Passive guidance mechanism and aircraft landing system

Abstract

The present invention provides a passive guidance mechanism capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position, and an aircraft landing system capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position and landing. A pair of guide rails (21a, 21b) are arranged side by side with a gap between them, and are configured to expand the gap between them toward one of their respective front ends. One guide rail (21a) is supported at one of its front ends or near the front end so as to be rotatable around a first axis (23), and the first axis (23) extends in a vertical direction relative to a plane containing each guide rail (21a, 21b). Another guide rail (21b) is supported at one of its front ends or near the front end so as to be rotatable around a second axis (24), and the second axis (24) extends in a vertical direction relative to a plane containing each guide rail (21a, 21b).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a passive guidance mechanism and an aircraft landing system. Background Art

[0002] Currently, drones, unmanned aircraft and other aircraft that are configured to fly through remote operation and automatic control usually take off and land on a dedicated landing pad, the ground, the upper surface of a vehicle, the roof of a building or other flat surface (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 or 2).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-089461

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-190362 Summary of the invention

[0007] 1. Technical issues to be resolved

[0008] However, in general aircraft that take off and land on a flat surface as described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, it is difficult to cope with disturbances because the thrust of the propellers, etc. needs to be reduced during landing. There is also the problem of ground effect. Therefore, there are the following technical problems: control is prone to instability and it is difficult to quickly guide and land to the desired position.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a passive guidance mechanism capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position, and an aircraft landing system capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position and landing the aircraft.

[0010] (II) Technical solution

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention is characterized in that it has a pair of guide rails, which are arranged side by side with a gap between them and are configured to expand the gap between them toward one of their respective front ends, one guide rail is supported at one of its front ends or near the front end so as to be able to rotate around a first axis, and the first axis extends in a vertical direction relative to a plane containing each guide rail, and the other guide rail is supported at one of its front ends or near the front end so as to be able to rotate around a second axis, and the second axis extends in a vertical direction relative to a plane containing each guide rail.

[0012] Regarding the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention, when the guided object enters between the guide rails from a front end side of each guide rail, if the guided object collides with the inner side of one guide rail, one guide rail will rotate outwardly with the first axis as the center, thereby reducing the angle between the travel direction of the guided object and one guide rail. In addition, if the guided object collides with the inner side of another guide rail, the other guide rail will rotate outwardly with the second axis as the center, thereby reducing the angle between the travel direction of the guided object and the other guide rail. Thus, even if the guided object collides with each guide rail, it will not rebound to the opposite side of the entry direction and can easily enter from one front end side of each guide rail toward the other front end side. In this way, the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention can smoothly guide the guided object to the desired position on the other front end side of each guide rail.

[0013] In addition, regarding the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention, since each guide rail is arranged to expand in spacing relative to each other toward a front end, the guided object can easily enter between each guide rail from a front end side of each guide rail. Each guide rail can be configured to have any shape as long as it is arranged to expand in spacing relative to each other toward a front end of each guide rail. For example, each front end portion can be configured to have a smooth curve, and the other front end portion can be formed into a straight line in a mutually parallel manner. In addition, one front end portion can be configured to have a straight line, or each guide rail can be configured to have a straight line as a whole. In addition, each guide rail can be configured to have a gap in the up-down direction, or it can be configured to have a gap in the left-right direction.

[0014] The passive guidance mechanism of the present invention can be configured to guide a moving object to a desired position, or can be configured to guide a stationary object to a desired position by moving itself. The passive guidance mechanism of the present invention can be used, for example, as a guidance mechanism for landing an aircraft at a desired position, or as a robotic arm or gripper for taking in and holding an object.

[0015] In the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention, preferably, the one guide rail and the other guide rail are arranged so as to be able to rotate in a positive direction and a reverse direction within a range of a prescribed rotation angle, respectively, with the first axis and the second axis as the center, starting from an initial position in which they are arranged in a plane-symmetrical manner relative to a prescribed surface. In this case, the range of the rotation angle of the first axis and the second axis can be used to limit the moving range of the other front end of each guide rail, and the range of guidance can be limited to a desired range.

