JP2018122781A - Method of exchanging battery during flight of multicopter, supply side multicopter, and supplied side multicopter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To extend the flying time of a multicopter without restricting a place of use and without causing a large waste in flying of the multicopter.SOLUTION: A method of exchanging a battery during flight of a multicopter, according to an aspect of the present invention, comprises: a first step in which a supply side multicopter holding a supply battery and a supplied side multicopter that is the object to be supplied with a battery, while flying each other, secure a supply path for supplying a battery between both multicopters; a second step in which the supply side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supplied side multicopter via the supply path; a third step in which the supplied side multicopter receives the supply battery supplied from the supply side multicopter; and a fourth step in which the supplied side multicopter exchanges a loaded battery mounted on the supplied side multicopter for the supply battery received from the supply side multicopter.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery replacement method, a supply-side multicopter, and a supplied-side multicopter during flight of the multicopter.

  In recent years, the use of multicopters (also referred to as “drones”) has been spreading for various uses such as aerial photography, land surveying, and article transportation. However, various problems still remain regarding the use of multicopters. One of the major problems of the multi-copter is that the cruising time is short.

  The multicopter precisely controls the rotational speeds of a plurality of rotors, each driving a propeller, by an electronic control system in order to balance the flight. A battery is used for this electronically controlled power supply, but the energy density of the battery is inferior to that of fossil fuel. Therefore, in general, the multicopter has a short cruising time of about 30 minutes, and the appearance of a multicopter that can withstand long-time continuous reading navigation is desired.

JP 2006-074257 PR

Masao Otsuka, Ai Ozawa, Nanana Takahashi, Yuta Kuchina, Manabu Yamada, "Aerospace Water Universal Two-Wheeled Four-Rotor Helicopter and Automatic Battery Changer", Robotics and Mechatronics Lecture Meeting Summary 2015, "2A1-F06 (1 ) "-" 2A1-F06 (4) ", May 2015

  Patent Document 1 proposes a method of extending the cruising time of a multicopter by performing wired power feeding from the ground. However, in this method, the multicopter flies in a state where the multicopter is connected to a power transmission cable extending from a power feeding device arranged on the ground. Therefore, the flight range of the multicopter is limited to the range where the power transmission cable extends, and the degree of freedom of flight of the multicopter is impaired.

  In addition, high-voltage power cables will move around the ground in response to the flight of the multicopter. Therefore, the power transmission cable is cut by an obstacle on the ground, and this may cause a great danger to the surrounding area where the multicopter flies. Therefore, the method proposed in Patent Document 1 can be used only in a limited place.

  Further, Non-Patent Document 1 proposes a method of expanding a multicopter activity range by providing a battery replacement place and replacing the multicopter battery at the replacement place. However, it is difficult to adopt this method in disaster areas where it is difficult to provide a battery replacement place, such as at sea. In addition, the travel of the multicopter is wasted as long as it moves to the exchange place and stops at the exchange place. Therefore, the conventional method has a problem that the place of use is limited and the multi-copter sails with great waste.

  In one aspect, the present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and the purpose of the present invention is not to limit the place of use, and to avoid a great waste in the navigation of the multicopter. It is to provide technology that extends time.

  The present invention employs the following configuration in order to solve the above-described problems.

  That is, the battery replacement method during flight of a multicopter according to one aspect of the present invention includes a multi-copter that holds a battery for supply and a multi-copter that is a supply target of the battery while the two multi-copters are in flight. A first step of securing a supply path for supplying a battery between, and a second step in which the supply-side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supplied-side multicopter via the supply path; A third step in which the supplied-side multicopter receives the supply battery supplied from the supply-side multicopter, and a supplied battery in which the supplied-side multicopter is mounted on the supplied-side multicopter A fourth step of replacing the supply battery received from the multicopter; Provided.

  In the above configuration, the supply-side multicopter and the supplied-side multicopter fly with each other, and the battery is supplied from the supply-side multicopter to the supplied-side multicopter. Thereby, if it is the range which can fly the supply side multicopter, the battery of a to-be-supplied multicopter can be replaced | exchanged, without restrict | limiting a utilization place substantially. In addition, the supply-side multicopter approaches the supply-side multicopter and the battery of the supply-side multicopter is replaced, so that it is possible to prevent a large waste in navigation of the supply-side multicopter. Therefore, according to the above configuration, the travel time of the multicopter can be extended without restricting the place of use and without causing great waste in the navigation of the multicopter. “Multi-copter” refers to all helicopters having two or more propellers. In addition to a relatively small drone that has three or more propellers and is used for transportation of goods, aerial photography, etc., the tail And a general helicopter each having a propeller at the top of the main body.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, in the first step, the supply-side multicopter may fly above the supplied-side multicopter, and in the second step, the supply-side multicopter is The supply battery may be supplied to the supplied multicopter by dropping the supply battery along the supply path. According to the said structure, the cost concerning battery supply can be reduced by utilizing gravity effectively for the movement of the battery from a supply side multicopter to a to-be-supplied side multicopter. Moreover, since both multicopters are arranged up and down during battery replacement, the battery can be moved while maintaining the posture in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the battery can be replaced stably.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, in the first step, the supply-side multicopter flying above the supply-side multicopter hangs down a hanging member as the supply path, and the supply-side multicopter However, the supply path may be secured between the two multicopters by receiving the hanging member suspended from the supply-side multicopter, and in the second step, the supply-side multicopter is attached to the hanging member. The supply battery may be supplied to the supplied multicopter by lowering the supply battery along the line. In this configuration, by using the drooping member, it is possible to reliably move the supply battery along the supply path. Therefore, according to the said structure, replacement | exchange of a battery can be made smooth. The drooping member may be a member that is hung from the supply-side multicopter and can form a supply path between both multicopters, and may be a member formed in a linear shape such as a wire or a rod. In addition, a rod-shaped member having a plurality of joints and capable of extending and contracting in the vertical direction may be used as the hanging member.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the one aspect, the drooping member may be configured to have rigidity in at least one direction. In the said structure, the vibration of the drooping member at the time of battery replacement | exchange can be suppressed by utilizing the drooping member which has rigidity. Thereby, according to the said structure, the burden of the supply side multicopter can be reduced.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the one aspect, the supply-side multicopter may include a drive unit configured to be able to wind and feed the drooping member, and in the first step, the drive unit The supply-side multicopter may hang down the drooping member by extending the drooping member. According to the said structure, it can wind up and accommodate so that a drooping member may not hang down in scenes other than battery replacement | exchange. Thereby, for example, when the supply-side multicopter flies toward the replenishment-side multicopter, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of inadvertent accidents such as the hanging member being caught by an obstacle.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, the supply-side multicopter may include a holding member configured to hold the supply battery and be movable in the vertical direction along the hanging member. In the second step, the supply-side multicopter supplies the supply-use battery to the supplied-side multicopter by lowering the holding member holding the supply-use battery along the hanging member. It's okay. According to the said structure, a battery can be made hard to remove | deviate from a drooping member by a holding member. As a result, the battery can be replaced smoothly.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, the holding member may include a suppression mechanism that suppresses the holding member from freely falling along the hanging member. According to this configuration, when supplying a supply battery from the supply-side multicopter to the supply-side multicopter, it is possible to prevent a large striking force from acting on the supply-side multicopter from the supply battery. As a result, it is possible to reduce the burden on the supplied multicopter during battery replacement.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, the supplied multicopter includes a first battery support portion that supports the mounted battery and a second battery support portion that supports the battery for supply. Each of the first battery support part and the second battery support part may be provided with a battery exchange part configured to be rotatable so that the supply battery and the on-board battery are respectively A protrusion extending in a direction different from the rotation direction of the battery exchange part, and the holding member receives the protrusions of the battery for supply and the mounted battery in the rotation direction of the battery exchange part, and A groove portion configured to prevent the protrusion portion from coming off in a state where the protrusion portion is received; In two steps, the supply-side multicopter may lower the holding member holding the supply battery along the hanging member in a state where the protrusion of the supply battery is received in the groove. In the third step, the supply-side multicopter may receive the supply battery by arranging the supply battery in the second battery support part of the battery exchange part, and in the fourth step, The supplied-side multicopter rotates the battery replacement portion to cause the protruding portion of the battery for supply to come out of the groove portion of the holding member, and the protruding portion of the mounted battery is moved to the position of the holding member. You may exchange the said mounting battery and the said battery for supply by making it accept in a groove part. When the battery is replaced, it is possible to prevent the supply battery and the mounted battery from being removed from the replacement path. As a result, the battery can be replaced smoothly.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the above aspect, the supplied-side multicopter may include a holding portion that holds the hanging member. In the first step, the supplied-side multicopter is provided with the hanging member. When accepting, the hanging member may be gripped by the gripping portion. According to this configuration, the supply-side multicopter can be prevented from being separated from the drooping member by the gripping portion when the battery is replaced. As a result, the battery can be replaced smoothly.

