JP2005199902A - Airship and airship system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an airship and an airship system capable of preventing breakage of a floating means caused by the contact with a ceiling and easily and reliably keeping the constant height. <P>SOLUTION: The airship 2 comprises a floating means 21 which flies along a ceiling T, and is filled with floating gas, and capable of obtaining the floating force larger than the gravity on the airship 2; a protective means 26 brought into contact with the ceiling T during the flight to prevent the contact of the floating means 21 with the ceiling T; and a moving means 22 to move the airship 2 by giving the propulsive force to the airship 2. The airship flies by obtaining the propulsive force by the moving means 22 while bringing the protective means 26 into contact with the ceiling T by the floating force of the floating means 21. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an airship and an airship system.

As a conventional airship or airship system, a technique described in Patent Document 1 is known. In the conventional airship described in Patent Document 1, the movement in the horizontal direction and the movement in the vertical direction (vertical direction) are each performed by a propeller.
However, in the conventional airship, in order to keep the height of the airship constant, it is necessary to cancel the buoyancy that the airship changes every moment due to temperature changes etc. and keep the propeller rotating so as to cancel the disturbance. The power consumption is large. Also, the propeller drive control is complicated and difficult to control, such as detecting the position of the airship with a sensor and applying feedback to generate an input signal.
Also, with conventional airships, when the airship is used indoors and the airship flies near the wall of the indoor ceiling, the buoyancy that the airship receives during flight changes from moment to moment due to indoor temperature changes, etc. There was a problem that the air bag of the airship touched the ceiling and was damaged due to the wind.

JP-A-5-221386

  An object of the present invention is to provide an airship and an airship system capable of preventing breakage of a levitation unit due to contact with a ceiling and maintaining a constant height easily and reliably.

Such an object is achieved by the present invention described below.
The airship of the present invention is an airship that flies along a ceiling,
A levitation means that is filled with a levitation gas and obtains a levitation force greater than the gravity applied to the airship by the levitation gas;
Protective means for contacting the ceiling during flight and preventing contact between the levitation means and the ceiling;
A moving means for moving the airship by applying a propulsive force to the airship;
The moving means obtains a propulsive force and flies while the protective means is brought into contact with the ceiling by the levitation force of the levitation means.
In the present invention, the airship has a protective means for preventing contact between the levitation means (for example, the air sac) and the ceiling, and the airship flies while contacting the ceiling with the protective means. As a result, breakage of the levitation means due to contact with the ceiling can be prevented, and the height and posture of the airship can be kept constant easily and reliably.
In the airship of the present invention, it is preferable that the protective means also serves as the moving means.
Thereby, there exists an advantage which can simplify the structure of an airship.

The airship of the present invention is an airship that flies along a ceiling,
A levitation means that is filled with a levitation gas and obtains a levitation force greater than the gravity applied to the airship by the levitation gas;
Protective means for contacting the ceiling during flight and preventing contact between the levitation means and the ceiling;
Moving means for applying a propulsive force to the airship and moving the airship;
Direction change means for changing the course direction of the airship,
The moving means obtains a propulsive force and flies while the protective means is brought into contact with the ceiling by the levitation force of the levitation means.
In the present invention, the airship has a protective means for preventing contact between the levitation means (for example, the air sac) and the ceiling, and the airship flies while contacting the ceiling with the protective means. As a result, breakage of the levitation means due to contact with the ceiling can be prevented, and the height and posture of the airship can be kept constant easily and reliably.

In the airship of this invention, it is preferable that the contact part with the ceiling of the said protection means is comprised by the resistance reduction structure which reduces the resistance received from a ceiling with respect to the advancing direction of the said airship.
In this invention, the airship flies while contacting the ceiling by the protection means, and the contact portion of the protection means with the ceiling is configured by a resistance reduction structure that reduces the resistance received from the ceiling in the traveling direction of the airship. The Thereby, the airship has an advantage that it can efficiently fly with a small propulsive force while contacting the ceiling. For example, (1) a structure capable of smoothly rotating in the rolling direction with respect to the wall surface of the ceiling and capable of smoothly turning in the traveling direction of the airship, and (2) a low friction coefficient. A structure including a flat member having a smooth surface and the smooth surface facing the ceiling side, and (3) a structure including a spherical member embedded so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction are included.

In the airship of the present invention, it is preferable that the protection means also serves as the moving means and the direction changing means.
Thereby, there exists an advantage which can simplify the structure of an airship.
In the airship of this invention, it is preferable that the said contact part is comprised by the wheel or spherical member which can roll on the wall surface of a ceiling at the time of the flight of the said airship.
Thereby, the resistance received from a ceiling with respect to the advancing direction of an airship can further be reduced.

