JP7207699B2 - unmanned aerial vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention belongs to the technical field related to unmanned air vehicles.

Conventionally, unmanned air vehicles capable of vertical take-off and landing by providing a plurality of rotors have been used in various fields (for example, Patent Document 1). Such unmanned flying objects are called multicopters or drones, and are used, for example, as means of air transportation.

Patent Literature 1 discloses an unmanned air vehicle that includes a propulsion motor that generates horizontal thrust in addition to a lift motor.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-505818

By the way, in recent years, as the use of unmanned air vehicles has progressed, there has been a strong demand for higher flight speeds and longer cruising distances.

However, it is difficult to achieve both a high flight speed and a long cruising range in an unmanned aerial vehicle due to the limitations of the performance of batteries that are generally used as power sources for unmanned aerial vehicles.

High flight speeds can be achieved if propulsion motors are provided, as described in US Pat. Here, in general, when the unmanned flying object moves forward, the unmanned flying object takes a forward-leaning posture. At this time, the rotation shaft of the propulsion motor is also displaced, and if the rotation shaft tilts upward toward the rear side, a downward force is applied to the unmanned air vehicle. If a downward force is applied to the unmanned air vehicle, the batteries used to achieve the floating state will be consumed more, and there is a risk that a long cruising range cannot be achieved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A main object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned air vehicle capable of achieving both a high flight speed and a long cruising range.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention is directed to an unmanned air vehicle, and is arranged symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the body in the front-rear direction on both sides of the body in the left-right direction of the body, a pair of left and right front arms extending forward; a pair of left and right rear arms extending rearward; At a position between the levitation rotors respectively provided on the pair of front arms and the pair of rear arms and the front and rear levitation rotors and at a position closer to the body body than the levitation rotors in the left-right direction, the A pair of propulsion devices that are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the airframe body on both sides in the left-right direction of the airframe body and generate horizontal component thrust, wherein the pair of propulsion devices each have a propulsion rotor. Each of the propulsion devices has the same number of propulsion devices, and the rotation shaft of the propulsion rotor is inclined downward toward the rear side, and the thrust generated by the propulsion device when the body body is in a forward tilting posture. has a forward component and an upward component .

According to this configuration, even if the aircraft main body is tilted forward, the thrust generated by the propulsion device has a forward component because the rotation axis of the propulsion rotor is tilted downward toward the rear side. and an upward component. In other words, the propulsion device can advance the airframe body at a high flight speed and assist the airframe body in floating. As a result, it is possible to achieve both a high flight speed and a long cruising range.

In the unmanned aircraft, the rotation axis of the propulsion rotor of the right propulsion device is tilted rearward and leftward, and the rotation axis of the propulsion rotor of the left propulsion device is tilted rearward. The extension line of the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor and the extension line of the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor are located behind the rear end of the airframe main body when viewed from above and below. It may be configured to intersect on both sides.

According to this configuration, the airflow generated by the propulsion device can pass between the levitation rotor of the rear arm and the fuselage body. As a result, air acceleration by the propulsion device is less likely to be hindered by the levitation rotor of the rear arm. Therefore, the propulsion device can efficiently generate thrust in the horizontal direction. As a result, higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges can be achieved.

In the unmanned flying object, each of the propulsion devices may be supported by the airframe main body at a position above the center of gravity of the unmanned flying object when viewed from the left-right direction.

That is, the unmanned air vehicle normally tilts its body forward when increasing the flight speed. If each propulsion device is positioned above the center of gravity of the unmanned air vehicle, the thrust from each propulsion device can pull the rear portion of the airframe body upward. As a result, when the flight speed is increased, the forward-leaning posture of the aircraft body can be easily maintained. As a result, a longer cruising distance can be achieved.

In the unmanned aerial vehicle, the pair of rear arms branch from midway in the longitudinal direction of the pair of front arms, and the propulsion devices each branch from the branched portion of each front arm and each rear arm. may be positioned on the rear side and closer to the aircraft body than the rear arms.

