JP6693635B1 - Aircraft power supply device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable power supply to a battery of an aircraft even when the aircraft does not land in a power supply area at a specific position and attitude. According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a power supply device 40 that supplies power to an aircraft 1 that operates by power supply from a battery. A power supply cable 45 having a connector 46a connected to one end is connected to the battery of the aircraft 1, and the power supply device 40 includes a power supply cable 42 connected to a power supply and one end of the power supply cable 42. And a guide member 48 for guiding the connector 46a connected to one end of the power supply cable 35 of the aircraft 1 to the connector 41a. [Selection diagram]

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a power supply device for an aircraft.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, various services have been provided using flying bodies (hereinafter, simply referred to as “aircraft”) such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for various purposes. There is.

  In order to operate an aircraft for a long time, it is necessary to periodically charge a battery mounted on the aircraft. As an example of a method of supplying power to a battery of an aircraft, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique of charging a battery of an aircraft landing in a charging area by power supply by non-contact power transmission.

JP, 2017-071285, A

  Power supply by non-contact power transmission is generally performed using the principle of electromagnetic induction. Since the power transmission efficiency of such contactless power supply is lower than that of wired power supply, more power and time are required for charging. In particular, when non-contact power feeding is performed in a state where the flying body is located at a position deviating from a predetermined power feeding position on the power feeding device side, power transmission efficiency is significantly reduced. Therefore, in order to more efficiently charge the battery of the aircraft, it is preferable to supply power by wire.

  It is difficult to accurately land the flight vehicle at a specific position in a power feeding area in a specific posture due to accuracy errors of a position detection device included in the flight vehicle and disturbance factors such as wind received by the flight vehicle. Therefore, in order to supply power to the air vehicle by wire, even if the air vehicle does not land in the power supply area at a specific position and attitude, the connector of the power cable provided in the air vehicle, It is required to be able to connect to the connector of the power supply cable provided in the charging area.

  According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a power supply device that supplies power to a flying object that operates by power supply from a battery. A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end thereof is connected to the battery of the aircraft, and the power supply device includes a second power supply cable connected to a power source and a second power supply cable. A second connector connected to one end of the power supply cable and a guide member for guiding the first connector connected to one end of the first power supply cable of the aircraft to the second connector. Have.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to supply power to a battery of an aircraft even when the aircraft does not land in a power supply area at a specific position and attitude.

  Other features and advantages of the present disclosure can be understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings, which are given by way of example and non-exhaustively.

It is a block diagram which shows the hardware constitutions of the flying body which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of a management server concerning one embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply device for an aircraft according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a modification of the power supply device for an aircraft according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply device for an aircraft according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. It is a schematic diagram showing the 1st modification of the electric power feeder of a flying body concerning a 2nd embodiment of this indication shown in Drawing 5. It is a schematic diagram showing the 2nd modification of the electric power feeder of an air vehicle concerning a 2nd embodiment of this indication shown in Drawing 5. It is a schematic diagram showing the 3rd modification of the electric power feeder of an air vehicle concerning a 2nd embodiment of this indication shown in Drawing 5. It is a schematic plan view which shows the electric power feeding station of the aircraft which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this indication. It is a schematic plan view which shows the 1st example of the means which detects that the aircraft landed on the landing stage of the electric power feeding station. It is a schematic plan view which shows the 2nd example of the means which detects that the aircraft landed on the landing stage of the electric power feeding station. It is a schematic plan view which shows the 1st modification of the electric power feeding station of the aircraft which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this indication shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing a slide bar mechanism including the power feeding device shown in FIG. 12 and an aircraft landing on a landing stage. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a second modified example of the power feeding station of the aircraft according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 9.

[Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Aircraft>
The flying body in the present embodiment is a drone, a multi copter, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a remote piloted air systems (RPAS), or a URAS (unsecured as-called). Sometimes. The flying body includes a battery, a plurality of motors, a position detection unit, a control unit, a driver, a storage device, a wireless communication device, a voltage sensor, a current sensor, and the like. These components are mounted on a frame having a predetermined shape. The hardware configuration of the information processing device mounted on the aircraft will be described later. Known techniques can be appropriately adopted for the basic structure for these flights.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an aircraft according to an embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the aircraft 1 is equipped with an information processing device 1A. The information processing device 1A forms a part of an information transmission system by executing information processing via communication with a server. The information processing apparatus 1A includes at least a processor 10, a memory 11, a storage 12, a transmission / reception unit 13, an input / output unit 14, a positioning unit 16, a detection unit 17, and the like, which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 15. .. The information processing device 1A may be configured by, for example, a microcomputer, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or may be logically realized by cloud computing.

  The processor 10 is an arithmetic device that controls the operation of the information processing device 100, controls the transmission and reception of data between the respective elements, and performs the processes necessary for executing applications. For example, the processor 10 is a CPU and / or a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit) or the like, and executes necessary information processing by executing a program or the like stored in the storage 12 and expanded in the memory 11.

  The memory 11 includes a main memory configured by a volatile storage device such as a RAM and an auxiliary storage configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or an HDD. The memory 11 is used as a work area or the like of the processor 10, and also stores a BIOS executed when the information processing apparatus 1A is activated, various setting information, and the like. The storage 12 stores application programs and the like.

  The transmission / reception unit 13 connects the information processing device 1A to an LPEA (Low Power Wide Area) network as an example, and communicates with the management server 2 via the network. The transmission / reception unit 13 may include a short-range communication interface of Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

  The input / output unit 14 is an information input device such as switches and an output device such as a display. Although the flying body 1 performs autonomous flight, it may be operated manually or automatically from outside. The flying vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment has a camera as an input function, and is capable of aerial photography of still images and moving images. Further, various cameras such as an infrared thermo camera, an X-ray camera, a high-sensitivity camera, and a night-vision camera may be provided according to the information to be collected.

  The bus 15 is commonly connected to each of the above elements and transmits, for example, an address signal, a data signal, and various control signals.

  The positioning unit 16 detects at least the position and altitude of the flying object 1. Positioning unit 26 according to the present embodiment is, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) detector, and detects the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the current position of unmanned aerial vehicle 1. Further, the positioning unit 16 includes, for example, a gyro sensor as a posture detector that detects the posture of the flying object 1.

  The detection unit 17 is for sensing the external environment of the flying object 1 by various sensors such as voice, images, infrared rays, and has an auxiliary function of self-sustaining flight.

  The aircraft 1 according to the present embodiment includes, in addition to the information processing device 1A, a power supply (battery), a motor connected to a rotary wing, an information processing device 1A and a motor for moving and flying the aircraft 1. It further has at least a driver for relaying. The information processing apparatus 1A uses a plurality of motors to control the flight of the surveillance drone (control of ascending, descending, horizontal movement, etc.) and a gyro sensor (not shown) mounted on the flying body 1. Attitude control is also performed by controlling a plurality of motors. The driver drives the motor according to the control signal from the information processing device 1A. For example, the motor is a DC motor, and the driver is a variable voltage power supply circuit that applies a voltage designated by a control signal to the motor. The flying vehicle 1 may have other elements not shown.

<Management server>
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the management server according to the embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the management server 2 is an information processing device for providing a service through an information transmission system, and may be a general-purpose computer such as a workstation or a personal computer, or cloud computing. May be logically realized by As illustrated in FIG. 2, the management server 2 includes a processor 20, a memory 21, a storage 22, a transmission / reception unit 23, an input / output unit 24, and the like, which are electrically connected to each other via a bus 25.

  The processor 20 is an arithmetic device that controls the overall operation of the management server 2, controls transmission / reception of data between each element, and performs information processing necessary for executing applications. For example, the processor 20 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a program or the like stored in the storage 22 and expanded in the memory 21 to perform each information processing.

  The memory 21 includes a main memory configured by a volatile storage device such as a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage configured by a non-volatile storage device such as a flash memory or a HDD (Hard Disc Drive). .. The memory 21 is used as a work area or the like of the processor 20, and also stores a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) executed when the management server 2 is started, and various setting information. The storage 22 stores various programs such as an application program and an authentication program for each air vehicle 1. A database (location data, route data, etc. described later) storing data used for each process may be built in the storage 22.

  The transmission / reception unit 23 connects the management server 2 to an LPEA (Low Power Wide Area) network as an example, and communicates with the information processing apparatus 1A of the aircraft 1 via the network. The transmission / reception unit 23 may include a short-range communication interface of Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).

  The input / output unit 24 is switches, information input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse, and output devices such as a display. By using the information input device of the input / output unit 24, it is possible to instruct the flight route of the flying body 1 that autonomously fly and the operation in flight (such as photographing by a camera). Alternatively, the operator can manually remotely control the air vehicle 1 by using an information input device in the form of a remote controller.

  Next, various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a power supply device for an aircraft according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the power supply device 30 for an aircraft according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure includes a contact board 31 having a connector 31a on an upper end surface so that the connector 31a faces upward, and a contact board 31. The power supply cable 32 is connected. The contact board 31 has the form of a connector conversion board and may include a voltage detection circuit. The power supply cable 32 is connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is supplied to the connector 31 a via the contact board 31.

