JP2019142406A - Unmanned aircraft - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an unmanned aircraft that can improve strength without a significant increase in weight of the unmanned aircraft itself.SOLUTION: An unmanned aircraft includes: a body part; a plurality of pillars extending from the body part; and a plurality of rotors supported by the pillars. At least two or more rotors are supported by one of the pillars. The rotors respectively have different rotational shafts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to unmanned aerial vehicles.

  In recent years, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles called drones has been sought in various fields. For example, in the transportation industry, the use of unmanned aerial vehicles for the delivery of luggage is being considered. As unmanned aerial vehicles, rotary wing type and fixed wing type are known, but when used for delivery of luggage, rotary wing type multicopter is suitable from the viewpoint of excellent maneuverability and manufacturing cost. It is believed that

  As a multicopter, for example, one in which a single rotor blade (hereinafter also referred to as “rotor”) is arranged on each of a plurality of arms (hereinafter also referred to as “posts”) extending radially from the main body is common. (For example, patent document 1).

International Publication No. 2016/136848

  By the way, in an unmanned aerial vehicle, there is a problem of preventing a crash caused by damage in flight. In the multicopter described in Patent Document 1, in order to prevent damage during flight, for example, it is conceivable to increase the strength of the support by increasing the width of the support. However, in that case, the weight of the unmanned aerial aircraft increases greatly, which causes problems such as a decrease in the loadable weight and a reduction in the flightable time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of improving the strength without greatly increasing the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle itself.

  The gist of the present invention is as follows.

  [1] A main body part, a plurality of support pillars extending from the main body part, and a plurality of rotors supported by the support pillars are provided, and at least two or more rotors are supported by one support pillar. Unmanned aerial vehicles with different rotation axes.

  [2] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to the above [1], which has a storage unit for storing a battery inside the support column.

  [3] As a plurality of support columns, a first support column, a second support column, and a third support column are provided. The first support column extends toward the rear side of the main body, and the left and right in the unmanned aircraft Supports two rotors aligned in the direction, and the second support column extends toward the left side of the main body and supports the two rotors aligned in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft The third support column extends to the right side of the main body and supports two rotors arranged in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft, according to the above [1] or [2] Unmanned aerial vehicle.

  [4] Of the two rotors supported by the second column, the rotor located in the front is closer to the front and rear axes of the unmanned aircraft than the rotor located in the rear, and is supported by the third column. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to [3], wherein the rotor positioned forward is closer to the longitudinal axis of the unmanned aircraft than the rotor positioned rearward.

  [5] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein a part of each rotor is located on the same circumference centered on the center of gravity of the unmanned aircraft.

  [6] The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of [1] to [5], further including a wind tunnel surrounding the rotor.

  [7] In any one of the above [1] to [6], further comprising a hook for gripping the mounted object, wherein the hook functions as a landing leg when the mounted object is not gripped. The unmanned aircraft described.

  In the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention, at least two or more rotors are supported by one strut. That is, in the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention, the number of struts is smaller than that of a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle that supports one rotor by one strut. The weight does not increase significantly compared to conventional unmanned aerial vehicles. Therefore, according to the unmanned aircraft of the present invention, the strength can be improved without greatly increasing the weight of the unmanned aircraft itself.

It is a top view showing an example of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view showing an example of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a side view showing an example of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a top view showing an example of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the monitor screen of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a mimetic diagram showing an example of a controller of an unmanned aerial vehicle concerning an embodiment of the invention.

  In this specification, “unmanned aircraft” refers to, for example, an aircraft that is operated remotely without a person boarding, and specifically, a rotary wing machine including a plurality of rotors, a plurality of rotors, Examples include aircraft with fixed wings. Examples of the “rotary wing machine” include, but are not limited to, a multicopter such as a quadcopter having four rotors, a hexacopter having six rotors, and an octocopter having eight rotors. is not.

  In this specification, the “advance direction” of the unmanned aerial vehicle refers to a direction defined as the forward direction in the design of the unmanned aerial vehicle, for example. Similarly, the “reverse direction” of the unmanned aircraft refers to a direction defined as the reverse direction in the design of the unmanned aircraft, for example. In addition, the “front-rear axis” of the unmanned aircraft refers to an axis that passes through the center of gravity of the unmanned aircraft and is parallel to the forward and backward directions of the unmanned aircraft. Further, the “front-rear direction” of the unmanned aerial vehicle means, for example, a forward direction or a reverse direction of the unmanned aircraft. Further, the “left-right direction” of the unmanned aerial vehicle is, for example, a direction substantially orthogonal to the front-rear direction and a left translation direction or a right translation direction defined in the design of the unmanned aircraft. The “front side” of the main body refers to, for example, the forward direction side of the unmanned aircraft in the main body, and the “rear side” of the main body refers to, for example, the backward direction side of the unmanned aircraft in the main body. That means.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the drawings and the embodiments. Further, the present invention is not limited to the preferable numerical values and configurations described below.