In the airship of the present invention, the moving means preferably has a fan or a propeller.
Thereby, there exists an advantage which can move an airship easily and reliably.
In the airship of the present invention, the moving means preferably has a sail.
Thereby, an airship can be moved using a wind and there exists an advantage which can reduce consumption of energy (for example, electric power).

In the airship of the present invention, the protection means has a wheel, and when the airship is in flight, the wheel can be rotated to drive the wheel on the wall surface of the ceiling, and the wheel can be turned. It is preferable to have a structure in which the traveling direction can be changed by driving.
Thereby, the structure of an airship can be simplified and there exists an advantage which can move an airship easily and reliably.

In the airship of the present invention, it is preferable that the protection means is constituted by a robot leg that is driven when the airship is flying and can walk on the wall surface of the ceiling.
Thereby, the structure of an airship can be simplified. In addition, for example, when the wall surface of the ceiling has irregularities, the protective means including the robot legs overcomes the irregularities, so that there is an advantage that the airship can easily and reliably move along the ceiling.
In the airship of the present invention, it is preferable that the base of the robot leg is disposed on the lower side in the vertical direction of the airship.
As a result, the center of gravity of the airship is gathered vertically downward, and there is an advantage that the attitude of the airship is stabilized.

In the airship of the present invention, it is preferable to have a sail that moves the airship by applying a propulsive force to the airship and changes the course direction of the airship.
Thereby, for example, the mechanism provided with the sail can be used as an auxiliary means for moving the airship and changing the course. Further, the airship can be moved using the wind, and there is an advantage that consumption of energy (for example, electric power) can be reduced.
The airship of the present invention preferably has a ballast that regulates the attitude of the airship so that the protection means is on the upper side in the vertical direction of the airship during flight.
Thereby, the attitude | position of an airship is stably hold | maintained at a desired attitude | position.

The airship system of the present invention includes the airship of the present invention,
And a base station capable of communicating with the airship.
Thereby, the breakage of the levitation means due to contact with the ceiling can be prevented, and the height and posture of the airship can be kept constant easily and reliably.

In the airship system of the present invention, fault detection means for detecting a fault on the path of the airship,
It is preferable to have failure avoiding means for avoiding the failure based on the detection result of the failure detecting means.
In the present invention, the failure detection means detects a failure on the course of the airship, and the failure avoidance means changes the flight path of the airship based on the detection result to avoid the failure. Accordingly, there is an advantage that the airship can fly along the ceiling while efficiently avoiding obstacles while contacting the ceiling.

In the airship system of the present invention, during flight, contact state detection means for detecting the contact state between the protection means and the ceiling,
In the case where an abnormality occurs in the contact state, it is preferable to have an informing means for informing the abnormality.
Thereby, there exists an advantage which can manage the flight state (altitude) of an airship.

Hereinafter, the airship and airship system of this invention are demonstrated in detail based on preferred embodiment shown to an accompanying drawing.
(First embodiment)
1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an airship system (airship) according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the airship system (airship) shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the airship shown in FIG. FIG.

An airship system 1 shown in these drawings includes an airship 2 and a base station 3. The airship 2 is used in a place with a ceiling, mainly indoors, and flies along the indoor ceiling. The base station 3 is installed on an indoor floor or wall surface, and can communicate with the airship 2.
The airship system 1 is applied in various other fields, for example, as a flying toy such as an interior or an artificial pet, or as a surveillance camera that the airship 2 can move by mounting an image sensor such as a small camera. .

[airship]
The airship 2 includes a levitation unit 21, a moving unit 22, a course changing unit 23, and a gondola unit 24. Further, a protective means 26 is installed on the upper part (vertical direction upper side) of the airship 2 (the levitation means 21). The airship 2 prevents (effectively suppresses) damage of the levitation means 21 during flight by the protection means 26.

The levitation means 21 is a functional unit that levitates the airship 2 in the air (generates a levitation force), and is constituted by an air sac filled with levitation gas. As the levitation gas, for example, helium gas or the like can be used.
A levitation force larger than the gravity applied to the airship 2 is obtained by the levitation gas filled in the air sac. That is, the levitation means 21 imparts a levitation force to the airship 2 so that the airship 2 has a height that is at least higher than the indoor ceiling T. For this reason, this airship 2 is maintained while the upper part (protection means 26) is contacting the ceiling T at the time of normal flight.