  As another form of the battery replacement method according to the one aspect, in the battery replacement method, after the fourth step, the supply-side multicopter is mounted on the supplied-side multicopter via the supply path. You may further provide the 5th step which collect | recovers the said mounted batteries. And the said supply side multicopter may detach | leave from the said drooping member after the collection | recovery of the said mounted battery is completed. According to the said structure, it can prevent that an unnecessary battery remains in a to-be-supplied side multicopter, or is left in the place near battery replacement | exchange. Moreover, according to the said structure, it can prevent that the said drooping member vibrates by maintaining the state which supported the drooping member with both multicopters while collect | recovering batteries. Thereby, the burden placed on the supply-side multicopter when collecting the battery can be reduced.

  In addition, a supply-side multicopter according to one aspect of the present invention has a plurality of propellers and is configured to be able to fly, a drooping member that hangs downward from the fuselage, and a vertical direction along the drooping member And a battery for supply held movably.

  Further, a supplied-side multicopter according to one aspect of the present invention has a plurality of propellers and is configured to be able to fly, a mounted battery that is mounted on the aircraft and drives the plurality of propellers, and the aircraft A receiving portion that receives a hanging member that is suspended from a supply-side multicopter that flies further above, so that the supply battery and the mounted battery that are dropped from the supply-side multicopter along the hanging member can be exchanged Composed.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the technique which extends the cruising time of a multicopter can be provided, without restrict | limiting a utilization place and producing a big waste in the navigation of a multicopter.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of an application scene of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a perspective view schematically illustrating the supply-side multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 2B is a side view schematically illustrating the supply-side multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the system configuration of the supply-side multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 4A is a perspective view schematically illustrating a state in which the battery according to the embodiment is held by a holding member. FIG. 3B is a perspective view schematically illustrating the holding member according to the embodiment. FIG. 3C is a perspective view schematically illustrating the battery according to the embodiment. FIG. 5A is a perspective view schematically illustrating the supplied-side multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 5B is a plan view schematically illustrating the supplied-side multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the system configuration of the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 schematically illustrates the configuration of the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the configuration of the management terminal according to the embodiment. FIG. 9A schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 9B schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9C schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9D schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9E schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 9F schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9G schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9H schematically illustrates a battery replacement process according to the embodiment. FIG. 9I schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 10A schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement in the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 10B schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement in the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 10C schematically illustrates a battery replacement process in the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 10D schematically illustrates the process of battery replacement in the supplied multicopter according to the embodiment. FIG. 11A schematically illustrates the state of the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter in the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 11B schematically illustrates the state of the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter in the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 11C schematically illustrates the state of the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter in the process of battery replacement according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 schematically illustrates a supplied multicopter according to a modification. FIG. 13 schematically illustrates a supplied multicopter according to a modification. FIG. 14 schematically illustrates a supplied multicopter according to a modification. FIG. 15 schematically illustrates a supplied multicopter according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment according to an aspect of the present invention (hereinafter, also referred to as “this embodiment”) will be described with reference to the drawings. However, this embodiment described below is only an illustration of the present invention in all respects. Various improvements or modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. That is, in implementing the present invention, a specific configuration according to the embodiment may be adopted as appropriate. In the following description, for convenience of description, the description will be made with reference to the direction in the drawing.

§1 Configuration Example First, the application scene of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an example of an application scene of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the two multicopters (1, 2) fly in the air by being controlled by the management terminal 3.

  Among these, the supply-side multicopter 1 is a multicopter that holds a supply battery (a battery 15 described later). On the other hand, the supplied-side multicopter 2 is a multicopter that is a target for receiving battery supply from the supply-side multicopter 1. The supply-side multicopter 2 may be loaded with a load for providing various services such as a photographing device and a package to be delivered.

  In this embodiment, both multicopters (1, 2) secure a supply path for supplying batteries while flying with each other. Then, the supply-side multicopter 1 supplies the battery to the supply-side multicopter 2 through the secured supply path. Thereby, the cruising time of the supplied multicopter 2 can be extended without restricting the place of use and without causing great waste in the navigation of the supplied multicopter 2. Hereinafter, the configuration of each apparatus will be described.

[Supply-side multicopter]
First, the configuration of the supply-side multicopter 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 3. FIG. 2A and 2B are a perspective view and a side view schematically illustrating the supply-side multicopter 1 according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the system configuration of the supply-side multicopter 1 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the fuselage F1 of the supply-side multicopter 1 has a rectangular main body 10 and four propellers 11 arranged around the main body 10 at equal intervals. doing. Each propeller 11 is driven by a rotor 110, whereby the fuselage F <b> 1 of the supply-side multicopter 1 is configured to be able to fly. Each propeller 11 has a rotation range protected by a propeller guard 12. Each propeller guard 12 is composed of an annular frame material arranged so as to sandwich the propeller 11 in the vertical direction.

  The main body 10 is mounted with a substrate (not shown) including a control unit 190 for controlling each part, and a drive battery (not shown) for supplying electricity to each part. Thereby, supply side multicopter 1 is constituted so that electronic control is possible. Further, the main body 10 is equipped with a coupling wire driving unit 13 for driving the coupling wire 131 and a conveyance wire driving unit 14 for driving the conveyance wire 141. Further, a battery 15 for supply is held at the lower part of the main body 10. The supply battery 15 is not used for driving the supply-side multicopter 1 but is supplied from the supply-side multicopter 1 to the supply-side multicopter 2.

