JP7427429B2 - Drone cargo receiving device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drone cargo receiving device, and particularly to a drone cargo receiving device that can receive cargo transported by a drone without having to land the drone.

In recent years, the use of drones to transport packages has been proposed against the backdrop of rapid increases in delivery volume due to technological advances in drones (unmanned aerial vehicles capable of remote control or autonomous flight) and the spread of Internet shopping.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a drone port installed in a building for the purpose of providing cargo receiving equipment suitable for storing cargo in home delivery by drone to a receiver in a building such as an apartment complex or an office building. A cargo receiving facility is disclosed that includes a cover that covers a drone port, one opening that allows the drone to pass through, and a door that constitutes an entrance and exit for people.

JP 2019-23020 Publication

However, in the invention described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to enter the drone port and land the drone when unloading the luggage. There is a problem in that drone takeoff and landing requires flight precision, which reduces transportation efficiency.

The present invention was devised in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a drone cargo receiving device that can receive cargo transported by a drone without having to land the drone.

According to the present invention, there is provided a drone cargo receiving device for receiving cargo carried by a drone, which includes at least a pair of airbags arranged so as to be in close contact with each other when inflation is completed, and an internal pressure adjustment capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the airbags. means, the internal pressure adjusting means forms a cargo receiving section for receiving the cargo dropped from the drone by inflating and bringing the airbag into close contact with the airbag, and forming a cargo receiving section by deflating the airbag. There is provided a drone load receiving device, characterized in that the load is moved downward through the gap between the airbags.

The drone cargo receiving device may include a belt conveyor disposed below the airbag.

Further, the airbag may have an exhaust port that reduces the impact when the luggage is dropped.

Moreover, the said drone cargo receiving apparatus may be equipped with the elevating means which can raise and lower the said airbag.

Furthermore, the airbag may have a mark that informs the drone of the position at which the luggage is to be dropped.

According to the above-described drone cargo receiving device according to the present invention, since an airbag is used as a means for receiving cargo carried by a drone, even if the cargo is dropped from the drone, the cargo can be received without being damaged. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to receive cargo transported by a drone without having to land the drone.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows the drone cargo receiving apparatus based on 1st embodiment of this invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cargo receiving method of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows a cargo receiving waiting state and (B) shows a cargo falling state. 2 is a diagram showing a cargo receiving method of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows a cargo moving state, (B) a cargo loading state, and (C) a cargo collecting state. It is a figure which shows the drone cargo receiving apparatus based on other embodiment of this invention, (A) has shown the 2nd embodiment, (B) has shown the 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the drone goods receiving apparatus based on other embodiment of this invention, (A) has shown the fourth embodiment, (B) has shown the fifth embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below using FIGS. 1 to 6(B). Here, FIG. 1 is a front view showing a drone cargo receiving device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the first embodiment is a device that can receive the cargo X transported by the drone D without landing the drone D, and when the inflation is completed. A pair of airbags 2 disposed in close contact with each other, an internal pressure adjustment means 3 capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the airbags 2, a lifting means 4 capable of raising and lowering the airbags 2, and a pair of airbags 2 disposed below the airbags 2. It is equipped with a belt conveyor 5.

The drone D is an unmanned aircraft capable of remote control or autonomous flight, and is, for example, a multicopter equipped with a plurality of rotary wings. In recent years, the amount of deliveries has increased rapidly due to the spread of Internet shopping, and more efficient means of transportation are required. Additionally, drone technology has made remarkable progress in recent years, with flight distances extending and payloads increasing. Therefore, the use of Drone D to deliver packages is already being considered.

The airbag 2 is, for example, a bag that can be expanded by injecting air. The airbag 2 is made of, for example, a base cloth made of resin that has enough strength not to be damaged when the baggage X comes into contact with the airbag 2. As the airbag 2, an airbag for protecting occupants arranged in a vehicle can also be used.

The airbags 2 are configured to inflate into, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and are configured such that the opposing sides of the pair of airbags 2 are in close contact with each other when inflation is completed. Further, the upper surface of the airbag 2 has a substantially planar shape, and forms a cargo receiving portion 21 when the cargo X is dropped onto the airbag 2. The shape of the airbag 2 can be controlled by the way the base fabric is sewn, the tethers placed inside, and the like. Note that the shape of the airbag 2 is not limited to the illustrated shape, and may be, for example, a hemispherical shape.

Further, the airbag 2 may have an exhaust port 22 formed on the side surface thereof to exhaust internal gas. By forming such an exhaust port 22, the gas inside the airbag 2 can be instantly exhausted to the outside when the luggage can be alleviated.