The moving means 22 is constituted by a navigation fan (fan) in which a small fan is accommodated in a cylindrical body. Two moving means 22 are installed symmetrically below the gondola portion 24. The airship 2 obtains a propulsive force in the horizontal direction from the moving means 22 and flies indoors along the wall surface of the ceiling T (while contacting the wall surface).
In this airship 2, the moving means 22 is constituted by a navigation fan, but is not limited thereto, and may be constituted by, for example, a propeller, an ion engine, a gas cylinder, a pump, or the like. Further, the action direction (propulsion direction) of the propulsive force applied to the airship 2 by the moving means 22 is not limited to the horizontal direction, and may be inclined in the direction of the ceiling T, for example. The airship 2 can be made to fly outdoors as long as it has a ceiling.

The course changing means 23 is constituted by a movable saddle member (fin) installed at the rear part of the levitation means 21. The airship 2 can change the course direction (the course direction of the navigation) by operating the course changing means 23 during the flight and changing the inclination angle.
The configuration of the course changing means 23 is not limited to this. For example, (1) a configuration (not shown) in which the driving direction is changed by changing the direction of the moving means 22 by a separately configured driving means, and ( 2) A configuration in which the control unit (control means) 244 gives an output difference (difference in the number of revolutions) to the left and right moving means 22, 22, the traveling fan which is one moving means 22 rotates forward, and the other moving means 22 A configuration in which a certain navigation fan rotates in reverse may be employed.
Moreover, in this airship 2, the course change means 23 and the moving means 22 are separate structures, However, Not only this but these may be comprised integrally. Specific examples thereof include (2) above.

The gondola unit 24 includes a drive unit 241, an oscillator 242, a communication unit 243, and a control unit (control unit) 244, and is installed below the levitation unit 21 (downward in the vertical direction).
The drive unit 241 is a drive system that operates the moving unit 22 and the route changing unit 23. The oscillator 242 is a device that generates ultrasonic waves to the measurement unit 31 of the base station 3 and constitutes a position measurement system that measures the position of the airship 2 together with the measurement unit 31 of the airship 2. The communication unit 243 can transmit and receive information to and from the communication unit 32 of the base station 3 and constitutes a communication system between the airship 2 and the base station 3 together with the communication unit 32 of the airship 2. The control unit 244 collectively controls the operations of the drive unit 241, the communication unit 243, and the oscillator 242 based on the set program and a command from the base station 3.

The gondola unit 24 is provided with a power storage unit (not shown) that supplies power to the functional units 241 to 244.
Moreover, in this airship 2, since the protection means 26 mentioned later is installed in the upper part of the levitation means 21, the weight of the upper part is larger than the conventional airship. For this reason, the gondola part 24 has an especially important function as a ballast (weight element) of the airship 2 and stably holds the attitude of the airship 2 so that the airship is not turned upside down. That is, the attitude of the airship 2 is regulated by the gondola unit 24 so that the protection means 26 is on the upper side in the vertical direction of the airship 2 during the flight.

[base station]
The base station 3 includes a measurement unit 31, a communication unit 32, and a control unit 33.
The measurement unit 31 includes three receivers arranged in a triangle shape, and receives ultrasonic waves generated by the oscillator 242 of the airship 2. The measurement unit 31 constitutes a position measurement system that measures the position of the airship 2 together with the oscillator 242.
The communication unit 32 can transmit and receive information to and from the communication unit 243 of the airship 2 and constitutes a communication system between the airship 2 and the base station 3 together with the communication unit 243.

The control unit 33 includes a position information creation unit 331 and a flight path creation unit 332. The position information creation unit 331 calculates the flight position of the airship 2 based on the ultrasonic signal from the airship 2 received by the measurement unit 31 and creates the position information of the airship 2. This position information is used for creating the flight path of the airship 2 and displaying the flight position of the airship 2 by a monitoring monitor (not shown).
The flight path creation unit 332 creates the flight path of the airship 2 based on the position information of the airship 2 and the user's operation. The created information on the flight path is transmitted to the airship 2 via the communication units 32 and 242, and based on this information, the driving unit 241 of the airship 2 is driven to change the course direction of the airship 2. Thereby, the flight path of the airship 2 is controlled.

  In the airship system 1, as described above, the flight path of the airship 2 is controlled by a command from the base station 3 side, which is preferable in that the control system of the airship 2 can be simplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the flight path of the airship 2 may be managed by a flight program that the control unit 244 of the airship 2 has, or may be controlled by direct wireless operation or wired operation from the user.

  Moreover, in this airship system 1, although the measurement part 31 is provided in three places, this is an example and it measures only the number according to the magnitude | size (area and height of the ceiling T) of a room (room). It is preferable to provide the part 31. When providing the measurement part 31 in four or more places, the three measurement parts 31 in the position closer from the airship 2 are selected, and the positional information on the airship 2 is obtained. Thereby, the flightable range of the airship 2 can be widened, and accurate position information of the airship 2 can be obtained with certainty. In addition, the position of each measurement part 31 can be calculated | required based on the distance between the corresponding measurement parts 31, respectively.

