Balloon assembly for flying vehicle, vehicle flight system and method of flying vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a balloon assembly for flying a vehicle, where the balloon assembly comprises at least: a balloon filled with a gas having a lower density than air; the first connecting piece is mounted on the balloon, and the first connecting piece is configured to be suitable for being detachably connected with a second connecting piece of the vehicle; the flight control device is mounted on the balloon, and the flight control device is configured to be suitable for controlling the flight direction of the balloon; and a controller configured to be adapted to send a control signal to the flight control device. The invention also relates to a corresponding vehicle flight system and a flight method. The strain capacity of the vehicle under various traffic conditions can be improved, the passing time is greatly saved, the vehicle does not need to be greatly transformed, and the situation that the size and the weight of the vehicle are unexpectedly increased is avoided.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of vehicle technology and aircraft technology, and in particular to a balloon assembly for making a vehicle fly. The present invention also relates to a corresponding vehicle flying system and a corresponding vehicle flying method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, more and more people choose vehicles as a means of travel, but traditional vehicles can only travel on the road and are difficult to adapt to different traffic conditions. In particular, when vehicles face traffic congestion, they can only queue up and drive slowly on the road, and in serious cases, they even need to queue up for hours. This is not conducive to the user's driving experience and travel arrangements. At present, although there are vehicles that use balloons to fly, the vehicles need to keep the balloons fixed on the vehicle at all times, which significantly increases the size and weight of the vehicle and increases the energy consumption of the vehicle during normal driving. Summary of the invention

[0003] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to propose an improved balloon assembly for making a vehicle fly, which balloon assembly can be installed on the vehicle only when needed and make the vehicle fly, thereby improving the vehicle's adaptability under various traffic conditions, greatly saving travel time, without the need for major modifications to the vehicle and avoiding undesirable increases in the volume and weight of the vehicle.

[0004] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a balloon assembly for making a vehicle fly, wherein the balloon assembly comprises at least:

[0005] - a balloon filled with a gas having a density lower than that of air;

[0006] - a first connector mounted on the balloon, the first connector being configured to be detachably connected to a second connector of the vehicle;

[0007] - a flight control device mounted on the balloon, the flight control device being adapted to control the flight direction of the balloon; and

[0008] - A controller adapted to send control signals to the flight control means.

[0009] Compared to the prior art, the balloon assembly for making a vehicle fly according to the present invention has a first connection piece installed on the balloon, through which the first connection piece can be detachably connected to the second connection piece of the vehicle, and has a flight control device installed on the balloon, through which the flight direction of the balloon is controlled. In this case, the balloon assembly can fly to a predetermined position and connect with the vehicle according to the user's instructions when facing abnormal traffic conditions, such as severe congestion or wading sections, so as to fly to the destination with the vehicle, which improves the vehicle's adaptability under different traffic conditions and greatly saves travel time, without the need to fix the balloon assembly on the vehicle, thereby avoiding major modifications to the vehicle and undesirably increasing the volume and weight of the vehicle.

[0010] Exemplarily, the gas in the balloon is hydrogen or helium; and / or, the balloon is configured in a spindle-like or ellipsoidal shape when inflated.

[0011] Exemplarily, the flight control device includes a steering control unit for performing directional control in a horizontal direction and a lifting control unit for performing directional control in a gravity direction.

[0012] Exemplarily, the steering control unit includes electric propellers arranged in four horizontal directions respectively to achieve four-way control; and / or, the lifting control unit includes a valve for controlling gas circulation and / or a gas generator for injecting gas into the balloon.

[0013] Exemplarily, the controller is configured and adapted to generate the control signal based on navigation information from the vehicle and / or a parking spot for the balloon assembly.

[0014] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle flight system, wherein the vehicle flight system at least comprises:

[0015] - a balloon assembly according to the invention; and

[0016] A vehicle having a second connection element which is detachably connectable to the first connection element of the balloon assembly.

[0017] Exemplarily, the vehicle is a hydrogen-powered vehicle and has a high-pressure hydrogen storage device, and when the balloon assembly and the vehicle are connected, the high-pressure hydrogen storage device is connected to the balloon of the balloon assembly through a pipeline.