  On the other hand, the flying body 1 in the present embodiment is provided with a flexible power feeding cable 35 extending downward from the lower side of the flying body 1, and a connector conversion board 36 connected to the power feeding cable 35. ing. A connector 36 a connected to the connector 31 a of the contact board 31 is provided on the lower end surface of the connector conversion board 36. The power supply cable 35 is connected to the battery of the aircraft 1, and the power supplied from the connector 36 a connected to the connector 31 a of the contact board 31 is supplied to the battery of the aircraft 1 via the connector conversion board 36 and the power supply cable 35. Is supplied to.

  As the power supply cables 32 and 35, USB cables can be used as an example, and cables of any other form can also be used.

  As an example, each of the connectors 31a and 36a includes at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode so that the circular electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Is configured. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode). Further, each of the connectors 31a and 36a includes a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 31a and 36a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 31a and 36a are coupled to each other, and the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 31a and 36a are electrically connected.

  The power feeding device 30 is arranged below an opening 37a formed in a landing stage 37 installed in a landing area of the aircraft 1. The flying vehicle 1 that has landed on the landing area lands on the landing stage 37 so as to straddle the opening 37a formed in the power feeding area of the landing stage 37. At this time, the connector conversion board 36 of the aircraft 1 is located near the power feeding device 30 through the opening 37a formed in the landing stage 37. Since the connector conversion board 36 is suspended from the flexible power supply cable 35, the connector 36 a of the connector conversion board 36 is connected to the connector 31 a of the contact board 31 by the action of the magnets of the connectors 31 a and 36 a. 3, the connectors 31a and 36a are coupled to each other as shown in FIG. 3, and the circular electrodes and center electrodes of the connectors 31a and 36a are electrically connected. As a result, the battery of the aircraft 1 is charged with the electric power supplied from the power supply of the power supply device 30.

  According to the power feeding device 30 of the present embodiment, even if the aircraft 1 does not land exactly on the landing stage 37 at the predetermined position of the power feeding area, the distance between the connectors 31a and 36a is set to the magnet. When the flying body 1 lands on the landing stage 37 so that the connectors 31a and 36a can be attracted and joined by the magnetic force of the connector 31, the connectors 31a and 36a are joined to each other. It is possible to charge one battery. Since the power feeding device 30 of the present embodiment employs a configuration in which power is directly fed by wire, charging can be performed with higher energy efficiency than in non-contact power feeding. In the case of non-contact power feeding, if the aircraft 1 does not land at an accurate position in the charging area, the power feeding efficiency may decrease and the charging time may increase accordingly. However, according to the power feeding device 30 of the present embodiment. , Even if the flying body 1 lands at a position slightly deviated from the predetermined position, the connectors 31a and 36a can be coupled to each other to charge the battery of the flying body 1, so that the power feeding efficiency is reduced. There is nothing to do.

  In this embodiment, each of the connectors 31a and 36a has a circular electrode and a center electrode. By forming the electrodes of the connectors 31a and 36a in the form of circular electrodes and center electrodes, the connectors 31a and 36a can be coupled to each other regardless of the rotation angles of the connectors 31a and 36a. Therefore, the electrodes of the connectors 31a and 36a can be connected to each other even when the aircraft 1 lands on the landing stage 37 in a state where the aircraft 1 is rotated from a predetermined posture.

  Further, according to the power feeding device 30 of the present embodiment, the flying body 1 may be provided with the power feeding cable 35 and the connector conversion board 36, which are lighter in weight than devices required for non-contact power feeding. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a small-sized air vehicle 1 with a small thrust, and can reduce the influence on the payload that can be mounted on any of the air vehicles 1 of any form.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the power supply device for an aircraft according to the present embodiment will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the aircraft power supply apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 3. 4, the same components as those described with reference to FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals. FIG. 4 shows the aircraft 1 landed on the ground, floor, stage, etc. as seen from above.

  The power supply device 30 for an aircraft according to the present modification shown in FIG. 4 includes a contact board 31 having a connector 31a on one end surface thereof, and a power supply cable 32 connected to the contact board 31. The power supply cable 32 preferably has flexibility. The power supply cable 32 is connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is supplied to the connector 31 a via the contact board 31. The contact board 31 has the form of a connector conversion board and includes a voltage detection circuit.

  On the other hand, the flying body 1 in the present modified example is provided with a power feeding cable 35 extending laterally of the flying body 1 and a connector 36 a connected to one end of the power feeding cable 35. The connector 36a is connected to the connector 31a of the contact board 31. The other end of the power supply cable 35 is connected to the battery bat of the aircraft 1 via the connector conversion board 34, and the power supplied from the connector 36a connected to the connector 31a of the contact board 31 is the connector 36a, It is supplied to the battery bat of the aircraft 1 via the power supply cable 35 and the connector conversion board 34. The power supply cable 35 is supported along a cable guide 38 attached to the aircraft 1, and the connector 36 a is fixed to the tip of the cable guide 38. As a result, the power supply cable 35 extends laterally of the aircraft 1, and the connector 36a provided at the tip of the power supply cable 35 can easily access the connector 31a of the power supply device 30.

  Also in this modification, as an example, the connectors 31a and 36a each include at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode, and the circular electrodes and the central electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Are configured to be electrically connected. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode). Further, each of the connectors 31a and 36a includes a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 31a and 36a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 31a and 36a are coupled to each other, and the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 31a and 36a are electrically connected.

  The power supply device 30 of the present modification is arranged or movable at a position where the connector 36a can be coupled to a connector 36a connected to one end of a power supply cable 35 extending laterally of the aircraft 1. ing. By connecting the connector 31a of the contact board 31 of the power feeding device 30 to the connector 36a provided at the tip of the power feeding cable 35 of the aircraft 1 landing on the ground, floor, stage stage, etc., the battery bat of the aircraft 1 is connected. Can be charged. Therefore, as compared with the case where the battery bat is removed from the aircraft 1 and the battery bat is connected to the charger, charging can be performed easily and quickly.

  Further, in this modification as well, since the connectors 31a and 36a each include a circular electrode and a center electrode and have a magnet, the connectors 31a and 36a are magnetically connected to each other regardless of the rotation angles of the connectors 31a and 36a. To pull them together and combine them. Therefore, even if the connectors 31a and 36a are not accurately aligned with each other, the connectors 31a and 36a can be connected to each other while being positioned at a position where they are electrically connected. Therefore, the connectors 31a and 36a can be erroneously connected. Is prevented.

  Furthermore, in this modification, the contact board 31 is provided with a voltage detection circuit, and when the connectors 31a and 36a are connected to each other, the voltage of the battery bat is detected by the voltage detection circuit. When the detected voltage of the battery bat is lower than the reference voltage, the voltage detection circuit turns on the power supply to the battery bat from the power supply connected to the contact board 31. When the voltage detection circuit detects that the voltage of the charged battery bat has reached the predetermined voltage, the voltage detection circuit turns off the power supply from the power supply to the battery bat. In this way, the voltage detection circuit provided on the contact board 31 switches on / off the power supply to the battery bat according to the detected voltage of the battery bat.

<Appendix>
The subject matter of the present embodiment described above is represented by, for example, a group of additional items described below. However, the subject matter of the present embodiment is not limited to this.

1) A power supply device for supplying power to an air vehicle that operates by power supply from a battery,
A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end is connected to the battery of the aircraft,
The power feeding device includes a second power feeding cable connected to a power source, and a second connector connected to one end of the second power feeding cable,
The second connector is magnetically coupled to the first connector, and when coupled to the first connector, the electrode of the second connector is electrically connected to the electrode of the first connector. The power supply device configured as described above.
2) The first power supply cable extends below the flying body,
The power feeding device according to appendix 1, wherein the power feeding device is arranged below an opening formed in a power feeding area of a landing stage on which the flying body lands so that the second connector faces upward. ..
3) The first power supply cable extends to the side of the aircraft,
The power feeding device can be arranged or moved at a position where the second connector can be coupled to the first connector connected to the one end of the first power feeding cable of the flying object. The power feeding device according to appendix 1, which is configured.
4) The power feeding device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the second power feeding cable and the second connector are connected via a connector conversion board.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 5: is a schematic diagram which shows the electric power feeder of the aircraft which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this indication.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a power supply device 40 for an aircraft according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure includes a contact board 41 having a connector 41a on an upper end surface thereof, and a power supply cable 42 connected to the contact board 41. And a guide member 48. The contact board 41 has the form of a connector conversion board and may be provided with a voltage detection circuit. The power supply cable 42 is connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is supplied to the connector 41 a via the contact board 41.

  On the other hand, the flying body 1 in the present embodiment includes a power feeding cable 45 that is flexible and extends downward from the lower side of the flying body 1, and a connector conversion board 46 connected to the power feeding cable 45. It is equipped. A connector 46 a connected to the connector 41 a of the contact board 41 is provided on the lower end surface of the connector conversion board 46. The power supply cable 45 is connected to the battery of the aircraft 1, and the power supplied from the connector 46a connected to the connector 41a of the contact board 41 is supplied to the battery of the aircraft 1 via the connector conversion board 46 and the power supply cable 45. Is supplied to.

  As the power supply cables 42 and 45, USB cables can be used as an example, and cables of any other form can also be used.

  As an example, each of the connectors 41a and 46a includes at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode so that the circular electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Is configured. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode).