According to this configuration, interference between the airflow generated by the propulsion device and the rear arm and interference between the airflow and the levitation rotor provided on the rear arm are effectively suppressed. Therefore, each propulsion device can efficiently generate thrust in the horizontal direction. As a result, higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges can be achieved.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an unmanned flying object capable of achieving both a high flight speed and a long cruising range.

1 is a front perspective view of an unmanned air vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an unmanned air vehicle as seen from the rear; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the unmanned air vehicle as seen from above; FIG. It is the side view which looked at the unmanned air vehicle from the right side. 5 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the line V-V of FIG. 4; FIG.

An unmanned flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Also, in the drawings below, in order to make each configuration easier to understand, there are cases where the actual structure and the scale, number, etc. of each structure are different.

Also, in the following description, "horizontal" means a direction substantially parallel to the ground (or sea surface), and "vertical" means a direction substantially perpendicular to the ground (or sea surface). means

In addition, this embodiment is directed to an unmanned flying object having a levitation rotor that mainly produces a vertical component of thrust and a propulsion device that produces a mainly horizontal component of thrust. The direction is "up", the opposite direction is "down", the direction of forward movement by the propulsion device is "forward", the opposite direction is "back", the left hand side as viewed from the "front" of the aircraft body is "left", the aircraft body The right hand side when viewed from the "front" of the main body is called the "right".

1 is a front perspective view of the unmanned flying object according to the present embodiment, FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the unmanned flying object, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the unmanned flying object from above. It is a diagram. FIG. 4 is a side view of the unmanned air vehicle as seen from the right side. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the rear part of the same unmanned air vehicle. It should be noted that FIG. 5 omits description of parts provided inside the airframe main body 10 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the unmanned air vehicle 100 of this embodiment includes a body 10, front arms 11A and 11B, and rear arms 12A and 12B. The interior of the airframe body 10 has a hollow structure, and a flight control system, a battery, measurement equipment, and the like are mounted in the interior. The fuselage body 10 has an air inlet 20 in the front portion 10a and an air outlet 21 in the rear portion 10b for releasing heat generated from onboard equipment.

The upper portion of the rear part 10b of the airframe body 10 has a streamlined shape that curves so as to concentrate toward the air outlet 21. As shown in FIG. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the upper portion of the rear portion 10b of the fuselage body 10 curves toward the upper side so that the width in the left-right direction becomes smaller, and as shown in FIG. In addition, it curves so that the width in the left-right direction becomes smaller toward the rear side. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the rear portion 10b of the fuselage body 10 has an upper edge inclined downward toward the rear side.

The front arms 11A and 11B are provided on both sides of the body 10 in the left-right direction symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the body 10 in the front-rear direction (hereinafter referred to as body center axis). The front arms 11A and 11B are tapered away from the fuselage body 10. - 特許庁The front arms 11A and 11B extend obliquely forward in a substantially straight line so as to form an angle of, for example, about 45° with respect to the central axis of the aircraft.

The rear arms 12A and 12B are branched symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the aircraft body from the middle of the longitudinal direction of the front arms 11A and 11B. The rear arms 12A, 12B are tapered away from the front arms 11A, 11B (that is, the airframe body 10). The rear arms 12A and 12B extend obliquely rearward in a substantially straight line so as to form an angle of, for example, about 25° with respect to the center axis of the fuselage. That is, the front arm 11A and the rear arm 12A, and the front arm 11B and the rear arm 12B form an angle of about 110°, for example.