[Protective measures]
The protection means 26 includes a base 261 and a plurality of contact portions 262 arranged on the base 261, and is installed at the upper part (vertical upper side) of the airship 2. The protection means 26 is attached to the upper part (upper side in the vertical direction) of the levitation means 21 with its base 261 with these contact portions 262 facing upward (toward the ceiling T) of the airship.

  The contact portion 262 is constituted by a wheel (for example, a wheel used for a front wheel of a caster), can rotate smoothly in the rolling direction with respect to the wall surface of the ceiling T, and can turn smoothly with respect to the traveling direction of the airship 2. It has a simple structure. That is, the contact portion 262 has a resistance reduction structure that reduces the resistance received from the ceiling T in the traveling direction of the airship 2. Thereby, the airship 2 has an advantage that it can efficiently fly (move) with a small propulsive force while contacting the ceiling T.

  In the airship 2 and the airship system 1, the airship 2 tends to rise to a position higher than the ceiling T due to the buoyancy of the levitation means 21 during the flight. Then, the airship 2 contacts the ceiling T via the upper protection means 26. Thereby, since the protection means 26 prevents the ceiling T and the levitation means 21 of the airship 2 from contacting, there is an advantage that the levitation means 21 can be prevented from being damaged (effectively suppressed) during the flight of the airship 2.

  Further, the airship 2 flies along the wall surface of the ceiling T by receiving a propulsive force from the moving means 22 while keeping the contact portion 262 of the protection means 26 in contact with the ceiling T during the flight. At this time, the contact portion 262 rolls smoothly with respect to the plane of the ceiling T, and smoothly turns with respect to the course direction of the airship 2, so that the resistance that the airship 2 receives from the ceiling T with respect to the course direction. Reduce. This seems as if the airship 2 travels on the ceiling T with the moving means 22 as feet (wheels). Accordingly, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can smoothly fly (run) without receiving much resistance from the ceiling T.

  In this airship system 1, the protection means 26 has a plurality of contact portions 262, and these contact portions 262 are preferably configured to come into contact with the ceiling T when the airship 2 flies. Specifically, the attitude of the airship 2 is maintained by the ballast function of the gondola portion 24, and all the contact portions 262 are configured to contact the ceiling T evenly. As a result, the airship 2 is supported at a plurality of points with respect to the ceiling T (in this embodiment, four points are supported), so that the attitude of the airship 2 can be kept constant and stable flight can be realized. is there.

  In addition, since the airship 2 flies while the protective means 26 is in contact with the ceiling T during flight, the distance from the ceiling T is maintained constant. Thereby, in the indoor where the height of the ceiling T is uniform, there is an advantage that the flying height (altitude) of the airship 2 at the time of flight is maintained constant. In particular, it is only necessary to set the levitation force of the levitation means 21 to a predetermined size, and there is an advantage that complicated control is not required.

  This is useful, for example, when the airship system 1 is applied to the security field. In such a case, a surveillance camera (not shown) is mounted on the airship 2, and the airship 2 flies indoors while capturing an image of the floor with the surveillance camera, thereby forming a movable surveillance camera. In such a configuration, it is necessary to maintain the position of the airship 2 (monitoring camera) at a certain height from the floor in order to improve the clarity of the image captured by the monitoring camera. In this respect, the airship system 1 has an advantage that the airship 2 can fly along the ceiling, and can be easily maintained so that the flight height from the floor is constant.

Further, since the airship 2 flies while being supported by the hull while being in contact with the ceiling T by the protection means 26, there is an advantage that the posture is stabilized and an image is taken well.
Moreover, in this airship system 1, since the surveillance camera can move indoors by the flight of the airship 2, for example, compared with the structure (illustration omitted) which installs a rail in the ceiling T and moves a surveillance camera unit, it is a surveillance camera. The direction of movement is not limited. Thereby, there is an advantage that an arbitrary direction and a wide range can be monitored with a simple configuration of the airship 2 alone.

  Some conventional airship systems maintain the flying height of the airship by adjusting the levitation gas in the levitation means (air sac) to a predetermined amount in advance (not shown). However, in such a configuration, there is a problem that the buoyancy that changes every moment depending on the indoor temperature or the like cannot be dealt with, and the flying height of the airship is not stable. In this respect, in this airship system 1, the flying height of the airship 2 can be maintained constant without adjusting the amount of levitation gas in the levitation means 21, so that it can fly stably regardless of indoor temperature changes and the like. There are advantages you can do.

