JP2020015505A - Flight body and flight method for the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a flight body that has a more basic structure and for which safety measures are taken.SOLUTION: A flight body 1 includes: a flight part 10 that comprises a plurality of rotary wings 16 for generating thrust; a leg 20; an arm part 30 for connecting the flight part and the leg together; and fixed wing parts 40 and 42 that are provided almost in the center of the arm part. The flight body also comprises a loading part 50 that is provided to be freely movable between a first position of the arm part and a second position located behind the first position. The flight body descends by shifting the loading part from the first position to the second position in the air over a destination.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a flying object and a flying method of the flying object.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various services using a rotary wing aircraft (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “aircraft”) such as a drone and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) used for various applications have been provided. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

  Among such flying bodies, there is a flying body disclosed in Patent Literature 2 that has a mounting portion for mounting luggage.

JP-A-2017-15697 JP 2017-159751 A

  When carrying the above-described luggage, the technology described in Patent Document 2 has a problem in safety because the structure is complicated and no countermeasures against crosswind at the time of descent are taken.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flying object having a more basic structure and safety measures.

According to the present invention,
A flying section having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust, a leg, an arm connecting the flying section and the leg, and a fixed wing provided substantially at the center of the arm. A flying vehicle comprising
A flying object further comprising a mounting portion movably provided between a first position of the arm portion and a second position located behind the first position is obtained.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flying body having a more basic structure and taking safety measures.

1 is a perspective view of a flying object according to the present invention. It is a top view of the flying object of FIG. It is a side view of the flying object of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an initial state of the flying object of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state of the flying object of FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state of the flying object of FIG. 1 at the time of flight. It is a figure which shows the state in the target ground sky of the flying object of FIG. FIG. 2 is another diagram showing a state of the flying object of FIG. 1 in a target ground sky. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the flying object of FIG. 1 descends. FIG. 2 is another diagram showing a state of the flying object of FIG. 1 when descending. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks of a flight unit of the flying object in FIG. 1.

The contents of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described. The flying object and the flying method of the flying object according to the embodiment of the present invention have the following configurations.
[Item 1]
A flying section having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust, a leg, an arm connecting the flying section and the leg, and a fixed wing provided substantially at the center of the arm. A flying vehicle comprising
A flying object further comprising a mounting portion movably provided between a first position of the arm portion and a second position located behind the first position.
[Item 2]
The flying object according to item 1, wherein
The first position at least overlaps with the fixed wing portion in the front-rear direction.
Flying object.
[Item 3]
The flying object according to item 1 or item 2,
The fixed wing portion is composed of a pair of two fixed wings,
The first position is located between the pair of fixed wings;
Flying object.
[Item 4]
The flying object according to any one of item 1 to item 3,
The second position at least overlaps with the fixed wing portion in the front-rear direction,
Flying object.
[Item 5]
The flying object according to any one of item 1 to item 4,
A connection unit that connects the flying unit and the arm unit independently and displaceably;
Flying object.
[Item 6]
The flying object according to item 5, wherein
A connecting part that connects the flying part and the arm part is a gimbal,
Flying object.
[Item 7]
A flight method for a flying object according to any one of item 1 to item 6,
In the initial state, setting the mounting portion at the first position and mounting the mounting target, and vertically setting the arm portion so that the flying portion is at the upper end,
Driving the flying unit, raising the driving unit so as to be the front end in the traveling direction,
At a predetermined height, displacing the flying portion in the horizontal direction at approximately 90 degrees, and flying so that the arm portion extends in the horizontal direction;
Displacing the mounting portion from the first position to the second position while vertically setting the arm portion so that the leg portion is at the lower end in the target ground sky;
Lowering the legs so as to be at the lower end,
How to fly the flying object.

<Details of Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a flying object and a flying method of the flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Details of Embodiments of the Present Invention>
As shown in FIG. 1, a flying object 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a flying unit 10 having a plurality of rotors 16 for generating thrust, a leg 20, a flying unit 10 and a leg. The arm unit 30 includes a fixed wing unit (an upper fixed wing 40 and a lower fixed wing 42) provided substantially at the center of the arm unit 30.

  In addition, the illustrated flying object 1 is illustrated in a simplified manner to facilitate the description of the structure of the present invention, and for example, a detailed configuration of a control unit and the like is not illustrated.

  The axes in the figure represent absolute axes. The Z axis (Z direction) is a vertical direction, and both the X axis and the Y axis are horizontal.

<Structure details>
The flying section 10 according to the present embodiment includes a propeller 16, a motor 14 for rotating the propeller 16, and a motor arm 12 supporting the motor 14. The flying unit 10 according to the present embodiment has four sets of a propeller 16, a motor 14, and a motor arm 12 in a cross shape.