  FIG. 1 is a top view showing an example of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a view when the unmanned aircraft shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front. FIG. 3 is a side view showing an example of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, and is a view when the unmanned aircraft shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the side.

  The unmanned aircraft 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 includes a main body 2, a support 3, a rotor 4, a wind tunnel 5, a front camera 6, a parachute storage unit 7, a hook 8, and a landing leg 9.

  The main body 2 holds a control device (not shown), a battery (not shown), and the like. The control device has, for example, a communication function for transmitting and receiving data wirelessly with a controller and a monitor device, a storage function for storing a control program for the unmanned aircraft 1, a control function for controlling the operation of the unmanned aircraft 1, and the like. I have. The battery is a power source for various devices provided in the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 such as the control device and the rotor 4, and a known battery such as a lithium ion battery can be used. The battery may be used in common for various devices, or a plurality of batteries corresponding to the various devices may be mounted.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the main-body part 2 is equipped with various sensors. Examples of the various sensors include a GPS sensor, a battery remaining amount sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, a tilt sensor, and an acceleration sensor.

  The GPS sensor is, for example, a sensor that detects position information related to latitude and longitude where the unmanned aircraft 1 is located and altitude information related to altitude.

  The battery remaining amount sensor is, for example, a sensor that can detect the remaining amount of the battery for driving the rotor 4. When the battery remaining amount sensor is provided, it is possible to control to automatically return to the departure point when there is a possibility that the remaining amount of the battery is lower than a predetermined threshold value or the amount of power required for the return is found. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a crash accident due to the battery running out.

  The various sensors are preferably connected to the control device wirelessly or by wire. The control device changes the operation control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to information sent from various sensors, or transmits the information to the monitor device.

  The shape of the main body 2 is not particularly limited and can be appropriately designed according to the number of rotors. When six rotors are provided as shown in FIG. 1, the shape of the main body 2 is preferably, for example, a substantially triangular shape or a substantially isosceles triangular shape. As shown in FIG. 1, when the shape of the main body 2 is a substantially isosceles triangle, for example, the side where the base is located is the front side, and the side where the apex angle is located is the rear side.

  The column 3 includes columns 3 a to 3 c and is formed so as to extend from the main body 2. Here, “extend” means, for example, a case in which the columns 3a to 3c and the main body 2 are integrally formed, and a combination after the columns 3a to 3c and the main body 2 are independently formed. Including the case of

  The support column 3a extends toward the rear side of the main body 2 and its tip is connected to the wind tunnel 5a. In addition, rotors 4 a and 4 b are provided in the wind tunnel 5 a so as to be aligned in the left-right direction of the unmanned aircraft 1. The support column 3b extends toward the left side of the main body 2 and its tip is connected to the wind tunnel 5b. In addition, rotors 4 c and 4 d are provided in the wind tunnel 5 b so as to be arranged in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft 1. The support column 3c extends toward the right side of the main body 2 and its tip is connected to the wind tunnel 5c. In addition, rotors 4e and 4f are provided in the wind tunnel 5c so as to be aligned in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft 1. Arrangement of the rotors 4a to 4f as described above facilitates attitude control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, particularly hovering and direction change, and can improve the speed of forward and reverse travel. .

  As described above, each of the support columns 3a to 3c supports two rotors. As described above, by configuring the plurality of rotors to be supported by one strut, the number of struts can be reduced as compared with the conventional unmanned aircraft that supports one rotor by one strut. Weight reduction can be achieved.

  Moreover, even if the width of each column is increased in order to increase the strength of the column, the weight does not increase significantly compared to a conventional unmanned aircraft. Therefore, it is possible to improve the strength of the support column without greatly increasing the weight of the unmanned aircraft itself or while reducing the weight. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility of breakage of the column and to increase the flightable time.

  Moreover, when the width | variety of each support | pillar is made wide, it becomes easy to ensure the storage space for accommodating a battery in the inside. Therefore, it becomes possible to mount more batteries than conventional unmanned aerial vehicles, and the flightable time can be lengthened. Although not shown, the support columns 3a to 3c have a battery storage space therein, and a battery for driving the rotors 4a to f is mounted in the battery storage space.

