Flying object

Abstract

The present invention provides a flying object capable of stably landing at a destination. The flying object of the present invention can at least travel in the front-rear direction, and includes: a lift generating part; an arm part that holds the lift generating part; a mounting part that is provided on the arm part and has a connecting part that maintains the orientation of the object to be mounted at least horizontally; a support member, one end of which is supported on the mounting part and the other end of which is supported on the mounting part and can move in the front-rear direction; and a positioning member that selectively positions the support member at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting part from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions and a second positioning position that allows the mounting part to move in the front-rear direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a flying object, and particularly to a flying object having a mounting portion capable of mounting goods or the like. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, attempts have been made to use flying objects such as drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (hereinafter collectively referred to as "flying objects") for delivering goods. Patent Document 1 discloses a delivery system based on a flying object (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). The delivery system forms a shipping list for delivering goods autonomously delivered by a flying object (drone) to a delivery destination.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: U.S. Patent Publication No. 20150120094A1 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The flying object of Patent Document 1 is particularly difficult to control its posture just before landing when carrying goods, and is in an unstable state. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to land in a stable posture.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flying object capable of stably landing at a destination. Means for Solving the Problem

[0008] The flying object of the present invention is capable of traveling at least in the front-rear direction, and includes: a lift generating portion; an arm portion that holds the lift generating portion; a mounting portion provided on the arm portion and having a connecting portion that maintains the orientation of the mounted object at least horizontally; a support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and capable of moving in the front-rear direction; and a positioning member that selectively positions the support member at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting portion from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions and a second positioning position that allows the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction. Thereby, it is easy to control the posture just before landing, and the flying object can stably land at the destination.

[0009] Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a flying object capable of stably landing at a destination. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] Figure 1 It is a view showing a state when the flying object of the present embodiment is traveling.

[0012] Figure 2 It is a view of the flying object observed from the rear. Figure 1 of the flying object.

[0013] Figure 3 It is an explanatory view showing the state of the positioning member.

[0014] Figure 4 It shows Figure 1 the state of the flying object when it descends.

[0015] Figure 7 It is a general functional block diagram of the flying object.

[0016] Figure 5 It is an explanatory view (one) showing a modified example of the present invention.

[0017] Figure 6 It is an explanatory view (two) showing a modified example of the present invention. Detailed Description of the Invention

[0018] The content of the embodiment of the present invention is listed and described. The flying object of the embodiment of the present invention has the following structure.

[0019] [Item 1]

[0020] A flying object that can at least travel in the front-rear direction, comprising:

[0021] A lift generating unit;

[0022] An arm part that holds the lift generating unit;

[0023] A mounting part that is provided on the arm part and has a connecting part that maintains the orientation of the mounted object at least horizontally;

[0024] A support member having one end supported by the mounting part and the other end supported by the mounting part and capable of moving in the front-rear direction; and

[0025] A positioning member that selectively positions the support member at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting part from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions and a second positioning position that allows the mounting part to move in the front-rear direction.

[0026] [Item 2]

[0027] The flying object according to Item 1, wherein

[0028] The support member is configured to connect the other end of a first link member having one end connected to the mounting part to the other end of a second link member having one end connected to the mounting part, and use this connection point as a movable input point,

[0029] In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a shape extending in a substantially straight line.

[0030] In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the second positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a bent shape.

[0031] [Item 3]

[0032] The flying object according to Item 1 or Item 2, wherein

[0033] The mounting portion has:

[0034] A rotating member having an elliptical cross-section; and

[0035] A pair of connecting groove portions respectively provided at positions opposed to both end portions in the width direction of the rotating member,

[0036] The positioning member has:

[0037] A biasing member that contacts both end portions in the width direction of the rotating member to apply a force in the width direction of the rotating member; and

[0038] A pair of connecting claw portions respectively provided at positions corresponding to the connecting groove portions,

[0039] In a state where the length direction of the rotating member faces the front-rear direction, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the first positioning position.