  In another conventional airship system, the airship has a propeller that forms a propulsive force in the vertical direction, and the flying height of the airship is maintained by driving the propeller (not shown). However, this configuration is inefficient because the power consumption of the airship is enormous, and there is a problem that the drive control of the propeller is complicated. In this respect, since this airship system 1 does not require such propeller drive control (drive control in the vertical direction), there is an advantage that power consumption is small and the configuration of the control system can be simplified.

  In other conventional flight systems, the airship is provided with a ballast tank, and the air height in the ballast tank is adjusted using a compressor and a valve to maintain the flying height of the airship (not shown). . However, in such a configuration, there are problems that the airship becomes large due to the ballast tank, and that the control system for adjusting the air amount becomes complicated. In this respect, since this airship system 1 does not require such a ballast tank, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can be miniaturized and the configuration of the control system is simple. In the airship system 1, the gondola unit 24 functions as a ballast (weight element) that maintains the flying posture of the airship 2.

  In this airship system 1, the contact portion 262 of the protection means 26 is constituted by wheels that can freely and smoothly rotate and turn. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the contact portion 262 includes, for example, (1) a plate-like member installed on the base 261 with a smooth surface having a low friction coefficient and the smooth surface facing the ceiling T side. (2) A spherical member embedded so as to be rotatable in an arbitrary direction with respect to the base 261 (for example, a configuration such as a drag ball of a mouse). (Not shown). In such a configuration, the contact portion 262 can be freely and smoothly displaced in the direction of the wall surface while contacting the wall surface of the ceiling T. Thereby, since the frictional resistance between the contact portion 262 and the wall surface of the ceiling T is reduced, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can fly smoothly and efficiently along the ceiling T. In other words, even with this configuration (resistance reduction structure), the resistance received from the ceiling T in the traveling direction of the airship 2 is reduced, so that the airship 2 is smoothly in contact with the ceiling T with little propulsive force. Has the advantage of being able to fly.

[Failure avoidance measures]
The airship system 1 further has a failure avoiding means. The airship 2 uses this obstacle avoiding means to avoid obstacles existing on the course (for example, a step on the ceiling T, an electric light, an upper wall of a door at the entrance of a room, etc.) by changing its flight path. The obstacle avoiding means includes a failure detecting means 28 provided on the airship 2 side and an avoidance route creating unit 333 provided on the base station 3 side.

  The obstacle detection means 28 includes an ultrasonic sensor, an image sensor, a tactile sensor, and other sensors. The obstacle detection means 28 is installed in front of the levitation means 21 of the airship 2 and detects an obstacle existing on the course of the airship 2. Information about the detected obstacle is transmitted from the airship 2 to the base station 3 via the communication units 243 and 32. Note that the control relating to the failure detection means 28 is performed by the control unit 244 of the airship 2.

  The avoidance route creation unit 333 is included in the control unit 33 of the base station 3 and creates a flight route that allows the airship 2 to avoid the obstacle based on the detected information on the obstacle. The created information on the flight path is transmitted from the base station 3 to the airship 2 via the communication units 32 and 242 as an obstacle avoidance command, and based on this, the drive unit 241 of the airship 2 is driven to fly the airship 2. The route is changed. Thereby, the airship 2 can avoid the obstacle on a course. In particular, in the airship system 1, the airship 2 flies along the wall surface of the ceiling T in a state where the airship 2 is in contact with the ceiling T. Therefore, if there is an obstacle on the ceiling T, the airship 2 is inhibited from flying. In this respect, according to the obstacle avoiding means, there is an advantage that the problem during the flight of the airship 2 can be preferably solved.

  In this airship system 1, the avoidance route creation unit 333 of the obstacle avoidance means is installed on the base station 3 side. This is because the control system is installed on the base station 3 side, so that the configuration of the airship 2 is configured. This is preferable because it can be simplified. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the avoidance route creation unit 333 may be provided on the airship 2 side. Thereby, since the trouble in the ceiling T can be avoided by the airship 2 alone without requiring communication with the base station 3, there is an advantage that the response of the airship 2 related to the obstacle avoidance can be speeded up.

  In the airship system 1, as described above, the airship 2 changes the flight path to avoid an obstacle on the ceiling T. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the obstacle avoidance method of the airship 2 is, for example, (1) avoiding an obstacle of the ceiling T by changing the plane route while the airship 2 is in contact with the ceiling T. (2) Fan, propeller, ballast tank, pressure compression means, gas cylinder and other vertical direction propulsion means (vertical) in which the airship 2 forms a propulsion force in the height direction (vertical direction) (Direction propulsion means) and driving the vertical direction propulsion means to change the flight height to avoid the obstacle of the ceiling T.