  The rotor 4 includes rotors 4 a to 4 f and is supported by the support column 3 via the wind tunnel 5. The rotor 4 is driven by receiving power from the battery. The rotors 4a and 4b are configured to rotate in opposite directions to cancel the counter torque. The same applies to the rotors 4c and 4d and the rotors 4e and 4f. Further, the rotors 4a to 4f are configured so that the rotation axes are different from each other, that is, the respective rotation axes are not on the same straight line.

  The number of rotors 4, the number of blades, the blade radius, the blade pitch angle, and the like can be appropriately designed according to the application and required performance. When changing the number of rotors 4, it is preferable to change the number of support columns 3 and the shape of the main body 2 in accordance with the number of rotors 4 in order to maintain the stability of the unmanned aircraft 1. The rotor 4 preferably includes a variable pitch mechanism.

  The wind tunnel 5 includes wind tunnels 5a to 5c. Each of the wind tunnels 5 a to 5 c includes two rotors 4 inside thereof and surrounds the periphery of the rotor 4. The wind tunnel 5 has a role of adjusting the air flow from the top to the bottom and a role of protecting the rotor 4. One wind tunnel 5 may be provided for each of the rotors 4, or one wind tunnel 5 may be provided for each of the plurality of rotors 4.

  The front camera 6 is provided on the front side of the main body 2 and images the front of the unmanned aircraft 1. An image captured by the front camera 6 is transmitted to the monitor device. Although not shown, the main body 2 is provided with a downward camera for imaging the lower part of the unmanned aircraft 1. It is preferable that the downward camera is provided at a position where the lower part of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be confirmed even when the unmanned aircraft 1 grips an object to be loaded.

  The parachute storage part 7 is provided in the upper part of the main-body part 2, and the parachute is stored in the inside. When it is determined that the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is in an abnormal state such as being crashed or highly likely to crash, the control device performs control such that the parachute is ejected from the parachute storage unit 7. For example, the control device determines that the unmanned aircraft 1 is in an abnormal state when information acquired by various sensors satisfies a predetermined condition. The control device also performs control for injecting the parachute even when information indicating the parachute injection is received from the controller.

  A plurality of hooks 8 are used to hold the object to be mounted, and a plurality of hooks 8 are provided in the main body 2. The shape of the hook 8 can be appropriately designed according to the type of the mounted object. In the example of FIGS. 1 to 3, a substantially rectangular dedicated box A for the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 that can store a load therein is an object to be loaded. The shape of the hook 8 and the shape of the dedicated box A are designed to correspond to each other. For example, the tip of the hook 8 is substantially bowl-shaped, and the side of the dedicated box A has the tip of the hook 8 on the side. A depression corresponding to the shape is provided. With such a configuration, it becomes easy to deal with various shapes of luggage, and the versatility of the unmanned aircraft 1 can be enhanced.

  The dedicated box A preferably has a position recognition marker on its upper surface. Since the position recognition marker is attached to the dedicated box, the unmanned aircraft 1 can be automatically and highly accurately connected to the hook 8 and the dedicated box A.

  The landing leg 9 is a leg when the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is landed. The unmanned aircraft 1 includes one landing leg 9 on the rear side of the main body 2. For example, the tip of the landing leg 9 is preferably made of a cushioning material such as rubber in order to weaken the impact during landing.

  In the state where the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 does not hold the dedicated box A, the hook 8 is preferably configured to function as a landing leg. Specifically, it is preferable that at least a part, preferably all, of the hook 8 and the landing leg 9 are configured such that their lowest positions are on the same plane. Moreover, it is preferable that the lowermost part of the hook 8 is made of a cushioning material such as rubber.

  Since the hook 8 also functions as a landing leg, it is not necessary to provide a plurality of landing legs 9, so that the weight of the unmanned aircraft 1 can be reduced, and as a result, the flightable distance can be increased. become. In order to further reduce the weight, the landing legs 9 may not be provided at all, and only the hooks 8 may be used as landing legs.

  When the hook 8 is holding the dedicated box A, landing can be performed using the bottom surface of the dedicated box A.

  FIG. 4 is a top view showing an example of the unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, which is a modification of the unmanned aerial vehicle shown in FIG. In the example of FIG. 4, except for the configuration described below, the configuration described with reference to FIGS.