  As shown in each drawing, the coupling wire driving unit 13 includes a housing that accommodates the coupling wire 131, a coupling wire servomotor 193 for winding and unwinding the coupling wire 131, and a feeding amount and winding of the coupling wire 131. A rotary encoder 194 for connecting wires for measuring the amount is provided. Thereby, the coupling wire drive part 13 is comprised so that winding and unwinding of the coupling wire 131 are possible.

  Similarly, the transport wire drive unit 14 measures a housing that accommodates the transport wire 141, a transport wire servomotor 195 for winding and unwinding the transport wire 141, and a feeding amount and a winding amount of the transport wire 141. For this purpose, a rotary encoder 196 for transporting wire is provided. Thereby, the conveyance wire drive part 14 is comprised so that winding and unwinding of the conveyance wire 141 are possible.

  The coupling wire 131 is used to form a supply path for supplying the supply battery 15 between the supply-side multicopter 1 and the supply-side multicopter 2. On the other hand, the transport wire 141 is used to transport the battery 15 for supply along the connecting wire 131 which is a supply path.

  Specifically, the connecting wire 131 is drawn out by the connecting wire driving unit 13 and is hung from the machine body F1 (main body unit 10). Thereby, the connecting wire 131 constitutes a supply path between the two multicopters (1, 2). The coupling wire 131 corresponds to the “hanging member” of the present invention, and the coupling wire driving unit 13 corresponds to the “driving unit” of the present invention.

  The coupling wire 131 according to the present embodiment is made of a plate-like metal material curved in the surface direction, and is thus configured to have rigidity in the width direction. The “rigidity” refers to a rigidity that does not cause the coupling wire 131 to bend when a battery is supplied to the supplied multicopter 2 described later. For example, a steel material or the like may be used as the metal material of the bonding wire 131.

  On the other hand, the transport wire 141 is connected to the upper part of the holding member 16 attached to the coupling wire 131. The holding member 16 holds the battery 15 for supply, and is configured to be movable in the vertical direction along the coupling wire 131 by winding and unwinding the transport wire 141. That is, the battery 15 for supply is conveyed along the coupling wire 131 by the movement of the holding member 16.

  Note that the holding member 16 according to the present embodiment is restrained from free falling along the coupling wire 131 by the transport wire 141. Therefore, the transport wire driving unit 14 including the transport wire 141 corresponds to the “suppression mechanism” of the present invention. For such a conveying wire 141, a suspended thread, a teg or the like can be used.

(Battery transport configuration)
Here, the structure which conveys the battery 15 is demonstrated in detail using FIG. 4A-FIG. 4C further. FIG. 4A schematically illustrates a situation where the supply battery 15 is being transported along the coupling wire 131 while being held by the holding member 16. FIG. 4B is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of the holding member 16 according to this embodiment. FIG. 4C is a perspective view schematically illustrating the configuration of the supply battery 15 according to this embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the holding member 16 includes a cylindrical portion 161 through which the coupling wire 131 is inserted, and a flat plate-like holding portion 162 extending from the upper portion of the cylindrical portion 161. A groove portion 163 curved in an arc shape passes through the side surface of the holding portion 162, and a lower portion of the groove portion 163 is opened with a width smaller than the width of the groove portion 163. In addition, an annular wire connecting portion 164 is provided on the upper surface of the holding portion 162, and the transport wire 141 is connected to the wire connecting portion 164.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, the battery 15 for supply includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 151, and a protrusion 154 is provided on the upper portion 152 of the casing 151 via a neck 153. Are connected. The protrusion 154 has a shape curved in an arc shape so as to match the shape of the groove 163 of the holding member 16. On the other hand, the neck 153 is formed to have a width smaller than the open width at the bottom of the groove 163 so that the neck 153 can pass through the open portion at the bottom of the groove 163.

  Thereby, the groove part 163 of the holding member 16 is configured to receive the protrusion 154 from the side surface side and prevent the protrusion 154 from coming off in a state where the protrusion 154 is received. That is, as shown in FIG. 4A, the holding member 16 and the battery 15 are connected so as not to be disengaged in the vertical direction in a state where the protrusion 154 is received in the groove 163. In the present embodiment, the battery 15 is held by the holding member 16 in this state and is conveyed along the coupling wire 131. Note that plus and minus terminals (not shown) are provided at the lower portion of the casing 151.

(System configuration)
Next, the system configuration of the supply side multicopter 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the supply-side multicopter 1 includes a control unit 190 and a communication module 191.

  The control unit 190 is configured to be able to control each unit by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The control unit 190 may be configured by one or a plurality of microcomputers. The communication module 191 is configured to be able to perform wireless data communication with the management terminal 3. A known wireless communication module may be used as the communication module 191.

  The control unit 190 performs data communication with the management terminal 3 via the communication module 191 and controls each unit based on data received from the management terminal 3. For example, the supply-side multicopter 1 includes a GPS information receiving unit 192 that detects the position of its own device based on GPS signals from GPS satellites. The control unit 190 transmits the position measurement result (position information) by the GPS information receiving unit 192 to the management terminal 3. The management terminal 3 creates navigation information up to a desired position based on the position information received from the supply-side multicopter 1, and transmits the created navigation information to the supply-side multicopter 1. The control unit 190 appropriately controls the rotor 110 of each propeller 11 based on the received navigation information. As a result, the supply-side multicopter 1 is flight-controlled so as to move to a desired position.

  Further, for example, the supply-side multicopter 1 includes a battery detection sensor 197 in addition to the transport wire rotary encoder 196. The battery detection sensor 197 is configured by, for example, a micro switch or the like, and is disposed at a position in contact with the supply battery 15 when the supply battery 15 is disposed so as to be in contact with the lower portion of the main body 10. Thereby, the battery detection sensor 197 is configured to be able to detect whether or not a battery is disposed so as to be in contact with the lower portion of the main body 10.

  The control unit 190 refers to the detection results of the transport wire rotary encoder 196 and the battery detection sensor 197, and responds to a command for feeding or winding the transport wire 141 from the management terminal 3, so that the transport wire servomotor 195 is used. May be driven. Thereby, the supply-side multicopter 1 can feed or wind the transport wire 141 and move the battery 15 together with the holding member 16 in the vertical direction.

  In addition, for example, the control unit 190 refers to the detection result of the bonding wire rotary encoder 194 and controls the bonding wire servo motor 193 in response to a command for feeding or winding the bonding wire 131 from the management terminal 3. It may be driven. Accordingly, the supply-side multicopter 1 can hang the coupling wire 131 from the machine body F1 (main body portion 10) or store the coupling wire 131 in the housing. The coupling wire 131 may be wound around a winding core in the housing, and the winding core may be configured to rotate in the winding direction by a spring or the like. Accordingly, the coupling wire 131 may be wound into the housing by preventing the coupling wire servomotor 193 from applying a force in the feeding direction or by weakening the force.

  The supply-side multicopter 1 is configured so as to be able to supply the battery 15 to the supply-side multicopter 2 while transporting the supply battery 15 and flying with each other by the above-described configuration. The operation of the supply-side multicopter 1 during the battery replacement will be described in detail in an operation example described later.