[0040] In a state where the rotating member rotates against the acting force of the biasing member so that its length direction faces the left-right direction and the connecting claw portions are inserted into the connecting groove portions, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the second positioning position.

[0041] [Item 4]

[0042] The flying object according to any one of Items 1 to 3, wherein

[0043] During hovering or flight, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the first positioning position.

[0044] During landing, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the second positioning position.

[0045] [Details of the Embodiment]

[0046] Hereinafter, a flying object according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0047] <Details of the Embodiment of the Present Invention>

[0048] As Figures 1 to 3 shown, the flying object 1 of the embodiment of the present invention includes a propeller 2 (lift generating part: rotor), a motor 3 for rotating the propeller 2, an arm 4 on which the motor 3 is mounted, a mounting part 5 provided on the arm 4 and carrying a cargo 52 (object to be carried), a support member 6, and a positioning member 7. The flying object 1 travels in the direction of arrow D in the figure (details will be described later).

[0049] The propeller 2 rotates by receiving the output from the motor 3. By the rotation of the propeller 2, a propulsive force is generated for taking off the flying object 1 from the departure place, moving horizontally, and landing at the destination. In addition, the propeller 2 can rotate to the right, stop, and rotate to the left.

[0050] The blades of the propeller 2 of the present invention have an elongated shape. The number of blades (rotating bodies) can be arbitrary (for example, 1, 2, 3, 4 or more blades). In addition, the shape of the blade can be any shape such as a flat shape, a curved shape, a twisted shape, a conical shape, or a combination thereof. In addition, the shape of the blade can be changed (for example, telescoped, folded, bent, etc.). The blade can be symmetric (having the same upper and lower surfaces) or asymmetric (having different-shaped upper and lower surfaces). The blade can be formed into a fin, a wing, or a geometric shape suitable for generating aerodynamic forces (such as 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, for example, increasing lift and thrust, reducing drag, etc.

[0051] The motor 3 is used to rotate the propeller 2. For example, the drive unit can include an electric motor or an engine, etc. The blade can be driven by the motor to rotate around the rotation axis of the motor (for example, the long axis of the motor) in the clockwise direction and / or the counterclockwise direction.

[0052] All the blades can rotate in the same direction, or can rotate independently. Some blades rotate in one direction, and other blades rotate in the other direction. All the blades can rotate at the same speed, or can rotate at different speeds respectively. The rotation speed can be determined automatically or manually based on the size of the moving body (such as size, weight), control state (speed, moving direction, etc.).

[0053] The arm 4 is a member that supports the corresponding motor 3 and propeller 2 respectively. A light-emitting body such as an LED can also be provided on the arm 4 to indicate the flight state, flight direction, etc. of the autogyro. The arm 4 of the present embodiment can be formed of a material appropriately selected from carbon, stainless steel, aluminum, magnesium, etc., or their alloys or combinations, etc.

[0054] The mounting part 5 is a mechanism for mounting and holding the cargo 52. The mounting part 5 is composed of a pair of members spaced apart by a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The mounting part 5 always maintains its state in a predetermined direction (e.g., the horizontal direction (vertically downward)) so as to be able to maintain the position and orientation of the mounted cargo 52.

[0055] More specifically, the mounting part 5 has a hinge (gimbal) 50 and is configured to bend with the inclination of the flying object 1 carrying the cargo 52 with the hinge 50 as a fulcrum. The angle at which the hinge 50 bends is not particularly limited. For example, as Figure 1 shown, as long as the position and direction of the cargo 52 can be kept horizontal even when the flying object 1 flies in a forward-tilted posture. Thus, the cargo 52 is always kept in a state of hanging vertically downward, and can be delivered to the destination while maintaining the position and state at the departure point. The hinge 50 of the present embodiment can only move in the front-rear direction, which is the same direction as the traveling direction. However, it can also be configured to be movable in the left-right direction.

