JP6664822B1 - Flying object - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an aircraft capable of stably landing at a destination. A flying body according to the present invention is a flying body that can travel at least in a front-rear direction, and is provided with a lift generation section, an arm section that holds the lift generation section, and the arm section. A mounting portion having a connecting portion for maintaining the orientation of the at least horizontal, a support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and movable in the front-rear direction, and a position of the support member. , Selectively positioning at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting portion from moving vertically and horizontally and a second positioning position that allows the mounting portion to move longitudinally. And a positioning member. [Selection diagram] Fig. 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air vehicle, and more particularly to an air vehicle having a mounting portion on which luggage and the like can be mounted.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, attempts have been made to deliver luggage using a flying object such as a drone (Drone) or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) (hereinafter, collectively referred to as an “flying object”). Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery system using a flying object (for example, see Patent Document 1). The delivery system forms a shipping inventory for delivering packages to be delivered by a flying body (drone) autonomously to a delivery destination.

U.S. Patent Publication No. 2015-0120094 A1

  In the flying body of Patent Document 1, especially when the luggage is loaded, it is difficult to control the attitude immediately before landing, and the flying body becomes unstable. Therefore, there may be a problem that it is difficult to land in a stable posture.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flying object that can stably land at a destination.

  A flying body according to the present invention is a flying body that can travel at least in the front-rear direction, provided with a lift generating unit, an arm unit that holds the lift generating unit, and provided on the arm unit, and the orientation of a mounting object is at least A mounting portion having a connection portion that maintains horizontal, a support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and movable in the front-rear direction, and A positioning member for selectively positioning a first positioning position for preventing movement of the mounting portion in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a second positioning position for enabling the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction. Is provided. This makes it easy to control the attitude immediately before landing, and allows the flying object to stably land at the destination.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flying object that can stably land at a destination.

It is a figure showing the state at the time of the advance of the flying object by this Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the flying object of FIG. 1 from back. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state of a positioning member. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state of the flying object of FIG. 1 when descending. It is a general functional block diagram of a flying object. It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification of this invention (the 1). It is explanatory drawing which shows the modification of this invention (the 2).

The contents of the embodiment of the present invention will be listed and described. A flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention has the following configuration.
[Item 1]
A flying object capable of traveling at least in the front-back direction,
A lift generator,
An arm portion for holding the lift generating portion,
A mounting unit provided on the arm unit, the mounting unit having a connection unit that maintains the orientation of the mounting target at least horizontal,
A support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and movable in the front-rear direction;
A position of the support member, a first positioning position for preventing the mounting portion from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a second positioning position for enabling the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction. And a positioning member for selectively positioning the
Flying object.
[Item 2]
The flying object according to item 1, wherein
The support member,
The other end of the first link member, one end of which is connected to the mounting portion, and the other end of the second link member, one end of which is connected to the mounting portion, are connected to each other, and the connection point is configured as a movable input point. ,
In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a shape extending substantially linearly,
The position of the support member by the positioning member has a bent shape in a state of being positioned at the second positioning position,
Flying object.
[Item 3]
The flying object according to item 1 or item 2,
The mounting unit is
A rotating member having an elliptical cross section,
A pair of connecting grooves provided at positions facing the both ends in the short direction of the rotating member,
The positioning member,
An urging member that contacts both ends of the rotating member in the short direction and urges the rotating member in the short direction,
A pair of connecting claws provided at positions corresponding to the connecting groove,
The positioning member,
With the longitudinal direction of the rotating member facing the front-back direction, positioning the position of the support member at the first positioning position,
The rotating member rotates against the urging force of the urging member, and the longitudinal direction of the rotating member turns to the left and right, and the position of the supporting member is changed to the second position in a state where the connecting claw is fitted in the connecting groove. Positioning at the positioning position of
Flying object.
[Item 4]
The flying object according to any one of item 1 to item 3,
The positioning member,
When hovering or flying, position the support member at the first positioning position,
At the time of landing, the position of the support member is positioned at the second positioning position,
Flying object.