[0016] The passive guiding mechanism of the present invention is preferably configured to apply force to each guide rail toward the initial position. In this case, each guide rail that has been rotated can always be returned to the initial position. Therefore, the guided object can be brought close to the middle position of each guide rail at the initial position, and the range of guidance can be narrowed.

[0017] The passive guiding mechanism of the present invention may include a damper for absorbing the rotational force of the one guide rail and the rotational force of the other guide rail when the one guide rail rotates from the initial position to the opposite side of the other guide rail, and when the other guide rail rotates from the initial position to the opposite side of the one guide rail. In this case, the damper can be used to absorb the impact of the guided object colliding with each guide rail, and damage to each guide rail and the guided object can be prevented. In addition, the energy of the collision direction of the guided object can be absorbed to suppress rebound, so that the guided object can easily enter from one front end side of each guide rail toward the other front end side.

[0018] Regarding the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention, preferably, each guide rail is connected so that the rotation angle of the one guide rail centered on the first axis from the initial position is equal to the rotation angle of the other guide rail centered on the second axis from the initial position. In this case, when the guided object collides with one guide rail, one guide rail rotates outwardly and the other guide rail rotates inwardly, so that the guided object colliding with one guide rail will immediately collide with the other guide rail side, which can cause each guide rail to rotate to the opposite side. In addition, when the guided object collides with another guide rail, the other guide rail also rotates outwardly and one guide rail rotates inwardly, so that the guided object colliding with another guide rail will immediately collide with one guide rail side, which can cause each guide rail to rotate to the opposite side. As a result, the guided object can gradually approach the middle position of each guide rail at the initial position while colliding with each guide rail, and the range of guidance can be narrowed.

[0019] Regarding the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention, it is preferred that there is a connecting component connecting the one guide rail and the other guide rail, one end of the connecting component is connected to the one guide rail in a manner that can rotate around a third axis perpendicular to the plane containing the guide rails, and the other end of the connecting component is connected to the other guide rail in a manner that can rotate around a fourth axis perpendicular to the plane containing the guide rails, and the passive guiding mechanism is configured such that the first axis, the second axis, the third axis, and the fourth axis head constitute a four-bar mechanism composed of a revolving pair, and the line connecting the third axis and the fourth axis is the same length as the line connecting the first axis and the second axis, and moves in parallel. In this case, it is also possible to make the guided object collide with each guide rail while gradually approaching the middle position of each guide rail at the initial position, and the range of guidance can be narrowed.

[0020] In the passive guide mechanism of the present invention, the connection member is preferably arranged at a predetermined distance in the vertical direction from a plane including the guide rails. In this case, the guided object passing between the guide rails can be prevented from hitting the connection member.

[0021] The passive guide mechanism of the present invention preferably includes a connection support member that supports the connection member movably relative to each guide rail. In this case, each guide rail and the connection member can be stably rotated and moved.

[0022] The aircraft landing system of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: the passive guiding mechanism of the present invention; an aircraft having a suspension portion at the upper portion configured to be inserted between the guide rails from the one front end side of each guide rail; and a landing unit, which is arranged at the other front end side of each guide rail and is configured to allow the suspension portion to pass between the guide rails and be guided from the one front end side of each guide rail to the other front end side for landing.

[0023] The aircraft landing system of the present invention can land the aircraft in the following manner. That is, the aircraft is made to fly from one front end side of each guide rail toward the bottom of each guide rail, and the suspension part provided on the upper part of the aircraft is inserted between each guide rail from one front end side of each guide rail. At this time, the aircraft can be smoothly guided to the other front end side of each guide rail by using the passive guiding mechanism, and the aircraft can be landed by using the landing unit.

[0024] With regard to the aircraft landing system of the present invention, by arranging the guide rails in such a manner that sufficient space is left below the aircraft, the influence of the ground effect can be reduced to a substantially negligible level. In addition, since there is almost no influence of the ground effect, the aircraft can land stably even in a narrow space. With regard to the aircraft landing system of the present invention, the guide rails can be arranged at any location as long as there is space left at least below and in the extension direction of one end side. For example, the guide rails can be arranged under the ceiling or eaves of a factory, house, high-rise building, etc., or can be hoisted by a crane, etc.