[Supply side multicopter]
Next, the configuration of the supplied multicopter 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A, 5B, and 6. FIG. 5A and 5B are a perspective view and a plan view schematically illustrating the supplied-side multicopter 2 according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 schematically illustrates the system configuration of the supplied multicopter 2 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the machine body F <b> 2 of the supplied multicopter 2 includes a rectangular main body 20, a frame 26 arranged so as to surround the main body 20, and the periphery of the main body 20. And four propellers 21 arranged on the frame body 26 at equal intervals. Each propeller 21 is driven by a rotor 210, whereby the fuselage F <b> 2 of the supplied multicopter 2 is configured to be able to fly.

  A substrate (not shown) including a control unit 290 for controlling each unit is mounted on the main body unit 20. A battery replacement unit 24 is provided in a region adjacent to the main body unit 20. The battery exchange unit 24 includes a circular rotating unit 240, and two battery support units (241 and 243) are provided on the upper surface of the rotating unit 240.

  The first battery support portion 241 adjacent to the main body portion 20 has a pair of terminal portions 242 and supports the mounted battery 25. The on-board battery 25 has the same configuration as the battery 15 for supply described above, and a protrusion 254 is provided on the upper portion of the casing portion via a neck portion. Terminals are provided. The mounted battery 25 is mounted on the first battery support portion 241 in a state where each terminal is connected to the terminal portion 242. Thereby, the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 becomes electronically controllable, and can drive each propeller 21, for example.

  On the other hand, the second battery support portion 243 disposed on the side away from the main body portion 20, that is, on the opposite side to the first battery support portion 241 with the central portion of the rotating portion 240 interposed therebetween has a pair of terminal portions 244. The battery 15 supplied from the supply-side multicopter 1 is supported. Similarly to the first battery support portion 241, each terminal portion 244 of the second battery support portion 243 is connected to each terminal of the supplied battery 15.

  The rotating unit 240 is configured to be rotatable around an axis in a vertical direction (a direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 5B) passing through the center by a rotating unit servo motor 294. Thereby, the battery exchange part 24 can change the position of the 1st battery support part 241 and the 2nd battery support part 243 by rotating the rotation part 240 180 degree | times.

  As shown in FIG. 5B, a U-shaped receiving portion 23 is formed by a frame body 26 in a region near the second battery support portion 243 on the opposite side of the battery exchange portion 24 from the main body portion 20. ing. The receiving part 23 is formed in a size that can receive the coupling wire 131 suspended from the supply-side multicopter 1.

  The propeller guard 22 according to the present embodiment is composed of a pair of vertical frame members, and is formed in a substantially rectangular shape so as to surround the outer periphery of the fuselage F2 of the supplied multicopter 2 so as to protect each propeller 21. Has been. However, in the portion of the receiving portion 23, the propeller guard 22 is curved in an arc shape in the inner direction of the fuselage F2 while surrounding the periphery of each propeller guard 22. As a result, the propeller guard 22 is opened at the receiving portion 23, and the opening width is reduced from the propeller guard 22 toward the receiving portion 23.

(System configuration)
Next, the system configuration of the supplied multicopter 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, the supplied multicopter 2 includes a control unit 290 and a communication module 291. The control unit 290 is the same as the control unit 190, and the communication module 291 is the same as the communication module 191. The control unit 290 performs data communication with the management terminal 3 via the communication module 291, and controls each unit based on data received from the management terminal 3.

  For example, the supplied multicopter 2 includes a GPS information receiving unit 292 that detects the position of its own device based on a GPS signal from a GPS satellite, similarly to the supplied multicopter 1. The control unit 290 transmits the position measurement result by the GPS information receiving unit 292 to the management terminal 3, and receives the navigation information from the management terminal 3 in response to this, and based on the received navigation information, each propeller is received. 21 rotors 210 are appropriately controlled. Thereby, the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 is flight-controlled so that it may move to a desired position.

  Further, for example, the supplied multicopter 2 includes a bonding wire detection sensor 293. The bonding wire detection sensor 293 is configured to be able to detect the bonding wire 131 by, for example, an infrared sensor. The control unit 290 can perform flight control so that the receiving unit 23 receives the coupling wire 131 suspended from the supply-side multicopter 1 while referring to the detection result of the coupling wire detection sensor 293.

  Further, for example, the supplied-side multicopter 2 includes a rotating unit operation detection sensor 295. The rotation unit motion detection sensor 295 is configured such that the positions of the first battery support unit 241 and the second battery support unit 243 are switched by, for example, a microswitch, that is, in this embodiment, the rotation unit 240 has rotated 180 degrees. Is configured to be detectable. The controller 290 appropriately drives the servo motor 294 for the rotating unit while referring to the detection result of the rotating unit motion detection sensor 295 so that the positions of the first battery support unit 241 and the second battery support unit 243 are switched. Thus, the rotating unit 240 can be accurately rotated.

  For example, the supplied multicopter 2 includes a battery attachment detection sensor 296. The battery attachment detection sensor 296 includes, for example, a plurality of microswitches, and each microswitch is disposed in each battery support portion (241, 243). Thereby, the battery attachment detection sensor 296 is configured to be able to detect whether or not a battery is correctly attached to each battery support portion (241, 243). The control unit 290 can notify the management terminal 3 of the detection result of the battery mounting detection sensor 296, for example, to notify that the battery 15 supplied to the second battery support unit 243 is correctly mounted.

(Electronic circuit)
Next, the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter 2 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 schematically illustrates an example of an electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter 2. As shown in FIG. 7, the power supply circuit 201 is electrically connected to each terminal portion (242, 244) of each battery support portion (241, 243). Accordingly, the power supply circuit 201 is configured to be able to supply electricity from the battery mounted on each battery support portion (241, 243) to each portion of the supplied multicopter 2.

  In this embodiment, each terminal part (242, 244) is in parallel, and two relay switches (202, 203) are arranged between the power supply circuit 201 and each terminal part (242, 244). Yes. The first relay switch 202 is directly wired to each terminal portion (242, 244). On the other hand, diodes (204, 205) are arranged between the second relay switch 203 and the terminal portions (242, 244), respectively. Each diode (204, 205) is connected such that the direction from each terminal portion (242, 244) to the power supply circuit 201 is the forward direction.

  The supply-side multicopter 2 is configured to be able to replace the supply battery 15 and the mounted battery 25 dropped from the supply-side multicopter 1 along the coupling wire 131 with the above-described configuration. The operation of the supplied multicopter 2 at the time of battery replacement will be described in detail in an operation example described later.

[Management terminal]
Next, the configuration of the management terminal 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 schematically illustrates the configuration of the management terminal 3 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8, the management terminal 3 includes a control unit 31 including a CPU, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, a storage unit 32 that stores a program 9 executed by the control unit 31, and each multicopter (1, 2) and wireless This is a computer in which a communication module 33 for performing communication, an input device 34 for performing input such as a mouse and a keyboard, and an output device 35 for performing output such as a display and a speaker are electrically connected. The management terminal 3 controls the flight of each multicopter (1, 2) by executing the program 9 by the control unit 31 and exchanging data with each multicopter (1, 2) by wireless communication.

  It should be noted that regarding the specific hardware configuration of the management terminal 3, the components can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate according to the embodiment. For example, the control unit 31 may include a plurality of processors. For example, the input device 34 and the output device 35 may be replaced with a touch panel display. The management terminal 3 may be a mobile phone including a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a PC (Personal Computer), or the like, in addition to a terminal designed exclusively for the service to be provided.