<Details of Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a 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 FIGS. 1 to 3, the flying object 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a propeller 2 (lift generating unit: rotary wing), a motor 3 for rotating the propeller 2, and the motor 3 attached thereto. Arm 4, a mounting portion 5 provided on the arm 4 and on which a load 52 (a mounting object) is mounted, a support member 6, and a positioning member 7. The flying object 1 has the direction of arrow D in the drawing as the traveling direction (details will be described later).

  The propeller 2 rotates by receiving an output from the motor 3. The rotation of the propeller 2 generates a propulsive force for the aircraft 1 to take off from the starting point, move horizontally, and land at the destination. The propeller 2 can rotate rightward, stop, and rotate leftward.

  In the propeller 2 of the present invention, the blade has an elongated shape. Any number of blades (rotors) (eg, one, two, three, four, or more blades) may be used. The shape of the blade may 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 3 causes the rotation of the propeller 2, 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 size (eg, size, weight) and control state (speed, moving direction, etc.) of the moving body.

  The arm 4 is a member that supports the corresponding motor 3 and propeller 2 respectively. The arm 4 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 arm 4 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.

  The mounting section 5 is a mechanism for mounting and holding the load 52. The mounting section 5 is composed of a pair of members formed at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The mounting unit 5 always keeps the state in a predetermined direction (for example, a horizontal direction (vertically downward)) so that the position and orientation of the loaded luggage 52 can be maintained.

  More specifically, the mounting section 5 has a hinge (gimbal) 50, and the luggage 52 is configured to bend in accordance with the inclination of the flying object 1 with the hinge 50 as a fulcrum. The angle at which the hinge 50 is bent is not particularly limited. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is sufficient that the position and direction of the luggage 52 can be kept horizontal even when the flying object 1 flies in the forward leaning posture. Thereby, the luggage 52 is always held in a vertically suspended state, and can be delivered to the destination while maintaining the position and the state at the starting point. The hinge 50 according to the present embodiment is movable only in the front-rear direction, which is the same direction as the traveling direction. However, it may be movable in the left-right direction.

  Here, the hinge 50 may be controlled by a motor or the like. This further prevents the load 52 from wobbling (natural vibration or the like) during flight.

  The shape and mechanism of the mounting portion 5 are not particularly limited as long as the luggage 52 can be stored or held, and the luggage 52 mounted on the first mounting portion 30 is inclined or holds the position. Anything can be used as long as it is possible.

  The mounting portion 5 is provided at an elliptical cam 53 as an example of a rotating member having an elliptical cross-sectional shape and having an axis 53A in the vertical direction, and at positions opposed to both ends of the elliptical cam 53 in the short direction. And a pair of connecting grooves 54, 54. The mounting section 5 has a motor (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the elliptical cam 53, and adjusts the rotation angle of the elliptical cam 53 according to an instruction from a control section (not shown: described later). It is possible to change.

  The support member 6 is composed of a pair of members formed at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The support member 6 is configured such that one end is supported by the mounting portion 5 and the other end is supported by a block member 55 fixed to the mounting portion 5 and is movable in the front-rear direction. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the support member 6 has the other end of the first link member 60 whose one end is connected to the mounting portion 5 and the second link member 61 whose one end is connected to the block member 55. The ends are connected to each other, and the connection point is configured as a movable input point.

The positioning member 7 allows the mounting member 5 to move in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a first positioning position for preventing the mounting member 5 from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions. And the second positioning position. In a state where the position of the support member 6 is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member 7, the support member 6 has a substantially linearly elongated shape. In a state where the position of the support member 6 is positioned at the second positioning position by the positioning member 7, the support member 6 has a shape bent to the side away from the mounting portion 5.

As shown in FIG. 3, the positioning member 7 includes an urging member 70 such as a pressing spring that contacts both ends of the elliptical cam 53 in the short direction and urges the elliptical cam 53 in the short direction. And a pair of connecting claws 71, 71 provided at positions corresponding to 54. The positioning member 7 positions the support member 6 at the first positioning position with the longitudinal direction of the elliptical cam 53 facing the front-back direction. The positioning member 7 is in a state in which the elliptical cam 53 rotates against the urging force of the urging member 70, the longitudinal direction of the positioning member 7 is oriented in the left-right direction, and the coupling claws 71, 71 are fitted in the coupling grooves 54, 54. The position of the support member 6 is positioned at the second positioning position.