[0025] In the aircraft landing system of the present invention, preferably, the landing unit is constructed to have a pair of landing rails, and the hanging part of the aircraft guided to the other front end side of each guide rail is guided between the landing rails, and the aircraft can be hung at a specified position on each landing rail in a state where the hanging part is inserted between the landing rails.

[0026] In the case of the landing rails, by inserting the hanging part between the landing rails, the aircraft can be easily moved to the landing position along the landing rails by using only the force of the aircraft during insertion, or by applying force from one end side of each landing rail to the other end side. Therefore, after the hanging part is inserted between the landing rails, precise flight control is not required, and the propulsion device such as the propeller of the aircraft can be stopped according to the situation.

[0027] In this case, the landing position of each landing rail can be a specified point or a range of a specified length along the length direction of each landing rail. In addition, the aircraft does not have to stop at the landing position. In addition, in this case, for example, it can be used to install cargo at the bottom of the aircraft for transportation. When the aircraft is suspended at the landing position, since there is space below the aircraft, it is easy to perform the following operations: installing cargo at the bottom of the aircraft or unloading cargo installed at the bottom of the aircraft. At this time, for example, by providing a belt conveyor below the aircraft suspended at the landing position, it is also possible to use the belt conveyor to transport cargo unloaded from aircraft flying in sequence, or to install cargo transported by the belt conveyor at the bottom of the aircraft in sequence for transportation.

[0028] (III) Beneficial effects

[0029] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a passive guidance mechanism capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position, and an aircraft landing system capable of smoothly guiding an aircraft to a desired position and landing the aircraft. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 It is a perspective view showing a passive guide mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 2 It is a front view showing a passive guide mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 3 It is a right side view showing the passive guide mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 4 It is a top view showing a passive guide mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 5 It is a plan view showing a state where each guide rail of the passive guide mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention is rotated.

[0035] Figure 6 It is a perspective view showing a passive guidance mechanism and an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 7 (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view showing a state where an aircraft is flying toward each rail, showing an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 8 (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view showing an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which an aircraft is inserted between rails.

[0038] Fig. 9 (a) is a perspective view and (b) is a plan view showing a state where an aircraft is guided toward the other front end side of each guide rail in the aircraft landing system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Fig.10 The figure is a top view showing a test method of an aircraft entry test of an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Fig.11 Yes means Fig.10 Graphs showing the relationship between entry speed and entry angle θ, and whether entry is successful, for (a) an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention and (b) a comparative example in which the rails do not rotate, in aircraft entry tests.

[0041] Fig.12 Yes means Fig.10 Graphs showing the relationship between collision position y and entry angle θ, and entry failure rate (Failure Rate) of an aircraft entry test (a) an aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention and (b) a comparative example in which each rail does not rotate.

[0042] Fig.13 Yes means Fig.10 A top view of a method for measuring entry time for an aircraft entry test is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

[0044] Figures 1 to 6 A passive guide mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0045] like Figures 1 to 6 As shown, the passive guide mechanism 10 includes a pair of rail members 11 , a rail support member 12 , a connection member 13 , and a connection support member 14 .

[0046] A pair of rail components 11 has a pair of guide rails 21a, 21b, which are arranged side by side with a gap between them and are set to expand the gap between them toward one of their respective front ends. For each guide rail 21a, 21b, one of their respective front ends constitutes a smooth curve that opens outwards toward one of their respective front ends, and the other of their respective front ends are parallel to each other to form a straight line. In addition, for each guide rail 21a, 21b, as long as it is set to expand the gap between them toward one of their respective front ends, it can be formed into any shape, for example, one of the front ends can constitute a straight line, or the entirety of each guide rail 21a, 21b can constitute a straight line. In addition, for each guide rail 21a, 21b, it can be arranged with a gap in the up and down direction, or it can be arranged with a gap in the left and right direction.

