Flying object and flying method of flying object

Abstract

The present invention provides a flying object having a more basic structure and taking safety measures. The flying object of the present invention comprises: a thrust unit having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust; a tail wing; a fuselage connecting the thrust unit and the tail wing; a main wing provided at a substantially center of the fuselage; and a control unit for controlling at least the main wing. When the flying object lands, the control unit controls the main wing in such a manner that a part of the main wing becomes a lower end.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying object and a flying method of the flying object. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various services using rotorcraft (hereinafter simply referred to as “flying objects”) such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) used for various purposes have been provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Moreover, as an example of such an air vehicle that includes a loading section for loading cargo, there is an air vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 2.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-15697

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-159751 Summary of the invention

[0008] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0009] When transporting the above-mentioned cargo, the technology described in Patent Document 2 has problems in terms of safety, such as a complicated structure and no countermeasures against crosswinds during descent.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flying object having a more basic structure and taking safety measures.

[0011] Solutions for solving problems

[0012] According to the present invention, a flying object can be obtained, which comprises:

[0013] A thrust unit having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust; a tail wing; a fuselage connecting the thrust unit and the tail wing; a main wing disposed approximately in the center of the fuselage; and a control unit for controlling at least the main wing, wherein:

[0014] The control unit controls the main wing so that a part of the main wing becomes a lower end when the flying object lands.

[0015] Effects of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flying object having a more basic structure and taking safety measures. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of the flying object of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the initial state of the flying body.

[0019] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the state of a flying object when it rises.

[0020] Figure 4 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the state of a flying object during flight.

[0021] Figure 5 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the state of a flying object when it descends.

[0022] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 1 Other schematic diagrams of the state of the flying object when it descends.

[0023] Figure 7 It is shown Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the state of a flying object when it lands.

[0024] Figure 8 It is shown Figure 1 Diagram of the functional blocks of the flight portion of a flying body.

[0025] Fig. 9 It is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the flying object of the present invention.

[0026] Fig.10 This is an explanatory diagram showing another modified example of the flying object of the present invention.

[0027] Description of Reference Numerals

[0028] 1 flying body; 10 thrust unit; 16 propeller (rotor); 20 tail wing; 30 fuselage; 40 upper fixed wing; 42 lower fixed wing DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The contents of the embodiments of the present invention are listed and described. The flying object and the flying method of the flying object according to the embodiments of the present invention have the following structures.

[0030] [Project 1]

[0031] A flying object, comprising: a thrust unit having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust; a tail wing; a fuselage connecting the thrust unit and the tail wing; a main wing disposed substantially at the center of the fuselage; and a control unit for controlling at least the main wing, wherein:

[0032] The control unit controls the main wing so that a part of the main wing becomes a lower end when the flying object lands.

[0033] [Project 2]

[0034] The flying object according to item 1, wherein:

[0035] The main wing is composed of two pairs of fixed wings.

[0036] When the flying object lands, the two fixed wings are symmetrically arranged in a substantially inverted V shape on both sides of the fuselage and tilt downward in a substantially linear shape as they move backward.

[0037] [Item 3]

[0038] A flying method for an aircraft, wherein the flying object is the flying object described in item 1 or 2, and the flying method comprises the following steps:

[0039] In an initial state, the fuselage is vertically erected in such a manner that the thrust portion becomes an upper end;

[0040] driving the thrust unit to raise the rotor so that the rotor becomes the front end in the direction of travel;

[0041] At a predetermined height, the main wing is displaced approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, and the fuselage is flown in a manner that extends in the horizontal direction;

[0042] In the air above the destination, the posture of the flying body is maintained in such a manner that the tail wing is at the lower end, and the main wing is displaced backward in the traveling direction; and

[0043] The main wing is lowered so that a part of the main wing becomes the lower end.

[0044] <Details of implementation method>

[0045] Hereinafter, a flying object and a flying object flying method according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0046] <Details of Embodiments of the Invention>

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the flying body 1 of the embodiment of the present invention comprises: a thrust unit 10, which has a plurality of propellers 16 for generating thrust; a tail 20; a fuselage 30, which connects the thrust unit 10 and the tail 20; and main wings (upper fixed wings 40, lower fixed wings 42), which are arranged at approximately the center of the fuselage 30.

[0048] In addition, in order to facilitate the description of the structure of the present invention, the illustrated flying object 1 is briefly depicted, and for example, detailed structures such as a control unit are not shown.

[0049] In addition, the axes in the figure represent absolute axes. The Z axis (Z direction) is the vertical direction, and the X axis and the Y axis are both horizontal directions.

