Manned flying object

Abstract

The present invention provides a flying object that can efficiently and safely transfer from hovering to horizontal flight. The flying object of the present invention comprises: a lift generating part such as a main wing; a thrust generating part that can perform flight and hovering; and a connecting part that displaceably connects the lift generating part and the thrust generating part in such a manner that the lift generating part can maintain a positive angle of attack relative to the flight direction at least when hovering. According to this structure, it is possible to safely transfer from hovering to horizontal flight.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manned flying object, and in particular to a flying object with a thrust part and a wing part connected displaceably. Background Art

[0002] As an aircraft including a rotor (rotating wing) and a main wing, two types of aircraft, a so-called tilt-rotor type and a tilt-wing type, are known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an aircraft (tilt-rotor type) in which a main wing is fixed to a main body and the rotor as a whole including a motor is configured to be displaceable within a range of a vertical direction and a flight direction.

[0004] On the other hand, Patent Document 2 discloses an aircraft (tilt-wing type) in which the main wing and the body are configured to be displaceable within the range of the vertical direction and the flight direction, and the motor and the rotor are integrally fixed to the main wing.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-501677

[0008] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-81360 Summary of the invention

[0009] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0010] According to the technology of Patent Document 1, the main wing will enter a large range of the propeller wake when ascending, so the flight efficiency of the main wing is poor. In addition, when transferring from hovering to horizontal flight, the main wing becomes a negative angle of attack (zero lift angle). That is, before the thrust in the horizontal direction required for the main wing to generate lift is obtained, there is a risk that the fuselage will fall.

[0011] According to the technology of Patent Document 2, since the entire main wing is displaced, it becomes unstable when subjected to wind resistance.

[0012] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a manned flying object that can efficiently and safely transition from hovering to horizontal flight.

[0013] Solutions for solving problems

[0014] According to the present invention, a flying object can be obtained, which has:

[0015] lift generating part;

[0016] a thrust generating section capable of flight and hovering; and

[0017] A connection portion displaceably connects the lift generating portion and the thrust generating portion in a manner that enables the lift generating portion to maintain a positive angle of attack relative to a flight direction at least when hovering.

[0018] Effects of the Invention

[0019] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flying object that can efficiently and safely transition from hovering to horizontal flight. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 This is a diagram of a manned flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flying object shown in the diagram is in a landing state.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a diagram for explaining a manned flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flying object shown in the diagram is in a state of ascending.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining a manned flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flying object shown in the diagram is in a flying state in a traveling direction.

[0023] Figure 4 Observed from above Figure 2 Figure of a flying body.

[0024] Figure 5 Observed from above Figure 3 Figure of a flying body.

[0025] Figure 6 It is a schematic diagram of a manned flying object of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 7 1 is another schematic diagram of the manned flying object of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 8 This is a functional block diagram of a manned flying vehicle according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The invention according to this embodiment has the following structure.

[0029] [Project 1]

[0030] A manned flying vehicle, comprising:

[0031] A flying part including a wing part and a thrust generating part provided on the wing part;

[0032] a fuselage portion supporting the flight portion; and

[0033] The boarding portion is displaceable independently of the body portion.

[0034] [Project 2]

[0035] A manned flying object according to item 1, wherein:

[0036] Regardless of the orientation of the body portion, the boarding portion is maintained in a predetermined direction.

[0037] [Item 3]

[0038] A manned flying object according to item 2, wherein:

[0039] The thrust generating portion is arranged forward of the leading edge of the wing portion,

[0040] The flying portion is configured to be switchable between a first state including ascending and a second state including horizontal flight. In the first state, the leading edge of the wing portion is directed upward and the thrust generating portion generates at least an upward propulsion force. In the second state, the leading edge of the wing portion is directed forward and the thrust generating portion generates at least a forward propulsion force.

[0041] [Item 4]

[0042] A manned flying object according to item 3, wherein:

[0043] A locking portion is further provided for temporarily fixing the positional relationship between the body portion and the riding portion in at least one of the first state and the second state.

[0044] [Item 5]

[0045] A manned flying object according to item 3 or 4, wherein:

[0046] The wing portion has a front wing portion and a rear wing portion extending along a first direction,

[0047] The fuselage portion extends along a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction and is connected to the front wing portion and the rear wing portion.

[0048] The boarding section is provided approximately near the center of the body section.

[0049] [Item 6]

[0050] A manned aircraft according to any one of items 1 to 5, wherein:

[0051] The body portion has a substantially annular receiving portion including the boarding portion.

[0052] The boarding portion has a substantially annular shape corresponding to the shape of the housing portion and is configured to be independently displaceable in the circumferential direction of the substantially annular shape.