[0047] Each rail member 11 has a surface member 22 extending in a vertical direction to have a predetermined width relative to the plane containing each guide rail 21a, 21b. In addition, one rail member 11 is configured to be rotatable around a first axis 23 extending in a vertical direction relative to the plane containing each guide rail 21a, 21b at a front end of its guide rail 21a. The other rail member 11 is configured to be rotatable around a second axis 24 extending in a vertical direction relative to the plane containing each guide rail 21a, 21b at a front end of its guide rail 21b. The one guide rail 21a and the other guide rail 21b are configured to be rotatable in a positive direction and a reverse direction from an initial position, and the initial position is arranged in a plane symmetrical with respect to a plane perpendicular to the plane containing each guide rail 21a, 21b.

[0048] Each rail member 11 includes: a first reinforcing portion 25a extending perpendicularly from the other front end of each guide rail 21a, 21b toward the outside; a second reinforcing portion 25b extending from one front end to the first reinforcing portion 25a in parallel with the other front end of the straight line; and a third reinforcing portion 25c extending from the vicinity of the center of the second reinforcing portion 25b toward each guide rail 21a, 21b in parallel with the first reinforcing portion 25a. In addition, each rail member 11 also includes reinforcing members for reinforcing the surface member 22 and the like.

[0049] like Figure 6 As shown in the figure, the rail support member 12 is provided to extend outward from one front end of each guide rail 21a, 21b to rotatably support one front end of each guide rail 21a, 21b. Even when each guide rail 21a, 21b is rotated, the rail support member 12 supports each guide rail 21a, 21b in a manner that one front end of each guide rail 21a, 21b does not move.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 6As shown, the connecting member 13 is linear, and connects the connection position of the first reinforcement part 25a and the second reinforcement part 25b of one rail member 11 and the connection position of the first reinforcement part 25a and the second reinforcement part 25b of the other rail member 11. One end of the connecting member 13 is connected to one guide rail 21a via the first reinforcement part 25a and the second reinforcement part 25b in a manner that can rotate around the third axis 26, and the third axis 26 is perpendicular to the plane containing the guide rails 21a and 21b. In addition, the other end of the connecting member 13 is connected to the other guide rail 21b via the first reinforcement part 25a and the second reinforcement part 25b in a manner that can rotate around the fourth axis 27, and the fourth axis 27 is perpendicular to the plane containing the guide rails 21a and 21b. The connecting member 13 is arranged at a predetermined distance from the guide rails 21a and 21b on the opposite side of the surface member 22 in the direction perpendicular to the plane containing the guide rails 21a and 21b.

[0051] The connection support member 14 is provided on the opposite side of the guide rails 21a and 21b of the connection member 13 to support the connection member 13 movably relative to the guide rails 21a and 21b. The connection support member 14 includes a sliding member 28 mounted on the central portion of the connection member 13, and an arc-shaped support portion 29 provided to allow the sliding member 28 to slide. The arc-shaped support portion 29 is provided along the trajectory of the sliding member 28 when the connection member 13 moves with the rotation of the guide rails 21a and 21b. Thus, the connection support member 14 is configured so that the sliding member 28 can slide smoothly. The connection support member 14 is fixed relative to the rail support member 12 and supports the connection member 13.

[0052] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the first axis 23, the second axis 24, the third axis 26, and the fourth axis 27 of the passive guide mechanism 10 constitute a four-bar mechanism composed of a revolute pair. The passive guide mechanism 10 is configured so that the line connecting the third axis 26 and the fourth axis 27 and the line connecting the first axis 23 and the second axis 24 are the same length and move in parallel. In addition, the passive guide mechanism 10 is configured so that the rotation angle of one guide rail 21a centered on the first axis 23 from the initial position is equal to the rotation angle of the other guide rail 21b centered on the second axis 24 from the initial position.

[0053] The passive guide mechanism 10 defines the rotation range of each guide rail 21a, 21b by using the range before each guide rail 21a, 21b touches each other during rotation, or the sliding range of the sliding member 28 on the arc-shaped support portion 29. Thus, each guide rail 21a, 21b can rotate in the positive direction and the reverse direction respectively around the first axis 23 and the second axis 24 within the defined rotation angle range starting from the initial position.

[0054] Next, the operation will be described.