It should be noted that the portions from where the front arms 11A and 11B are attached to the fuselage body 10 to the branching portions 19A and 19B of the rear arms 12A and 12B are formed thicker than the other portions in order to ensure sufficient strength. may

The front arms 11A, 11B and the rear arms 12A, 12B are provided with levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D together with levitation motors 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D at the upper ends thereof. Each floating rotor 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D has, for example, two blades. The surfaces of rotation of the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D may be positioned in the same plane. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, within the plane, the rotation shafts of the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D (levitation motors 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D) are You may arrange|position at each vertex of a substantially square.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, short arms 15A and 15B extend symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the machine body above the attachment points of the front arms 11A and 11B on both sides in the left-right direction of the machine body 10. ing. The two short arms 15A, 15B are joined together within the fuselage body 10 . The short arms 15A and 15B are positioned between the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D in the longitudinal direction and closer to the fuselage body 10 in the lateral direction than the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C and 13D. ing. As shown in FIG. 4 , the tips of the short arms 15A and 15B (only the short arm 15A is shown in FIG. 4) are positioned above the center of gravity WP of the unmanned air vehicle 100 . Note that "above the center of gravity WP" is not limited to just above the center of gravity WP, but also includes positions above the center of gravity WP and slightly forward or rearward of the center of gravity WP.

A propulsion device 18A, 18B is provided at each distal end of the short arms 15A, 15B. That is, each propulsion device 18A, 18B is positioned between the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D in the longitudinal direction and closer to the fuselage body 10 than the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D in the lateral direction. , they are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center axis of the airframe body 10 on both sides in the left-right direction of the airframe body 10 . More specifically, each of the propulsion devices 18A, 18B is located behind branching portions 19A, 19B of the front arms 11A, 11B and the rear arms 12A, 12B, respectively, and closer to the airframe body 10 than the rear arms 12A, 12B. located in each position. Each of the propulsion devices 18A and 18B is supported by the airframe body 10 at a position above the center of gravity WP of the unmanned air vehicle 100 when viewed from the left-right direction.

Each propulsion device 18A, 18B has the same number of propulsion rotors. Specifically, in this embodiment, the right propulsion device 18A has one propulsion rotor 16A and one propulsion motor 17A, and the left propulsion device 18B has one propulsion rotor 16B and one propulsion motor 17B. and one each. Each propulsion rotor 16A, 16B has, for example, three blades. Each propulsion rotor 16A, 16B may be smaller than the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D.

As shown in FIG. 4, the rotation shafts of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B are inclined downward toward the rear. Although details will be described later, the vertical inclination angle of the rotation shafts of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B with respect to the direction parallel to the machine body center axis is, for example, about 30°.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor 16A inclines to the left toward the rear, and the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor 16B inclines to the right toward the rear. ing. The lateral inclination angle of the rotation shafts of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B with respect to the direction parallel to the airframe central axis is the extension line LA of the rotation shaft of the right propulsion rotor 16A and the rotation shaft of the left propulsion rotor 16B. The extension line LB is set at an angle at which it intersects on the rear side of the rear end portion of the airframe body 10 when viewed from the vertical direction. More specifically, each of the angles of inclination in the left-right direction is such that the intersection point CP of the extension lines LA and LB is located at approximately the same position as the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B in the front-rear direction. set at an angle. Each tilt angle in the horizontal direction is, for example, about 22° to 23°.

In addition, support legs 19 are attached to the lower portions near the centers of the front arms 11A and 11B and to the rear lower portion of the airframe body 10, respectively.

Here, when the unmanned flying object 100 moves forward, at least one of the front part 10a of the airframe body 10 is lowered and the rear part 10b of the airframe body 10 is raised so that the airframe body 10 assumes a forward tilting posture. , the output (power supply) to each of the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D is adjusted. In this embodiment, even if the airframe main body 10 is tilted forward, the rotating shafts of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B are tilted downward toward the rear side. The resulting thrust will have a forward component and an upward component. The forward component of the thrust enables the airframe body 10 to move forward at high flight speeds. On the other hand, the upward component of the thrust assists the fuselage body 10 to rise. If the propulsion devices 18A, 18B can assist the levitation of the airframe body 10, the output to the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D can be suppressed, so battery consumption can be suppressed as much as possible. As a result, it is possible to achieve both a high flight speed and a long cruising range.