[0053] [Item 7]

[0054] A manned flying object according to any one of items 1 to 6, wherein:

[0055] The center of gravity of the boarding section is substantially consistent with the center of gravity of the flight section and the fuselage section combined.

[0056] Next, a flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0057] <Structure>

[0058] like Figure 1 As shown, the manned flying vehicle 1 of this embodiment generally includes a flying unit 10, a fuselage unit 20, and a passenger unit 30. The flying unit 10 includes a wing unit 100, a thrust generating unit 102 provided on the wing unit 100, and a propeller 104. The fuselage unit 20 supports the flying unit 100. Figure 2 and Figure 3 It can be understood that the fuselage section 20 (and the flight section 10 fixed to the fuselage section 20 ) and the boarding section 30 are configured to be independently displaceable.

[0059] like Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the manned aircraft 1 of the present embodiment has an H-shape when viewed from above. That is, the manned aircraft 1 includes two flight sections 10 provided front and rear and a fuselage section 20 (and a boarding section 30) connecting them.

[0060] As described above, the flying unit 10 includes the wing unit 100, the motor 102, and the propeller 104. In the following description, the correspondence between the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis in the drawings and the directions is as follows.

[0061] X axis: first horizontal direction (+X direction: left, -X direction: right)

[0062] Y axis: second horizontal direction (+Y direction: front, -Y direction: back)

[0063] Z axis: vertical direction (+Z direction: up, -Z direction: down)

[0064] The wing 100 extends in the X direction and is the part where the lift is generated by the motor 102. Figure 1 In the state shown in FIG. 1 , the front edge faces upward and the rear edge faces downward. The wing portion 100 is composed of a front wing portion 100 and a rear wing portion 100.

[0065] The thrust generating unit 10 generates a propulsive force toward the front from the thrust generating unit 10 by rotating the propeller (thrust generating unit) 104 .

[0066] The motor 102 can be replaced by an engine, etc. The propeller 104 can be driven by the motor to rotate in a clockwise direction and / or counterclockwise direction around a rotation axis of the motor 102 (eg, a long axis of the motor).

[0067] In this embodiment, the motor 102 can cause the propellers 104 to rotate in the same direction or independently. Some propellers 104 rotate in one direction, and other propellers 104 rotate in another direction. The blades constituting the propellers 104 can all rotate at the same speed or at different speeds. The speed can be automatically or manually determined based on the size (e.g., size, weight) and control state (speed, direction of movement, etc.) of the moving object.

[0068] The propeller 104 rotates by receiving the output from the motor 102. The rotation of the propeller 104 generates a propulsion force for the manned flying object 1 to take off from the ground G, move horizontally, and land at a destination. The propeller 104 can rotate clockwise, stop, and rotate counterclockwise.

[0069] The blades of the propeller 104 of the present invention have an elongated shape. There may be any number of blades (rotating bodies) (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 or more blades). In addition, the blades may be flat, curved, twisted, tapered, or any combination thereof.

[0070] In addition, the shape of the blade can be varied (eg, telescopic, foldable, bendable, etc.). The blade can be symmetrical (having the same upper and lower surfaces) or asymmetrical (having upper and lower surfaces of different shapes).

[0071] The blade can be formed as a wing, a wing or a geometric shape suitable for generating aerodynamic forces (e.g., lift, thrust) when the blade moves in the air. The geometry of the blade can be appropriately selected to optimize the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade, e.g., increase lift and thrust, reduce drag, etc.

[0072] The fuselage portion 20 extends rearward from the center of the front wing portion 100 and is connected to the center of the rear wing portion 100 .

[0073] The body portion 20 of the present embodiment can be formed of a material appropriately selected from carbon, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, or the like, or an alloy or combination thereof.

[0074] The motor 102 and the propeller 104 (hereinafter referred to as the "motor unit") of this embodiment are fixed to the fuselage 20. Figure 1 As shown, the wing portion 100 and the fuselage portion 20 form a predetermined angle θf. θf is within the range of 45°≤θf<90°, preferably 50°≤θf≤70°. θf is configured so that when moving horizontally (refer to Figure 3)The thrust generated by the thrust generating unit has a horizontal component.

[0075] like Figure 1 As shown, the ground Gr and the fuselage 20 form a predetermined angle θg. θg is in the range of 0°<θg<45°, preferably 10°≤θg≤30°. θg is configured so that when moving horizontally (refer to Figure 3 )The thrust generated by the thrust generating unit has a horizontal component.

