JP7448199B2 - Unmanned aerial vehicles and fuel tanks - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an unmanned air vehicle and a fuel tank.

In recent years, small unmanned flying vehicles have attracted attention. As such an unmanned flying vehicle, one that flies by rotating a plurality of rotary wings with an electric motor is well known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). These are generally called drones, multicopters, multirotors, etc. In the above-mentioned unmanned flying vehicle, it is possible to achieve both motion performance and attitude stability by combining multiple rotary wings and an advanced control system. Unmanned aerial vehicles such as those mentioned above are already used in a variety of fields, such as taking videos and photos, observing and monitoring places that are difficult for humans to access, inspecting large buildings and walls, transporting goods, and competitions. Or, it is being considered for future use.

However, when only batteries are used as an energy source, it is difficult to extend the flight time and distance of an unmanned flying vehicle without increasing its weight. For this reason, in fields where the flight time and distance of unmanned aerial vehicles are particularly important (for example, inspections and material transportation), engines (hereinafter also simply referred to as engines) that use fuel such as gasoline as an energy source are used. ) is being considered. Note that the unmanned flying vehicle itself equipped with an engine is not new (see, for example, Patent Document 2). However, in the field of small unmanned flying vehicles, there are very few that have come to practical use by combining an engine and multiple rotary wings.

On the other hand, unmanned flying vehicles equipped with engines may cause a fire if fuel leaks due to a crash or the like. In order for unmanned flying vehicles equipped with engines to become widely popular, strict measures must be taken to prevent possible accidents.

2. Description of the Related Art A fuel tank in which a fire extinguishing agent is arranged so as to surround a space that accommodates fuel is known as a device capable of suppressing the occurrence of a fire (see, for example, Patent Document 3). According to such a fuel tank, since the extinguishing agent is placed near the fuel, even if the fuel bursts into flames, it is possible to quickly extinguish the fire. For example, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of fire by mounting the above-described fuel tank on an unmanned flying vehicle.

JP2014-240242A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-057636 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-43316

However, in the above-mentioned fuel tank (hereinafter referred to as a conventional fuel tank), if the fuel is splashed vigorously or if the extinguishing agent leaks first, it is difficult to make sufficient contact between the fuel and the extinguishing agent. In some cases, the occurrence of fire may not be sufficiently suppressed. In particular, when an unmanned aerial vehicle crashes, the fuel tank is exposed to a very large impact, so it can be expected that fuel will scatter and extinguishing agent will leak when the unmanned aerial vehicle crashes. Therefore, even if conventional fuel tanks are mounted on unmanned flying vehicles, it is difficult to sufficiently suppress the occurrence of fires.

Therefore, in the field of unmanned flying vehicles, there is a need for unmanned flying vehicles that can reduce the possibility of a fire occurring compared to unmanned flying vehicles equipped with conventional fuel tanks.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and is capable of reducing the possibility of a fire occurring than an unmanned aircraft equipped with a conventional fuel tank, and an unmanned flying vehicle capable of reducing the possibility of a fire occurring compared to a conventional unmanned flying vehicle equipped with a fuel tank. The purpose is to provide a fuel tank that can reduce the possibility of this occurring.

An unmanned flying vehicle of the present invention is an unmanned flying vehicle that includes an engine that uses fuel as an energy source and a fuel tank capable of accommodating the fuel, the fuel tank having an internal space inside the fuel tank. A partition wall is disposed that divides the partition into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber, and the unmanned flying vehicle includes a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall. and a destruction power generation member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member, and further includes a partition destruction mechanism that operates to destroy at least a portion of the partition wall when a predetermined condition is satisfied, The destruction member and the destruction power generating member are arranged within the fuel tank.

The fuel tank of the present invention is a fuel tank to be mounted on an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with an engine that uses fuel as an energy source, and the inside of the fuel tank has an internal space of the fuel tank and a fuel storage chamber. a partition wall that is divided into an inhibitor storage chamber, a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and a destruction power generator that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall. It is characterized by that a member is arranged.