[0055] Regarding the passive guiding mechanism 10, when the guided object enters between the guide rails 21a and 21b from one front end side of each guide rail 21a and 21b, if the guided object collides with the inner side of one guide rail 21a, one guide rail 21a will rotate outwardly with the first axis 23 as the center, thereby reducing the angle between the travel direction of the guided object and the one guide rail 21a. In addition, if the guided object collides with the inner side of the other guide rail 21b, the other guide rail 21b will rotate outwardly with the second axis 24 as the center, thereby reducing the angle between the travel direction of the guided object and the other guide rail 21b. Thus, even if the guided object collides with each guide rail 21a and 21b, it will not rebound to the opposite side of the entry direction, and can easily enter from one front end side of each guide rail 21a and 21b toward the other front end side.

[0056] In addition, regarding the passive guiding mechanism 10, when the guided object collides with one guide rail 21a, one guide rail 21a rotates outwardly, and the other guide rail 21b rotates inwardly, so the guided object that collides with one guide rail 21a will immediately collide with the other guide rail 21b side, which can cause each guide rail 21a, 21b to rotate to the opposite side. In addition, when the guided object collides with the other guide rail 21b, similarly, the other guide rail 21b rotates outwardly, and one guide rail 21a rotates inwardly, so the guided object that collides with the other guide rail 21b will immediately collide with one guide rail 21a side, which can cause each guide rail 21a, 21b to rotate to the opposite side. Thus, the guided object can be made to gradually approach the middle position of each guide rail 21a, 21b at the initial position while colliding with each guide rail 21a, 21b, and the range of guidance can be narrowed. In this way, the passive guiding mechanism 10 can smoothly guide the object to be guided to a desired position on the other front end side of each of the guide rails 21 a and 21 b.

[0057] In addition, regarding the passive guide mechanism 10, each guide rail 21a, 21b is arranged so that the interval between each other expands toward one front end, so that the guided object can easily enter between each guide rail 21a, 21b from one front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b. In addition, since the connecting member 13 is arranged at a predetermined distance from each guide rail 21a, 21b, it is possible to prevent the guided object passing between each guide rail 21a, 21b from hitting the connecting member 13. In addition, the rail support member 12 and the connecting support member 14 can be used to stably rotate and move each guide rail 21a, 21b and the connecting member 13.

[0058] The passive guidance mechanism 10 may be configured to guide a moving object to a desired position, or may be configured to guide a stationary object to a desired position by moving itself. The passive guidance mechanism 10 may be used, for example, as a guidance mechanism for landing an aircraft at a desired position, or as a robotic arm or gripper for taking in and holding an object.

[0059] In addition, the passive guiding mechanism 10 can be configured to apply force to each guide rail 21a, 21b toward the initial position. In this case, each guide rail 21a, 21b that has been rotated can always be returned to the initial position. Therefore, the guided object can be brought close to the middle position of each guide rail 21a, 21b at the initial position, and the range of guidance can be narrowed.

[0060] In addition, the passive guide mechanism 10 may have a damper for absorbing the rotational force of one guide rail 21a and the rotational force of the other guide rail 21b when one guide rail 21a rotates from an initial position to the opposite side of the other guide rail 21b, and when the other guide rail 21b rotates from an initial position to the opposite side of one guide rail 21a. In this case, the damper can be used to absorb the impact of the guided object colliding with each guide rail 21a, 21b, and damage to each guide rail 21a, 21b and the guided object can be prevented. In addition, the energy of the collision direction of the guided object can be absorbed to suppress rebound, so that the guided object can easily enter the other front end side from one front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b.

[0061] Figures 6 to 13 An aircraft landing system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0062] like Figures 6 to 9 As shown, the aircraft landing system 30 includes: an aircraft 31 , a passive guidance mechanism 10 , and a landing unit 32 .

[0063] The aircraft 31 has a suspension portion 41 extending upward at the upper portion. The suspension portion 41 has an arm 41a extending upward from the aircraft 31 and a buckle portion 41b provided at the front end of the arm 41a. The buckle portion 41b is shaped to be relatively elongated along the direction of travel of the aircraft 31 and narrowed at the front end in the direction of travel. In a specific example, the aircraft 31 is composed of a drone, but there is no particular limitation as long as it is a device that can fly, such as an airplane. In addition, the aircraft 31 can be flown by remote control or by automatic control.