  The guide member 48 of the power feeding device 40 is arranged below the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47 installed in the landing area of the aircraft 1. The guide member 48 is formed in a funnel shape having a conical inner surface whose diameter decreases from the opening formed in the upper part toward the opening formed in the lower part. The opening formed in the upper portion of the guide member 48 has a diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47. The opening formed in the lower portion of the guide member 48 is arranged above the connector 41 a which is an electrical contact of the contact board 41. The guide member 48 is supported by a support member such as an arbitrary frame structure (not shown) so that the relative position to the contact board 41 is maintained.

  The flying vehicle 1 that has arrived at the landing area lands on the landing stage 47 so as to straddle the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47. At this time, the connector 46a provided under the connector conversion board 46 of the flying object 1 contacts the inner surface of the guide member 48 of the power feeding device 40 through the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47. Since the connector conversion board 46 is suspended from the flexible power supply cable 45, the connector 46a of the connector conversion board 46 extends along the inner surface of the guide member 48 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. As it slides down, it is guided onto the connector 41a of the contact board 41 located below the guide member 48. As a result, the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected to each other, and the battery of the aircraft 1 is charged by the electric power supplied from the power supply device 40. Done.

  As described above, according to the power feeding device 40 of the present embodiment, even when the flying body 1 does not land exactly at the predetermined position on the landing stage 47, it is hung on the feeding cable 45 of the flying body 1. When the flying body 1 lands on the landing stage 47 within a range in which the lowered connector conversion board 46 can be accommodated in the guide member 48 of the power feeding device 40, the connector conversion board 46 on the flying body 1 side. It is possible to charge the battery of the aircraft 1 by guiding the connector 46a to the connector 41a, which is an electrical contact of the contact board 41 of the power supply device 40, and connecting the connectors 41a and 46a to each other. Since the power supply device 40 of the present embodiment employs a configuration in which power is directly supplied by wire, charging can be performed with higher energy efficiency than in non-contact power supply. In the case of non-contact power feeding, if the aircraft 1 does not land at an accurate position in the charging area, the power feeding efficiency may decrease and the charging time may increase accordingly. However, according to the power feeding device 40 of the present embodiment, , Even if the aircraft 1 lands at a position slightly displaced from the predetermined position, the batteries of the aircraft 1 can be charged by connecting the connectors 41a and 46a to each other, so that the power supply efficiency is reduced. There is nothing to do.

  In this embodiment, the connectors 41a and 46a are each provided with a circular electrode and a center electrode. By forming the electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a in the form of circular electrodes and center electrodes, the connectors 41a and 46a can be coupled to each other regardless of the rotation angles of the connectors 41a and 46a. Therefore, the electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a can be connected to each other even when the aircraft 1 lands on the landing stage 47 while being rotated from a predetermined posture.

  Further, according to the power supply device 40 of the present embodiment, the flying body 1 may be provided with the power supply cable 45 and the connector conversion board 46, which are lighter in weight than the device required for contactless power supply. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a small-sized air vehicle 1 with a small thrust, and can reduce the influence on the payload that can be mounted on any of the air vehicles 1 of any form.

  Each of the connectors 41a and 46a in the present embodiment may include a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 41a and 46a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, so that the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected. Therefore, as described above, when the connector 46a of the connector conversion board 46 slides down along the inner surface of the guide member 48 and is guided onto the connector 41a of the contact board 41, the connectors 41a and 46a are more accurately moved. Can be combined with. From another point of view, according to this configuration, when the aircraft 1 lands on the landing stage 47, the distance between the connectors 41a and 46a causes the magnetic forces of the magnets to attract and connect the connectors 41a and 46a. Even if the connector 41a, 46a is brought close to each other by the guide member 48 even if the connector 41a, 46a is not within the allowable range, the connectors 41a, 46a can be attracted to each other and coupled. When each connector 41a, 46a is provided with a magnet, the guide member 48 is made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic resin or aluminum in order to prevent the connector 46a from being attracted to the guide member 48. It is preferable to make it.

  In the present embodiment, the guide member 48 having the conical inner surface has been described as an example, but the form of the guide member 48 is not limited to this. The inner surface of the guide member 48 may be formed so as to gradually narrow from the upper opening to the lower opening. For example, a triangular pyramid, a quadrangular pyramid, or more may be used instead of the conical shape. It may have a polygonal pyramid shape or an elliptic cone shape.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the power supply device for an aircraft according to this embodiment will be described.

(First modification)
FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a first modified example of the power supply device for an aircraft according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the same components as the components described with reference to FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the power supply device 40 for an aircraft according to this modification includes a contact board 41 having a connector 41a on its upper end surface, a stay 43 supporting the contact board 41, and a guide member 48. .. A power supply cable (not shown) connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger is connected to the contact board 41, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is a connector via the contact board 41. 41a.

  The stay 43 is mounted on a stage 49a that is lifted and lowered by a lifter 49. The stage 49a is vertically moved by an arbitrary driving means (not shown) between an upper first position shown by a solid line in FIG. 6 and a lower second position shown by a dotted line.

  On the other hand, the aircraft 1 in the present embodiment is provided with a flexible power feeding cable 45 extending downward from the lower side of the aircraft 1, and a connector conversion board 46 connected to the power feeding cable 45. ing. A connector 46 a connected to the connector 41 a of the contact board 41 is provided on the lower end surface of the connector conversion board 46. The power supply cable 45 is connected to the battery of the aircraft 1, and the power supplied from the connector 46a connected to the connector 41a of the contact board 41 is supplied to the battery of the aircraft 1 via the connector conversion board 46 and the power supply cable 45. Is supplied to.

  As an example, each of the connectors 41a and 46a includes at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode so that the circular electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Is configured. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode). Furthermore, each of the connectors 41a and 46a may include a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 41a and 46a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, so that the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected.

  Below the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47, a slide door 47b is provided to cover the opening 47a from below. The slide door 47b is moved by an arbitrary drive means (not shown) between an open position shown by a solid line and a closed position shown by a dotted line in FIG. The slide door 47b is formed of a transparent material (glass, acrylic, polycarbonate, etc.), and an AR marker (not shown) is attached or printed on the lower surface of the slide door 47b so that it can be seen from above. The AR marker is generally used to determine the position and angle of display by AR (Augmented Reality), but in addition, it is also used to recognize the position and orientation of an object with an AR marker. Can be used.

  The guide member 48 of the power feeding device 40 is arranged below the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47 installed in the landing area of the aircraft 1. The guide member 48 is formed in a funnel shape having a conical inner surface whose diameter decreases from the opening formed in the upper part toward the opening formed in the lower part. The opening formed in the upper portion of the guide member 48 has a diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the opening 47a formed in the landing stage 47. The opening formed in the lower portion of the guide member 48 is arranged above the connector 41 a which is an electrical contact of the contact board 41. The guide member 48 is supported by a support member such as an arbitrary frame structure (not shown) so that the relative position to the contact board 41 is maintained. In order to prevent the connector 46a equipped with a magnet from being attracted to the guide member 48, the guide member 48 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic resin or aluminum.

  The power feeding device 40 and the lifter 49 described above are housed in a housing 44 that covers the lower side of the landing stage 47. The housing 44 protects the power supply device 40 and the lifter 49 from dust and drip.

  For example, a sensor (not shown) for detecting landing and takeoff of the flying body 1 is provided on the landing stage 47, and when the flying body 1 lands on the landing stage 47, the slide door 47b is moved to the open position so that the flying body moves from the landing stage 47. It is preferable to drive the drive means (not shown) of the slide door 47b so that the slide door 47b is moved to the closed position when the vehicle 1 takes off. Further, according to the output from the same sensor (not shown), when the flying body 1 lands on the landing stage 47, the stage 49a of the lifter 49 is moved to the upper position, and when the flying body 1 takes off from the landing stage 47, the stage 49a is moved to the upper position. It is preferable to drive the drive means (not shown) of the lifter 49 so as to move it to the upper position. The power supply device 40 is provided with a control unit (not shown) that controls the operations of the slide door 47b and the lifter 49.

  The flying vehicle 1 in the present modification example includes a camera 14 (an example of the input / output unit 14) capable of imaging the downward direction of the flying vehicle 1. An AR marker (not shown) displayed on the slide door 47b is imaged by the camera 14 of the air vehicle 1, and the processor 10 of the air vehicle 1 stores the captured image of the AR marker in the memory 11 or the storage 12. The position and attitude of the aircraft 1 with respect to the slide door 47b (that is, the landing position on the landing stage 47) can be recognized by analyzing the marker in comparison with the reference image. Therefore, the flying body 1 that has flew to the area where the AR marker can be imaged sequentially acquires its own position and attitude with respect to the landing position on the landing stage 47 based on the AR marker imaged by the camera 14, and then the landing position. Control the flight toward and land.

  The flying vehicle 1 flying to the landing area where the landing stage 47 is installed captures the AR marker of the slide door 47b with the camera 14, and based on the captured AR marker image, the slide door 47b (that is, the landing on the landing stage 47). The flight control is performed toward the position) and the landing is performed on the landing stage 47. By using the AR marker to sequentially acquire the position and attitude of the flying body 1 with respect to a predetermined landing position on the landing stage 47 and perform flight control of the flying body 1, a GPS sensor and a gyroscope provided in the flying body 1 are obtained. It is possible to more accurately land the flying body 1 at a predetermined landing position in a predetermined posture, as compared with the case of autonomously flying using only the sensor. It is difficult to land the landing position accurately in a predetermined posture.