According to the unmanned flying vehicle of the present invention, since it is equipped with a bulkhead destruction mechanism, when an abnormality occurs in the unmanned flying vehicle (for example, when it crashes or is expected to crash), the unmanned flying vehicle can actively destroy the bulkhead. , it becomes possible to quickly bring the fuel into contact with the fire suppressant. Therefore, the unmanned flying vehicle of the present invention is an unmanned flying vehicle that can reduce the possibility of a fire occurring more than an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with a conventional fuel tank.

The fuel tank of the present invention is more likely to cause a fire than conventional fuel tanks because the bulkhead destroying member and the power generation member for destruction, which are part of the bulkhead destroying mechanism in the unmanned aerial vehicle, are arranged inside the fuel tank. The result is a fuel tank that can reduce energy consumption.

1 is a diagram shown to explain an unmanned flying vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a sectional view of a fuel tank 100 according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b and a protrusion 132a in Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel tank 102 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a fuel tank 104 according to Modification 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram shown to explain a protrusion 192 in Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram shown to explain a protrusion 194 in Modification 2. FIG. FIG. 7 is a diagram shown to explain a protrusion 196 in Modification 2. FIG. 7 is a diagram shown for explaining an unmanned flying vehicle 2 according to a third modification.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the unmanned flying vehicle of this invention will be described in detail based on each embodiment shown in a figure. The structures shown in each drawing are all schematic, and the shape, dimensions, arrangement, quantity, etc. of each component do not necessarily correspond to reality. Substantially the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the embodiments, and repeated explanations will be omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a diagram shown to explain an unmanned flying vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment. FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view of the unmanned flying vehicle 1, and FIG. 1(b) is a plan view of the unmanned flying vehicle 1.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2(a) is a sectional view showing the state of the fuel tank 100 before the bulkhead breaking mechanism 120 is activated, and FIG. 2(b) is a sectional view showing the state of the fuel tank 100 before the bulkhead breaking mechanism 120 is activated. FIG. Note that FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a plane parallel to the direction in which the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b move, and shows the vicinity of the center of the fuel tank 100. However, in FIG. 2, the destructive power generating member 140 is shown as a schematic side view with emphasis on the image. Further, in FIG. 2, in order to avoid complicating the drawing, the protrusions 132a and 132b that are located further back than the cross section are not shown. The same applies to FIG. 4, which will be described later. In FIG. 2, in order to avoid complication of the drawing, the protrusions 132a, 132b and the through holes 134a, 134b are each shown with a reference numeral only at the bottom of the drawing. This also applies to FIGS. 3 and 4, which will be described later.
FIG. 3 is a diagram shown to explain the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b and the protrusion 132a in the first embodiment. 3(a) is a view of the partition wall destroying member 130a viewed from the side facing the partition wall 110, and FIG. 3(b) is a view of the partition wall destroying member 130b viewed from the side facing the partition wall 110. 3(c) is a side view of the protrusion 132a, and FIG. 3(d) is a view of the protrusion 132a viewed from the side facing the partition wall 110. Note that since the protrusion 132b has the same shape as the protrusion 132a, illustrations such as those in FIGS. 3(c) and 3(d) are omitted. The partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b are shown in FIG. 2 as a sectional view taken along the line AA in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

The unmanned flying object 1 according to the first embodiment is a small multicopter (so-called drone). Note that the term "unmanned flying vehicle" in this specification refers to a flying vehicle that does not require a human to fly and operate (can be operated unmanned). The unmanned flying object 1 may be flown by radio control or may be flown by automatic control.

In this specification, a "small unmanned flying vehicle" (1) fits within a circle with a diameter of 3 m when viewed from above, (2) has a weight (excluding fuel) of 100 kg or less, and (3) has a payload. This refers to an aircraft that satisfies either of the following conditions: (4) engine displacement is 500cc or less;

As shown in FIG. 1, an unmanned flying vehicle 1 according to Embodiment 1 includes an engine 10 that uses fuel as an energy source, and a fuel tank 100 that can accommodate fuel. Further, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 includes a bulkhead breaking mechanism 120, which is not shown in FIG. 1, but this will be described later. Furthermore, in addition to the above-mentioned components, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 also includes a basic structure 20 consisting of a frame, a mounter, etc., a fuel supply device 30 that supplies fuel from the fuel tank 100 to the engine 10, a control circuit, an electrical system, etc. The aircraft includes a control device 40, a rotor 50 that generates lift and thrust, and legs 60 that touch the ground upon landing.