  The propeller 16 rotates by receiving an output from the motor 14. As the propeller 16 rotates, a propulsive force is generated to take off the flying object 1 from the place of departure, move it horizontally, and land at the destination (details of flight will be described later). The propeller can rotate rightward, stop, and rotate leftward.

  Propeller 16 may be any number of blades (rotors) (eg, one, two, three, four, or more blades). The shape of the blades can be any shape, such as a flat shape, a bent shape, a kinked shape, a tapered shape, or a combination thereof.

  In addition, the shape of the blade can be changed (for example, expansion, contraction, folding, bending, and the like). The blades may be symmetric (having identical upper and lower surfaces) or asymmetric (having different shaped upper and lower surfaces).

  The blades can be formed into an airfoil, wing, or any suitable geometry to generate dynamic aerodynamic forces (eg, lift, thrust) as the blades are moved through the air. The geometry of the blades can be selected as appropriate to optimize the dynamic air characteristics of the blades, such as increasing lift and thrust and reducing drag.

  The motor 14 causes the propeller 16 to rotate, and, for example, the drive unit can include an electric motor or an engine. The blades are drivable by a motor and rotate clockwise and / or counterclockwise about the axis of rotation of the motor (eg, the long axis of the motor).

  The blades can all rotate in the same direction, or can rotate independently. Some of the blades rotate in one direction and other blades rotate in the other direction. The blades can all rotate at the same rotation speed, or can rotate at different rotation speeds. The number of rotations can be determined automatically or manually based on the dimensions (eg, size, weight) and control state (speed, moving direction, etc.) of the moving body.

  The motor arm 12 is a member that supports the corresponding motor 14 and propeller 16, respectively. The motor arm 12 may be provided with a colored body such as an LED to indicate a flight state, a flight direction, and the like of the rotary wing aircraft. The motor arm 12 according to the present embodiment can be formed of a material appropriately selected from carbon, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, or the like, or an alloy or a combination thereof.

  In the present embodiment, the flight unit 10 (see FIG. 1) and the arm unit 30 are connected via a gimbal 60. Thereby, the flying part 10 and the arm part 30 can be displaced independently.

  That is, since the direction of the flight unit 10 can be controlled independently of the direction of the arm unit 30, the gimbal 60 that is not affected by the direction of the flight unit 30 has at least two directions. A gimbal 60 that can be displaced in the axis direction (X axis and Z axis).

  The arm 30 has two linear shapes, one end of which is connected to the flight unit 10 and the other end of which is connected to the leg 20.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting section 50 according to the present embodiment is provided on the arm section 30. The mounting portion 50 moves along the arm portion 30 from the first position shown in FIGS. 2A and 3A to the second position shown in FIGS. 2B and 3B. It is configured to be movable.

  The mounting section 50 according to the present embodiment makes the first position and the second position displaceable by guiding the arm section 30 formed in a rail shape. Note that the moving method may be another method, and any method may be used as long as it can be fixed to the first position and the second position and can control movement between these positions.

  The first position in the present embodiment is a position at least partially overlapping the fixed wing portion 40 in the traveling direction (Y direction). Thereby, the thrust center and the center of gravity of the mounted object 52 can be brought close to each other, and the flight is stabilized.

  The location of the first position can be appropriately changed according to the material and the like in the weight and shape of the mounting target.

  The fixed wing portions (the upper fixed wing 40 and the lower fixed wing 42) are connected to the arm portion 30, respectively. The flying object according to the present embodiment has a concept in which a biplane is connected to a rotary wing aircraft via a gimbal, but may not be a biplane.

  Subsequently, a flying method of the flying object according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an initial state of the flying object. The mounting target 52 is mounted on the mounting unit 50. The mounting unit 50 is located at the first position. The center of gravity mark in the figure indicates the center of gravity (COG) of the flying object.

  In the initial state, the flying object stands upright with the legs 20 in contact with the ground. In other words, in the initial state, the flying object is set so that the arm unit 30 stands upright.

  In the initial state, an auxiliary arm, an auxiliary leg, or the like may be used to prevent the flying object from falling down.

  The flying object obtains an upward thrust by rotating the propeller 16 of the flying unit 10 from the state shown in FIG. 4, and rises and rises as shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, when the flying object rises to a predetermined height, the flying unit 10 is displaced in the horizontal direction by approximately 90 degrees to change the direction of the aircraft (horizontal attitude).

  In this state, the vehicle can be propelled in the horizontal direction as if it were a propeller airplane. According to this configuration, it is possible to move to the target ground at high speed.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, when the vehicle arrives at the target ground, the propeller 16 is lowered in rotational speed so that the aircraft becomes vertical (downward posture), and the state shifts to the hovering state. That is, the orientation of the body is returned from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction. At this time, the mounting portion 50 at the first position moves to the second position, and the mounting target 52 also moves accordingly (see the arrow M in the figure). With the movement of the mounting object, the center of gravity G also shifts to the leg side.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the vehicle descends from the target ground to the destination. The movement of the mounting target 52 to the second position has been completed, and the center of gravity G has also moved from the initial position.