  The mounting unit 5 according to the present embodiment is provided rearward in the traveling direction D by a predetermined distance L1 from the center of gravity Gh of the flying object 1 in the front-back direction. The predetermined distance L1 is determined so that the luggage 52 does not overlap in the vertical direction at least with a circular region generated by the rotation of the rear propeller 2 even if it is partially. In other words, the predetermined distance L1 is set to a value such that the propeller 2 rotating and the load 52 do not overlap when viewed from above the propeller 2. More preferably, the load 52 is provided at a position not affected by the wake area generated from the rear propeller 2. The mounting section 5 can be provided at an arbitrary position on the arm 4. Further, the position can be changed by sliding or the like after the attachment.

<Explanation during flight>
Subsequently, a flight mode of the flying object 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In addition. In the following description, in order to clarify the description, three modes of ascending, horizontal moving, and descending will be described, respectively. For example, these modes such as performing horizontal moving while ascending are described. A mode of flying by a combination is naturally included.

<Up>
The user operates a radio control transmitter provided with an operation unit to increase the output of the motor 3 of the flying object and increase the rotation speed of the propeller 2. As the propeller 2 rotates, a lift required to levitate the flying object 1 is generated vertically upward. When the lift exceeds the gravity acting on the flying object 1, the flying object 1 leaves the ground and takes off from the starting point.

  When ascending, the flying object 1 including the arm 4 is maintained horizontally as a whole. In other words, when the lifts generated by the propellers 2 are the same, in the front-back direction, the gravitational force applied to the flying object 1 matches with respect to the center of gravity Gh (the rotational moment around the center of gravity Gh in the left-right direction is Have been neglected). As a result, the flying object 1 can rise while maintaining the level.

  Note that the flying object 1 can hover when the weight applied to the flying object 1 and the lift generated in the flying object 1 due to the rotation of the propeller 2 are dynamically balanced. At this time, the altitude of the flying object 1 is maintained at a constant level. The flying object 1 in the present embodiment maintains the same attitude during hovering.

<When moving horizontally>
When traveling in the horizontal direction, the flying object 1 is controlled such that the rotation speed of the propeller 2 located rearward in the traveling direction is higher than the rotation speed of the propeller 2 located forward in the traveling direction. . Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the vehicle 1 moves horizontally in the traveling direction, the flying object 1 assumes a forward leaning posture. At this time, the presence of the hinge 50 keeps the orientation of the load 52 horizontal. Further, the presence of the positioning member 7 positions the support member 6 at the second positioning position (a position at which the mounting unit 5 can move in the vertical and horizontal directions).

  Since the mounting part 5 is located behind the center of gravity Gh, the load 52 is not located in the wake area of the propeller 2. Therefore, according to the flying object 1 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to increase the flight efficiency at least when traveling in the horizontal direction.

<Descent (landing)>
As shown in FIG. 4, the flying object 1 lands at the destination and lowers the luggage 52 mounted on the mounting unit 5 to the destination. That is, the flying object 1 and the luggage 52 are separated at the destination. The separation between the flying object 1 and the luggage 52 is performed by separating the luggage 52 from the mounting unit 5. The flying object 1 in the present embodiment does not have a landing leg to reduce the weight. Therefore, at the time of landing, the loaded luggage 52 itself has the function of a landing leg. However, the flying object 1 in the present embodiment has the positioning member 7 so that the position of the support member 6 is the first positioning position (the position where the mounting unit 5 is prevented from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions). It is positioned with. Therefore, the flying object 1 according to the present embodiment can land at the destination with the luggage 52 fixed to the mounting portion 5.