[0056] Here, the hinge 50 can also be controlled by a motor or the like. Thereby, the shaking (natural vibration, etc.) of the cargo 52 can be further prevented during flight.

[0057] The shape and mechanism of the mounting part 5 are not particularly limited as long as it can accommodate or hold the cargo 52, and can be arbitrary as long as it can maintain the position of the cargo 52 when the cargo 52 mounted on the first mounting part 30 is tilted.

[0058] The mounting part 5 has: an elliptical cam 53 as an example of a rotating member, which has an elliptical cross-sectional shape and has an axis 53A in the vertical direction; and a pair of connecting groove parts 54, 54, which are respectively provided at positions opposite to the width direction ends of the elliptical cam 53. The mounting part 5 has a motor (not shown) for controlling the rotation of the elliptical cam 53, and can change the rotation angle of the elliptical cam 53 according to an instruction from a control part (not shown, described later).

[0059] The support member 6 is composed of a pair of members spaced apart by a predetermined interval in the left-right direction. The support member 6 is configured such that one end is supported by the mounting part 5 and the other end is supported by a block 55 fixed to the mounting part 5 and can move in the front-rear direction. That is, as Figure 1 shown, the support member 6 is configured to connect the other end of the first link member 60 whose one end is connected to the mounting part 5 and the other end of the second link member 61 whose one end is connected to the block 55, and use the connection point as a movable input point.

[0060] The positioning member 7 selectively positions the support member 6 at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting portion 5 from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions and a second positioning position that allows the mounting portion 5 to move in the vertical and horizontal directions. In a state where the position of the support member 6 is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member 7, the support member 6 has a shape extending in a substantially straight line. In a state where the position of the support member 6 is positioned at the second positioning position by the positioning member 7, the support member 6 has a shape bent toward the side away from the mounting portion 5.

[0061] As Figure 3 shown, the positioning member 7 has: a biasing member 70 such as a compression spring that contacts both ends in the width direction of the elliptical cam 53 to apply a force in the width direction of the elliptical cam 53; and a pair of connecting claw portions 71, 71 that are respectively provided at positions corresponding to the connecting groove portions 54, 54. In a state where the longitudinal direction of the elliptical cam 53 faces the front-rear direction, the positioning member 7 positions the support member 6 at the first positioning position. In a state where the elliptical cam 53 rotates against the force of the biasing member 70 so that its longitudinal direction faces the left-right direction and the connecting claw portions 71, 71 are engaged with the connecting groove portions 54, 54, the positioning member 7 positions the support member 6 at the second positioning position.

[0062] The mounting portion 5 of the present embodiment is provided at a position that is a predetermined distance L1 behind the center of gravity Gh in the front-rear direction of the flying object 1 in the traveling direction D. The predetermined distance L1 is determined such that even a part of the cargo 52 does not overlap with the circular area generated by the rotation of at least the rear propeller 2 in the vertical direction. In other words, the predetermined distance L1 is determined to be a value at which the rotating propeller 2 does not overlap with the cargo 52 when viewed from above the propeller 2. More preferably, it is provided at a position where the cargo 52 is not affected by the wake region generated by the rear propeller 2. In addition, the mounting portion 5 can be provided at any position on the arm 4. Furthermore, its position can also be changed by sliding movement etc. after installation.

[0063] <Explanation during flight>

[0064] Next, with reference to Figures 1 to 4 , the flight mode of the flying object 1 of the present embodiment will be described. In addition, in the following description, for the sake of clarity, the three modes of ascent, horizontal movement, and descent will be described separately, but of course, it also includes flight modes that are combinations of these modes, such as ascending while moving horizontally.

[0065] <During ascent>

[0066] The user operates a wireless control transmitter with an operation unit, increasing the output of the motor 3 of the flying object, thereby increasing the rotational speed of the propeller 2. By rotating the propeller 2, lift required to make the flying object 1 float vertically upward is generated. When this lift exceeds the gravity acting on the flying object 1, the flying object 1 leaves the ground and takes off from the departure place.