  If the mounting target 52 is shifted to the second position in the horizontal posture, the entire arm 30 swings like a pendulum depending on the weight of the mounting target 52 depending on the weight of the mounting target 52. Therefore, it is preferable that the transfer of the mounted object 52 is started after the start of the transition to the descending posture, and more safely, it is preferable that the transition is made in a state where the descending posture is completely reached.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, even if a cross wind or the like blows during descent, the flying portion is freely displaced by the gimbal 60, so that it does not flow laterally. .

  The rotary wing machine described above has the functional blocks shown in FIG. Note that the functional blocks in FIG. 11 are a minimum reference configuration. The flight controller is a so-called processing unit. A processing unit may include one or more processors, such as a programmable processor (eg, a central processing unit (CPU)).

  The processing unit has a memory (not shown) and can access the memory. The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the processing unit can execute to perform one or more steps.

  The memory may include, for example, a detachable medium such as an SD card or a random access memory (RAM) or an external storage device. Data obtained from cameras and sensors may be directly transmitted and stored in the memory. For example, still image / moving image data shot by a camera or the like is recorded in a built-in memory or an external memory.

The processing unit includes a control module configured to control a state of the rotorcraft. For example, the control module 6 degrees of freedom (translation x, y and z, and rotational movement theta _x, theta _y and theta _z) spatial arrangement of the rotary wing aircraft having a velocity, and / or to adjust the acceleration Control the propulsion mechanism (motor, etc.) of the rotorcraft. The control module can control one or more of the states of the mounting unit and the sensors.

  The processing unit can communicate with a transceiver configured to transmit and / or receive data from one or more external devices (eg, terminals, displays, or other remote controllers). The transceiver can use any suitable communication means, such as a wired or wireless communication.

  For example, the transmission / reception unit uses one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, WiFi, point-to-point (P2P) network, telecommunication network, cloud communication, and the like. be able to.

  The transmission / reception unit can transmit and / or receive one or more of data obtained by the sensors, processing results generated by the processing unit, predetermined control data, user commands from a terminal or a remote controller, and the like. .

  The sensors according to the present embodiment may include an inertial sensor (acceleration sensor, gyro sensor), a GPS sensor, a proximity sensor (eg, a rider), or a vision / image sensor (eg, a camera).

  The rotary wing aircraft of the present invention can be expected to be used as an airplane exclusively for home delivery service over a medium to long distance, and as an industrial rotary wing aircraft in a wide area monitoring business and a reconnaissance and rescue business in mountainous areas. Further, the rotary wing aircraft of the present invention can be used in an airplane-related industry such as a multicopter / drone, and the present invention is also suitably used as a flying object equipped with a camera or the like and capable of performing an aerial photographing mission. It can be used in various industries such as security, agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, etc.

  The embodiment described above is merely an example for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not intended to limit and interpret the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Flying object 10 Flying part 12 Motor arm 14 Motor 16 Propeller 20 Leg part 30 Arm part 40 Upper fixed wing 42 Lower fixed wing 50 Mounting part 52 Mounting object 60 Gimbal

Claims (7)

A flying section having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust, a leg, an arm connecting the flying section and the leg, and a fixed wing provided substantially at the center of the arm. A flying vehicle comprising
A mounting portion movably provided along the arm portion between a first position of the arm portion and a second position located behind the first position,
Flying object. The flying object according to claim 1,
The first position at least overlaps with the fixed wing portion in the front-rear direction.
Flying object. A flying object according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The fixed wing portion is composed of a pair of two fixed wings,
The first position is located between the pair of fixed wings;
Flying object. A flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The second position at least overlaps with the fixed wing portion in the front-rear direction,
Flying object. A flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A connection unit that connects the flying unit and the arm unit independently and displaceably;
Flying object. The flying object according to claim 5, wherein
A connecting part that connects the flying part and the arm part is a gimbal,
Flying object. A method of flying a flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
In the initial state, setting the mounting portion at the first position and mounting the mounting target, and vertically setting the arm portion so that the flying portion is at the upper end,
Driving the flying unit, raising the driving unit so as to be the front end in the traveling direction,
At a predetermined height, displacing the flying portion in the horizontal direction at approximately 90 degrees, and flying so that the arm portion extends in the horizontal direction;
Displacing the mounting portion from the first position to the second position while vertically setting the arm portion so that the leg portion is at the lower end in the target ground sky;
Lowering the leg so as to be a lower end,
How to fly the flying object.