§2 Operation Example Next, an operation example of each multicopter (1, 2) at the time of battery replacement will be described with reference to FIGS. 9A to 9I. 9A to 9I schematically illustrate the process of battery replacement. The battery replacement procedure described below corresponds to the “battery replacement method” of the present invention. However, the procedure described below is only an example, and each step may be changed as much as possible. Further, in the procedure described below, steps can be omitted, replaced, and added as appropriate according to the embodiment. In the present embodiment, each multicopter (1, 2) is controlled by the management terminal 3 to achieve the operation of each step.

  In the previous stage of the battery replacement, the supplied multicopter 2 performs a flight for providing various services while consuming the on-board battery 25. For example, the user can use the supplied multicopter 2 to perform aerial shooting or deliver a package. When the remaining amount of the mounted battery 25 is reduced, the user mounts the battery 15 on the supply-side multicopter 1, causes the supply-side multicopter 2 to fly toward the supplied-side multicopter 2, and Replace the battery.

(First step)
First, in the first step, the supply-side multicopter 1 and the supply-side multicopter 2 secure a supply path for supplying a battery between the two multicopters (1, 2) while flying with each other.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the supply-side multicopter 1 flies over the supply-side multicopter 2. Then, the supply-side multicopter 1 drives the coupling wire driving unit 13 to feed the coupling wire 131 so as to hang down from the body F1. Next, the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 moves to a position where the receiving wire 23 receives the coupling wire 131 suspended from the supply-side multicopter 1 based on the detection result of the coupling wire detection sensor 293. As shown in FIG. 9C, when the supplied multicopter 2 is in a state where the coupling wire 131 is received by the receiving unit 23, both the multicopters (1, 2) are coupled in the vertical direction via the coupling wire 131. As a result, a battery supply path (coupling wire 131) is secured between the two multicopters (1, 2).

  At this time, in the supplied multicopter 2, the frame material of the propeller guard 22 extends toward the receiving portion 23, and the opening width gradually decreases from the propeller guard 22 to the receiving portion 23. Therefore, the supplied multicopter 2 can introduce the coupling wire 131 along the propeller guard 22 toward the receiving portion 23. Thereby, the operation | movement in which the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 receives the coupling wire 131 in the receiving part 23 can be performed smoothly.

  Note that the timing at which the supply-side multicopter 1 moves above the supply-side multicopter 2 may be any time before the coupling wire 131 is unrolled, during unwinding, or after unwinding. The supply-side multicopter 1 may be controlled to fly above the supplied-side multicopter 2, or the supplied-side multicopter 2 may be controlled to fly below the supply-side multicopter 1, Both may be used.

(Second step)
In the next second step, the supply-side multicopter 1 supplies the supply battery 15 to the supply-side multicopter 2 via the supply path secured in the first step.

  In the present embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 1 drops the supply battery 15 along the connecting wire 131. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9D, the supply-side multicopter 1 feeds the supply battery 15 held by the holding member 16 along the coupling wire 131 by paying out the conveyance wire 141 by the conveyance wire driving unit 14. Descent. As a result, the supply battery 15 is supplied from the supply-side multicopter 1 to the supply-side multicopter 2.

  At this time, in this embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 1 is disposed above the supply-side multicopter 2. For this reason, gravity can be effectively used for hanging down the coupling wire 131, lowering the battery 15 for supply, and the like. As a result, the cost for supplying the battery 15 can be reduced. In addition, since both the multicopters (1, 2) are arranged one above the other, the battery 15 can be moved while maintaining the posture in the horizontal direction. Therefore, the battery 15 can be stably moved from the supply-side multicopter 1 to the supply-side multicopter 2.

  In the present embodiment, the protrusion 154 of the battery 15 is received in the groove 163 of the holding member 16, and is prevented from coming off in the vertical direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the supply battery 15 from being detached from the holding member 16 and falling around the multicopters (1, 2) while descending along the coupling wire 131.

(3rd step and 4th step)
As shown in FIGS. 9E and 9F, in the next third step, the supplied multicopter 2 receives the supply battery 15 supplied from the supply multicopter 1. Then, in the next fourth step, the supplied multicopter 2 replaces the mounted battery 25 mounted on its own device with the received battery 15.

  Here, the operation of the supplied multicopter 2 in the third step and the fourth step will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10D. 10A to 10D schematically illustrate the process of battery replacement in the supplied multicopter 2. As shown in FIG. 10A, before receiving the supply battery 15, the supplied multicopter 2 has the mounted battery 25 mounted on the first battery support 241 of the battery replacement unit 24, and the second battery support The part 243 is in an empty state.

  The battery 15 for supply descends along the coupling wire 131 received by the receiving part 23 close to the second battery support part 243. In the third step, as shown in FIG. 10B, the supplied-side multicopter 2 places the descending battery 15 on the second battery support 243. Thereby, the supplied multicopter 2 receives the battery 15 for supply.

  At this time, in the present embodiment, the relative positions in the horizontal direction of both multicopters (1, 2) are constrained to some extent by the connecting wires 131. Further, since the receiving part 23 is adjacent to the second battery support part 243, the coupling wire 131 passes near the second battery support part 243. Furthermore, since the rotation axis of the rotating part 240 is oriented in the vertical direction, the upper surface of the rotating part 240 including the second battery support part 243 is substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the coupling wire 131 extends. For these reasons, in the present embodiment, it is easy to attach the battery 15 for supply to the second battery support portion 243, whereby the third step can be performed smoothly.

  Moreover, in this embodiment, since the holding member 16 is connected with the conveyance wire 141, it is suppressed that it falls freely, and, thereby, the descent | fall speed of the battery 15 can be suppressed. Therefore, when the supply battery 15 reaches the second battery support portion 243, it is possible to prevent a large striking force from acting on the supplied multicopter 2 from the supply battery 15. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the burden on the supplied multicopter 2 in the third step.

  The supplied multicopter 2 can confirm whether or not the supply battery 15 is correctly attached to the second battery support 243 based on the detection result of the battery attachment detection sensor 296. For example, when the battery 15 is not correctly mounted on the second battery support 243, the tubular portion 161 of the holding member 16 is caught by the coupling wire 131 while being lowered, and the battery 15 cannot be lowered to the supplied multicopter 2 In this case, reception of the battery 15 for supply fails. In this case, the transport wire 141 may be wound up by the transport wire drive unit 14 and the supply of the battery 15 for supply by the supply-side multicopter 2 may be attempted again.

  In the next fourth step, as shown in FIG. 10C, the supplied multicopter 2 rotates the rotating part 240 of the battery exchange part 24 to change the positions of the first battery support part 241 and the second battery support part 243. I do.

  Here, as described above, the protrusions (154, 254) are provided on the upper portions of the casings of the batteries (15, 25) placed on the battery support portions (241, 243) via necks. ing. Each neck portion is formed in an arc shape so as to follow the rotation of the rotating portion 240, and thereby each protruding portion (154, 254) has a shape extending in a direction (for example, radial direction) different from the rotating direction. have.

  In addition, the groove portion 163 of the holding member 16 penetrates from the side surface of the holding portion 162 and has a shape curved in an arc shape. Thereby, the groove part 163 is configured to receive the protrusions (154, 254) in the rotation direction of the rotation part 240 and prevent the protrusions (154, 254) from coming off in the other directions. .