Among the above-mentioned components, the components other than the engine 10, fuel tank 100, and bulkhead destruction mechanism 120, which are closely related to the present invention, can be used with known equivalent components, so detailed explanations will be omitted. The positions, numbers, shapes, etc. of the above-mentioned components are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1, and can be determined depending on the application and the like. The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 may further include components other than those described above (for example, sensors, cameras, batteries, cargo fixing devices, work arms), and even if the components listed above are unnecessary for the purpose of use, Components may not be provided.

Although the type of engine 10 and the fuel used in Embodiment 1 are not particularly limited, for example, a reciprocating engine that uses gasoline as fuel can be particularly preferably used. Note that the unmanned flying object 1 may use the engine 10 as a power source for rotating the rotary blade 50, or may use an electric motor (not shown). When an electric motor is used as the power source, the engine 10 may also be used in conjunction with the electric motor as the power source, or the engine 10 may drive a generator to rotate the electric motor.

Next, the fuel tank 100 will be explained. The fuel tank 100 is a fuel tank to be mounted on the unmanned flying vehicle 1 equipped with the engine 10. As shown in FIG. 2, inside the fuel tank 100, there is a partition wall 110 that divides the internal space of the fuel tank 100 into a fuel storage chamber R1 and a fire suppressant storage chamber R2. partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b that can destroy the partition walls 110, a power generating member 140 for power generation for power generation that generates a force to move the members breaking walls 130a, 130b when destroying the partition wall 110; A holding member 150 for holding is arranged.

The fuel tank 100 also includes a main body 160 that forms an internal space for accommodating fuel. A hole 162 is formed in the main body 160 to connect the interior space of the fuel tank 100 to the outside. The hole 162 is used as a liquid inlet or a vent for the fire suppressant storage chamber R2. The fuel tank 100 may further include a cap (not shown) for closing the hole 162. Holes other than the hole 162 may be formed in the main body 160. In FIG. 2, the symbol L1 is fuel, and the symbol L2 is a fire suppressant.

The term "fire suppressant" as used herein refers to a substance that can suppress fires caused by fuel when it comes into contact with fuel. Fire suppressants include those whose main purpose is extinguishing fires (extinguishing agents), those that reduce the flammability of fuel (noncombustible agents or flame retardants), and those that reduce the scattering of fuel by changing the fluidity of the fuel. Examples of inhibitors include gelling agents and solidifying agents.

In Embodiment 1, the components and form of the fire suppressant are not particularly limited. However, from the viewpoint of ease of handling and reliable operation of the partition wall destruction mechanism 120, it is preferable that the fire suppressant is a liquid. Furthermore, multiple types of fire suppressants may be used together.

Next, the partition wall 110 will be explained. The partition wall 110 in the first embodiment has a container-like shape, and has an internal space that is independent of the internal space of the main body 160. In the fuel tank 100, the internal space of the partition wall 110 is a fuel storage chamber R1, and the outside thereof is a fire suppressant storage chamber R2. A hole 112 is formed in the partition wall 110 to connect the internal space of the partition wall 110 to the outside. The hole 112 can be used as a liquid inlet or a vent. Further, by inserting a tube or the like into the fuel storage chamber R1 through the hole 112, the fuel in the fuel storage chamber R1 can be transferred to the engine 10. The fuel tank 100 may further include a cap (not shown) for closing the hole 112.

The partition wall 110 may be made of a material having strength and stability that can separate fuel and fire suppressant. Further, the partition wall 110 needs to be able to be destroyed by the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b. From this point of view, it is preferable that the partition wall 110 is made of resin, metal, glass, or ceramic and has a portion with a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. It is preferable that the portions having the thickness and material described above are the portions of the partition wall 110 that should be destroyed by the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b.

A member for supplementing strength may be disposed in the portion having the thickness and material described above. As a member for supplementing strength, for example, a member having holes formed therein for passing protrusions 132a and 132b, which will be described later, or a member having a wire mesh shape can be used.