[0076] The motor unit of this embodiment is fixed to the body portion 20, but it can also be changed under predetermined conditions. Figure 1 In the embodiment, θf may be made variable within the above range (45°≤θf<90°, preferably 50°≤θf≤70°).

[0077] The body portion 20 has a substantially annular storage portion including the boarding portion 30. The storage portion is provided substantially in the center of the body portion 20.

[0078] The boarding portion 30 has a substantially annular shape corresponding to the shape of the housing portion, and is located inside the housing portion. The boarding portion 30 and the housing portion are configured to be independently displaceable in the substantially annular circumferential direction.

[0079] In this embodiment, the center of gravity G of the boarding section 30 coincides with the virtual (rotation) axis of the center of gravity obtained by merging the flight section and the fuselage section. According to this structure, the boarding section 30 is maintained in a predetermined direction (the passenger direction not shown is vertical) regardless of the orientation of the fuselage section 20.

[0080] <Flight method>

[0081] Next, refer to Figures 1 to 3 , explaining the mode and deformation during flight.

[0082] The propeller 104 of this embodiment is provided in front of the leading edge of the wing portion 100. Figure 1 In the landing state shown, the leading edge of the wing 100 faces upward and the motor unit generates at least an upward thrust. The leg 202 and the rear wing (and the motor 102) serve as a portion for supporting the manned flying object 1 during landing.

[0083] like Figure 2 and Figure 4 As shown, during vertical takeoff, the leading edge of the wing 100 is also directed upward, and the motor unit generates at least an upward propulsion force, thereby ascending vertically.

[0084] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, in vertical takeoff ( Figure 2 ) moves horizontally ( Figure 3 ) When transferring, the fuselage part 20 is displaced in the circumferential direction as shown by the two arrows in the figure, thereby displacing from the rear to the front. At this time, the boarding part 30 remains in the state of facing the same direction.

[0085] like Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , when the body 20 moves horizontally, it forms a predetermined angle θh with the horizontal direction. θh is in the range of 0°<θh<45°, preferably 10°≤θh≤30°. θh is configured so that when the body 20 moves horizontally (refer to FIG. 1 ), Figure 3 ) The thrust generated by the thrust generating unit has a horizontal component. That is, Figure 5 As shown, the structure is configured to switch between these states, so that the leading edge of the wing portion is directed forward and the thrust generating portion generates at least a propulsive force in the forward direction.

[0086] When descending, the leading edge of the wing 100 is directed upward again, and the motor unit at least weakens the propulsion force in the upward direction and starts to descend.

[0087] In this embodiment, a locking mechanism is provided to lock the aircraft during landing and ascending. Figure 1 The orientation (θf) of the boarding section is fixed to the body section 20 as shown. In addition, a locking mechanism is provided to prevent the boarding section from moving horizontally. Figure 3 As shown in FIG. 1 , the orientation (θh) of the riding section is fixed to the body section 20 .

[0088] <Concept Explanation>

[0089] Reference Figure 6 and Figure 7 , the concept of the present invention is explained. The present invention can be identified as three elements: a flight unit 10, a fuselage unit 20, and a passenger unit 30. The flight unit 10 is a part that obtains the propulsion force required for ascent and flight, such as wings and motors. The fuselage unit 20 is a part that connects the flight unit 10 and the passenger unit 30. The passenger unit 30 is mainly used for passengers, but can also carry goods and other items. In this case, the manned aircraft 1 performs external control or automatic flight control to perform unmanned navigation.

[0090] like Figure 7 As shown, the boarding section 30 is configured to be displaceable within at least the range of θg and θh with the body section 20. When the horizontal direction is set to 0°, the body section 20 is displaceable in the circumferential direction of the boarding section 30 within a range of less than ±90°.

[0091] <General structure>

[0092] The above-mentioned flying object may also have, for example, Figure 8 The structure shown.

[0093] The flight controller may have one or more processors such as a programmable processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU).

[0094] The flight controller has a memory (not shown) and can access the memory. The memory stores logic, code and / or program instructions that can be executed by the flight controller to perform one or more steps.

[0095] The memory may include, for example, a detachable medium such as an SD card, a random access memory (RAM), or an external storage device. Data acquired from a camera or a sensor may also be directly transferred and stored in the memory. For example, still image and dynamic image data captured by a camera or the like are recorded in a built-in memory or an external memory.

[0096] The flight controller includes a control module configured to control the state of the flying object. For example, the control module controls the propulsion mechanism (motor, etc.) of the flying object to adjust the six degrees of freedom (translation x, y and z, and rotation θ x ,θ y and θ z )'s spatial configuration, speed and / or acceleration of the flying object. The control module can control one or more of the states of the carrying unit and the sensor.