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10C, the supplied multicopter 2 can cause the protruding portion 154 of the battery 15 for supply to come out of the groove portion 163 of the holding member 16 by rotating the rotating portion 240. Further, the supplied-side multicopter 2 can cause the groove 163 of the holding member 16 to receive the protrusion 254 of the mounting battery 25 after the protrusion 154 has come out of the groove 163. Thereby, as shown to FIG. 10D, the battery 15 for supply and the mounting battery 25 can be replaced | exchanged.

  Next, the state of the electronic circuit when the battery 15 for supply and the mounted battery 25 are replaced will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A to 11C. 11A to 11C schematically illustrate the state of the electronic circuit of the supplied multicopter 2 in the process of battery replacement. As shown in FIG. 11A, the supply battery 15 is attached to the second battery support 243, but at the stage where the battery 15 and the mounted battery 25 are not replaced, the relay switches (202, 203) The wiring of the second battery support portion 243 is disconnected from the wiring of the first battery support portion 241. Therefore, at this stage, electricity is supplied from the mounted battery 25 to the power supply circuit 201.

  When the battery is replaced in the fourth step, as shown in FIG. 11B, the supplied multicopter 2 connects the first relay switch 202 from the wiring on the first battery support portion 241 side to the second battery support. Switch to the wiring on the part 243 side. As a result, the power supply circuit 201 is supplied with electricity from the battery 15 via the first relay switch 202.

  At this time, the mounted battery 25 and the supplied battery 15 are connected via both relay switches (202, 203). Since the on-board battery 25 is depleted, the voltage of the on-board battery 25 is usually lower than that of the battery 15 just supplied. Therefore, when the supplied battery 15 and the mounted battery 25 are directly connected, a current may flow from the supplied battery 15 to the mounted battery 25, and a short circuit may occur.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the diode 204 is disposed so that the direction from the first battery support 241 to the power supply circuit 201 is the forward direction. In other words, the direction from the second battery support 243 mounted with the supplied battery 15 to the first battery support 241 mounted with the mounted battery 25 is opposite to the diode 204. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a current from flowing from the supplied battery 15 to the onboard battery 25 and to prevent a short circuit as described above.

  Note that when the first relay switch 202 is switched, there is a period in which the first relay switch 202 is not connected to both wires of the first battery support portion 241 and the second battery support portion 243. During this period, electricity is supplied from the mounted battery 25 to the power supply circuit 201 via the diode 204 and the second relay switch 203.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 11C, after electricity is supplied from the battery 15, the supplied multicopter 2 connects the second relay switch 203 to the second connection from the wiring on the first battery support 241 side. Switch to wiring on the battery support 243 side. As a result, the on-board battery 25 is completely disconnected from the power supply circuit 201 and can be removed from the supplied multicopter 2. In other words, the on-board battery 25 can be recovered from the supplied multicopter 2.

(5th step)
After the fourth step, in the next fifth step, the supply-side multicopter 1 collects the mounted battery 25 mounted on the supply-side multicopter 2 via the coupling wire 131.

  In the present embodiment, the mounted battery 25 is held by the holding member 16 in a state where the protruding portion 254 is prevented from being detached by the groove portion 163 by the fourth step. As shown in FIG. 9F, the supply-side multicopter 1 collects the mounted battery 25 from the supply-side multicopter 2 by winding the conveyance wire 141 with the conveyance wire driving unit 14. In the collection of the mounted battery 25, the supply-side multicopter 1 takes up the transport wire 141 by the transport wire driving unit 14 until the battery detection sensor 197 detects that the mounted battery 25 is disposed below the main body 10. May be performed.

  And after collection | recovery of the mounting battery 25 is completed, as shown in FIG. 9H and FIG. 9I, the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 flies in the direction which detach | leaves from the coupling wire 131. FIG. Thereby, the work of battery replacement is completed, and the supplied multicopter 2 can return to providing various services. The supply-side multicopter 1 may move to a place where the on-board battery 25 is collected after winding the coupling wire 131 by the coupling wire driving unit 13.

  In the present embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 2 is detached from the coupling wire 131 after the mounting battery 25 has been collected, so that the coupling wire 131 is connected to both multicopters during the collection of the mounting battery 25. The state supported by (1, 2) can be maintained. The coupling wire 131 is configured to have rigidity in the width direction. For these reasons, it is possible to prevent the coupling wire 131 from vibrating greatly when the mounted battery 25 is recovered. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce the burden on the supply-side multicopter 1 when the on-board battery 25 is recovered.

[Feature]
As described above, in the present embodiment, while the supply-side multicopter 1 and the supply-side multicopter 2 fly with each other, the consumed battery 25 of the supply-side multicopter 2 is replaced with a new battery 15 held by the supply-side multicopter 1. To do. The replacement of the battery can be performed without substantially limiting the place of use as long as the supply-side multicopter 1 can fly. In addition, when the supply-side multicopter 1 approaches the supply-side multicopter 2 and the battery is replaced, it is possible to prevent the waste of the supply-side multicopter 2 from being lost. . Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to extend the cruising time of the supplied multicopter 2 without restricting the place of use and without causing great waste in the navigation of the supplied multicopter 2.

  In the present embodiment, most equipment used for battery replacement such as the connecting wire 131 is mounted on the supply-side multicopter 1. Therefore, there are few restrictions on the specifications for battery replacement for the supplied multicopter 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the to-be-supplied multicopter 2 can be set as the structure suitable for provision of various services.

  In the present embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 1 includes the coupling wire driving unit 13 for winding and unwinding the coupling wire 131. Therefore, the supply-side multicopter 1 can wind up the coupling wire 131 so as not to hang down from the machine body F1 before the first step and after the fifth step, and accommodate it in the housing. Accordingly, for example, when the supply-side multicopter 1 flies toward the supplied-side multicopter 2 in order to perform the first step, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of an accident such as the coupling wire 131 being caught by an obstacle. it can.

§3 Modifications As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail. However, the above description is merely an illustration of the present invention in all respects. It goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, the following changes are possible. In the following, the same reference numerals are used for the same components as in the above embodiment, and the description of the same points as in the above embodiment is omitted as appropriate. The following modifications can be combined as appropriate.

<3.1>
For example, in the above embodiment, each multicopter (1, 2) includes four propellers (11, 21). However, the number of propellers of each multi-copter (1, 2) may not be limited to such an example, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. Each multicopter (1, 2) may include a sensor other than the above, such as a gyro sensor for measuring the posture. “Multi-copter” according to the present embodiment refers to all helicopters having two or more propellers, and is a relatively small drone that has three or more propellers and is used for transportation of goods, aerial photography, etc. In addition, a general helicopter having propellers in the tail and the upper part of the main body may be included.

  Further, for example, the supply-side multicopter 1 holds one supply battery 15, and the supply-side multicopter 2 has one mounted battery 25. However, the number of the supply batteries 15 held by the supply-side multicopter 1 and the number of the mounted batteries 25 mounted on the supply-side multicopter 2 may not be limited to such examples, respectively. It may be appropriately selected depending on

<3.2>
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the flight of both multicopters (1, 2) is controlled by one management terminal 3. However, the configuration for controlling each multicopter (1, 2) is not limited to such an example, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. For example, one or a plurality of management terminals may be prepared for each multicopter (1, 2). In addition, each multicopter (1, 2) is not configured to be controlled by an information processing device such as the management terminal 3, but is directly controlled (steered) by a user with a radio controller or the like. It may be configured.