A portion of the partition wall 110 that is made of resin or metal and has a thickness within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm is deformed and destroyed when the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b collide. . Note that although FIG. 2 is illustrated with the partition wall 110 made of resin in mind, this is just an example.

Further, the portion of the partition wall 110 that is made of glass or ceramic and has a thickness within the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm cracks and breaks when the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b collide. be done.

Next, the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 and its components will be explained. The partition wall destruction members 130a, 130b, the power generating member for destruction 140, and the holding member 150 constitute the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 that operates to destroy at least a portion of the partition wall 110 when a predetermined condition is satisfied. Although the reference numeral 120 is shown in two places in FIG. 2, this does not mean that there are two partition wall destruction mechanisms 120; both partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b are the same partition wall destruction mechanism. Belongs to 120. Although explanations using illustrations are omitted, the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 may include components disposed outside the fuel tank 100. An example of such a component is a mechanism for operating the holding member 150 in response to an external command or the like.

The predetermined condition is a condition that triggers the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 to start the operation of destroying the partition wall 110. Although specific illustrations are omitted, the unmanned flying vehicle 1 is equipped with devices, etc. (for example, sensors that detect the status of the aircraft, and analysis devices that analyze information detected by the sensors) that respond to the items set as predetermined conditions. , a control device that controls the operation of the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 based on information from the analyzer). The predetermined conditions include various conditions as necessary, such as the aircraft falling, the occurrence of signs of a crash (for example, the occurrence of an abnormal vibration pattern), damage to components, malfunction, departure from the flight permission range, etc. can be adopted. Note that the determination of whether a predetermined condition is satisfied and the associated start of operation of the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 may be realized by a non-electronic mechanism (for example, a mechanical mechanism using a spring, a link mechanism, etc.). .

Next, the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b will be explained. The projected area of the surface of the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b facing the partition wall 110 (the projected area when viewed as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b)) is the area in which the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b destroy the partition wall. The area is within a range of 0.5 to 1.5 times the projected area of the partition wall 110 when viewed along the direction of movement (left-right direction in the paper plane of FIG. 2). When calculating the above projected area, the through holes 134a and 134b in the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b are ignored (they are treated as having no through holes), and the projected area is calculated from the external shape of the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b. .

The partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b move in opposite directions when destroying the partition wall 110 (see FIG. 2(b)). Furthermore, in the first embodiment, two partition wall breaking members that move in opposite directions when destroying the partition wall 110 are a partition wall breaking member 130a (first partition breaking member) and a partition wall breaking member 130b (second partition wall breaking member) facing each other. (see Figure 2). Therefore, it can be said that the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 includes a plurality of partition wall destruction members that destroy the partition walls 110 from different directions.

The partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b have protrusions 132a, 132b on the surface facing the partition wall 110 (see FIG. 3). The protruding parts 132a, 132b may be formed by fixing members to become the protruding parts 132a, 132b to the main body parts of the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b, or by machining (for example, machining) the main parts of the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b. , cutting, bending), etc.

When viewed along an axis parallel to the direction in which the partition wall destruction member 130a and the partition wall destruction member 130b move, the protrusion 132a of the partition wall destruction member 130a and the protrusion 132b of the partition wall destruction member 130b do not overlap. In addition, through holes 134a and 134b are formed in the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b, which open toward the front side in the direction of movement when the partition wall 110 is destroyed (left-right direction in the plane of the drawing of FIG. 2).

In the fuel tank 100, when the partition wall breaking member 130a and the partition wall breaking member 130b come close to each other, the protrusion 132a and the protrusion 132b are arranged to enter the through hole 134b and the through hole 134a, respectively. Note that the through holes 134a, 134b are formed larger than the protrusions 132a, 132b, so even if the protrusions 132a, 132b enter the through holes 134a, 134b, the through holes 134a, 134b may be closed depending on the protrusions 132a, 132b. It won't get blocked.