[0064] The passive guide mechanism 10 is configured to be able to insert the suspension part 41 of the aircraft 31 between the guide rails 21a and 21b from one front end side of each guide rail 21a and 21b. The passive guide mechanism 10 is configured to guide the aircraft 31 having the suspension part 41 inserted between the guide rails 21a and 21b from one front end side of each guide rail 21a and 21b to the other front end side.

[0065] like Figure 6 As shown, the landing unit 32 has a pair of landing rails 42. Each landing rail 42 is spaced apart from each guide rail 21a, 21b on the other front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b, and is spaced apart from each other and arranged side by side in a manner extending along the extension direction of each guide rail 21a, 21b. Each landing rail 42 is configured so that the front end portion of one end side (the side of each guide rail 21a, 21b) expands toward each guide rail 21a, 21b. The landing unit 32 is configured so that the suspension portion 41 of the aircraft 31 guided to the other front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b can be guided between each landing rail 42. In addition, the landing unit 32 is configured so that the aircraft 31 can be suspended at a specified position of each landing rail 42 for landing in a state where the suspension portion 41 is inserted between each landing rail 42.

[0066] In a specific example, the guide rails 21a, 21b and the landing rails 42 are arranged at intervals in the left-right direction, but are not limited to the left-right direction, and may be arranged at intervals in the up-down direction or the like. In addition, the guide rails 21a, 21b and the landing rails 42 may be installed at any location as long as there is space at least below and in the extension direction of one end of the guide rails 21a, 21b. The guide rails 21a, 21b and the landing rails 42 may be installed, for example, on the ceiling or under the eaves of a factory, house, high-rise building, etc., or may be suspended by a crane or the like.

[0067] Next, the operation will be described.

[0068] The aircraft landing system 30 can land the aircraft 31 in the following manner. Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the flying vehicle 31 is made to fly from one front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b toward the bottom of each guide rail 21a, 21b, and as shown in FIG. Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the hanging part 41 provided on the upper part of the aircraft 31 is inserted between the guide rails 21a and 21b from one of the front ends of the guide rails 21a and 21b. At this time, the locking part 41b of the aircraft 31 is narrowed toward the traveling direction, so it is easy to insert the aircraft 31 between the guide rails 21a and 21b. Fig. 9As shown, by using the passive guiding mechanism 10, the suspension part 41 of the aircraft 31 can collide with each guide rail 21a, 21b while gradually approaching the middle position of each guide rail 21a, 21b, and the aircraft 31 can be smoothly guided to the other front end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b.

[0069] The aircraft landing system 30 can guide the suspension part 41 of the aircraft 31 guided from between the guide rails 21a and 21b to the other front end side of each guide rail 21a and 21b to between the landing rails 42, and can land the aircraft 31 using the landing unit 32. The aircraft landing system 30 can easily move the aircraft 31 to the landing position along the landing rails 42 by using only the force of the aircraft 31 when the suspension part 41 of the aircraft 31 is inserted between the landing rails 42, or by only applying a force from one end side to the other end side of each landing rail 42 to the aircraft 31. Therefore, after the suspension part 41 is inserted between the landing rails 42, it is not necessary to perform precise flight control, and the propulsion device such as the propeller of the aircraft 31 can be stopped according to the situation.

[0070] The aircraft landing system 30 can reduce the influence of the ground effect to a substantially negligible level by arranging the guide rails 21a, 21b and the landing rails 42 in such a manner as to leave a sufficient space under the aircraft 31. In addition, since there is almost no influence of the ground effect, the aircraft 31 can land stably even in a relatively narrow space.

[0071] The aircraft landing system 30 can be used, for example, to transport cargo by installing cargo under the aircraft 31. When the aircraft 31 is suspended at the landing position, since there is space under the aircraft 31, it is easy to carry out the following operations: installing cargo under the aircraft 31 or unloading cargo installed under the aircraft 31. At this time, for example, by providing a belt conveyor under the aircraft 31 suspended at the landing position, cargo unloaded from the aircraft 31 flying successively can be transported by the belt conveyor, or cargo transported by the belt conveyor can be installed successively under the aircraft 31 for transportation.