Although not shown, a valve body that opens at a predetermined pressure may be disposed at the exhaust port 22 to prevent gas from leaking from the exhaust port 22 when the airbag 2 is inflated. In addition, when the airbag 2 does not have the exhaust port 22, the gas inside the airbag 2 may be vented by the internal pressure adjusting means 3 at the timing when the cargo X contacts the airbag 2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a mark 23 may be arranged on the upper surface of the airbag 2 (load receiving portion 21) to inform the drone D of the position at which the load X is to be dropped. The mark 23 is, for example, a two-dimensional code, and is configured to be recognizable by a camera mounted on the drone D. Note that the mark 23 may be placed at a location other than the airbag 2 (for example, a pillar placed near the airbag 2, etc.).

The internal pressure adjusting means 3 is a means capable of increasing and decreasing the internal pressure of the airbag 2. For example, the internal pressure adjusting means 3 is an air compressor. The internal pressure adjustment means 3 inflates the airbag 2 by supplying gas to the airbag 2 when receiving the cargo. The internal pressure adjusting means 3 inflates the airbag 2 and brings the two faces into close contact with each other, thereby forming a cargo receiving section 21 that receives the cargo X dropped from the drone D.

Further, the internal pressure adjusting means 3 deflates the air bag 2 by releasing gas from the air bag 2 when collecting the luggage. By deflating the airbag 2 by the internal pressure adjusting means 3, the cargo X dropped onto the cargo receiving section 21 can be moved downward through the gap between the airbags 2.

The elevating means 4 is means for moving the position of the airbag 2 in the vertical direction. For example, the lifting means 4 is a belt drive. Specifically, a belt 42 is wound around a pair of rollers 41, and the back surface of the airbag 2 is fixed to the surface of the belt 42. By rotating the roller 41 in a predetermined direction, the belt 42 can be moved upward or downward, and the airbag 2 can be raised or lowered. In addition, in FIG. 1, the illustration of the support column 43 that supports the roller 41 is omitted.

By arranging such a lifting means 4, the airbag 2 can be arranged at a high position, the drone D can be hovered at a high position, and contact with obstacles etc. can be avoided. Note that the elevating means 4 is not limited to a belt drive device, and may be other devices such as a chain drive device or an electric actuator. Moreover, when the drone D can be hovered at a low position, the elevating means 4 may be omitted.

The belt conveyor 5 is a baggage collection means that transports the received baggage X to a predetermined position. The baggage X moved from the airbag 2 onto the belt conveyor 5 is conveyed by the belt conveyor 5 to the next process. A container for receiving the baggage X may be arranged downstream of the belt conveyor 5, or a belt conveyor for transporting the baggage X to another location may be connected thereto. Further, when the baggage X received from the airbag 2 is carried out by a worker or transported by a trolley, the belt conveyor 5 can be omitted.

Next, a cargo receiving method using the above-described drone cargo receiving device 1 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3(A) to 4(C). Here, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a cargo receiving method of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows a cargo receiving waiting state and (B) shows a cargo falling state. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the cargo receiving method of the drone cargo receiving device shown in FIG. 1, in which (A) shows the cargo moving state, (B) shows the cargo loading state, and (C) shows the cargo collecting state. . Note that for convenience of explanation, the internal pressure adjusting means 3 is omitted in each figure.

When the drone D loads a predetermined cargo X and receives information regarding the position (for example, GPS coordinates) of the drone cargo receiving device 1 at the destination, it automatically flies towards the drone cargo receiving device 1 at the destination. When the drone cargo receiving device 1 at the delivery destination receives information that the cargo X is being transported by the drone D, it inflates the airbag 2 before the drone D arrives, and shifts to the cargo receiving waiting state shown in FIG. 3(A). do.

The cargo reception waiting state shown in FIG. 3(A) is a state in which the pair of airbags 2 are inflated and brought into close contact with each other. By inflating the pair of airbags 2 in close contact with each other in this manner, a cargo receiving section 21 for receiving the cargo X is formed on the upper surface of the pair of airbags 2. When the drone D recognizes the mark 23 drawn on the top surface of the airbag 2, it hovers above the airbag 2.

After the drone D stabilizes its hovering state, it drops the cargo X toward the cargo receiving part 21 of the airbag 2. Although not shown in the drawings, in order to suppress the influence of wind, the area around the drone cargo receiving device 1 may be surrounded by a windshield wall material. As shown in FIG. 3(B), the dropped cargo X is captured by the cargo receiving portion 21 formed on the upper surface of the airbag 2. At this time, by forming the exhaust port 22 in the airbag 2, the impact when the luggage X falls can be alleviated.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(A), while the airbag 2 is lowered by the elevating means 4, the gas is removed from the airbag 2 by the internal pressure adjusting means 3 to reduce the pressure, and the cargo X is moved between the pair of airbags 2. move it downward between the two.