[Contact detection means]
The airship system 1 further includes a contact detection unit. This contact detection means detects the contact state between the protection means 26 and the ceiling T during the flight of the airship 2, for example, when the flying height of the airship 2 is reduced due to a decrease in buoyancy (buoyancy) or the like. Is notified. Thereby, there exists an advantage which can manage suitably the flight height (flight state) of the airship 2. FIG.

The contact detection unit includes a contact state detection unit 27 and a notification unit (notification unit) 245.
The contact state detection means 27 is a sensor that detects the contact state between the protection means 26 and the ceiling T, and is provided at the upper part of the airship 2 (for example, the base 261 of the protection means 26, the contact part 262, the upper part of the levitation means 21, etc.). Provided. The contact state detection means 27 includes, for example, (1) an ultrasonic sensor that measures a distance from the ceiling T, and (2) a push button type switch sensor installed in the contact portion 262.
For example, the contact state detection means 27 may indicate that the contact state is abnormal when (1) the distance from the ceiling T is more than a predetermined distance, or (2) the ceiling T and the contact portion 262 are not in contact with each other. And sent to the notification unit 245 as abnormality information. Note that the detection state of the abnormal state varies depending on the configuration of the contact state detection unit 27 employed.

  The notification unit 245 is housed in the gondola unit 24 of the airship 2 and notifies the occurrence of an abnormality based on the detected abnormality information. Specifically, for example, the occurrence of an abnormality is notified by a warning sound, a light blinking signal, or the like. Further, for example, the occurrence of abnormality may be notified by a warning sound, a light blinking signal, a warning display, or the like in the base station 3. When the occurrence of an abnormality is notified, a countermeasure such as the user landing the airship 2 and adding the levitation gas into the levitation means 21 is taken.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment will be described.
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a second embodiment of the airship of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the second embodiment will be described with a focus on the differences from the first embodiment described above, and the description of the same matters will be omitted.

  The second embodiment is characterized in that the protection means 26 of the airship 2 also serves as the moving means 22 and the course changing means 23. That is, in this airship system 1, the airship 2 comes into contact with the ceiling T by the protection means 26, and the protection means 26 is driven in this state, so that the airship 2 moves to the ceiling as if the car model is traveling on the ground. It travels on the wall surface (on the wall surface) of T and moves.

  The protection means 26 has a base 261 and four wheels 263 installed on the base 261. The protection means 26 is installed with the base 261 fixed to the upper part of the levitation means 21 with the wheels 263 facing the ceiling T side. The wheel 263 is freely rotated and swiveled with respect to the base 261 by power supply from the gondola unit 24 and drive control. Specifically, for example, a technology relating to the drive system and drive control system of an automobile model can be applied to the drive system and drive control system of the protection means 26. The drive system of the protection means 26 may be, for example, two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or front-wheel drive. Further, the wheel 263 that is driven to turn may be, for example, a front wheel, a rear wheel, or both front and rear.

  In this airship system 1, the airship 2 flies with the protection means 26 in contact with the ceiling T. At this time, the protection means 26 brings the wheel 263 into contact with the wall surface of the ceiling T and is urged by the levitation force of the levitation means 21. Therefore, a frictional force is formed between the wheel 263 and the wall surface of the ceiling T by this biasing force. When the wheels 263 are rotationally driven, the airship 2 flies along the ceiling T so that the vehicle travels by the frictional force between the wheels 263 and the wall surface of the ceiling T. Thereby, the protection means 26 functions as the movement means 22. Further, when the wheel 263 is driven to turn, the traveling direction (traveling direction) of the airship 2 is changed. As a result, the protection means 26 functions as the course changing means 23.

According to this airship system 1, since the protection means 26 of the airship 2 also serves as the moving means 22 and the course changing means 23, there is an advantage that the structure of the airship 2 can be simplified and the weight can be reduced. In addition, since the airship 2 is moved and the course is changed by driving the wheels 263 that are in contact with the ceiling T, the airship 2 can be made to fly more reliably and efficiently than when the propulsion is obtained by a navigation fan or the like. There are advantages.
In this airship system 1, the weight of the upper part of the airship 2 is increased by the protection means 26. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the attitude balance of the airship 2 by adjusting the weight of the gondola portion 24. Specifically, a ballast (weight element) may be additionally provided below the levitation means 21.

  In this airship system 1, the frictional force between the wheels 263 and the wall surface of the ceiling T plays an important role in the flight (running) of the airship 2. It is preferable to increase the urging force of the wheel 263 against the ceiling T by reducing the weight of 2. Thereby, since idling of the wheel 263 is prevented (suppressed), there is an advantage that the airship 2 can fly efficiently.