[0072] In addition, the landing position of each landing rail 42 may be a predetermined point or a range of predetermined length along the length direction of each landing rail 42. In addition, the aircraft 31 does not necessarily have to stop at the landing position. In addition, each landing rail 42 may be configured to enable the aircraft 31 to take off from the other end opposite to each guide rail 21a, 21b. In this case, the aircraft 31 can be smoothly taken off by moving the aircraft 31 from the state of being suspended at the landing position toward the other end side of each landing rail 42.

[0073] (Aircraft entry test)

[0074] use Figures 6 to 9 The aircraft landing system 30 shown in FIG. 1 was used to conduct an entry test of guiding the aircraft 31 between the landing rails 42. In the test, 100 such Fig.10 As shown in FIG. 1 , a test was performed in which the aircraft 31 entered from one end of each guide rail 21a, 21b at a random angle and speed, and its trajectory was recorded using a motion capture device (trade name "OptiTrack"). In addition, for comparison, an entry test was also performed in a state where each guide rail 21a, 21b was fixed at an initial position in a manner that the first axis 23, the second axis 24, the third axis 26, and the fourth axis 27 did not rotate.

[0075] In the test, a device in which a suspension part 41 having an arm 41a with a length of 180 mm and a buckle part 41b was installed on the upper part of a drone ("Mavic Air" produced by DJI) was used as the aircraft 31. The length of the drone is 168 mm, the width is 184 mm, the height is 64 mm, the mass is 430 g, and the weight of the aircraft 31 is 501.8 g. In addition, as the passive guide mechanism 10, the following structure is used: in this structure, each guide rail 21a, 21b, the first reinforcement part 25a, the second reinforcement part 25b, the third reinforcement part 25c, the connecting part 13, and the connecting support part 14 are manufactured using acrylic resin by a 3D printer, and the surface part 22 is composed of a 1 mm thick PET plate. In the passive guiding mechanism 10, the opening width at one end of each guide rail 21a, 21b is 270 mm, and the opening width at the other end is 30 mm. The range of the conical portion of each guide rail 21a, 21b from one end is 120 mm, the range (depth) of each guide rail 21a, 21b from one end to the other end is 280 mm, the width of the surface component 22 is 112 mm, the opening angle at one end of each guide rail 21a, 21b is 45°, and the weight of each rail component 11 is 120 g.

[0076] Find the entry speed and Fig.10 The relationship between the entry angle θ and whether the entry is successful is shown in Fig.11 As shown in Fig.11 As shown in (b), it is confirmed that in the comparative example where the guide rails 21a and 21b do not rotate, the entry success rate is significantly reduced within the range of 35°<θ<40°; on the contrary, Fig.11 As shown in (a), the entry success rate was very high when the passive guide mechanism 10 was used. In addition, it was confirmed that the entry success rates were very high in both the case where the passive guide mechanism 10 was used and the comparative example until the entry angle θ reached 35°, and there was basically no difference.

[0077] Then, in Fig.12 It shows: Fig.10 The relationship between the collision position y (the distance from the center line of the opening at the initial position to the collision position on each guide rail 21a, 21b) and the entry angle θ and the failure rate of entry is shown. Fig.12 As shown in (b), it was confirmed that in the comparative example, when the collision position y was in the range of 15 mm to 60 mm, when the entry angle θ was 40° or more, 100% of the failures occurred, and when the entry angle θ was 35° or more and less than 40°, more than 50% of the failures occurred. In addition, it was confirmed that when the collision position y was in the range of 60 mm to 90 mm, when the entry angle θ was 35° or more and less than 40°, the failure rate was 100%. In contrast, Fig.12 As shown in (a), it is confirmed that when the passive guidance mechanism 10 is used, the failure rate is 100% when the collision position y is within the range of 30mm to 60mm and the entry angle θ is greater than 40°, but the failure rate is 0% when the collision position y is within the range of 15mm to 90mm and the entry angle θ is greater than 35° and less than 40°, and the aircraft 31 has a wide range of entry angles. In addition, Fig.12 In the case of using a passive guide mechanism 10 as shown in (a), failure cases are confirmed when the entry angle θ is less than 30° within the range of the collision position y of 15 mm to 45 mm. These failure cases are cases where the aircraft 31 collides with the guide rails 21a and 21b and flies upward.