[0018] Exemplarily, the first connecting member and the second connecting member are connected to each other in a quick-release manner; and / or the first connecting member and the second connecting member have a plurality of connection points distributed along the circumferential direction of the vehicle.

[0019] According to a third aspect of the present invention, a flight method for a vehicle is provided, wherein the flight method is implemented by the vehicle flight system according to the present invention, and the flight method comprises at least the following steps:

[0020] S1: causing the balloon assembly to fly along a first navigation route to a first predetermined location;

[0021] S2: connecting the balloon assembly and the vehicle to each other at the first predetermined location;

[0022] S3: causing the balloon assembly to carry the vehicle along a second navigation route to fly to a second predetermined location;

[0023] S4: Disassembling the balloon assembly from the vehicle at the second predetermined location.

[0024] Exemplarily, the flying method additionally comprises step S5: the balloon assembly flies along a third navigation route to a parking site for the balloon assembly. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, so that the principles, features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood. The accompanying drawings include:

[0026] Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a vehicle flight system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle flight system including a balloon assembly according to the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a flying method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 3 A diagram showing an applicable scenario of a flying method for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] In order to make the technical problems, technical solutions and beneficial technical effects to be solved by the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and multiple exemplary embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not used to limit the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] It should be understood that, in this document, the expressions "first", "second", etc. are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance, nor should they be understood as implicitly indicating the number of technical features indicated. Features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly indicate that at least one of the features is included.

[0031] Figure 1 A schematic view of a vehicle flight system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown, the vehicle flight system 100 including a balloon assembly 10 according to the present invention.

[0032] like Figure 1 As shown, the balloon assembly 10 according to the present invention includes a balloon 11, in which a gas having a lower density than air is filled, so that the buoyancy of the balloon 11 in the air in the filled state is greater than its own weight, so that the balloon 11 can float in the air, wherein the buoyancy generated by the balloon 11 is derived from the volume of the balloon 11 and the density difference between the gas in the balloon 11 and the air, and the larger the volume of the balloon 11 and the smaller the density of the gas, the greater the buoyancy of the balloon 11. Here, the gas in the balloon 11 can be hydrogen in particular, which is significantly lighter than air and can be obtained at a low cost. However, the gas in the balloon 11 can also be helium, which has a buoyancy performance second only to hydrogen and has relatively high safety. For example, the balloon 11 is constructed in a spindle-shaped or ellipsoidal shape in the filled state, which can significantly reduce the air resistance of the balloon 11 during flight and improve the stability and speed control ability of the balloon 11. Of course, other shapes that are considered meaningful by those skilled in the art, such as spherical or cylindrical shapes, can also be considered.

[0033] like Figure 1 As shown, the balloon assembly 10 includes a first connector 12 installed on the balloon 11, and the first connector is configured to be detachably connected to a second connector 21 of a vehicle 20. The balloon assembly 10 can be connected to the vehicle 20 through the connection between the first connector 12 and the second connector 21, so as to carry the vehicle 20 to fly through the balloon assembly 10, or the balloon assembly 10 can be removed from the vehicle 20 by disassembling the first connector 12 and the second connector 21, so as to allow the vehicle 20 to be parked on the ground or to drive normally on the ground.

[0034] like Figure 1 As shown, the balloon assembly 10 includes a flight control device 13 installed on the balloon 11, and the flight control device is configured to control the flight direction of the balloon 11. Even in windy weather, the flight control device 13 can still make the balloon assembly 10 fly along the desired navigation route, thereby reaching the destination accurately and on time.

[0035] like Figure 1As shown, the balloon assembly 10 further includes a controller 14, which is configured to send control signals to the flight control device 13 to control the flight of the balloon 11 accordingly. Here, the controller 14 can in particular receive navigation information from the vehicle 20 and / or the parking place P0 for the balloon assembly 10 in a wireless communication manner and generate control signals based on the navigation information, which are further sent to the flight control device 13. However, it is also conceivable that the controller 14 can be configured as a manual controller, through which the control signal can be manually input.