  In the airship system 1, the ceiling T, the wheel 263 and the frictional force are secured by the levitation force of the levitation means 21 as described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the airship 2 further includes a fan, a propeller, a ballast tank, a pressure compression means, a gas cylinder and other vertical direction propulsion means (vertical direction propulsion means) that form a propulsion force in the height direction. And the vertical direction propulsion means may form a frictional force with the ceiling T and the wheels 263. Thereby, since a stronger frictional force can be obtained, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can fly more efficiently.

In the airship system 1, as an example in which the protection means 26 also serves as the moving means 22 and the course changing means 23 of the airship 2, a configuration including the wheel 263 as described above is employed. This is preferable from the viewpoint that the protection means 26 is installed on the upper part of the airship 2 in that the configuration can be made simple and lightweight. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the moving means and the route changing means used on the ground may be applied to the configuration of the protective means 26 within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.
Moreover, according to this airship system 1, the effect similar to 1st Embodiment mentioned above is also acquired.

[Modification]
5 and 6 are side views showing modifications of the airship shown in FIG. 4, respectively, and FIG. 7 is a diagram (side view) schematically showing a configuration example of a crank type robot leg using a crank mechanism. is there.
Hereinafter, each modification will be described mainly with respect to differences from the airship shown in FIG. 4, and description of similar matters will be omitted.

The airship system 1 is characterized in that the protection means 26 has robot legs 264 instead of the wheels 263, and the protection means 26 also serves as the moving means 22 and the course changing means 23 of the airship 2. Even with such a configuration, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can suitably fly.
A plurality of robot legs 264 (six in the illustrated example) are installed on the base 261 of the protection means 26 (see FIG. 5). For the robot leg 264, for example, a crank type using a crank mechanism as shown in FIG. 7, a cylinder type, a type using a link mechanism, or any other structure is applicable. The airship 2 can fly (run) along the wall surface of the ceiling T by driving the robot leg 264. In this case, the airship 2 obtains a levitation force by the levitation means 21 and urges the robot leg 264 toward the ceiling T, thereby forming a predetermined frictional force between the robot leg 264 and the wall surface of the ceiling T. Yes. The airship 2 moves in the traveling direction by this frictional force.

In the configuration using the robot leg 264, when there is an obstacle or unevenness on the ceiling T, it is possible to easily step over the obstacle and easily travel on the unevenness. Thereby, there exists an advantage which the airship 2 can fly suitably along the ceiling T. FIG. In addition, since the airship 2 is moved by driving the robot leg 264 in contact with the ceiling T, there is an advantage that the airship 2 can fly more reliably and efficiently than when the propulsion is obtained by a navigation fan or the like. is there.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, the base (base end part) of the robot leg 264 may be installed in the lower part (vertical direction lower side) of the airship 2 (the levitation means 21). In such a configuration, since the center of gravity of the airship 2 can be concentrated on the lower side, there is an advantage that the attitude of the airship 2 is more stable.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment will be described.
FIG. 8 is a side view showing a third embodiment of the airship of the present invention.
Hereinafter, the third embodiment will be described with a focus on differences from the first embodiment described above, and descriptions of the same matters will be omitted.

  The third embodiment is characterized in that the moving means 22 and the course changing means 23 of the airship 2 are configured by a sail 29 or the like installed at the lower part (downward in the vertical direction) of the airship 2. In the airship 2, the sailing fan and the stern-shaped member at the bottom of the levitation means 21 are omitted with the installation of the sail 29 (see FIGS. 2 and 8).

The sail 29 is installed on the gondola portion 24 with its sail point directed downward in the vertical direction (downward in the vertical direction). The sail 29 is driven and controlled by the drive unit 241 and the control unit 244 in the gondola unit 24 to change the direction of the sail. The sail 29 can also be driven and controlled by a command from the base station 3 side.
In this airship system 1, the airship 2 receives wind flowing indoors at its sail 29 and flies using this as propulsive force. Thus, the moving means 22 is constituted by the sail 29.
Further, the airship 2 can change the course direction by changing the sail direction of the sail 29. As described above, the course changing means 23 is constituted by the sail 29.

For example, wind from an indoor air conditioner or the like is used as the power source. In particular, such a wind is inherently disturbing for the airship 2 flying in the air. However, the above configuration makes it possible to use the wind as a propulsive force, and has an advantage of allowing the airship 2 to fly appropriately.
Further, since the airship 2 is caused to fly using wind, there is an advantage that the consumption of electric power (energy) can be reduced.