  In the example of FIG. 4, of the rotors 4 c and 4 d supported by the support column 3 b, the rotor 4 d located in the front is closer to the front and rear axis 1 of the unmanned aircraft 1 than the rotor 4 c located in the rear. It is configured. Similarly, of the rotors 4e and 4f supported by the support column 3c, the rotor 4e located in the front is configured to be closer to the longitudinal axis l of the unmanned aircraft 1 than the rotor 4f located in the rear. ing. With such a configuration, the stability of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be improved, and attitude control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, particularly hovering and direction change can be easily performed.

  From the viewpoint of further improving the stability of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, it is preferable that a part of each of the rotors 4a to 4f is located on the circumference of a circle S centering on the center of gravity of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, as shown in FIG. As in the example, it is more preferable that the rotation shafts (center portions) of the rotors 4a to 4f be positioned on the circumference of the circle S.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a monitor screen of an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. On the monitor screen 21 shown in FIG. 5, a main image display area 22, a sub image display area 23, a position display area 24, an altitude display area 25, and a remaining battery capacity display area 26 are displayed.

  The monitor screen 21 is a screen displayed on, for example, a monitor device having a communication function for transmitting and receiving information to and from the unmanned aircraft 1 and a controller 31 described later. As a monitor apparatus, computer apparatuses, such as a personal computer provided with a display part, a smart phone, a tablet, are mentioned, for example.

  In the main image display area 22, for example, a front camera image captured by the front camera 6 or a lower camera image captured by the lower camera is displayed. Further, the sub image display area 23 displays, for example, an image that is not displayed in the main image display area 22 among the front camera image and the lower camera image. The main image display area 22 has a larger display area than the sub image display area 23. The operator can switch the images displayed in the main image display area 22 and the sub image display area 23 by operating a camera changeover switch 39 described later.

  The position display area 24 is an area for displaying the current position of the unmanned aircraft 1 on a predetermined map based on, for example, position information transmitted from the unmanned aircraft 1. The position display area 24 may simply indicate the latitude and longitude of the current position of the unmanned aircraft 1. The altitude display area 25 is an area for displaying the current altitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 based on altitude information transmitted from the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, for example.

  The battery remaining amount display area 26 is an area for displaying the remaining amount of battery based on, for example, information regarding the remaining amount of battery for driving the rotor 4 transmitted from the unmanned aircraft 1. When the operator determines that the remaining battery level may be less than the amount of power required for the return, the operator moves the unmanned aircraft 1 to the departure point by an operation such as pressing a return button 38 described later. It can be returned automatically.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a controller for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. The controller 31 shown in FIG. 6 includes a power switch 32, a lift lever 33, a left / right movement lever 34, a forward / reverse lever 35, a dedicated box connection start button 36, a dedicated box connection stop button 37, a return button 38, A camera changeover switch 39 and spare switches 40 and 41 are provided.

  The controller 31 has a communication function for transmitting and receiving information to and from the unmanned aircraft 1 and the monitor device. Further, the controller 31 and the monitor device may be configured separately or may be configured integrally.

  The power switch 32 functions not only as a power switch for the controller 31 but also as a drive start switch for the rotor 4 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1. When the power switch 32 is turned on, the controller 31 is turned on, and communication with the unmanned aircraft 1 is started. The rotor 4 rotates at a low speed and enters a standby state.

  The elevating lever 33 is a lever for adjusting the altitude. The left / right movement lever 34 is a lever for performing parallel movement to the left and right. The forward / reverse lever 35 is a lever for moving forward or backward.

  The rotation speed of the rotor 4 is increased by tilting the elevating lever 33 from the near side to the far side. When the lift generated by the rotation of the rotor 4 exceeds the weight of the unmanned aircraft 1 and the cargo, the unmanned aircraft 1 starts to rise. When the lift lever 33 is released after the unmanned aircraft 1 is raised to a desired altitude, the lift lever 33 stops at that position, and the unmanned aircraft 1 is controlled to perform hovering at that altitude.

  When the left / right movement lever 34 is tilted to the left or right in the hovering state, the unmanned aircraft 1 is controlled to start parallel movement to the left or right. In the hovering state, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 is controlled so as to start moving forward when the forward / reverse lever 35 is tilted to the far side, and to reverse when the forward / backward lever 35 is tilted forward.

  In the hovering state, when the forward / reverse lever 35 is tilted backward and the left / right movement lever 34 is tilted to the left, the unmanned aircraft 1 is controlled so as to start a left turn. Similarly, when the forward / reverse lever 35 is tilted backward and the left / right movement lever 34 is tilted to the right, the unmanned aircraft 1 is controlled to start turning right.