[0050] <Details of the structure>

[0051] The thrust unit 10 of this embodiment includes a propeller 16, a motor 14 for rotating the propeller 16, and a motor arm 12 for supporting the motor 14. The thrust unit 10 of this embodiment has four sets of propellers 16, motors 14, and motor arms 12 in a cross shape.

[0052] The propeller 16 rotates by receiving the output from the motor 14. The propeller 16 rotates to generate a propulsion force for the flying object 1 to take off from a departure point, move horizontally, and land at a destination (the details of the flight will be described later). In addition, the propeller can rotate clockwise, stop, and rotate counterclockwise.

[0053] The number of blades (rotors) of the propeller 16 may be any (eg, 1, 2, 3, 4 or more blades). The blades may be in any shape, such as flat, curved, twisted, tapered, or a combination thereof.

[0054] Additionally, the shape of the blades can be varied (e.g., telescoping, folding, bending, etc.). The blades can be symmetrical (having the same upper and lower surfaces) or asymmetrical (having upper and lower surfaces of different shapes).

[0055] 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 geometric shape of the blade can be appropriately selected to optimize the aerodynamic characteristics of the blade, such as increasing lift and thrust, reducing drag, etc.

[0056] The motor 14 is used to rotate the propeller 16. For example, the drive unit may include an electric motor or an engine, etc. The propeller 16 may be driven by the motor to rotate clockwise and / or counterclockwise around the rotation axis of the motor (eg, the long axis of the motor).

[0057] The blades may all rotate in the same direction or independently. Some blades may rotate in one direction and others in another direction. The blades may all rotate at the same speed or at different speeds. The speed may be determined automatically or manually based on the dimensions of the moving object (e.g., size, weight), control state (speed, direction of movement, etc.).

[0058] The motor arm 12 is a member that supports the corresponding motor 14 and propeller 16. A coloring body such as an LED may be provided on the motor arm 12 to indicate the flight state and flight direction of the rotorcraft. The motor arm 12 of the present embodiment may be formed of a material appropriately selected from carbon, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, or the like, or an alloy or combination thereof.

[0059] In this embodiment, the thrust portion 10 (see Figure 1 ) is connected to the body 30 via the gimbal 60. Thus, the thrust unit 10 and the body 30 can be displaced independently.

[0060] That is, since the orientation of the thrust unit 10 can be controlled independently of the orientation of the fuselage 30 , the gimbal 60 whose orientation is not affected by the orientation of the flight unit 30 is displaceable in at least two axes (X-axis and Z-axis).

[0061] The fuselage 30 has two straight lines, and one end is connected to the thrust unit 10 , and the other end is connected to the tail 20 .

[0062] The main wings (upper fixed wing 40 and lower fixed wing 42) are respectively connected to the fuselage 30. The flying object of the present embodiment is a conceptual flying object in which a biplane is connected to a rotorcraft via a gimbal, but it does not need to be a biplane.

[0063] Next, refer to Figures 2 to 7 , the flying method of the flying object of this embodiment is explained.

[0064] Figure 2 2 is a diagram showing an initial state of the flying object. In the initial state, the flying object 1 stands upright with the tail 20 in contact with the ground. In other words, in the initial state, the flying object 1 is set to stand up the fuselage 30 in the vertical direction.

[0065] Furthermore, in order to prevent the flying object 1 from falling down in the initial state, auxiliary arms, auxiliary legs, etc. may be used.

[0066] Flying object 1 passes through Figure 2 The state shown in FIG. 1 makes the propeller 16 of the thrust unit 10 rotate to obtain an upward thrust, thereby Figure 3 As shown, float and rise (rising posture).

[0067] like Figure 4 As shown, when the flying body 1 rises to a predetermined height, the thrust unit 10 is displaced approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction to change the orientation of the body (horizontal posture).

[0068] In this state, it is possible to propel horizontally in the same principle as a propeller aircraft. According to this structure, it is possible to quickly move to the air above the destination. When flying horizontally, the flying body 1 takes all the forms that exist in the actual machine, from forward-swept wings to gently swept wings, and actively obtains lift based on speed.

[0069] When reaching the destination, the rotation speed of the propeller 16 is reduced and the aircraft body is turned vertically (descending posture), and then transferred to the hovering state. That is, the direction of the aircraft body is returned from the horizontal direction to the vertical direction. At this time, Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit controls the main wing in such a manner that a part of the main wing becomes the lower end. Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the two fixed wings are symmetrically arranged in a substantially inverted V shape on both sides of the fuselage 30 and are inclined downward in a substantially linear manner as they move backward. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , a portion of the main wing becomes a swept wing in the landing configuration. As a result, the center of gravity G also shifts toward the leg portion.