[0036] For example, Figure 1 As shown, the flight control device 13 may include a steering control unit 15 for performing directional control in the horizontal direction to achieve horizontal adjustment of the balloon 11, and a lifting control unit 16 for performing directional control in the gravity direction to achieve height adjustment of the balloon 11. Here, the steering control unit 15 may include, for example, an electrically driven propeller, and thrust is generated by the rotation of the propeller, wherein the steering control unit 15 may include a plurality of propellers, which are respectively arranged around the balloon 11, and the four-way control of the balloon 11 is achieved by driving each propeller separately. Of course, it is also conceivable that the steering control unit 15 includes a turbine engine that can generate stronger thrust and is adjustable in angle. In this case, even in windy weather, the balloon 11 can fly in a desired direction under the drive of the steering control unit 15. Here, the lifting control unit 16 may include, for example, a valve for controlling gas circulation, through which the balloon 11 can be lowered by releasing gas from the balloon 11 to allow the balloon assembly 10 to be connected to the vehicle 20, and through which the balloon 11 can be raised by injecting gas into the balloon 11 to allow the balloon assembly 10 to fly with the vehicle 20. In addition, the lifting control unit 16 may also include a gas generator for injecting gas into the balloon 11, and the gas generator may be configured as a hydrogen generator, for example.

[0037] like Figure 1As shown, the vehicle flight system 100 includes a vehicle 20 in addition to the balloon assembly 10, and the vehicle has a second connector 21, which can be detachably connected to the first connector 12 of the balloon assembly 10. Here, the first connector 12 and the second connector 21 are connected to each other in a quick-release form to simplify the connection process between the balloon assembly 10 and the vehicle 20, wherein the first connector 12 and the second connector 21 can be configured as a snap-on connector, a self-locking connector, a quick-plug connector, a threaded quick connector, etc. In particular, the first connector 12 and the second connector 21 have a plurality of connection points distributed along the circumferential direction of the vehicle 20, which can evenly distribute the weight of the vehicle to the plurality of connection points to avoid connection breakage caused by stress concentration, and prevent the vehicle from twisting unexpectedly during flight, which can significantly improve flight safety.

[0038] For example, Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle 20 is a hydrogen-powered vehicle and has a high-pressure hydrogen storage device 22, in which high-pressure hydrogen is stored, and the high-pressure hydrogen is used to provide electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction in a fuel cell. In particular, when the balloon assembly 10 and the vehicle 20 are connected through the first connector 12 and the second connector 21, the high-pressure hydrogen storage device 22 can be connected to the balloon 16 of the balloon assembly 10 through a pipe 23 and a possible valve. Thus, hydrogen can be injected into the balloon 11 through the high-pressure hydrogen storage device 22 to increase the overall height of the vehicle flight system 100 and avoid flight endurance problems.

[0039] Figure 2 A schematic flow chart of a method for flying a vehicle 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 3 A diagram showing an applicable scenario of a flying method for a vehicle 20 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0040] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the flight method according to the present invention comprises at least the following steps:

[0041] S1: Make the balloon assembly 10 fly, for example, from a parking site P0 for the balloon assembly 10 along a first navigation route L1 to a first predetermined location P0, wherein the first predetermined location may be a location where the vehicle 20 is currently located or a location that the vehicle 20 will reach within an estimated time period, wherein the first navigation route L1 may be formed by the controller 14 of the balloon assembly 10 according to navigation information from the vehicle 20 or the parking site P0, and the controller 14 generates a control signal according to the first navigation route L1 and sends it to the flight control device 13;

[0042] S2: When the balloon assembly 10 reaches the first predetermined location P1, the balloon assembly 10 and the vehicle 20 are connected to each other by connecting the first connecting member 12 and the second connecting member 21, so as to allow the balloon assembly 10 to take off with the vehicle 20;

[0043] S3: causing the balloon assembly 10 to carry the vehicle 20 along a second navigation route L2 to fly to a second predetermined location P2. The second navigation route can also be formed by the controller 14 according to the navigation information from the vehicle 20, thereby being able to fly over congested sections or sections with complex terrain, such as sections with wading, which can greatly save time;

[0044] S4: When reaching the second predetermined location P2, the balloon assembly 10 is disassembled from the vehicle 20 by disconnecting the first connector 12 and the second connector 21 from each other, so as to allow the vehicle to be parked normally or to travel normally on the road.