Next, the destructive power generating member 140 will be explained. The destructive power generating member 140 is arranged between the inner surface of the fuel tank 100 and the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b. The destruction power generating member 140 is an elastic member (which is compressed between the inner surface of the fuel tank 100 and the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b before the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 starts the operation of destroying the partition wall 110). For example, a coil spring). Although it is preferable that a plurality of destructive power generation members 140 are arranged for one partition wall destruction member, only one may be arranged for one partition wall destruction member.

Next, the holding member 150 will be explained. The holding member 150 in the fuel tank 100 has hook-shaped members attached to the inner surface of the fuel tank 100 and the partition wall breaking members 130a and 130b, respectively. Before the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 starts the operation of destroying the partition wall 110, the hook-shaped members engage each other to maintain the compressed state of the power generation member 140 for destruction. In the holding member 150 shown in FIG. 2, at least one of the hook-shaped members is configured to be able to move (for example, rotate) necessary to release the holding member.

The power for releasing the holding by the holding member 150 may be obtained by mechanically connecting the holding member 150 and a power source outside the fuel tank 100, or by placing the power source inside the fuel tank 100. You may get it.

When the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 starts the operation of destroying the partition wall 110, the destruction power generation member 140 is extended by releasing the holding by the holding member 150, and the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b collide with the partition wall 110 (Fig. 2(b)). Since the fuel storage chamber R1 in the fuel tank 100 is an internal space defined by the partition wall 110, the fuel storage chamber R1 is destroyed along with the partition wall 110. As a result, the fuel is rapidly released into the fire suppressant storage chamber R2, and the fuel and fire suppressant quickly come into contact with each other. In addition, what is schematically indicated by the symbol L3 in FIG. 2(b) is a mixture or reaction of fuel and fire suppressant.

Hereinafter, effects of the unmanned flying vehicle 1 and the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment will be explained.

According to the unmanned flying vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, since the bulkhead breaking mechanism 120 is provided, when an abnormality occurs in the unmanned flying vehicle 1 (for example, when the unmanned flying vehicle 1 crashes or is expected to crash), the bulkhead is actively destroyed. Breaking 110 allows rapid contact and mixing of the fuel and fire suppressant. Therefore, the unmanned flying vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment is an unmanned flying vehicle that can reduce the possibility of a fire occurring more than an unmanned flying vehicle provided with a conventional fuel tank.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, since the partition wall destruction members 130a, 130b and the destruction power generating member 140 are arranged in the fuel tank 100, the presence of the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 causes This makes it possible to suppress the increase in volume.

Note that the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 is relatively easy to configure even when the fuel tank 100 is small, and the configuration can be made simple. Therefore, the configuration described in Embodiment 1 is particularly suitable for small unmanned flying vehicles.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 includes the destruction power generation member 140 made of an elastic member and the holding member 150 that holds the destruction power generation member 140 in a compressed state. When starting the operation of destroying the partition wall 110, the holding by the holding member 150 is released to extend the power generation member 140 for destruction and cause the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b to collide with the partition wall 110. Therefore, the operation is simple and stable. This makes it possible to create a configuration with high performance.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the projected area of the surface of the partition wall destruction members 130a, 130b facing the partition wall 110 is in the direction of movement when the partition wall destruction members 130a, 130b destroy the partition wall 110. Since it is more than 0.5 times the projected area when looking at the bulkhead 110 along the line, it is possible to sufficiently enlarge the range in which the bulkhead 110 can be simultaneously destroyed, and as a result, contact and mixing of fuel and fire suppressant can be prevented. It becomes possible to promote Further, since the ratio of the projected area is 1.5 times or less, it is possible to suppress an increase in volume and weight of the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b and the fuel tank 100.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, since the partition wall destroying members 130a and 130b have the protrusions 132a and 132b, by applying local pressure to the partition wall 110 at the time of a collision, the partition wall 110 is reliably damaged. This makes it possible to simultaneously destroy the fuel and fire suppressant and promote contact and mixing of the fuel and fire suppressant. Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, even if a member for ensuring strength is used in a part of the bulkhead 110, the protrusions 132a and 132b are arranged at positions where they do not interfere with the member. By doing so, it becomes possible to both ensure the strength of the partition wall 110 and ensure reliable destruction of the partition wall 110.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b are formed with the through holes 134a, 134b, so that the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b can pass through the fuel or fire suppressant. It becomes possible to reduce resistance during movement and promote mixing of fuel and fire suppressant.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 has the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b that destroy the partition wall 110 from different directions, so when there is only one partition wall destruction member, It is possible to mix the fuel and fire suppressant quickly compared to the conventional method.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, since the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b move in opposite directions when destroying the partition wall 110, the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b are located at a portion sandwiched between the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b. It is possible to mix the fuel and fire suppressant more quickly.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, when viewed along the axis parallel to the direction in which the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b move, the protrusion 132a of the partition wall destruction member 130a and the partition wall destruction member 130b are Since the protrusions 132b do not overlap, it is possible to suppress collision between the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b when the partition wall 110 is destroyed.