  When the sensor (not shown) provided on the landing stage 47 detects that the aircraft 1 has landed on the landing stage 47, the slide door 47b is moved to the open position. Then, the connector conversion board 46 hung on the power supply cable 45 of the flying body 1 falls through the opening 47 a of the landing stage 47. When the aircraft 1 is landing at a predetermined landing position on the landing stage 47, the connector conversion board 46 is located at a position deviating from the position directly above the contact board 41 of the power feeding device 40. ..

  In response to the landing detection of the air vehicle 1 by a sensor (not shown), the stage 49a of the lifter 49 follows the movement of the slide door 47b to the open position or at the same time when the slide door 47b moves to the open position. Moves to the upper position shown by the solid line in FIG. When the stage 49a moves to the upper position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, the connector 46a provided on the lower portion of the connector conversion board 46 of the aircraft 1 contacts the inner surface of the guide member 48. Since the connector conversion board 46 is suspended from the flexible power supply cable 45, the connector 46a of the connector conversion board 46 extends along the inner surface of the guide member 48 as shown by the dotted line in FIG. It slides toward the lower opening of the guide member 48 and is guided onto the connector 41a of the contact board 41 located below the guide member 48. Then, the connectors 41a and 46a are attracted to each other by a magnetic force, the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected, and the power is supplied from the power supply device 40. The battery of the aircraft 1 is charged with the electric power.

  In this modified example, it is preferable that the stage 49a of the lifter 49 is configured to move to the lower position shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6 when it is detected that the battery of the flying object 1 has been charged. As a result, the connection between the connectors 41a and 46a can be separated. If the aircraft 1 takes off in a state where the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled with a magnet, the coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a cannot be separated if the coupling force of the magnet is stronger than the thrust of the aircraft 1. A situation may occur in which the air vehicle 1 cannot take off. According to this modification, since the connection between the connectors 41a and 46a is separated by moving the stage 49a of the lifter 49 to the lower position, the thrust force is sufficient to separate the magnetic connection between the connectors 41a and 46a. Even when the aircraft 1 is not provided with, the aircraft 1 can take off after being charged by the power supply device 40 shown in this example.

  As described above, the lifter 49 according to the present modified example suspends the connector 41a of the power supply device 40 from the flying body 1 that has landed in the power supply area of the landing stage 47 (a position that straddles the opening 47a) through the opening 47a. Moving up and down between a first position where the connector 41a can be connected to the connector 46a connected to the cable 45 via the connector conversion board 46 and a second position where the connector 41a is separated from the connector 46a. It is configured to be able to.

  Furthermore, in the present modification, when the sensor detects that the flying vehicle 1 has taken off from the landing stage 47, the sliding door 47b of the landing stage 47 moves to the closed position that covers the opening of the landing stage 47, so the power supply device It is possible to prevent dust, water droplets, and the like from entering the housing 44 that houses the 40.

(Second modified example)
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a second modified example of the power supply device for an aircraft according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 7, the same components as those described with reference to FIG. 5 are designated by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 7A, a power supply device 40 for an aircraft according to this modification includes a contact board 41 having a connector 41a on an upper end surface thereof, a stay 43 that supports the contact board 41, and a guide member 48. Is equipped with. A power supply cable (not shown) connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger is connected to the contact board 41, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is a connector via the contact board 41. 41a. The stay 43 is placed on the ground, floor, stage table, or the like.

  On the other hand, the aircraft 1 in the present embodiment is provided with a flexible power feeding cable 45 extending downward from the lower side of the aircraft 1, and a connector conversion board 46 connected to the power feeding cable 45. ing. A connector 46 a connected to the connector 41 a of the contact board 41 is provided on the lower end surface of the connector conversion board 46. The power supply cable 45 is connected to the battery of the aircraft 1, and the power supplied from the connector 46a connected to the connector 41a of the contact board 41 is supplied to the battery of the aircraft 1 via the connector conversion board 46 and the power supply cable 45. Is supplied to.

  As an example, each of the connectors 41a and 46a includes at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode so that the circular electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Is configured. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode). Furthermore, each of the connectors 41a and 46a may include a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 41a and 46a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, so that the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected.

  The guide member 48 of the power feeding device 40 is formed in a funnel shape having a conical inner surface whose diameter decreases from the opening formed in the upper part toward the opening formed in the lower part. The opening formed in the upper portion of the guide member 48 may prevent the leg portion 18 of the aircraft 1 from resting on the edge of the upper opening of the guide member 48 when the aircraft 1 lands on the guide member 48. It has a diameter of possible dimensions. The opening formed in the lower portion of the guide member 48 is arranged above the connector 41 a which is an electrical contact of the contact board 41. The guide member 48 is supported by a support member such as an arbitrary frame structure (not shown) so that the relative position to the contact board 41 is maintained. The guide member 48 is preferably configured to have sufficient strength to support the aircraft 1 when the aircraft 1 lands on the guide member 48. The guide member 58 is preferably made of a non-magnetic material such as plastic resin or aluminum in order to prevent the connector 46a having a magnet from being attracted to the guide member 48.

  FIG. 7B is a plan view of the guide member 48 shown in FIG. 7A as seen from above. As shown in FIG. 7B, an AR marker 48a is attached or printed on the inner surface of the guide member 48. The AR marker is generally used to determine the position and angle of display by AR (Augmented Reality), but in addition, it is also used to recognize the position and orientation of an object with an AR marker. Can be used.

  Referring to FIG. 7A again, the flying vehicle 1 in the present embodiment includes a camera 14 capable of imaging the downward direction of the flying vehicle 1. The AR marker 48a of the guide member 48 is imaged by the camera 14 of the air vehicle 1, and the captured image of the AR marker 48a is compared with the reference image of the AR marker stored in the memory 11 or the storage 12 by the processor 10 of the air vehicle 1. The position and attitude of the flying body 1 with respect to the guide member 48 can be recognized by performing the analysis. Therefore, the air vehicle 1 that has flown to the area where the AR marker 48a of the guide member 48 can be imaged sequentially acquires its position and orientation with respect to the guide member 48 based on the AR marker 48a imaged by the camera 14, and the guide member 48 is acquired. Flight control is performed toward a predetermined landing position on 48, and the landing is performed on the guide member 48.

  At the bottom of the air vehicle 1, legs 18 are provided that rest on the edge of the upper opening of the guide member 48 when the air vehicle 1 lands on the guide member 48. The height and width dimensions of the leg portion 18 are such that when the aircraft 1 lands on the guide member 48, the lower surface of the leg portion 18 rests on the edge of the upper opening of the guide member 48, It is dimensioned so that it does not get inside. The legs 18 of the aircraft 1 are preferably made of a lightweight material such as Styrofoam.

  The flying vehicle 1 flying into the landing area in which the power feeding device 40 is installed captures an image of the AR marker 48a of the guide member 48 with the camera 14, and based on the captured image of the AR marker 48a, the position and attitude of the aircraft 1 relative to the guide member 58. Are sequentially acquired, flight control is performed toward a predetermined landing position on the guide member 48, and the vehicle lands on the guide member 48. The position and the attitude of the flying body 1 with respect to the guide member 48 are sequentially acquired by using the AR marker 48a to control the flight of the flying body 1, thereby autonomously using only the GPS sensor and the gyro sensor provided in the flying body 1. It becomes possible to land the flying body 1 at a predetermined landing position with a predetermined posture more accurately than when flying, but still, due to the influence of wind and the like, the flying body 1 can be landed at a predetermined landing position with a predetermined posture. It is difficult to land exactly on.

  When the aircraft 1 lands on the guide member 48, the connector 46 a provided under the connector conversion board 46 of the aircraft 1 contacts the inner surface of the guide member 48. Since the connector conversion board 46 is suspended from the flexible power supply cable 45, the connector 46 a of the connector conversion board 46 has an inner surface of the guide member 48 as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 7A. It is guided along the connector 41a of the contact board 41 located below the guide member 48 so as to slide down. Then, the connectors 41a and 46a are attracted to each other by a magnetic force, the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled to each other, the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a are electrically connected, and the power is supplied from the power supply device 40. The battery of the aircraft 1 is charged with the electric power.

  As described above, according to the power supply device 40 of the present modified example, even if the aircraft 1 does not land correctly at the predetermined position on the guide member 48 in the predetermined posture, When the flying body 1 lands on the guide member 48 within a range in which the connector conversion board 46 hung from the feeding cable 45 can be accommodated in the guide member 48 of the feeding device 50, the flying body 1 side It is possible to guide the connector 46a of the connector conversion board 46 of the above to the connector 41a which is an electric contact of the contact board 41 of the power feeding device 40, and to connect the connectors 41a and 46a to each other to charge the battery of the flying vehicle 1. is there. Since the power supply device 40 of the present embodiment employs a configuration in which power is directly supplied by wire, charging can be performed with higher energy efficiency than in non-contact power supply. In the case of non-contact power feeding, if the aircraft 1 does not land at an accurate position in the charging area, the power feeding efficiency may decrease and the charging time may increase accordingly. However, according to the power feeding device 40 of the present modified example. , Even if the aircraft 1 lands at a position slightly displaced from the predetermined position, the batteries of the aircraft 1 can be charged by connecting the connectors 41a and 46a to each other, so that the power supply efficiency is reduced. There is nothing to do.

