.

The invention that is the subject of the patent numbered "WO2018195575A1" in the state of the art relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a propulsion unit to enable the flight of the aircraft in the airspace and a data processing unit to control a position in the airspace. It can also be designed as any aircraft, zeppelin, balloon, etc. that can be fixed in the airspace of the unmanned aerial vehicle. It is possible to direct the aircraft to a certain position in the airspace or the flying speed along a certain route in the airspace. Position information and alignment information may be temporal or spatial. It is stated that said invention can be used for ammunition launching as well as for fireworks.

The invention that is the subject of the patent numbered "US 8997677 B1" in the state of the art relates to lightweight, targeting control apparatus that can be carried by and launched from an unmanned aerial vehicle. The targeting control apparatus comprises a control unit and a communication device. The transmission of the release signal to the control unit is carried out in response to the communication device receiving a control signal transmitted from a separate source. In the available system, there are usually systems that are large in volume, have a long production process, and are costly. In addition, there is a problem of releasing the useful load and munition in an uncontrolled manner in the systems available in the state of the art.

Consequently, the disadvantages disclosed above and the inadequacy of available solutions in this regard necessitated making an improvement in the relevant technical field.

Brief Description and Objects of the Invention

The present invention relates to a collapsible carriage and release system that enables the transport and release of munition for unmanned aerial vehicles and that meets all the aforementioned requirements, that eliminates all disadvantages, and provides further advantages.

The most important object of the present invention is to provide a modular carriage and release system that can be adapted to unmanned aerial vehicles. In the system developed by means of the present invention, it is ensured that the useful load and munition are connected to the unmanned aerial vehicles and released from the aircraft when desired.

Another object of the present invention is to prevent the untimely release of the useful load. To this end, there is a communication module in the system.

Yet another object of the present invention is to make the operations of security and military units in residential area and in the field more reliable, and to provide the opportunity of a sudden and tactical attack to terrorist units aiming to eliminate the loss of personnel. To this end, the useful load carriage and release system that uses a communication system can be applied to unmanned aerial vehicles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a useful load carriage and release system that can be applied to all unmanned aerial vehicles.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a useful load carriage and release system that can operate in adverse weather conditions. Description of the Figures

FIGURE 1 is a drawing that illustrates the main mechanical unit in the useful load carriage and release system of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a drawing that illustrates the main mechanical unit in the useful load carriage and release system of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a drawing that illustrates a triple assembled view of the useful load carriage and release system of the present invention.

Description of Elements/Parts of the Invention

The parts and elements of the modular useful load carriage and release system, which is developed by means of the present invention, are enumerated, and numbers corresponding the respective parts are provided below:

1. Main Body

2. Left framework cover

3. Right framework cover

4. Motor

5. Microcontroller card with receiver communication module

6. Control with transmitter communication module

Detailed Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to a collapsible carriage and release system that enables the transport of munition for unmanned aerial vehicles.

As shown in figure 1 , the carriage and release system is disassembled, and the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3) are joined in the main body (1 ) part, on which the motor (4) is also mounted and supported by a shaft in a single axis from the housings at the center. Thus, it is ensured that manually loaded munition remains stable until it is released. The present invention comprises at least one left framework cover (2) and right framework cover (3) adjacent to the main body (1 ), which open according to the command (6) received from the transmitter with the transmitter communication module when the useful load is to be released by means of being triggered by the motor (4) with which it is connected to the shaft, by means of the microcontroller card (5) with the receiver communication module; motor (4) that allows the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3) to separate from each other and release the useful load; and communication modules (microcontroller card with receiver communication module (5) and control with transmitter communication module (6)) that command when the useful load between the left framework cover (2) and the left framework cover (3) will be released according to the coordinates and images received from the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In the carriage and release system developed by means of the present invention, the munition is placed manually before the flight. The location where the munition will be sent is known according to the coordinates and images taken over the unmanned aerial vehicle. Determining the location is related to the GPS (Global Positioning System) system and imaging system of the unmanned aerial vehicle used.

In order for the useful load (munition) to make free fall movement, the movement of the pin is provided by energizing the motor (4), which is working linearly from the relevant altitude. The left framework cover (2) and right framework cover (3) are released together with the movement of the bearing pin, and free-fall movement of the munition is provided.

Figure-2 shows the assembled system elements. The system is mounted by means of the Carbon fiber connection arms and fasteners made of plastic material of sufficient strength, as in Figure-3, which are connected to the body of a rotary wing unmanned aerial vehicle (drone, etc.), and can be adjusted by adding or removing units according to the load capacity.

The main body (1 ) can be made of a PLA-style plastic material of sufficient strength, from which elements such as the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3) can be produced by any production method. the digital input of the microcontroller card (5) with receiver communication module can be used with model UAV control signal or any transceiver module with a communication frequency below or above 2.4GHz. Any of these 3 input options can be set on the system. These input options can be selected within the user's preference. In case any command to release the useful load from the selected input, the system is locked to said input and listens to said input until it restarts.

According to the command received, the relevant operation is performed. The commands received may be driving the first motor, driving the second motor, driving the third motor, releasing the useful load, notifying the location where the useful load will be taken, verifying that the payload is locked between the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3), and informing that the useful load is left to the relevant place by opening the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3). Commands are given with digital, analog, and servo signals.

In the first command from the input, the system listens for the incoming signal for 3 seconds, and at the end of this period, it determines the useful load desired to be released over the signal and transmits the load release command to the related arm. After the load release command, the relevant useful load is released to the area.

In the carriage and release system developed by means of the present invention, the number of the left framework cover (2) and the right framework cover (3), between which the useful load is kept, can be increased according to the need. For example, Figure-3 illustrates a system where 3 number of useful loads (munition) can be held and then released into the relevant area. In that case, the number of motor (4) and main body (1 ) can also be increased by increasing the number of left framework cover (2) and right framework cover (3).