  In this airship system 1, the navigation fan and the stern-like member at the bottom of the levitation means 21 are omitted. Alternatively, the route changing means 23 may be provided. That is, a mechanism including the sail 29 of the airship system 1 may be added (installed) to each of the above-described embodiments and modifications. In this case, for example, the mechanism provided with the sail 29 can be used as an auxiliary means for moving the airship 2 or changing the course.

As mentioned above, although the airship and airship system of this invention were demonstrated based on embodiment of illustration, this invention is not limited to this, The structure of each part is set to the thing of the arbitrary structures which have the same function. Can be replaced. In addition, any other component may be added to the present invention.
Further, the present invention may be a combination of any two or more configurations (features) of the above embodiments.

1 is a perspective view showing a first embodiment of an airship system (airship) according to the present invention. It is a block diagram of the airship system (airship) shown in FIG. It is a side view of the airship shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows 2nd Embodiment of the airship of this invention. It is a side view which shows the modification of the airship shown in FIG. It is a side view which shows the modification of the airship shown in FIG. It is a figure (side view) which shows typically the example of a structure of the crank type robot leg using a crank mechanism. It is a side view which shows 3rd Embodiment of the airship of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Airship system 2 ... Airship 21 ... Levitation means 22 ... Movement means 23 ... Course change means 24 ... Gondola part 241 ... Drive part 242 ... Oscillator 243 ... Communication part 244 ... Control part 245 ... Notification part 26 ... Protection means 261 ... Base 262 ... contact part 263 ... wheel 264 ... robot leg 27 ... contact state detection means 28 ... failure detection means 29 ... sail 3 ... base station 31 ... measurement part 32 ... communication part 33 ... control part 331 ... position information creation part 332 ... flight Route creation unit 333 ... Avoidance route creation unit

Claims (17)

An airship that flies along the ceiling,
A levitation means that is filled with a levitation gas and obtains a levitation force greater than the gravity applied to the airship by the levitation gas;
Protective means for contacting the ceiling during flight and preventing contact between the levitation means and the ceiling;
A moving means for moving the airship by applying a propulsive force to the airship;
An airship characterized in that the flying means obtains a propulsion force by the moving means while the protective means is brought into contact with the ceiling by the levitation force of the levitation means.   The airship according to claim 1, wherein the contact portion of the protection means with the ceiling includes a resistance reduction structure that reduces a resistance received from the ceiling in a traveling direction of the airship.   The airship according to claim 1, wherein the protection means also serves as the moving means. An airship that flies along the ceiling,
A levitation means that is filled with a levitation gas and obtains a levitation force greater than the gravity applied to the airship by the levitation gas;
Protective means for contacting the ceiling during flight and preventing contact between the levitation means and the ceiling;
Moving means for applying a propulsive force to the airship and moving the airship;
Direction change means for changing the course direction of the airship,
An airship characterized in that the flying means obtains a propulsion force by the moving means while the protective means is brought into contact with the ceiling by the levitation force of the levitation means.   The airship according to claim 4, wherein the contact portion of the protection means with the ceiling includes a resistance reduction structure that reduces a resistance received from the ceiling in a traveling direction of the airship.   The airship according to claim 4, wherein the protective means serves as the moving means and the direction changing means.   The airship according to claim 2, wherein the contact portion is configured by a wheel or a spherical member that can roll on a wall surface of the ceiling when the airship is in flight.   The airship according to claim 1, wherein the moving means includes a fan or a propeller.   The airship according to claim 1, wherein the moving means has a sail.   The protection means has a wheel, and when the airship is flying, the wheel can be driven to rotate so that the wheel can run on the wall of the ceiling, and the wheel can be driven by turning the wheel. The airship according to claim 3 or 6, wherein the airship has a structure capable of changing a direction.   The airship according to claim 3 or 6, wherein the protection means is configured by a robot leg that is driven when the airship is in flight and can walk on the wall surface of the ceiling.   The airship according to claim 11, wherein the base of the robot leg is arranged on a lower side in a vertical direction of the airship.   The airship according to claim 1, further comprising a sail that applies a propulsive force to the airship to move the airship and changes a course direction of the airship.   The airship according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a ballast that regulates the attitude of the airship so that the protection means is on the upper side in the vertical direction of the airship during flight. An airship according to any of claims 1 to 14,
An airship system comprising a base station capable of communicating with the airship. Fault detection means for detecting a fault on the path of the airship;
The airship system according to claim 15, further comprising a failure avoidance unit that avoids the failure based on a detection result of the failure detection unit. Contact state detection means for detecting a contact state between the protection means and the ceiling during flight;
The airship system according to claim 15 or 16, further comprising an informing means for informing an abnormality when the contact state is abnormal.

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