  In this example, the connectors 41a and 46a are each provided with a circular electrode and a center electrode. By forming the electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a in the form of circular electrodes and center electrodes, the connectors 41a and 46a can be coupled to each other regardless of the rotation angles of the connectors 41a and 46a. Therefore, the electrodes of the connectors 41a and 46a can be connected to each other even when the aircraft 1 lands on the guide member 48 in a state where the aircraft 1 is rotated from a predetermined posture.

  Furthermore, according to the power supply device 40 of the present modification, the flying body 1 may be provided with the power supply cable 45 and the connector conversion board 46, which are lighter in weight than devices required for contactless power supply. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to a small-sized air vehicle 1 with a small thrust, and can reduce the influence on the payload that can be mounted on any of the air vehicles 1 of any form.

  In this example, the guide member 48 having a conical inner surface has been described as an example, but the form of the guide member 48 is not limited to this. The inner surface of the guide member 48 may be formed so as to gradually narrow from the upper opening to the lower opening. For example, a triangular pyramid, a quadrangular pyramid, or more may be used instead of the conical shape. It may have a polygonal pyramid shape or an elliptic cone shape.

(Third Modification)
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a third modified example of the power supply device for an aircraft according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. This modification is an application of the second modification described with reference to FIG. 7, and the same components as the components described with reference to FIG. 7 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Here, detailed description of those components will be omitted.

  In this modification, the stay 43 of the power feeding device 40 is mounted on the slider SD that moves on the slide rail SL. The slider SD is movable on the slide rail SL in the left-right direction in the drawing. As means for moving the slider SD, for example, means using a wire or belt (at least one of two pulleys in which the slider SD is fixed to a loop-shaped wire or a part of the belt and the wire or belt is stretched) To rotate the motor with a motor), a means using a protruding rail, a means using a rack and pinion, a means using a ball screw, a means using a linear motor, etc. it can.

  As shown by the solid line in FIG. 8, when the aircraft 1 takes off in a state where the connectors 41a and 46a are coupled with each other by a magnet, if the coupling force of the magnet is stronger than the thrust of the aircraft 1, the coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a will occur. A situation may occur in which the aircraft 1 cannot be separated and the aircraft 1 cannot take off. According to the present modification, the slider SD to which the power feeding device 40 is attached moves in the horizontal direction along the slide rail SL to disconnect the connectors 41a and 46a from each other. As a result, even when the flying body 1 does not have a thrust to the extent that the magnetic coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a can be separated, the flying body 1 takes off after charging by the power feeding device 40 shown in this example. It will be possible.

  The magnets coupled to each other have a relatively high coupling strength in the vertical direction with respect to the coupling surface, and a relatively weak coupling strength in the horizontal direction with respect to the coupling surface. Therefore, by moving the power feeding device 40 in the horizontal direction with respect to the coupling surface between the connectors 41a and 46a as in this modification, the coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a can be released with a smaller force.

  The power supply device 40 is provided with a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the slider SD. For example, when the control unit of the power supply device 40 detects that the charging of the battery of the flying vehicle 1 is completed by connecting the connectors 41a and 46a to each other based on the voltage of the battery of the flying vehicle 1 or the like, the slider SD May be operated to disconnect the magnetic coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a.

  As described above, the slider SD and the slide rail SL in the present modification are connected via the connector conversion board 46 to the power supply cable 45 that suspends the connector 41a of the power supply device 40 from the flying body 1 landed on the guide member 48. It constitutes means for horizontally moving between the first position where the connector 41a can be connected to the connector 46a and the second position where the connector 41a is separated from the connector 46a.

  By moving the slider SD to the original position shown by the solid line in FIG. 8 after the flying body 1 has taken off, it is possible to prepare for charging the flying body 1 that will fly next. As described above, in this modification, the slider SD is moved to disconnect the magnetic coupling between the connectors 41a and 46a, and the wear of the magnets and the deterioration of the coupling force are small. Therefore, the magnets between the connectors 41a and 46a are small. Coupling and disconnection can be repeated.

<Appendix>
The subject matter of the present embodiment described above is represented by, for example, a group of additional items described below. However, the subject matter of the present embodiment is not limited to this.

1) A power supply device for supplying power to an air vehicle that operates by power supply from a battery,
A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end is connected to the battery of the aircraft,
The power supply device includes a second power supply cable connected to a power source, a second connector connected to one end of the second power supply cable, and the first power supply cable of the aircraft. And a guide member for guiding the first connector connected to one end to the second connector.
2) The first power supply cable extends from the lower side of the aircraft,
The power feeding device according to appendix 1, wherein the power feeding device is arranged such that the second connector faces upward.
3) The guide member has a conical inner surface formed so that the diameter thereof decreases from the upper opening toward the lower opening, and the lower opening corresponds to the second connector. 3. The power supply device according to appendix 2, which is arranged so as to be located above.
4) The power feeding device according to appendix 3, wherein the guide member is arranged below an opening formed in a power feeding area of a landing stage on which the aircraft landes.
5) The landing stage includes a slide door that opens and closes the opening formed in the power feeding area of the landing stage, and a marker indicating the landing position of the aircraft is displayed on the slide door. The power supply device according to appendix 4.
6) The second connector of the power feeding device,
The second connector is connected to the first connector that is connected to the first power supply cable that hangs from the aircraft landing in the power feeding area of the landing stage through the opening of the landing stage. A possible first position, and
6. The power feeding device according to appendix 4 or 5, further comprising a lifter that moves up and down between a second position that separates the second connector from the first connector and a second position.
7) The power supply device according to appendix 3, wherein the guide member is configured so that the aircraft can land on the upper opening.
8) The power feeding device according to appendix 7, wherein a marker indicating the landing position of the flying object is displayed on the inner surface of the guide member.
9) The second connector of the power feeding device,
A first position at which the second connector can be connected to the first connector that is connected to the first power supply cable that is suspended from the aircraft landing on the guide member;
9. The power feeding device according to appendix 7 or 8, further comprising means for horizontally moving between the second position where the second connector is separated from the first connector and the second position.
10) The second connector is magnetically coupled to the first connector, and when coupled to the first connector, the electrode of the second connector is electrically connected to the electrode of the first connector. The power feeding device according to any one of appendices 1 to 9, which is configured to be.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a power feeding station of an aircraft according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure.

  As shown in FIG. 9, a power feeding station 50 for an aircraft according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure includes a landing stage 51, four slide bar mechanisms 52 installed on the landing stage 51, and a power feeding station 50. And a control unit (not shown) that controls the above. The slide bar mechanism 52 functions as an air vehicle moving unit that moves the air vehicle 1 landed on the landing stage 51 on the landing stage 51, as described later. The four slide bar mechanisms 52 are arranged along a first pair, which are opposed to each other in the first direction in the illustrated left-right direction, and in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, in the illustrated up-down direction. It is arranged so as to form two pairs with the second pair arranged to face each other. In the central area of the landing stage 51, a power feeding area 51a for feeding power to the flying vehicle 1 is provided.

  Each slide bar mechanism 52 includes a bar 52a that functions as an end effector that pushes and moves the aircraft 1 that has landed on the landing stage 51, a slide rod 52b having one end fixed near both ends of the bar 52a, and a slide rod. The guide part 52c slidably supports the 52b. As an example, a ball screw is formed around at least one slide rod 52b, and the slide rod 52b is configured to be movable in the longitudinal direction by a driving unit (not shown). As a result, each slide bar mechanism 52 causes the bar 52a to move to the power feeding area 51a where the flying vehicle 1 on the landing stage 51 is pushed, and the pulling-in position that is pulled outward from the landing stage 51 from the pushing position. It can be moved between positions. The slide bar mechanisms 52 of each of the first pair, which are arranged to face each other along the left-right direction in the drawing, which is the first direction, directs the aircraft 1 on the landing stage 51 to the power feeding area 51a in the second direction ( The slide bar mechanism 52 of each of the second pair, which is moved to a position along the vertical direction in the drawing) and is opposed to the vertical direction in the drawing, which is the second direction, moves the aircraft 1 on the landing stage 51. It is moved to a position along the first direction (the left-right direction in the drawing) with respect to the power feeding area 51a. Since the bar 52a and the slide rod 52b need to have rigidity capable of pushing and moving the flying body 1 without bending or flexing, it is preferable that the bar 52a and the slide rod 52b are made of a metal material such as aluminum or steel. ..

  The push-out position where the bar 52a of each slide bar mechanism 52 is projected can be set such that the aircraft 1 landed on the landing stage 51 is pushed from each direction to move and then the aircraft 1 is housed in the power supply area 51a. It is set to a possible position. Further, the retracted position where the bar 52a is retracted is such that the bar 52a and the slide rod 52b do not obstruct the aircraft 1 landing on the landing stage 51 so that the landing area on the landing stage 51 can be as wide as possible. The position 52a is set back.