Further, in this embodiment, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B are supported by the airframe body 10 above the rear arms 12A and 12B. However, as shown in FIG. 2, the extension lines extending from the rotation axes of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B do not interfere with the rear arms 12A and 12B and the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B. Therefore, the airflow generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B is less likely to be blocked by the rear arms 12A and 12B and the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B. This allows the propulsion devices 18A and 18B to efficiently generate horizontal thrust. As a result, higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges can be achieved.

Further, in this embodiment, the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor 16A is inclined rearward to the left, and the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor 16B is inclined rearward to the right. . The extension line LA of the rotation shaft of the right propulsion rotor 16A and the extension line LB of the rotation shaft of the left propulsion rotor 16B are located rearward of the rear end of the body 10 when viewed from above and below. cross at As a result, interference between the airflow generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B and the rear arms 12A and 12B and the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B is more effectively suppressed. Furthermore, interference between the airflows generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B and the rear part 10b of the airframe body 10 can be suppressed as much as possible. This makes it possible to achieve higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges.

Also, with the above configuration, each of the propulsion devices 18A and 18B can generate thrust in the horizontal direction. That is, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B can assist the unmanned flying object 100 in turning. As a result, the energy consumption of the levitation rotors 13A, 13B, 13C, and 13D during turning can be reduced, so a longer cruising distance can be achieved.

In particular, in the present embodiment, when viewed from the vertical direction, the intersection point CP between the extension line LA of the rotation shaft of the right propulsion rotor 16A and the extension line LB of the rotation shaft of the left propulsion rotor 16B is , and levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B. As a result, in the area immediately behind the fuselage body 10, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B are less likely to generate a rearward airflow. Therefore, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B suppress the negative pressure from being generated in the region immediately behind the body 10 . As a result, each of the propulsion devices 18A and 18B can appropriately generate a forward thrust, and a high flight speed and a long cruising range can be more effectively achieved.

Further, in the present embodiment, the upper portion of the rear portion 10b of the airframe body 10 has a streamlined shape that curves so as to concentrate toward the air outlet 21 . Therefore, even if the airflow generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B interferes with the rear portion 10b of the airframe body 10, the airflow is less likely to be disturbed. As a result, higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges can be achieved.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B are arranged behind the branch portions 19A and 19B of the front arms 11A and 11B and the rear arms 12A and 12B, respectively, and closer to the aircraft body 10 than the rear arms 12A and 12B. located near each other. As a result, interference between the airflows generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B and the rear arms 12A and 12B and the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B is more effectively suppressed. As a result, each propulsion device 18A, 18B can efficiently generate horizontal thrust, enabling higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges.

In this embodiment, the propulsion devices 18A and 18B are supported by the airframe body 10 at positions above the center of gravity P of the unmanned air vehicle 100 when viewed from the left-right direction. If the propulsion devices 18A and 18B are positioned above the center of gravity WP of the unmanned air vehicle 100, the thrust from the propulsion devices 18A and 18B can pull the rear portion 10b of the airframe body 10 upward. This makes it easier for the airframe body 10 to maintain the forward-leaning posture when increasing the flight speed. As a result, a longer cruising distance can be achieved.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the airframe body 10, the front arms 11A, 11B, the rear arms 12A, 12B, and other components of the unmanned air vehicle 100 may be made of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and aluminum. . This makes the unmanned flying object 100 as light as possible. As a result, higher flight speeds and longer cruising ranges can be achieved.

Further, in this embodiment, the front arms 11A, 11B and the rear arms 12A, 12B may have a hollow structure inside. By doing so, the weight of the front arms 11A, 11B and the rear arms 12A, 12B can be reduced to realize a higher flight speed and a longer cruising distance. In addition, by utilizing the hollow internal structures of the front arms 11A, 11B and the rear arms 12A, 12B, the flight control system and batteries housed inside the airframe body 10 and the levitation motors 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D are connected. can be electrically connected.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the airframe main body 10, the front arms 11A and 11B, and the rear arms 12A and 12B may be integrally formed using carbon fiber, for example. On the other hand, screws or the like are used to attach the levitation motors 14A, 14B, 14C and 14D to the front arms 11A and 11B and the rear arms 12A and 12B and to attach the propulsion motors 17A and 17B to the short arms 15A and 15B. may

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope of the claims.