[0078] Next, the entry time was measured. Fig.13 As shown, the entry time refers to the time from the position 100 mm in front of the opening on one end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b to the position 410 mm from the opening on one end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b to the other end side (the position where the other end side of each guide rail 21a, 21b is separated). The measurement results are: It was confirmed that in the comparative example, the entry time of the successful entrants was 0.65 seconds on average; in contrast, when the passive guiding mechanism 10 was used, the entry time of the successful entrants was 0.66 seconds on average, and the entry time was basically unchanged. In addition, the average landing time when the drone was vertically landed on the ground from a height of 1.5m (tested 50 times) was 4.94 seconds.

[0079] Description of Reference Numerals

[0080] 10-passive guiding mechanism; 11-rail component; 21a, 21b-guide rail; 22-surface component; 23-first axis; 24-second axis; 25a-first reinforcement part; 25b-second reinforcement part; 25c-third reinforcement part; 12-rail support component; 13-connecting component; 26-third axis; 27-fourth axis; 14-connecting support component; 28-sliding component; 29-arc-shaped support part; 30-aircraft landing system; 31-aircraft; 41-suspension part; 41a-arm; 41b-fastening part; 32-landing unit; 42-landing rail.

Claims

1. A passive guiding mechanism, characterized in that: A pair of guide rails are provided, which are arranged side by side with a gap between them and are arranged so that the gap between them expands toward one front end of each guide rail. A guide rail is supported at or near a front end thereof so as to be rotatable about a first axis, the first axis extending in a vertical direction relative to a plane including the guide rails, The other guide rail is supported at or near one of its front ends so as to be rotatable about a second axis extending in a vertical direction relative to a plane including the guide rails. A connecting member connecting the one guide rail and the other guide rail is provided, One end of the connecting member is connected to the one guide rail in a manner that allows rotation around a third axis that is perpendicular to a plane containing the guide rails, and the other end of the connecting member is connected to the other guide rail in a manner that allows rotation around a fourth axis that is perpendicular to a plane containing the guide rails. The passive guiding mechanism is constructed such that the first axis, the second axis, the third axis, and the fourth axis constitute a four-bar mechanism composed of a rotating pair, and the line connecting the third axis and the fourth axis is the same length as the line connecting the first axis and the second axis, and moves in parallel.

2. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The one guide rail and the other guide rail are provided so as to be rotatable in a positive direction and a reverse direction within a predetermined rotation angle range about the first axis and the second axis, respectively, starting from an initial position in which they are arranged plane-symmetrically with respect to a predetermined plane.

3. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide rails are configured to be urged toward the initial position.

4. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: A damper is provided for absorbing a rotational force of the one guide rail and a rotational force of the other guide rail when the one guide rail rotates from the initial position to the opposite side of the other guide rail and when the other guide rail rotates from the initial position to the opposite side of the one guide rail, respectively.

5. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 2, characterized in that: The guide rails are connected so that a rotation angle of the one guide rail centered on the first axis from the initial position is equal to a rotation angle of the other guide rail centered on the second axis from the initial position.

6. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connecting member is disposed at a predetermined distance in a vertical direction from a plane including the guide rails.

7. The passive guiding mechanism according to claim 1, characterized in that: A connection support member is provided, which supports the connection member movably with respect to each guide rail.

8. An aircraft landing system, characterized in that: have: The passive guiding mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 7; The aircraft has a hanging portion on the upper portion so as to be insertable between the guide rails from the front end side of the one guide rail; and The landing unit is disposed on the other front end side of each rail and is provided to land the aircraft which is guided from the one front end side to the other front end side of each rail by passing the hanging portion between the rails.

9. The aircraft landing system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The landing unit is configured to have a pair of landing rails, guide the hanging portion of the aircraft guided to the other front end side of each guide rail to between the landing rails, and can hang the aircraft at a specified position on each landing rail in a state where the hanging portion is inserted between the landing rails.

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