[0097] The flight controller can communicate with a transceiver configured to send and / or receive data from one or more external devices (eg, a terminal, a display device, or other remote controllers). The transceiver can use any appropriate communication means such as wired communication or wireless communication.

[0098] For example, the transceiver unit may utilize one or more of a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, WiFi, a peer-to-peer (P2P) network, a telecommunications network, cloud communications, and the like.

[0099] The transceiver unit can send and / or receive one or more of the data obtained by sensors, processing results generated by the flight controller, specified control data, user commands from the terminal or remote controller, etc.

[0100] The sensor types of this embodiment may include inertial sensors (accelerometers, gyroscope sensors), GPS sensors, proximity sensors (such as radars), or visual / image sensors (such as cameras).

[0101] Examples of the problems that the present invention focuses on are as follows.

[0102] Lightweight

[0103] High landing reliability

[0104] ·Countermeasures for the front-to-back center of gravity shift caused by passengers (VTOL, especially for vehicles with longer front-to-back length)

[0105] Novel appearance

[0106] · Riding convenience

[0107] · Dealing with strong winds during landing

[0108] ·productivity

[0109] · Scalability (from small equipment to large equipment and flight unit shape)

[0110] In addition, the present invention may have the following features as a configuration.

[0111] · Separation and displacement of the flight unit and cockpit (passenger unit)

[0112] ·Fix (lock) the cockpit during flight

[0113] · Rearward tilt of the cockpit in landing mode

[0114] ·Set the fixed position of the cockpit slightly forward of the center of gravity of the flight unit

[0115] ·The height difference between the front and rear propellers during landing

[0116] · Install a battery in the cockpit (enables passengers to board and replace the battery at the same time) · Install a battery on the flight unit (enables the cockpit to be smaller and the projection area to be smaller) · Enables emergency landing even if the cockpit operating mechanism is damaged.

[0117] The connection part is within the range of the boarding part when viewed from the side

[0118] ·The connection is near the center of gravity

[0119] Axis movement of the flight unit

[0120] ·Axis movement of the mounting part

[0121] Suspended cockpit

[0122] ·Ability to enter and exit from the side

[0123] · Lower cockpit steps

[0124] Explanation of symbols

[0125] 1 Manned flying object

[0126] 10 Flight Department

[0127] 100 Wing

[0128] 102 Motor

[0129] 104 Propeller

[0130] 20 Body

[0131] 202 Legs

[0132] 30 Boarding

[0133] 302 pieces

Claims

1. A manned flying object, comprising: A flying part including a wing part and a thrust generating part provided on the wing part; a fuselage portion supporting the flight portion; and a boarding portion that is displaceable independently of the body portion, The body portion has a substantially annular receiving portion including the boarding portion. The boarding portion is configured to have a substantially annular shape corresponding to the shape of the housing portion so as to be independently displaceable in the circumferential direction of the substantially annular shape. The wing portion and the thrust generating portion are displaced in the circumferential direction together with the fuselage portion, The substantially annular receiving portion includes the entire circumference of the boarding portion when viewed from the side. The thrust generating unit has rotary wings on the left front side, the right front side, the left rear side, and the right rear side of the body, respectively.

2. The manned flying object according to claim 1, wherein: Regardless of the orientation of the body portion, the boarding portion is maintained in a predetermined direction.

3. The manned flying object according to claim 2, wherein: The thrust generating portion is arranged forward of the leading edge of the wing portion, The flying portion is configured to be switchable between a first state including ascending and a second state including horizontal flight. In the first state, the leading edge of the wing portion is directed upward and the thrust generating portion generates at least an upward propulsion force. In the second state, the leading edge of the wing portion is directed forward and the thrust generating portion generates at least a forward propulsion force.

4. The manned flying object according to claim 3, wherein: The wing portion has a front wing portion and a rear wing portion extending along a first direction, The fuselage portion extends along a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction and is connected to the front wing portion and the rear wing portion. The boarding section is provided approximately near the center of the body section.

5. The manned flying object according to claim 3, wherein: A locking portion is further provided for temporarily fixing the positional relationship between the body portion and the riding portion in at least one of the first state and the second state.

6. The manned flying object according to claim 5, wherein: The wing portion has a front wing portion and a rear wing portion extending along a first direction, The fuselage portion extends along a second horizontal direction orthogonal to the first direction and is connected to the front wing portion and the rear wing portion. The boarding section is provided approximately near the center of the body section.

7. The manned flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The center of gravity of the boarding section is substantially consistent with the center of gravity of the flight section and the fuselage section combined.

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