  Note that the configuration and mechanism for moving the bar 52a in this manner in the slide bar mechanism 52 are not limited to those illustrated here, and other structures can be used as long as the bar 52a can be moved in this manner. Any configuration and mechanism can be adopted. For example, means using a protruding rail, means using a slider that can reciprocate on a slide rail, means using a wire or belt, means using a rack and pinion, means using a linear motor, etc. May be used. A control unit (not shown) of the power feeding station 50 controls the operation of the slide bar mechanism 52.

  The landing stage 51 is preferably made of a material whose surface is slippery (for example, acrylic, polycarbonate, or the like) so that the aircraft 1 can easily move on the landing stage 51.

  An AR marker arm indicating the position and direction of the power feeding area 51a is attached or printed on the power feeding area 51a of the landing stage 51. The AR marker is generally used to determine the position and angle of display by AR (Augmented Reality), but in addition, it is also used to recognize the position and orientation of an object with an AR marker. Can be used.

  In the power feeding area 51a, a power feeding device (not shown in FIG. 9) for feeding power to the battery of the flying object 1 is further installed. In the power supply area 51a, a power supply device capable of supplying power by non-contact means such as electromagnetic induction may be installed for the flying body 1 configured to supply power to the battery by non-contact power supply, Additionally or alternatively, a power supply device as described with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 5, or FIG. 6 for an air vehicle 1 configured to power a battery via a wired connection. May be installed. In the latter case, an opening for passing the power feeding cable of the aircraft 1 is formed in the power feeding area 51a of the landing stage 51.

  It is preferable that the power feeding station 50 is provided with means for detecting that the aircraft 1 has landed on the landing stage 51. Below, a means for detecting that the flying body 1 has landed will be described as an example.

  FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a first example of means for detecting that an aircraft has landed on the landing stage of the power feeding station.

  In the example shown in FIG. 10, optical sensors 53 are installed on the landing stage 51 of the power feeding station 50 in all directions. As the optical sensor 53, for example, an infrared sensor or a laser sensor can be used. The light transmitting / receiving unit of each optical sensor 53 is directed to the power feeding area 51 a of the landing stage 51, for example. The light transmitting / receiving unit of the optical sensor 53 includes a light emitting unit that emits light and a light receiving unit that receives reflected light that is reflected by the light and returns to the object. When any one of the optical sensors 53 receives the reflected light reflected by the object and returned, it is determined that the aircraft 1 has landed on the landing stage 51.

  FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a second example of the means for detecting that the aircraft has landed on the landing stage of the power feeding station.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, the power feeding station 50 is provided with a small computer 54 called a single board computer. The small-sized computer 54 is configured by mounting the minimum basic components required for the computer on one circuit board. The main core components to be mounted are, for example, a CPU, a GPU and an interface (Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Ethernet (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), USB, GPIO port, HDMI (registered trademark), memory card). Slots, etc.). As such a small computer 54, for example, a computer product “Raspberry Pi” developed by the British Raspberry Pi Foundation is known.

  As an example, when the transmission / reception unit 13 (see FIG. 1) of the information processing apparatus 1A of the flying object 1 includes a Bluetooth (registered trademark) device, the processor 10 of the information processing apparatus 1A causes the flying object 1 to land and drive the motor. Is detected, the Bluetooth (registered trademark) device of the transmission / reception unit 13 transmits information indicating that the vehicle has landed. The processor of the small computer 54 of the power feeding station 50 detects that the aircraft 1 has landed on the landing stage 51 by receiving the information with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) device.

  The small computer 54 may function as a control unit of the power supply station 50. Further, since the small computer 54 is small and lightweight, at least a part of the configuration of the information processing device 1A of the aircraft 1 is configured by the small computer 54, so that the aircraft 1 can be made small and lightweight. ..

  Next, the operation of the power feeding station 50 configured as above will be described.

  The flying body 1 flying to the power feeding station 50 captures the AR marker of the power feeding area 51a of the landing stage 51 with the camera 14, and sequentially acquires its own position and orientation with respect to the power feeding area 51a based on the captured image of the AR marker. Then, flight control is performed toward a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a to land on the power feeding area 51a. By using the AR marker to sequentially acquire the position and orientation of the flying body 1 with respect to the power feeding area 51a and perform flight control of the flying body 1, autonomous operation is performed using only the GPS sensor and the gyro sensor provided in the flying body 1. It is possible to land the flying body 1 at a predetermined landing position with a predetermined posture more accurately than when flying, but still, due to the influence of the wind or the like, the flying body 1 is placed at a predetermined landing position and in a predetermined posture. It is difficult to land exactly on. When the flying body 1 does not land at a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a like the flying body 1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 9, the operation described below by the slide bar mechanism 52 of the feeding station 50 Thus, the flying body 1 is moved to a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a.

  When the detection means described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 detects that the flying body 1 has landed on the landing stage 51, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 first causes, for example, the left and right sides in FIG. The pair (first pair) of the slide bar mechanism 52 is operated to move the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 to the pushing position. As a result, the aircraft 1 that has landed at the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 9 is moved to the left in the drawing, and is moved to a position along the vertical direction (second direction) with respect to the predetermined landing position of the power feeding area 51a. Positioning is performed. After that, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 moves the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the first pair to the retracted position and retracts it.

  Next, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 operates the pair (second pair) of the slide bar mechanisms 52 on the upper and lower sides in the drawing of FIG. 9 to move the bars 52a of the slide bar mechanisms 52 to the pushing position. Let As a result, the aircraft 1 that has been positioned at a position along the vertical direction (second direction) in the drawing with respect to the predetermined landing position in the power feeding area 51a is moved downward in the drawing, and the predetermined position in the power feeding area 51a is reached. Positioning is performed at a position along the left-right direction (first direction) in the drawing with respect to the landing position. After that, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 moves the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the second pair to the retracted position and retracts it. As a result, the aircraft 1 is placed at a predetermined landing position in the power feeding area 51a, and the power feeding device (not shown) installed in the power feeding area 51a can feed power to the battery of the aircraft 1.

  As described above, according to the power feeding station 50 of the present embodiment, even when the flying body 1 lands on the landing stage 51 in an area outside the feeding area 51a, the flying body 1 is landed in the predetermined feeding area 51a. The battery of the aircraft 1 can be charged by being moved to the position and by the power feeding device installed in the power feeding area 51a.

  Further, as described above, by operating the first pair of slide bar mechanisms 52 and the second pair of slide bar mechanisms 52 in order, the bar 52a of the first pair of slide bar mechanisms 52 and It is possible to prevent the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the second pair from interfering with each other.

  It is preferable that the dimensions of each part such as the length of the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 and the movable range of the bar 52a be appropriately set according to the size and weight of the aircraft 1.

(Modification)
Next, a modified example of the power supply station for an aircraft according to this embodiment will be described.

(First modification)
FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a first modification example of the power supply station of the aircraft according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 9. Further, FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing a slide bar mechanism including the power feeding device shown in FIG. 12 and an aircraft landing on the landing stage. 12 and 13, the same components as those described with reference to FIG. 9 are designated by the same reference numerals.

  As shown in FIG. 12, in addition to the configuration of the power feeding station 50 shown in FIG. 9, the power feeding station 50 of the aircraft according to the present modification has a bar 52a of a slide bar mechanism 52 on the lower side in the figure, A power supply device 60 having the same configuration as the power supply device 40 described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 13, the power feeding device 60 includes a contact board 61 having a connector 61a on the power feeding area 51a side, a power feeding cable 62 connected to the contact board 61, and a guide member 68. The contact board 61 has the form of a connector conversion board and may include a voltage detection circuit. The power supply cable 62 is connected to a power source (not shown) such as a charger, and the power supplied from the power source (not shown) is supplied to the connector 61 a via the contact board 61. In the present example, the power supply device provided in the power supply area 51a of the power supply station 50 described with reference to FIG. 9 may be omitted.

  The guide member 68 of the power supply device 60 is arranged in the opposite direction from the opening on the front side which is arranged so that the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 on the lower side in the drawing is oriented in the direction of moving to the pushing position. It is formed in a funnel shape having a conical inner surface whose diameter decreases toward the rear opening. The opening on the rear side of the guide member 68 is arranged close to the connector 61a, which is an electrical contact of the contact board 61. The guide member 68 is supported by a support member 69 fixed to the bar 52a so that the relative position to the contact board 61 is maintained.

  In this example, the guide member 68 having a conical inner surface has been described as an example, but the form of the guide member 68 is not limited to this. The inner surface of the guide member 68 may be formed so as to gradually narrow from the upper opening to the lower opening, and in addition to the conical shape, for example, a triangular pyramid, a quadrangular pyramid, or more It may have a polygonal pyramid shape or an elliptic cone shape.

  As shown in FIG. 13, in the flying body 1 in this modified example, similarly to the flying body 1 described with reference to FIG. 4, a power feeding cable 65 and a connector connected to the power feeding cable 65 at one end thereof. 66a are provided. The connector 66a is connected to the connector 61a of the contact board 61. The other end of the power supply cable 65 is connected to the battery bat of the flying body 1 via the connector conversion board 64, and the power supplied from the connector 36a connected to the connector 61a of the contact board 61 is supplied to the connector 66a and the connector 66a. It is supplied to the battery bat of the aircraft 1 via the power supply cable 65. The power supply cable 65 is supported along a cable guide 65a attached to the aircraft 1, and the connector 66a is fixed to the tip of the cable guide 38. As a result, the power supply cable 65 extends laterally of the aircraft 1, and the connector 66a provided at the tip of the power supply cable 65 can easily access the connector 61a of the power supply device 60.