Further, according to the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to the first embodiment, the partition wall 110 is made of resin, metal, glass, or ceramic and has a portion with a thickness of 0.5 mm or less, so that the partition wall is formed in such a portion. By causing the destruction members 130a and 130b to collide, it becomes possible to easily destroy the partition wall 110. Note that by ensuring a thickness of 0.1 mm or more in the above portions, it is possible to maintain the strength of the partition wall 110 during normal use.

In the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment, the partition wall destruction members 130a and 130b, which are part of the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 in the unmanned aerial vehicle 1, and the destruction power generation member 140 are arranged in the fuel tank 100, so that By being mounted on the unmanned flying vehicle 1, the fuel tank becomes a fuel tank that can reduce the possibility of a fire occurring more than a conventional fuel tank.

Further, according to the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment, since the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b and the power generation member for destruction 140 are arranged inside the fuel tank 100, the partition wall destroying members 130a, 130b and the power generation member for destruction It becomes possible to suppress an increase in volume due to the presence of member 140.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the fuel tank 102 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4(a) is a sectional view showing the state of the fuel tank 102 before the bulkhead breaking mechanism 120 is activated, and FIG. 4(b) is a sectional view showing the state of the fuel tank 102 after the bulkhead breaking mechanism 120 is activated. FIG.

The fuel tank 102 according to the second embodiment basically has the same configuration as the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment, but differs from the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment in the configuration of the partition wall. As shown in FIG. 4, the partition wall 170 in the second embodiment has a flat plate shape without an independent internal space, and its end portion is in contact with the inner surface of the main body 160 of the fuel tank 102. The internal space of the fuel tank 102 is divided into a fuel storage chamber R1 and a fire suppressant storage chamber R2 using a partition wall 110 as a partition. In addition to a hole 162 that connects the fire suppressant storage chamber R2 and the outside, a hole 164 that connects the fuel storage chamber R1 and the outside is formed in the main body 160 of the fuel tank 102.

By replacing the fuel tank 100 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 according to Embodiment 1 with the fuel tank 102 according to Embodiment 2, it is possible to configure an unmanned aerial vehicle (not shown) according to Embodiment 2. .

In the second embodiment, there is no internal space defined by the partition wall 170, but after the partition wall destruction mechanism 120 operates, the fuel and the fire suppressant come into contact through the holes formed in the destroyed partition wall 170 (Fig. 4(b)).

The unmanned flying vehicle and fuel tank 102 according to the second embodiment have the same effects as the unmanned flying vehicle 1 and the fuel tank 100 according to the first embodiment.

Although the present invention has been described above based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. It is possible to implement the present invention in various ways without departing from the spirit thereof, and for example, the following modifications are also possible.

(1) The number, shape, position, size, angle, etc. of the constituent elements described in each of the above embodiments are merely examples, and can be changed within a range that does not impair the effects of the present invention.

(2) The arrangement of the fuel storage chamber R1 and the fire suppressant storage chamber R2 in each of the above embodiments may be reversed.

(3) The unmanned aircraft and fuel tank according to the present invention may have a plurality of fuel storage chambers R1 and fire suppressant storage chambers R2.