  The dedicated box connection start button 36 is a button for automatically connecting the unmanned aircraft 1 and the dedicated box A via the hook 8. For example, the operator confirms the main image display area 22 or the sub image display area 23, and the dedicated box connection start button 36 in a state where the position recognition marker attached to the dedicated box A is included in the lower camera image. push. Then, the unmanned aircraft 1 recognizes the position recognition marker included in the lower camera image and its position, and automatically connects to the dedicated box while adjusting its own position based on the position of the position recognition marker.

  The dedicated box connection cancel button 37 is a button for canceling the automatic connection operation between the unmanned aircraft 1 and the dedicated box A. When the dedicated box connection cancel button 37 is pressed while the unmanned aircraft 1 and the dedicated box A are connected, the connection may be released after the altitude is lowered to the vicinity of the ground surface.

  The return button 38 is a button for automatically returning the unmanned aircraft 1 to the departure point. Information about the departure point is stored in advance in the control device of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, for example. In the return course, for example, the altitude and the route passed in the forward path can be traced in reverse. The return button 38 is used, for example, after the unmanned aircraft 1 drops the dedicated box A at the destination or when an emergency occurs in the unmanned aircraft 1.

  The camera changeover switch 39 is a switch for switching the display positions of the images displayed in the main image display area 22 and the sub image display area 23. For example, when the image captured by the front camera 6 is displayed in the main image display area 22 and the image captured by the lower camera is displayed in the sub-image display area 23, the operation to the camera changeover switch 39 is performed. Then, an image captured by the lower camera is displayed in the main image display area 22, and an image captured by the front camera 6 is displayed in the sub image display area 23.

  The functions given to the spare switches 40 and 41 can be set as appropriate according to the application of the unmanned aircraft 1. The spare switch 40 or 41 may be, for example, a switch for switching from automatic control flight by the control device to manual control flight by the controller 31, a switch for discharging the parachute, or the like.

  The automatic control flight is, for example, information stored in the control device of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 such as a departure point, a transit point, a destination, and a flying altitude, and the control program stored in advance in the control device. This means that the unmanned aircraft 1 is automatically caused to fly based on the above.

  As described above, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the strength without greatly increasing the weight of the unmanned aircraft itself. Further, it is easy to provide a storage portion for storing the battery in the support column, and it is possible to lengthen the flightable time by mounting many batteries. Furthermore, since the maneuvering method is simple, maneuvering is easy even for non-experts. Therefore, it can be utilized in various fields, and is very useful for delivery of packages in the transportation industry, for example.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Unmanned aerial vehicle 2 Main-body part 3 Support | pillar 4 Rotor 5 Wind tunnel 6 Front camera 7 Parachute storage part 8 Hook 9 Landing leg 21 Monitor screen 22 Main image display area 23 Sub image display area 24 Position display area 25 Altitude display area 26 Battery remaining amount Display area 31 Controller 32 Power switch 33 Elevating lever 34 Left / right movement lever 35 Forward / reverse lever 36 Dedicated box connection start button 37 Dedicated box connection stop button 38 Return button 39 Camera selector switch 40 Spare switch 41 Spare switch

Claims (7)

The main body,
A plurality of pillars extending from the main body,
A plurality of rotors supported by the support columns;
At least two rotors are supported by one strut,
Unmanned aerial vehicles with different rotor rotation axes. Inside the column, it has a storage part for storing the battery,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1. As a plurality of support columns, a first support column, a second support column, and a third support column,
The first support column extends toward the rear side of the main body and supports two rotors arranged in the left-right direction in the unmanned aircraft.
The second support column extends to the left side of the main body and supports two rotors aligned in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft.
The third support column extends toward the right side of the main body and supports two rotors arranged in the front-rear direction of the unmanned aircraft.
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2. Of the two rotors supported by the second column, the rotor located in the front is closer to the front and rear axes of the unmanned aircraft than the rotor located in the rear,
Of the two rotors supported by the third column, the rotor located in the front is closer to the front and rear axes of the unmanned aircraft than the rotor located in the rear.
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 3. A part of each rotor is located on the same circumference centered on the center of gravity of the unmanned aircraft.
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4. And a wind tunnel surrounding the rotor,
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In addition, it has a hook for gripping the load,
When the object is not gripped, the hook functions as a landing leg.
The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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