[0070] In the present embodiment, a part of the main wing becomes a swept wing in the landing configuration, so that good landing performance can be obtained by reducing the influence of the propeller wake and lowering the center of gravity G.

[0071] The above rotorcraft has Figure 8 The functional blocks shown. In addition, Figure 8 The functional blocks are the minimum reference structure. The flight controller is a so-called processing unit. The processing unit may have one or more processors such as a programmable processor (eg, a central processing unit (CPU)).

[0072] The processing unit 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 processing unit to perform one or more steps.

[0073] 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.

[0074] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the state of the rotorcraft. For example, the control module controls the propulsion mechanism (motor, etc.) of the rotorcraft to adjust the spatial configuration, speed and / or acceleration of the rotorcraft with six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y and z, and rotational motion θx, θy and θz). The control module can control one or more of the states of the mounting part, the sensor and the like.

[0075] The processing unit 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.

[0076] 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.

[0077] The transceiver unit can send and / or receive one or more of data acquired by sensors, processing results generated by the processing unit, specified control data, user commands from a terminal or a remote controller, and the like.

[0078] 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).

[0079] The flying object of the present invention can be expected to be used as a dedicated flying object for medium- and long-distance delivery services, as well as an industrial flying object for monitoring services in a wide area, and for reconnaissance and rescue services in mountainous areas. In addition, the flying object of the present invention can be used in aircraft-related industries such as multi-rotor drones, and in addition to being suitable for use as a flying object equipped with a camera and capable of performing aerial photography tasks, the present invention can also be used in various industries such as security, agriculture, and infrastructure monitoring.

[0080] The above embodiments are merely illustrative for easy understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Of course, the present invention can be changed and improved within the scope of the gist thereof, and the present invention includes its equivalents.

[0081] In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example is shown in which the two fixed wings are arranged in a substantially inverted V shape on both sides of the fuselage 30 when the flying object 1 lands. However, this is not limited to this. Fig. 9 As shown, the two fixed wings can also be folded downwardly to the fuselage 30. By using folding wings, it is easy to store, carry and maintain on the ground and is cheap.

[0082] Furthermore, the thrust unit 10 and the body 30 may be independently displaced via the connection unit 50. The connection unit 50 may be a gimbal that can swing freely around one axis, two axes, or three axes.

Claims

1. A flying object, comprising: A thrust unit having a plurality of rotors for generating thrust; a tail wing; a fuselage having one end connected to the thrust unit and the other end connected to the tail wing; a main wing disposed approximately in the center of the fuselage; and a control unit that controls at least the main wing, wherein: The thrust portion and the fuselage are capable of independent displacement; When the flying object lands, the control unit controls the main wing so that the main wing is tilted downward in a substantially straight line and a part of the main wing becomes a lower end. The rotation axes of the plurality of rotors are different from each other, The main wing is composed of two pairs of fixed wings. In the initial state, the fuselage is vertically erected in such a manner that the thrust portion is at the upper end, and the thrust portion is driven to rise in such a manner that the rotor is at the front end in the traveling direction. When the flying body lands, the two fixed wings are symmetrically arranged in a roughly inverted V shape on both sides of the fuselage and tilt downward in a roughly straight line as they move rearward in the direction of travel, thereby reducing the impact of the multiple rotor wakes and lowering the center of gravity of the flying body, and the ends of the main wing and the tail wing of the flying body become the lower end of the flying body contacting the ground.

2. A flying method for a flying object, wherein the flying object is the flying object according to claim 1, the flying method comprising the following steps: In an initial state, the fuselage is vertically erected in such a manner that the thrust portion becomes an upper end; driving the thrust unit to raise the rotor so that the rotor becomes the leading end in the direction of travel; At a predetermined height, the main wing is displaced approximately 90 degrees in the horizontal direction, and the fuselage is flown in a manner that extends in the horizontal direction; In the air above the destination, the posture of the flying body is maintained in such a manner that the tail wing is at the lower end, and the main wing is displaced backward in the traveling direction; and When the flying body lands, the main wing is tilted downward in a roughly straight line and a part of the main wing becomes the lower end, thereby reducing the influence of the multiple rotor wakes and lowering the center of gravity of the flying body, and the ends of the main wing and the tail wing of the flying body become the lower end of the flying body contacting the ground.

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