Furthermore, in the previous embodiments, each propulsion device 18A, 18B had one propulsion rotor and one propulsion motor. As long as the number of propulsion rotors 16A and 16B of each propulsion device 18A and 18B is the same, and the rotation shafts of the propulsion rotors 16A and 16B are inclined downward toward the rear side. , the mounting positions and the number of mounting propulsion devices 18A and 18B are not particularly limited. For example, in addition to the front end portions of the short arms 15A and 15B, propulsion devices may also be provided at the rear end portions of the short arms 15A and 15B. As a result, the horizontal thrust of the unmanned air vehicle 100 can be increased.

In the above-described embodiment, the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor 16A is inclined to the left toward the rear, and the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor 16B is inclined to the right toward the rear. rice field. Not limited to this, as long as the airflow generated by the propulsion devices 18A and 18B is not obstructed by the rear arms 12A and 12B and the levitation rotors 13C and 13D provided on the rear arms 12A and 12B, the inclination in the left-right direction is It is not particularly limited. For example, the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor 16A may be slanted rearward to the right, and the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor 16B may be slanted rearward to the left. Further, the rotation axis of each propulsion rotor 16A, 16B may extend parallel to the fuselage center axis when viewed from the vertical direction without being inclined in the horizontal direction.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the scope of claims, and all variations and modifications within the equivalent scope of the claims are within the scope of the invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention is useful as an unmanned air vehicle.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 unmanned flying object 10 airframe body 10a air inlet 10b air outlet 11A, 11B front arms 12A, 12B rear arms 13A, 13B, 13C, 13D levitation rotors 14A, 14B, 14C, 14D levitation motors 15A, 15B short arm 16A , 16B propulsion rotor 17A, 17B propulsion motor 18A, 18B propulsion device 19 support leg WP center of gravity of unmanned air vehicle

Claims (4)

an unmanned aerial vehicle,
the body of the fuselage,
a pair of left and right front arms arranged on both sides of the airframe body in the left-right direction symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the airframe body in the front-rear direction and extending forward;
a pair of left and right rear arms arranged symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the airframe body on both sides in the left-right direction of the airframe body and extending rearward;
a levitation rotor provided on each of the pair of front arms and the pair of rear arms;
At a position between the levitation rotors in the longitudinal direction and closer to the airframe body than the levitation rotors in the lateral direction, on both sides in the lateral direction of the airframe body with respect to the central axis of the airframe body a pair of symmetrically arranged propulsion devices that produce a horizontal component of thrust;
The pair of propulsion devices each have the same number of propulsion rotors,
The rotation axis of the propulsion rotor is inclined downward toward the rear ,
An unmanned flying object , wherein a thrust generated by the propulsion device has a forward component and an upward component when the body body is tilted forward . In the unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1,
The propulsion rotor of the right propulsion device has a rotating shaft inclined leftward toward the rear,
The rotor for propulsion of the propulsion device on the left side has a rotation axis inclined to the right toward the rear side,
The extension line of the rotation axis of the right propulsion rotor and the extension line of the rotation axis of the left propulsion rotor intersect on the rear side of the rear end of the airframe main body when viewed from above and below. An unmanned aerial vehicle characterized by In the unmanned air vehicle according to claim 1 or 2,
An unmanned flying object, wherein each of the propulsion devices is supported by the airframe main body at a position above the center of gravity of the unmanned flying object when viewed from the left and right direction. In the unmanned air vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The pair of rear arms branch off from the middle of the pair of front arms in the longitudinal direction,
The unmanned flying object, wherein each of the propulsion devices is positioned rearward of branching portions of the front arms and the rear arms and closer to the aircraft body than the rear arms.

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