<3.3>
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 1 flies above the supplied-side multicopter 2 when the battery is replaced. However, the arrangement of the two multicopters (1, 2) at the time of battery replacement is not limited to such an example, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. For example, the supply-side multicopter 1 may be configured to supply the battery 15 in the horizontal direction. In this case, when the battery is replaced, the supply-side multicopter 1 may fly to substantially the same height as the supplied-side multicopter 2.

<3.4>
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the coupling wire 131 is used as a hanging member that is hung from the body F1. However, the drooping member may not be limited to such an example. The hanging member may be a member that is hung from the supply-side multicopter and can form a supply path between the two multicopters, and may be a member formed in a linear shape such as a rod in addition to a wire. Further, for example, a rod-shaped member that has a plurality of joints and can be expanded and contracted in the vertical direction may be used as the hanging member.

  Moreover, you may form the supply path | route between both multicopters (1, 2) by methods other than the method of utilizing a drooping member. For example, the supply-side multicopter 1 may include a conveyor device, and the supply device may be formed by spanning the conveyor device to the supply-side multicopter 2. Further, for example, the supply-side multicopter 1 may drop the battery 15 directly toward the supplied-side multicopter 2 as long as the supplied-side multicopter 2 can receive the battery 15. In this case, the dropping path of the battery 15 becomes the supply path.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the battery 15 for supply and the mounted battery 25 are exchanged by rotation in the battery exchange unit 24 of the supplied multicopter 2. However, the battery replacement method in the supplied multicopter 2 may not be limited to such an example, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. For example, when the supply-side multicopter 1 has a robot arm, the supply battery 15 and the onboard battery 25 may be exchanged by this robot arm. In addition, for example, when the supplied multicopter 2 has a plurality of places where the battery can be mounted, the supply side multicopter 1 arranges the supply battery 15 in any of the plurality of battery mounting positions of the supplied multicopter 2. Thereafter, the battery may be replaced by appropriately collecting the mounted battery 25.

<3.5>
Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the coupling wire 131 having rigidity in one direction is used as the hanging member. However, the drooping member may not be limited to such an example, and a drooping member having rigidity in two or more directions such as a metal cylindrical rod may be used. By having rigidity in at least one direction, it is possible to suppress the vibration of the drooping member during battery transportation, thereby reducing the burden on the supply-side multicopter 1 during battery replacement.

  Moreover, you may utilize the drooping member which does not have rigidity, such as a resin string. In the above embodiment, since the supply-side multicopter 1 is disposed above the supply-side multicopter 2, even a hanging member having no rigidity can be hung from the body F1 by gravity. Therefore, a drooping member having no such rigidity can be used to form a supply path between the two multicopters (1, 2).

<3.6>
Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the supply-side multicopter 1 is configured so that the coupling wire 131 can be fed and wound by the coupling wire driving unit 13. However, the coupling wire driving unit 13 may be omitted, and the supply-side multicopter 1 may fly while the coupling wire 131 is suspended.

<3.7>
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the supply battery 15 is held by the holding member 16. However, the holding member 16 may be omitted. For example, the housing of the battery 15 may be provided with a through hole through which the coupling wire 131 passes. Thereby, the battery 15 may be directly connected to the coupling wire 131.

<3.8>
Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the free fall of the holding member 16 and the battery 15 is suppressed by the transport wire 141 and the transport wire driving unit 14. However, such a suppression mechanism that suppresses the free fall of the holding member 16 and the battery 15 may not be limited to such an example, and may be appropriately selected according to the embodiment. For example, a rotary damper may be attached to the cylindrical portion 161 of the holding member 16 as the suppression mechanism. Thereby, the holding member 16 and the battery 15 can be gently dropped along the coupling wire 131.

<3.9>
In addition, for example, the configuration and shape of the airframes (F1, F2) of each multicopter (1, 2) may be changed as appropriate according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 shows an example. The machine body of the supplied multicopter 2 </ b> A illustrated in FIG. 12 is configured with fewer frame materials than the supplied multicopter 2. Thus, you may determine the structure of the body (F1, F2) of each multicopter (1, 2) from a viewpoint of weight reduction.

<3.10>
For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the supplied-side multicopter may include a grip portion 27 that grips the coupling wire 131. The shape and configuration of the grip portion 27 can be appropriately determined according to the embodiment.

  In the supplied side multicopter 2B shown in FIG. 13, the gripping portion 27 is disposed in the vicinity of the receiving portion 23 and is formed in a rod shape. The grip portion 27 has a length that can close the receiving portion 23, and is pivotally supported by the frame material at the end portion. The grip portion 27 is configured to be rotatable about an end portion thereof by a servo motor (not shown). The configuration of the machine body of the supplied side multicopter 2B is the same as that of the supplied side multicopter 2A according to the modified example. The other configuration of the supplied multicopter 2B is the same as that of the supplied multicopter 2 according to the above embodiment.

  The gripping portion 27 can grip (contain) the coupling wire 131 between the receiving portion 23 and the gripping portion 27 by closing the receiving portion 23 after receiving the binding wire 131 in the receiving portion 23. In other words, it is possible to prevent the supplied multicopter 2 from being separated from the coupling wire 131 when the battery is replaced. Thereby, the battery reception and battery replacement in the third step and the fourth step can be performed smoothly.

<3.11>
Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 14, the supplied multicopter pushes in the supply battery 15 received by the second battery support portion 243, and each terminal portion of the supply battery 15 and the second battery support portion. You may provide the pushing part 28 for ensuring the contact with each terminal part 244 of 243. As shown in FIG.

  In the to-be-supplied multicopter 2C shown in FIG. 14, the push-in portion 28 is formed in a substantially L shape, and is supported by the frame material on the upper portion of the first battery support portion 241 at the end portion. And this pushing-in part 28 is comprised by the servomotor (not shown) so that it can rotate around the rotating shaft of a horizontal direction (arrow direction of a figure). The configuration of the machine body of the supplied side multicopter 2C is the same as that of the supplied side multicopter 2A according to the modified example. The other configuration of the supplied-side multicopter 2C is the same as that of the supplied-side multicopter 2 according to the above embodiment.

  In the third step, the push-in unit 28 is driven by a servo motor after receiving the supply battery 15 by the second battery support unit 243, and the upper part of the supply battery 15 is moved as shown in FIG. Can be pushed down. Thereby, contact with each terminal part of the battery 15 for supply and each terminal part 244 of the 2nd battery support part 243 can be ensured.

<3.12>
Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the rotating unit 240 of the battery exchange unit 24 is configured to rotate around a vertical axis. However, the rotation axis of the rotation unit 240 is not limited to such an example, and may be set as appropriate according to the embodiment.