  Also in this modification, as an example, the connectors 61a and 66a each include at least a circular electrode and a central electrode provided at the center of the circular electrode, and the circular electrodes and the central electrodes are electrically connected to each other. Are configured to be electrically connected. One of the circular electrode and the center electrode is a positive electrode and the other is a negative electrode (or a ground electrode). Further, each of the connectors 61a and 66a is provided with a magnet (not shown) configured to attract each other at a position where the electrodes are connected to each other. As a result, when the connectors 61a and 66a come close to each other, the magnets attract each other and the connectors 61a and 66a are coupled to each other, so that the circular electrodes and the center electrodes of the connectors 61a and 66a are electrically connected.

  Next, the operation of the power supply station 50 of the present modification configured as described above will be described.

The flying vehicle 1 flying to the power feeding station 50 captures the AR marker of the power feeding area 51a of the landing stage 51 with the camera 14, and sequentially acquires its own position and attitude with respect to the power feeding area 51a based on the captured image of the AR marker arm. Then, flight control is performed toward a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a to land on the power feeding area 51a. In this example, the aircraft 1 lands on the power feeding area 51a so that the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 is directed toward the slide bar mechanism 52 (lower side in FIG. 12) equipped with the power feeding device 60. The AR marker 51a is set, and flight control of the flying body 1 is performed so that the landing on the landing stage 51 is such that the connector 66a faces the power feeding device 60 connector 66a when landing on the power feeding area 51a.
By using the AR marker to sequentially acquire the position and orientation of the flying body 1 with respect to the power feeding area 51a and perform flight control of the flying body 1, autonomous flight is performed using only the GPS sensor and the gyro sensor provided in the flying body 1. It is possible to land the aircraft 1 at a predetermined landing position in a predetermined posture more accurately than in the case where it is carried out, but still, due to the influence of wind or the like, the aircraft 1 is held in a predetermined posture at a predetermined landing position. Accurate landing is difficult. When the aircraft 1 does not land at a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a like the aircraft 1 shown by the solid line in FIG. 12, the operation described below by the slide bar mechanism 52 of the power feeding station 50. Thus, the aircraft 1 is moved to a predetermined landing position on the power feeding area 51a. In this example, since the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 is set to land on the power feeding area 51a toward the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60, the landing aircraft 1 has the connector 66a connecting the power feeding device 60. The slide bar mechanism 52 (lower side in FIG. 12) provided is generally oriented.

  When the detection means described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 detects that the flying body 1 has landed on the landing stage 51, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 first causes, for example, the left and right sides in FIG. The pair (first pair) of the slide bar mechanism 52 is operated to move the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 to the pushing position. As a result, the aircraft 1 that has landed at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 12 is moved to the left in the drawing, and the position along the vertical direction (second direction) in the drawing with respect to the predetermined landing position in the power supply area 51a. Is positioned. After that, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 moves the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the first pair to the retracted position and retracts it.

  Next, by the control unit of the power feeding station 50, of the pair (second pair) of the slide bar mechanisms 52 on the upper and lower sides in the drawing of FIG. 12, the slide bar mechanism 52 on the upper side in the drawing that does not include the power feeding device 60 is set. It is operated to move the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 to the pushing position. As a result, the aircraft 1 that has been positioned in the horizontal direction in the drawing with respect to the predetermined landing position in the power feeding area 51a is moved downward in the drawing, and the horizontal direction in the drawing with respect to the predetermined landing position in the power feeding area 51a ( Positioning is performed along the first direction). The bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 is maintained at the pushing position. FIG. 13A shows the aircraft 1 in the state where the positioning is performed in this way, and the slide bar mechanism 52 including the power feeding device 60 (however, in FIG. 13, the slide bar mechanism 52 is not shown). It is shown to be located to the right of Aircraft 1).

  Next, by the control unit of the power feeding station 50, among the pair (second pair) of the slide bar mechanisms 52 on the upper and lower sides in the drawing of FIG. 12, the slide bar mechanism 52 on the lower side in the drawing equipped with the power feeding device 60 is installed. The slide bar mechanism 52 is operated to move the bar 52a toward the pushing position. At this time, as shown in FIG. 13A, the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 may not be sufficiently aligned with the connector 61a of the contact board 61 of the power feeding device 60. Even in such a case, according to the present modification, when the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 including the power feeding device 60 moves toward the push-out position, the tip of the power feeding cable 65 of the aircraft 1 is moved. The connector 66a provided at the position contacts the inner surface of the guide member 68 of the power feeding device 60. The power supply cable 65 is supported by a cable guide 65a, and the connector 66a slides along the inner surface of the guide member 68 and is guided to the connector 61a located near the rear opening of the guide member 68. At this time, the flying body 1 is rotated by the reaction force acting on the connector 66a, and the attitude of the flying body 1 is changed so that the connector 66a faces the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60 (see FIG. 13B). At this time, the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 on the upper side of FIG. 12 is maintained in the push-out position, so that the air vehicle 1 is supported by the bar 52a so as not to move backward.

  In this way, when the connectors 61a and 66a come close to each other, the connectors 61a and 66a are attracted to each other by magnetic force and are coupled to each other, the circular electrodes and the central electrodes of the connectors 61a and 66a are electrically connected to each other, and The battery of the aircraft 1 is charged by the electric power supplied from the power supply. The control unit of the power feeding station 50 stops the movement of the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 on the lower side in FIG. 12 when it detects that the battery of the aircraft 1 has started to be charged.

  Finally, when the control unit of the power feeding station 50 detects that the battery of the air vehicle 1 has been charged, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 moves the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the second pair to the retracted position. Then, the bars 52a are retracted, and the bars 52a are separated from the air vehicle 1. As a result, the connection between the connectors 61a and 66a is released, and the flight vehicle 1 can take off.

  As described above, according to this modification, the attitude (direction) of the aircraft 1 landing on the landing stage 51 is somewhat different from the attitude in which the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 can be connected to the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60. Even when the connectors are displaced, the connectors 61a and 66a can be connected to each other as long as the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 can be accommodated in the front opening of the guide member 68.

(Second modified example)
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a second modification of the power feeding station of the aircraft according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure shown in FIG. 9. This modification is an application of the first modification described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13, and the same components as those described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13 have the same reference numerals. Attached. Here, detailed description of those components will be omitted.

  In the power feeding station 50 of this modification, a turntable 51b is provided in a power feeding area 51a. The turntable 51b is configured to be rotatable in both clockwise and counterclockwise directions in the figure by an arbitrary driving means such as a motor (not shown).

  The flying vehicle 1 of this modified example includes a light emitting unit 19 that emits light. The light emitting unit 19 is arranged so as to emit light in a direction from the center of the flying body 1 toward the connector 66a, for example. The light emitted by the light emitting unit 19 is, for example, infrared light or laser light. On the other hand, in the slide bar mechanism 52 including the power supply device 60 of the present modification, the light receiving unit 67 that receives the light emitted from the light emitting unit 19 is installed at the position behind the guide member 68.

  Next, the operation of the power supply station 50 of this modification will be described.

  Similar to the power feeding station 50 of the first modified example described with reference to FIG. 12, when the aircraft 1 lands on the landing stage 51, the control unit (not shown) of the power feeding station 50 causes the first pair of slides to slide. The bar mechanism 52 and the slide bar mechanism 52 on the upper side in the drawing, which is not provided with the power feeding device 60 of the second pair, are operated to move the flying body 1 to a predetermined landing position in the power feeding area 51a. As a result, the flying body 1 is placed on the turntable 51b. When the rotation of the motor is stopped after landing, the processor 10 of the aircraft 1 starts emitting light from the light emitting unit 19.

  The control unit (not shown) of the power feeding station 50 includes a slide bar including the power feeding device 60 after the operation of moving the aircraft 1 to the predetermined landing position of the power feeding area 51a by the plurality of slide bar mechanisms 52 is completed. The light detection by the light receiving unit 67 provided in the mechanism 52 is started, and the turntable 51b is started to rotate. The rotation direction of the turntable 51b may be arbitrary. Alternatively, when the light receiving unit 67 provided in the slide bar mechanism 52 is configured to be able to detect the directivity of the light emitted from the light emitting unit 19 of the aircraft 1, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 is The turntable 51b may be rotated in a direction in which the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 can be aligned with the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60 with less rotation.

  When the control unit of the power feeding station 50 detects that the intensity level of the light received by the light receiving unit 67 has become equal to or higher than the reference level, the rotation driving of the turntable 51b is stopped and the light detection by the light receiving unit 67 is stopped. . As a result, the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 is generally aligned with the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60.