[0045] Exemplarily, the flying method according to the present invention further includes step S5: after the balloon assembly 10 is removed from the vehicle 20, the balloon assembly 10 is automatically flown along the third navigation route L3 to the parking area L3 for the balloon assembly 10, thereby effectively avoiding the balloon assembly 10 from occupying public areas and preventing the balloon assembly 10 from being lost.

[0046] The above explanation of the embodiments only describes the invention within the framework of the examples. Of course, the individual features of the embodiments can be freely combined with one another as long as it makes technical sense, without departing from the framework of the invention.

[0047] Other advantages and alternative embodiments of the present invention are obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the present invention in its broader sense is not limited to the specific details, representative structures and exemplary embodiments shown and described. On the contrary, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and substitutions without departing from the basic spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A balloon assembly (10) for enabling a vehicle (20) to fly, characterized in that: The balloon assembly (10) comprises at least: - a balloon (11) filled with a gas having a density lower than that of air; - a first connection member (12) mounted on the balloon (11), the first connection member (12) being configured to be detachably connected to a second connection member (21) of the vehicle (20); - a flight control device (13) mounted on the balloon (11), the flight control device (13) being adapted to control the flight direction of the balloon (11); and - a controller (14) adapted to send control signals to the flight control device (13).

2. The balloon assembly (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that: The gas in the balloon (11) is hydrogen or helium; and / or The balloon (11) is designed in the shape of a spindle or ellipsoid in the inflated state.

3. The balloon assembly (10) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The flight control device (13) comprises a steering control unit (15) for performing directional control in the horizontal direction and a lifting control unit (16) for performing directional control in the gravity direction.

4. The balloon assembly (10) according to claim 3, characterized in that The steering control unit (15) comprises an electrically driven propeller; and / or The lifting control unit (16) includes a valve for controlling the flow of gas and / or a gas generator for injecting gas into the balloon (11).

5. A balloon assembly (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that The controller (14) is configured and adapted to generate the control signal based on navigation information from the vehicle (20) and / or a parking spot (P0) for the balloon assembly (10).

6. A vehicle flight system (100), characterized in that: The vehicle flight system (100) comprises at least: - a balloon assembly (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 5; and - A vehicle (20) having a second connection element (21) which is detachably connectable to the first connection element (12) of the balloon assembly (10).

7. The vehicle flight system (100) according to claim 6, characterized in that: The vehicle (20) is a hydrogen-powered vehicle and has a high-pressure hydrogen storage device (22). When the balloon assembly (10) and the vehicle (20) are connected, the high-pressure hydrogen storage device (22) is connected to the balloon (11) of the balloon assembly (10) through a pipeline (23).

8. The vehicle flight system (100) according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that: The first connecting member (12) and the second connecting member (21) are connected to each other in a quick-release manner; and / or The first connecting member (12) and the second connecting member (21) have a plurality of connecting points distributed along the circumferential direction of the vehicle (20).

9. A flying method for a vehicle, characterized in that: The flight method is implemented by the vehicle flight system (100) according to any one of claims 6 to 8, and the flight method at least The following steps are involved: S1: causing the balloon assembly (10) to fly along a first navigation route (L1) to a first predetermined location (P1); S2: connecting the balloon assembly (10) and the vehicle (20) to each other at the first predetermined location (P1); S3: causing the balloon assembly (10) to carry the vehicle (20) to fly along a second navigation route (L2) to a second predetermined location (P2); S4: Disassembling the balloon assembly (10) from the vehicle (20) at the second predetermined location (P2).

10. The flying method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The flight method additionally comprises step S5: the balloon assembly (10) flies along a third navigation route (L3) to a parking site (P0) for the balloon assembly (10).

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