[0067] During ascent, the entire flying object 1 including the arm 4 maintains a horizontal state. In other words, when the lift generated by the propellers 2 is equal respectively, in the front - rear direction, the gravity acting on the flying object 1 is consistent with respect to the center of gravity Gh (the rotational torques around the left - right direction centered on the center of gravity Gh cancel each other out). Thereby, the flying object 1 can ascend while maintaining a horizontal state.

[0068] In addition, when the weight acting on the flying object 1 and the lift generated on the flying object 1 by the rotation of the propeller 2 are in mechanical balance, the flying object 1 can hover. At this time, the height of the flying object 1 is maintained at a certain level. The flying object 1 of the present embodiment also maintains the same posture during hovering.

[0069] <During horizontal movement>

[0070] The flying object 1 is controlled such that when traveling in the horizontal direction, the rotational speed of the propeller 2 located behind in the traveling direction is higher than the rotational speed of the propeller 2 located in front in the traveling direction. Therefore, as Figure 1 shown, when horizontally moving in the traveling direction, the flying object 1 adopts a forward - tilted posture. At this time, due to the existence of the hinge 50, the orientation of the cargo 52 remains horizontal. Further, due to the existence of the positioning member 7, the position of the support member 6 is positioned at the second positioning position (a position allowing the mounting portion 5 to move in the vertical and horizontal directions).

[0071] Since the mounting portion 5 is located further behind than the center of gravity Gh, the cargo 52 is not located within the wake area of the propeller 2. Therefore, according to the flying object 1 of the present embodiment, at least the flight efficiency during traveling in the horizontal direction can be improved.

[0072] <During descent (landing)>

[0073] As Figure 4As shown, the flying object 1 lands at the destination and unloads the cargo 52 carried on the carrying part 5 at the destination. That is, at the destination, the flying object 1 separates from the cargo 52. The separation of the flying object 1 from the cargo 52 is carried out by detaching the cargo 52 from the carrying part 5. In order to achieve light weight, the flying object 1 of this embodiment does not have a landing gear. Therefore, when landing, the carried cargo 52 itself will have the function of a landing gear. However, due to the presence of the positioning member 7 in the flying object 1 of this embodiment, the position of the supporting member 6 is positioned at the first positioning position (a position that prevents the carrying part 5 from moving in the vertical and horizontal directions). Therefore, the flying object 1 of this embodiment can land at the destination with the cargo 52 fixed to the carrying part 5.

[0074] The above-mentioned flying object has Figure 7 the functional blocks shown. In addition, Figure 7 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 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)). The processing unit has a memory (not shown) and can access the memory. The memory stores the logic, code, and / or program instructions that can be executed by the processing unit to perform one or more steps. The memory may also include separable media such as an SD card, a random access memory (RAM), or an external storage device, for example. The data obtained from the cameras and sensors can also be directly transferred and stored in the memory. For example, the still image and moving image data captured by a camera or the like are recorded in the built-in memory or the external memory.

[0075] The processing unit includes a control module configured to control the state of the flying object. For example, the control module controls the propulsion mechanism (such as a motor) of the flying object to adjust the spatial configuration, speed, and / or acceleration of the flying object having six degrees of freedom (translational motions x, y, and z, and rotational motions θx, θy, and θz). The control module can control one or more of the states of the carrying part and the sensors.

[0076] The processing unit can communicate with a transceiver unit configured to send and / or receive data from one or more external devices (such as a terminal, a display device, or other remote controllers). The transceiver unit can use any suitable communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication. For example, the transceiver unit can 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 communication, etc. The transceiver unit can send and / or receive one or more of the data obtained by the sensors, the processing results generated by the processing unit, specified control data, user commands from a terminal or a remote

[0077] controller, etc.

[0078] The sensor class of the present embodiment may include an inertial sensor (acceleration sensor, gyro sensor), a GPS sensor, a proximity sensor (e.g., radar), or a vision / image sensor (e.g., camera).