  The flying object described above has the functional blocks shown in FIG. Note that the functional blocks in FIG. 5 are minimum reference configurations. 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 condition of the vehicle. 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 aircraft with the speed, and / or to adjust the acceleration Control the propulsion mechanism (motor, etc.) of the flying object. 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 flying body of the present invention can be expected to be used as a flying body dedicated to home delivery service and as an industrial flying body in a warehouse or a factory. In addition, the flying object of the present invention can be used in an airplane-related industry such as a multicopter / drone, and the present invention can also be suitably used as an aerial photographing vehicle equipped with a camera or the like. Besides, it can be used in various industries such as security field, agriculture, infrastructure monitoring, etc.

  The above-described embodiment 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.

<Modified example>
As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the position changing member may include a hook 90, a connecting rod 91, a link member 92, and a block member 93. The hook 90 is a block material having an arm 90A and an arm 90B formed by bending in an L shape in a side view. The distal end of the arm 90B is pivotally supported by the mounting portion 5, and one end of a connecting rod 91 is rotatably connected to an intermediate portion of the arm 90B by a shaft. The other end of the connecting rod 91 is rotatably connected to one end of a link member 92 by a shaft. The other end of the link member 92 is supported by a block member 93 fixed to the mounting section 5. In this modification, the position of the mounting portion 5 is switched to the first positioning position or the second positioning position according to the state of contact between the tip of the arm portion 30 and the mounting portion 5. That is, in a state where the position of the mounting portion 5 is positioned at the first positioning position, the tip of the arm portion 30 contacts the mounting portion 5. On the other hand, in a state where the position of the mounting portion 5 is positioned at the second positioning position, the tip of the arm portion 30 is separated from the contact position with the mounting portion 5.

1 Aircraft 2 Propeller (lift generator)
3 motor 4 arm (arm part)
5 mounting part 6 support member 7 positioning member 53 elliptical cam (rotary member)
54 a pair of connecting grooves 60 a first link member 61 a second link member 70 a biasing member 71 a pair of connecting claws

Claims (3)

A flying object capable of traveling at least in the front-back direction,
A lift generator,
An arm portion for holding the lift generating portion,
A mounting unit provided on the arm unit, the mounting unit having a connection unit that maintains the orientation of the mounting target at least horizontal,
A support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and movable in the front-rear direction;
A position of the support member, a first positioning position for preventing the mounting portion from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a second positioning position for enabling the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction. , selectively and a positioning member for positioning the,
The support member,
The other end of the first link member, one end of which is connected to the mounting portion, and the other end of the second link member, one end of which is connected to the mounting portion, are connected to each other, and the connection point is configured as a movable input point. ,
In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a shape extending substantially linearly,
That having a bent shape in a state in which by the positioning member positions of said support member positioned at the second position for positioning,
Flying object. A flying object capable of traveling at least in the front-back direction,
A lift generator,
An arm portion for holding the lift generating portion,
A mounting unit provided on the arm unit, the mounting unit having a connection unit that maintains the orientation of the mounting target at least horizontal,
A support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and movable in the front-rear direction;
A position of the support member, a first positioning position for preventing the mounting portion from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions, and a second positioning position for enabling the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction. , Comprising a positioning member for selectively positioning the
The mounting unit is
A rotating member having an elliptical cross section,
A pair of connecting grooves provided at positions facing the both ends in the short direction of the rotating member,
The positioning member,
An urging member that contacts both ends of the rotating member in the short direction and urges the rotating member in the short direction,
A pair of connecting claws provided at positions corresponding to the connecting groove,
The positioning member,
With the longitudinal direction of the rotating member facing the front-back direction, positioning the position of the support member at the first positioning position,
The rotating member rotates against the urging force of the urging member, and the longitudinal direction of the rotating member turns to the left and right, and the position of the supporting member is changed to the second position in a state where the connecting claw is fitted in the connecting groove. Positioning at the positioning position of
Flying object. A flying object according to claim 1 or claim 2 ,
The positioning member,
When hovering or flying, position the support member at the first positioning position,
At the time of landing, the position of the support member is positioned at the second positioning position,
Flying object.

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