  Next, the control unit of the power feeding station 50 controls the slide bar mechanism 52 including the power feeding device 60 on the lower side of the figure among the pair (second pair) of the slide bar mechanisms 52 on the upper and lower sides of the figure shown in FIG. The slide bar mechanism 52 is operated to move the bar 52a toward the pushing position. At this time, the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 may not be sufficiently aligned with the connector 61a of the contact board 61 of the power feeding device 60. Even in such a case, according to the present modification, when the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 including the power feeding device 60 moves toward the first position where the bar 52a projects, the power feeding of the flying object 1 is performed. The connector 66a provided at the tip of the cable 65 contacts the inner surface of the guide member 68 of the power feeding device 60. The power supply cable 65 is supported by a cable guide 65a, and the connector 66a slides along the inner surface of the guide member 68 and is guided to the connector 61a located near the rear opening of the guide member 68. In this modification, the turntable 51b causes the connector 66a of the air vehicle 1 to be generally aligned with the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60. Therefore, even if there is some misalignment between the connectors 61a and 66a, the flight is prevented. Such misalignment can be compensated by the bending of the power supply cable 65 and the cable guide 65a of the body 1.

  In this way, when the connectors 61a and 66a come close to each other, the connectors 61a and 66a are attracted to each other by magnetic force and are coupled to each other, the circular electrodes and the central electrodes of the connectors 61a and 66a are electrically connected to each other, and The battery of the aircraft 1 is charged by the electric power supplied from the power supply. The control unit of the power feeding station 50 stops the movement of the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 on the lower side in FIG. 12 when it detects that the battery of the aircraft 1 has started to be charged. On the other hand, when the processor 10 of the flying object 1 detects that the charging of the battery has started, it stops the emission of light from the light emitting unit 19.

  Finally, when the control unit of the power feeding station 50 detects that the battery of the flying vehicle 1 has been charged, the bar 52a of the slide bar mechanism 52 of the second pair is moved to the second position and retracted. , The bars 52a are separated from the air vehicle 1. As a result, the connection between the connectors 61a and 66a is released, and the flight vehicle 1 can take off.

  As described above, according to the present modification, the attitude (direction) of the aircraft 1 landing on the landing stage 51 deviates from the attitude in which the connector 66a of the aircraft 1 can be connected to the connector 61a of the power feeding device 60. Even when the connectors 61a and 66a are connected, the aircraft 1 is rotated by the turntable 51b so that the connectors 61a and 66a can be connected to each other in an appropriate posture (orientation), and the connectors 61a and 66a are connected to each other. Is possible.

<Appendix>
The subject matter of the present embodiment described above is represented by, for example, a group of additional items described below. However, the subject matter of the present embodiment is not limited to this.

1) A power supply station for supplying power to an air vehicle that operates by power supply from a battery,
A landing stage for landing the aircraft, provided with a power supply area for supplying power to the battery of the aircraft,
A plurality of aircraft moving means for moving the aircraft landing on the landing stage on the landing stage,
The aircraft moving means includes a first pair arranged to face each other along a first direction and a second pair arranged to face each other along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. Then
The aircraft moving means of each of the first pair is configured to move the aircraft on the landing stage to a position along the second direction with respect to the power feeding area, and the second pair Each of the flight body moving means is configured to move the flight vehicle on the landing stage to a position along the first direction with respect to the power feeding area.
2) Each of the flying body moving means has an pushing position for moving the flying body on the landing stage to the power feeding area, and a pulling position drawn from the pushing position toward the outside of the landing stage. The power supply station according to claim 1, further comprising an end effector movable between the power supply stations.
3) The plurality of air vehicle moving means are
After moving the end effector of the aircraft moving means of one of the first and second pairs to the pushing position, the end effector of the aircraft moving means of the one pair is set to the Move it to the retracted position,
Next, the end effector of the aircraft moving means of the other pair of the first and second pairs is moved to the pushing position to move the aircraft on the landing stage to the power feeding area. The power supply station according to claim 2, which operates so as to cause the power supply station to operate.
4) A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end of the battery of the aircraft is connected, and the first power supply cable extends to the side of the aircraft.
A second power feeding cable connected to a power source and the one end portion of the second power feeding cable are connected to the end effector of the one flying body moving means of the plurality of flying body moving means. A power feeding device having a second connector and a guide member for guiding the first connector connected to the one end of the first power feeding cable of the flying object to the second connector is installed. The power supply station according to appendix 2.
5) The aircraft is flight-controlled so as to land on the landing stage with the first connector facing the second connector of the power feeding device when landing in the power feeding area,
The plurality of flying object moving means,
After moving the end effector of the aircraft moving means of one of the first and second pairs to the pushing position, the end effector of the aircraft moving means of the one pair is set to the Move it to the retracted position,
Next, of the aircraft moving means of the other pair of the first and second pairs, the end effector of the aircraft moving means in which the power feeding device is not installed is directed toward the pushing position. Move
Next, of the aircraft moving means of the other pair of the first and second pairs, the end effector of the aircraft moving means in which the power feeding device is installed is moved toward the pushing position. The guide member guides the first connector of the aircraft to the second connector of the power feeding device, and operates to connect the first connector and the second connector. The power supply station according to appendix 4.
6) In the power feeding area of the landing stage, a turntable for rotating a mounted flight object is provided, and the turntable includes the turntable for the flight object and the first connector for the power feeding device. Rotate the aircraft so that it is facing the connector of No. 2,
The plurality of flying object moving means,
After moving the end effector of the aircraft moving means of one of the first and second pairs to the pushing position, the end effector of the aircraft moving means of the one pair is moved to the end position. Move it to the retracted position,
Next, of the aircraft moving means of the other pair of the first and second pairs, the end effector of the aircraft moving means in which the power feeding device is not installed is directed toward the pushing position. Move
Next, of the aircraft moving means of the other pair of the first and second pairs, the end effector of the aircraft moving means in which the power feeding device is installed is moved toward the pushing position. The guide member guides the first connector of the aircraft to the second connector of the power feeding device, and operates to connect the first connector and the second connector. The power supply station according to appendix 4.
7) The flying body includes a light emitting unit that emits light indicating the direction of the flying body, and the power feeding device includes a light receiving unit that detects the light.
7. The power supply station according to claim 6, wherein the rotation of the turntable that has started to be rotated is stopped when the intensity level of the light received by the light receiving unit reaches or exceeds a predetermined reference level.
8) The guide member has a conical inner surface formed to have a diameter that decreases from a front opening toward a rear opening facing the direction in which the end effector moves to the pushing position. The power supply station according to any one of appendices 4 to 7, wherein the opening on the rear side is arranged in the vicinity of the second connector.
9) The power feeding station according to any one of appendices 1 to 8, comprising detection means for detecting that the aircraft has landed on the landing stage.
10) The power feeding station according to any one of appendices 1 to 9, wherein a marker indicating a landing position of the aircraft is displayed in the power feeding area.

  Although the present disclosure has been described above through various embodiments and modifications, the above-described embodiments and modifications do not limit the invention according to the claims. Further, a mode in which the features described in the embodiment and the modified example of the present disclosure are combined may be included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. Further, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be added to the above-described embodiments and modifications.

1 Aircraft 30, 40 Power supply device 50 Power supply station

Claims (7)

A power supply device for supplying power to an aircraft that operates by power supply from a battery,
A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end is connected to the battery of the aircraft,
The power supply device includes a second power supply cable connected to a power source, a second connector connected to one end of the second power supply cable, and the first power supply cable of the aircraft. the one end portion connected to said first connector have a guide member for guiding to said second connector,
The first power supply cable extends from the lower side of the aircraft,
The power supply device is arranged so that the second connector faces upward,
The guide member has a conical inner surface formed to have a diameter that decreases from the upper opening toward the lower opening, and the lower opening is located above the second connector. A power feeding device that is positioned so as to be positioned below an opening formed in a power feeding area of a landing stage on which the aircraft landes. The landing stage includes a slide door that opens and closes the opening formed in a power feeding area of the landing stage, and a marker indicating a landing position of the aircraft is displayed on the slide door. The power supply device according to 1 . The second connector of the power supply device,
The second connector is connected to the first connector that is connected to the first power supply cable that hangs from the aircraft landing in the power feeding area of the landing stage through the opening of the landing stage. A possible first position, and
The power feeding device according to claim 2 , further comprising a lifter that moves up and down between a second position that separates the second connector from the first connector and a second position. A power supply device for supplying power to an aircraft that operates by power supply from a battery,
A first power supply cable having a first connector connected to one end is connected to the battery of the aircraft,
The power supply device includes a second power supply cable connected to a power source, a second connector connected to one end of the second power supply cable, and the first power supply cable of the aircraft. A guide member for guiding the first connector connected to one end to the second connector ,
The first power supply cable extends from the lower side of the aircraft,
The power supply device is arranged so that the second connector faces upward,
The guide member has a conical inner surface formed to have a diameter that decreases from the upper opening toward the lower opening, and the lower opening is located above the second connector. A power supply device that is positioned so that the aircraft can land on the upper opening . The power feeding device according to claim 4 , wherein a marker indicating a landing position of the aircraft is displayed on the inner surface of the guide member. The second connector of the power supply device,
A first position at which the second connector can be connected to the first connector that is connected to the first power supply cable that is suspended from the aircraft landing on the guide member;
The second position of separating the second connector from the first connector further comprises means for moving in a horizontal direction between the feed unit according to claim 4 or 5. When the second connector is magnetically coupled to the first connector and is coupled to the first connector, the electrode of the second connector is electrically connected to the electrode of the first connector. and it is configured to feed unit according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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