(4) When the partition wall is made of a highly flexible material such as resin, it may be difficult to form a gap between the partition wall and the protrusion when the partition wall and the partition wall destruction member collide. In particular, when the partition wall does not have an internal space (as in the second embodiment), contact and mixing between the fuel and the fire suppressant may be difficult to proceed. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the fuel tank 104 according to Modification 1. As shown in FIG. 5, the protrusions 182a, 182b of the partition wall breaking members 180a, 180b in the fuel tank 104 according to the first modification protrude more than the protrusions 132a, 132b in the fuel tank 102 according to the second embodiment. . For example, as shown in FIG. 5, by making the protruding part protrude greatly, the distance the protruding part moves after the partition wall and the protruding part collide becomes larger, so it is easy to create a gap between the partition wall and the protruding part. be able to. Further, by placing two partition wall destruction members facing each other and deeply thrusting the protrusion into the through hole of the opposing partition wall destruction member, it becomes possible to destroy the partition wall by tearing it off with shearing force.

(5) Furthermore, the problem that it becomes difficult to form a gap between the partition wall and the protrusion can be solved by devising the overall shape of the protrusion. 6 to 8 are diagrams shown for explaining protrusions 192, 194, and 196 in Modification 2, respectively. For example, by using a protrusion made by combining flat plates radially in a plan view, or a protrusion with a groove formed on the side surface (protrusion 192 in modification example 2, see FIG. 6), the concave portion (groove) can be Since the partition wall is less likely to get caught, it is possible to promote the formation of a gap between the partition wall and the protrusion. Furthermore, by using a protrusion whose proximal end is thinner than the distal end (protrusion 194 in Modified Example 2, see FIG. 7), there is a gap between the tapered part of the protrusion and the partition wall. Since a gap is created, it becomes possible to promote the formation of a gap between the partition wall and the protrusion. Further, by using a protrusion having both of the above two characteristics (protrusion 196 in Modification 2, see FIG. 8), it is possible to further promote the formation of a gap between the partition wall and the protrusion.

(6) In the first embodiment described above, the unmanned flying vehicle 1 includes one fuel tank 100, but the present invention is not limited to this. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an unmanned flying vehicle 2 according to modification 3. As shown in FIG. 9, a fuel tank 200 in an unmanned flying vehicle 2 according to Modification 3 includes four small fuel tanks 202. The four fuel tanks 202 are held together by a fixture 204. Each of the fuel tanks 202 is a fuel tank of the present invention that can reduce the possibility of a fire occurring. As shown in FIG. 9, the unmanned flying vehicle according to the present invention may include a plurality of fuel tanks as fuel tanks. In this case, by adjusting the number of fuel tanks to be mounted, it is possible to obtain an appropriate fuel tank capacity according to the configuration of the aircraft (for example, the size of the engine), the purpose, etc. Further, it is possible to ensure redundancy against damage or failure, and to speed up the mixing of fuel and fire suppressant as the internal capacity of each fuel tank decreases.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 2... Unmanned flying vehicle, 10... Engine, 20... Basic structure, 30... Fuel supply device, 40... Control device, 50... Rotary wing, 60... Leg part, 100, 102, 104, 200, 202... Fuel Tank, 110, 170... Partition wall, 112, 162, 164... Hole, 120... Partition wall breaking mechanism, 130a, 130b, 180a, 180b... Partition wall breaking member, 132a, 132b, 182a, 182b, 192, 194, 196... Projection part , 134a, 134b...through hole, 140...power generating member for destruction, 150...holding member, 160...main body, 204...fixing device, R1...fuel storage chamber, R2...fire suppressant storage chamber

Claims (11)