As shown in FIG. 4(B), the airbag 2 moves to the lower end and the airbag 2 is further deflated, so that the baggage X is placed on the belt conveyor 5. Note that here, the case is explained in which the baggage It may be moved.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4(C), the airbag 2 is moved to the initial standby position, and the baggage X is conveyed to a predetermined position by the belt conveyor 5 and collected. Then, upon receiving the receipt information for the next package X, the drone cargo receiving device 1 inflates the airbag 2 and shifts to the cargo receiving waiting state shown in FIG. 3(A).

According to the drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the present embodiment described above, since the airbag 2 is used as a receiving means for the cargo X transported by the drone D, even if the cargo X is dropped from the drone D, the cargo X will not be damaged. You can receive it without asking. Therefore, according to the drone cargo receiving device 1, the cargo X transported by the drone D can be received without the drone D having to land.

Furthermore, according to the drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the cargo X is received by the airbag 2, it is only necessary to drop the cargo X into the cargo receiving section 21, so that the direction of the cargo X can be adjusted. It is not necessary to do so, and it is possible to receive luggage X of various shapes.

Next, a drone cargo receiving device 1 according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(A) to 6(B). Here, FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a drone cargo receiving device according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows the second embodiment and (B) shows the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a drone cargo receiving device according to another embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) shows a fourth embodiment and (B) shows a fifth embodiment.

In addition, about the same component as the drone cargo receiving apparatus 1 based on the first embodiment mentioned above, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected and the overlapping description is abbreviate|omitted. Further, for convenience of explanation, the illustration of the internal pressure adjusting means 3 is omitted in each figure.

The drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 5(A) is configured such that the volume of the lower part 24 is smaller than the volume of the upper part when the airbag 2 is fully inflated. By making the volume of the lower part 24 of the airbag 2 relatively small in this way, the amount of slack in the lower part 24 when the airbag 2 is deflated can be reduced. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the airbag 2 from being caught when the luggage X is placed on the belt conveyor 5.

A drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the third embodiment shown in FIG. 5(B) is configured such that a cargo receiving section 21 is formed using four airbags 2. With this configuration, the area of the cargo receiving portion 21 can be increased by inflating adjacent airbags 2 in close contact with each other. Therefore, the baggage X can be easily dropped from the drone D. Note that the number of airbags 2 is not limited to two or four, and may be three or five or more.

In the drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 6(A), the configuration of the elevating means 4 is changed. Specifically, the elevating means 4 includes a first drive roller 44, a second drive roller 45, a first relay roller 46, a second relay roller 47, and a belt 42. The belt 42 has one end connected to a first drive roller 44 and the other end connected to a second drive roller 45. When the belt 42 is wound up by the first driving roller 44, the airbag 2 moves upward, and when the belt 42 is wound up by the second driving roller 45, the airbag 2 moves downward.

In the drone cargo receiving device 1 according to the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 6(B), the elevating means 4 is omitted. When the drone D can be flown to a position close to the belt conveyor 5 and hovered, the elevating means 4 may be omitted and the airbag 2 may be supported by the support 48.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and that various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Drone cargo receiving device 2 Air bag 3 Internal pressure adjustment means 4 Lifting means 5 Belt conveyor 21 Load receiving part 22 Exhaust port 23 Marker 24 Lower part 41 Roller 42 Belts 43, 48 Support column 44 First drive roller 45 Second drive roller 46 First relay roller 47 Second relay roller D Drone X Baggage

Claims (5)

A drone cargo receiving device that receives cargo transported by a drone,
at least a pair of airbags arranged so as to be in close contact with each other upon completion of inflation;
An internal pressure adjusting means capable of adjusting the internal pressure of the airbag,
The internal pressure adjusting means inflates and brings the airbag into close contact with each other to form a cargo receiving section for receiving the cargo dropped from the drone, and deflates the airbag to receive the cargo dropped into the cargo receiving section. configured to move the airbag downward from the gap between the airbags,
A drone cargo receiving device characterized by: The drone cargo receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising a belt conveyor disposed below the airbag. The drone cargo receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has an exhaust port that reduces the impact when the cargo is dropped. The drone cargo receiving device according to claim 1, further comprising an elevating means capable of elevating and lowering the airbag. The drone load receiving device according to claim 1, wherein the airbag has a mark that informs the drone of the position where the load is to be dropped.