  FIG. 15 illustrates the configuration of the supplied-side multicopter 2D according to this modification. In the supplied side multicopter 2D shown in FIG. 15, the battery replacement unit 24D is disposed above the main body unit 20D. Further, in the rotating part 240D of the battery exchange part 24D, the battery support parts (241D, 243D) are arranged in the vertical direction. Specifically, the first battery support 241D that supports the mounted battery is disposed on the lower side, and the second battery support 243D that receives the battery for supply is disposed on the upper side. The rotation axis of the rotation unit 240D is directed in the horizontal direction (the direction perpendicular to the drawing sheet). That is, the rotating unit 240D is configured to rotate around a horizontal axis. In addition, the structure of the to-be-supplied side multicopter 2D is the same as that of the supply side multicopter 1 according to the above embodiment. The other configuration of the supplied multicopter 2D is the same as that of the supplied multicopter 2 according to the above embodiment.

  In this multi-copter 2D to be supplied, after the battery for supply is received by the second battery support part 243D disposed above, the rotating battery 240D is driven to exchange the received battery for supply and the mounted battery. can do. The battery for supply can be received in the same manner as in the third step because the second battery support 243D is arranged on the upper side and the upper side of the second battery support 243D is open. It is. According to this multi-copter 2D to be supplied, each battery only moves in the vertical direction when the battery for supply and the mounted battery are exchanged. Therefore, the fluctuation of the center of gravity in the supplied multicopter 2D can be reduced during battery replacement. As a result, the battery can be stably exchanged in the supplied multicopter 2D. Note that the rotation axis of the rotation unit 240D may be inclined from the horizontal direction.

<3.13>
Further, for example, in the above embodiment, the supplied multicopter 2 is detached from the coupling wire 131 after the collection of the on-board battery 25 is completed. However, the battery replacement procedure need not be limited to such an example. The supplied multicopter 2 may be detached from the coupling wire 131 before the onboard battery 25 is collected or while the onboard battery 25 is being collected in the fifth step.

1 ... Supply side multicopter, F1 ... Airframe,
10 ... main body, 11 ... propeller, 110 ... rotor, 12 ... propeller guard,
13 ... Coupling wire drive unit, 131 ... Coupling wire,
14 ... conveying wire drive unit, 141 ... conveying wire,
15 ... battery (for supply),
151 ... Case unit, 152 ... Upper part, 153 ... Neck part, 154 ... Protrusion part,
16 ... holding member,
161: cylindrical portion, 162 ... holding portion, 163 ... groove portion, 164 ... wire connecting portion,
190 ... control unit, 191 ... communication module, 192 ... GPS information receiving unit,
193 ... Servo motor for bonding wire,
194 ... Rotary encoder for connecting wire,
195 ... Servo motor for conveying wire,
196 ... Rotary encoder for conveying wire,
197 ... Battery detection sensor,
2 ... Multi-copter to be supplied, F2 ... Airframe,
20 ... main body, 21 ... propeller, 210 ... rotor, 22 ... propeller guard,
23 ... receiving part,
24 ... Battery replacement part,
240 ... rotating part, 241 ... first battery support part, 242 ... terminal part,
243 ... second battery support part, 244 ... terminal part,
25 ... mounted battery, 254 ... projection,
26 ... frame body part, 27 ... grip part,
290 ... Control unit, 291 ... Communication module, 292 ... GPS information receiving unit,
293: Bonding wire detection sensor,
294 ... Servo motor for rotating part, 295 ... Rotating part motion detection sensor,
296 ... Battery attachment detection sensor,
201 ... power supply circuit,
202 ... 1st relay switch, 203 ... 2nd relay switch,
204/205 ... Diodes

Claims (12)

A first step of securing a supply path for supplying a battery between the multicopter while the supply-side multicopter that holds the battery for supply and the supply-side multicopter that is the supply target of the battery fly with respect to each other;
A second step in which the supply-side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supply-side multicopter via the supply path;
A third step in which the supplied multicopter receives the supply battery supplied from the supply multicopter;
A fourth step in which the supplied multicopter replaces the on-board battery mounted on the supplied multicopter with the supply battery received from the supply multicopter;
Comprising
Battery replacement method during flight of multicopter. In the first step, the supply-side multicopter flies over the supplied-side multicopter,
In the second step, the supply-side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supplied-side multicopter by dropping the supply battery along the supply path.
The battery replacement method according to claim 1. In the first step, the supply-side multicopter flying above the supplied-side multicopter hangs down a hanging member as the supply path, and the supplied-side multicopter is suspended from the supplying-side multicopter The supply path is secured between the two multicopters,
In the second step, the supply side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supplied side multicopter by lowering the supply battery along the hanging member.
The battery replacement method according to claim 2. The drooping member is configured to have rigidity in at least one direction.
The battery replacement method according to claim 3. The supply-side multicopter includes a drive unit configured to be capable of winding and unwinding the drooping member,
In the first step, the supply-side multicopter hangs down the drooping member by paying out the drooping member by the drive unit.
The battery replacement method according to claim 3 or 4. The supply-side multicopter includes a holding member configured to hold the supply battery and be movable in the vertical direction along the hanging member.
In the second step, the supply-side multicopter supplies the supply battery to the supplied-side multicopter by lowering the holding member holding the supply battery along the hanging member.
The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 3 to 5. The holding member includes a suppression mechanism that suppresses the holding member from freely falling along the hanging member.
The battery replacement method according to claim 6. The supplied multicopter is a battery exchange unit having a first battery support part for supporting the mounted battery and a second battery support part for supporting the battery for supply, the first battery support part and the first battery support part. 2 provided with a battery exchange part configured to be rotatable so as to change the position of the battery support part,
Each of the supply battery and the on-board battery includes a protrusion that extends in a direction different from the rotation direction of the battery replacement unit,
The holding member receives the protrusions of the supply battery and the on-board battery in the rotation direction of the battery replacement part, and prevents the protrusions from coming down in a state where the protrusions are received. Comprising a groove portion configured in
In the second step, the supply-side multicopter lowers the holding member holding the supply battery in a state where the protruding portion of the supply battery is received in the groove portion along the hanging member,
In the third step, the supply-side multicopter receives the supply battery by arranging the supply battery in the second battery support part of the battery exchange part,
In the fourth step, the supply-side multicopter rotates the battery replacement part to cause the protrusion part of the battery for supply to come out of the groove part of the holding member, and the protrusion part of the mounted battery. Is received in the groove portion of the holding member to replace the mounted battery and the battery for supply,
The battery replacement method according to claim 6 or 7. The supplied-side multicopter includes a grip portion that grips the drooping member,
In the first step, the supply-side multicopter grips the drooping member by the gripping portion when receiving the drooping member.
The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 3 to 8. After the fourth step, the supply side multicopter further includes a fifth step of collecting the mounted battery mounted on the supplied side multicopter via the supply path,
The supplied multicopter is detached from the hanging member after the collection of the mounted battery is completed.
The battery replacement method according to any one of claims 3 to 9. An aircraft having a plurality of propellers and configured to fly;
A hanging member that hangs downward from the aircraft,
A battery for supply held so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the hanging member;
Comprising
Supply side multicopter. An aircraft having a plurality of propellers and configured to fly;
An onboard battery mounted on the aircraft and driving the plurality of propellers;
A receiving portion for receiving a hanging member suspended from a supply-side multicopter flying above the aircraft;
With
The battery for supply dropped along the hanging member from the supply-side multicopter and the mounted battery are configured to be replaceable.
Supply side multicopter.