An unmanned flying vehicle comprising an engine using fuel as an energy source and a fuel tank capable of accommodating the fuel,
A partition wall is arranged inside the fuel tank to divide the internal space of the fuel tank into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber,
The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and a destruction power generating member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall. , further comprising a partition wall destruction mechanism that operates to destroy at least a portion of the partition wall when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
The partition wall destruction member and the destruction power generation member are arranged within the fuel tank ,
The destruction power generating member is disposed between the inner surface of the fuel tank and the partition wall destruction member, and is arranged between the inner surface of the fuel tank and the partition wall destruction member before the partition wall destruction mechanism starts the operation of destroying the partition wall. consisting of an elastic member that is in a compressed state between the partition wall destroying member,
The partition wall breaking mechanism is
further comprising a holding member that holds the destructive power generating member in a compressed state,
When starting an operation to destroy the partition wall, the unmanned aerial vehicle is characterized in that the power generating member for destruction is extended by releasing the holding by the holding member, and the partition wall destruction member is caused to collide with the partition wall. An unmanned flying vehicle comprising an engine using fuel as an energy source and a fuel tank capable of accommodating the fuel,
A partition wall is arranged inside the fuel tank to divide the internal space of the fuel tank into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber,
The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and a destruction power generating member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall. , further comprising a partition wall destruction mechanism that operates to destroy at least a portion of the partition wall when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
The partition wall destruction member and the destruction power generation member are arranged within the fuel tank,
The partition wall destruction mechanism includes a plurality of partition wall destruction members that destroy the partition walls from different directions,
An unmanned aerial vehicle characterized in that at least two of the partition wall destruction members constituting the plurality of partition wall destruction members move in mutually opposite directions when destroying the partition wall. When the two partition wall destruction members that move in opposite directions when destroying the partition wall are composed of a first partition wall destruction member and a second partition wall destruction member facing each other,
The first partition wall breaking member and the second partition wall breaking member each have a protrusion on a surface facing the partition wall,
When viewed along an axis parallel to the direction in which the first partition wall destruction member and the second partition wall destruction member move, the protrusion portion of the first partition wall destruction member and the protrusion portion of the second partition wall destruction member; The unmanned flying vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the two do not overlap. An unmanned flying vehicle comprising an engine using fuel as an energy source and a fuel tank capable of accommodating the fuel,
A partition wall is arranged inside the fuel tank to divide the internal space of the fuel tank into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber,
The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and a destruction power generating member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall. , further comprising a partition wall destruction mechanism that operates to destroy at least a portion of the partition wall when a predetermined condition is satisfied;
The partition wall destruction member and the destruction power generation member are arranged within the fuel tank,
The predetermined conditions include falling of the aircraft, occurrence of signs of crash, malfunction, and departure from the flight permission range;
The unmanned flying vehicle further includes a sensor that detects the situation of the aircraft, an analysis device that analyzes information detected by the sensor, and a control device that controls the operation of the bulkhead destruction mechanism based on the information from the analysis device. An unmanned flying vehicle characterized by: The projected area of the surface of the partition wall destroying member that faces the partition wall is 0.5 to 1. The unmanned flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it is within a range of 5 times. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the partition wall destroying member has a protrusion on a surface facing the partition wall. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , wherein the partition wall destroying member is formed with a through hole that opens forward in the direction of movement when the partition wall is destroyed. 8. The partition wall is made of resin, metal, glass, or ceramic, and has a portion with a thickness in the range of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. Unmanned aerial vehicle. The unmanned flying vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 , characterized in that the fuel tank includes a plurality of fuel tanks. A fuel tank for mounting on an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with an engine using fuel as an energy source,
The interior of the fuel tank includes a partition wall that divides the internal space of the fuel tank into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber, a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and and a destruction power generating member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall ,
The destructive power generating member is an elastic member disposed between the inner surface of the fuel tank and the partition wall destroying member, and which is in a compressed state between the inner surface of the fuel tank and the partition wall destroying member. Become,
The fuel tank is characterized in that a holding member is further disposed inside the fuel tank to hold the destructive power generating member in a compressed state . A fuel tank for mounting on an unmanned flying vehicle equipped with an engine using fuel as an energy source,
Inside the fuel tank, there is a partition wall that divides the internal space of the fuel tank into a fuel storage chamber and a fire suppressant storage chamber, a partition wall destruction member that can destroy the partition wall by colliding with the partition wall, and and a destruction power generating member that generates a force to move the partition wall destruction member when destroying the partition wall,
A plurality of partition wall destroying members are arranged inside the fuel tank, each of which destroys the partition wall from a different direction,
A fuel tank, wherein at least two of the partition wall destruction members constituting the plurality of partition wall destruction members move in opposite directions when destroying the partition wall.

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