[0079] The flying object of the present invention can be expected to be used as a flying object dedicated to delivery services and as an industrial flying object in warehouses and factories. In addition, the flying object of the present invention can be used in the aircraft-related industry such as multi-rotor drones, and the present invention can be suitably used not only as an aerial photography flying object equipped with a camera or the like, but also in various industries such as the security field, agriculture, and infrastructure monitoring.

[0080] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative for easy understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limitatively interpret the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from its gist, and the present invention naturally includes equivalents thereof.

[0081] <Modification Example>

[0082] As Figure 5 and Figure 6 shown, the position changing member may also be composed of a hook 90, a connecting rod 91, a link member 92, and a block 93. The hook 90 is a block that is bent into an L shape in a side view and has a wrist portion 90A and a wrist portion 90B. The front end of the wrist portion 90B is pivotally supported by the mounting portion 5, and one end of the connecting rod 91 is rotatably connected to the middle portion of the wrist portion 90B by a shaft. The other end of the connecting rod 91 is rotatably connected to one end of the link member 92 by a shaft. The other end of the link member 92 is pivotally supported by the block 93 fixed to the mounting portion 5. In this modification example, the position of the mounting portion 5 is switched to the first positioning position or the second positioning position according to the contact / separation state between the front end of the wrist portion 30 and the mounting portion 5. That is, in a state where the position of the mounting portion 5 is positioned at the first positioning position, the front end of the wrist portion 30 abuts against the mounting portion 5. On the other hand, in a state where the position of the mounting portion 5 is positioned at the second positioning position, the front end of the wrist portion 30 is separated from the abutting position with the mounting portion 5.

[0083] Symbol Explanation.

[0084] 1 Flying Object

[0085] 2 Propeller (Lift Generation Portion)

[0086] 3 Motor

[0087] 4 Arm (Arm Portion)

[0088] 5 Mounting Portion

[0089] 6 Support Member

[0090] 7 Positioning Member

[0091] 53 Elliptical cam (rotating part)

[0092] 54 A pair of connecting groove parts

[0093] 60 First link member

[0094] 61 Second link member

[0095] 70 Biasing member

[0096] 71 A pair of connecting claw parts.

Claims

1. A flying object capable of traveling at least in the front-rear direction, comprising: A lift generating portion; An arm portion that holds the lift generating portion; A mounting portion provided on the arm portion and having a connecting portion that maintains the orientation of the object to be mounted at least horizontally; A support member having one end supported by the mounting portion and the other end supported by the mounting portion and capable of moving in the front-rear direction; And A positioning member that selectively positions the position of the support member at a first positioning position that prevents the mounting portion from moving in the up-down direction and the horizontal direction and a second positioning position that allows the mounting portion to move in the front-rear direction, wherein the mounting portion has: A rotating member having an elliptical cross-section; and A pair of connecting groove portions respectively provided at positions opposed to both ends in the width direction of the rotating member, The positioning member has: A biasing member that contacts both ends in the width direction of the rotating member to apply a force in the width direction of the rotating member; and A pair of connecting claw portions respectively provided at positions corresponding to the connecting groove portions, In a state where the length direction of the rotating member faces the front-rear direction, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the first positioning position, In a state where the rotating member rotates against the force of the biasing member so that its length direction faces the left-right direction and the connecting claw portions are inserted into the connecting groove portions, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the second positioning position.

2. The flying object according to claim 1, wherein, The support member is configured to connect the other end of a first link member having one end connected to the mounting portion and the other end of a second link member having one end connected to the mounting portion, and use the connection point as a movable input point, In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the first positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a shape extending in a substantially straight line, In a state where the position of the support member is positioned at the second positioning position by the positioning member, the support member has a bent shape.

3. The flying object according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein, During hovering or flight, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the first positioning position, During landing, the positioning member positions the position of the support member at the second positioning position.

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