Unmanned aircraft, unmanned aircraft system and battery system

Abstract

Unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320), comprising: a main body (21); a drive unit (40) having a rotor blade (42) and a motor (41) for rotating the rotor blade (42) about a rotation axis (R), the drive unit (40) being attached to the main body (21); a rechargeable battery (50) for supplying electrical power to the drive unit (40); a leg part (22; 222; 322) connected to the main body (21) at a lower side of the main body (21) in a vertical direction; and a power receiving coil (60; 160; 260) for contactless power supply, wherein the power receiving coil (60; 160; 260) is electrically connected to the battery (50) and is provided on the leg part (22; 222; 322), wherein the leg part (22; 222; 322) has a frame shape surrounding a first central axis (J1) and the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is provided in the frame shape surrounding the first central axis (J1) along the leg part (22; 222; 322).

Description

Technical area

[0001] The present invention relates to an unmanned aerial vehicle, an unmanned aerial vehicle system and a battery system. Background technology

[0002] A multicopter that flies using electrical power supplied from a power supply line has become known. For example, JP 2016 - 210 229 A describes a multicopter that is provided with a lighting system. List of referencesPatent literature

[0003] US 2016 / 0 311 329 A1 discloses an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a main body; a drive unit including a rotor blade and a motor for rotating the rotor blade about a rotation axis, the drive unit being mounted on the main body; a rechargeable battery for supplying electric power to the drive unit; a leg part connected to the main body at a lower side of the main body in a vertical direction; and a power receiving coil for contactless power supply, the power receiving coil being electrically connected to the battery and provided on the leg part.

[0004] JP 2017 - 36 005 A discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image recording device for forming an image on a sheet; a returning part at which a flying drone arrives; an information exchange part that considers the drone at the returning part to be in a returning state; and a power source supply part for supplying power to the drone considered by the information exchange part to be in the returning state.

[0005] WO 2017 / 057 911 A1 discloses a method for operating an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising the following steps: enabling movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on GPS information and receiving a radio signal with position information of a charger from the charger; determining whether the GPS information matches the position information contained in the radio signal, and enabling landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle based on the GPS information and the radio signal; and transmitting a receive packet with energy information of the unmanned aerial vehicle to the charger and receiving precise position information from the charger, including a position coordinate of the charger, generated based on the receive packet.

[0006] KR 10 1 720 028 B1 discloses a wireless charger for wirelessly charging an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), and in particular a wireless charger for a UAV that converts energy into a magnetic field in a transmitting coil of a transmitting element to transmit the energy to a receiving coil of a UAV when the UAV lands with the receiving coil on the wireless charger for charging.

[0007] KR 10 2016 0 126 650 A discloses a contactless charging system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising: a battery installed in the unmanned aerial vehicle and supplying power; and a charging station with at least one receiving coil connected to the battery and at least one transmitting coil for wirelessly transmitting alternating current by utilizing resonance with the receiving coil and transmitting the alternating current to the transmitting coil. The charging station comprises: a base plate with at least one transmitting coil; and an outer frame with a side surface unit and a top surface unit for protecting the base plate.

[0008] DE 10 2014 100 493 A1 discloses a charger for electrically charging battery cells of a mobile consumer, which charger has a plurality of primary contacts distributed over an area and insulated from one another, which can be connected to at least two counter contacts, wherein the primary contacts are connected to a control unit and electrical switches for the correct polarity connection for the charging process.

[0009] US 2012 / 0 091 257 A1 discloses a system for controlling an aircraft, comprising at least three propulsion units providing vertical thrust for thrust vectoring flight, wherein at least one or two of the propulsion units also provide thrust for thrust vectoring cruise flight or aerodynamic flight by tilting the respective propulsion units accordingly to change their thrust vector.

[0010] US 2006 / 0 266 879 A1 discloses an aircraft comprising an airframe with a fuselage and at least two fixed wing sets. A first fixed wing set is positioned closer to a forward end of the fuselage than a second fixed wing set, and the second fixed wing set is positioned closer to the rear end of the fuselage than the first fixed wing set. The aircraft includes an engine mounted on the airframe and at least two rotor blades rotatably mounted on the airframe. Each rotor blade has a plurality of blades extending outwardly from a central hub to the blade tips. The blade tips of the rotor blades circumscribe respective circles centered on the respective central hubs during rotation of the rotor blades, and each fixed wing set is generally located below the circumscribed circle of only one of the rotor blades. Content of the inventionTechnical tasks

[0011] With the power supply system using a power supply line described above, a multicopter can only fly within the range of the length of the power supply line. Therefore, a problem arises in that the movement range is limited. In contrast, by adopting a method of flying with electric power supplied from a battery mounted on the multicopter, it is possible to expand the movement range of the multicopter. In this case, when the remaining battery charge decreases or the battery runs out of power, it is necessary to recharge or replace the battery.

[0012] Since charging or replacing a battery is time-consuming when performed by a human, it is desirable to automate the charging or replacing process. However, for example, in the case of charging the battery by connecting an external power supply to the battery, it is necessary to automatically connect the multicopter to the external power supply. Therefore, controlling the multicopter tends to be complicated. In contrast, if the battery is replaced automatically, a battery replacement device is likely to be complicated and large. From the foregoing, a problem with automating charging or replacing a battery is that the manufacturing cost of the multicopter or the charging device increases.

[0013] In view of the foregoing circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide an unmanned aerial vehicle in which replacement of a battery can be automated with a simple structure and control, an unmanned aerial vehicle system including the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a battery system provided on the unmanned aerial vehicle. Solutions to the tasks

[0014] According to the invention, an unmanned aircraft according to claim 1, an unmanned aircraft system according to claim 7, and a battery system according to claim 9 are provided. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.

[0015] An exemplary unmanned aerial vehicle comprises: a main body, a drive unit having a rotor blade and a motor for rotating the rotor blade about a rotation axis, the drive unit to be attached to the main body, a rechargeable battery for supplying electric power to the drive unit, a leg part to be connected to the main body at a lower side of the main body in a vertical direction, and a power receiving coil for contactless power supply, the power receiving coil to be electrically connected to the battery and provided on the leg part.

[0016] An exemplary unmanned aerial vehicle system comprises: the above-described unmanned aerial vehicle and a power transmission device having a power transmission coil for contactless power supply capable of transmitting electric power to the power reception coil.

[0017] An exemplary battery system provides a battery system of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: a main body and a drive unit having a rotor blade and a motor for rotating the rotor blade about a rotation axis, the drive unit to be attached to the main body, the battery system comprising: a rechargeable battery for supplying electric power to the drive unit, a leg part to be connected to the main body at a lower side of the main body in a vertical direction, and a power receiving coil for contactless power supply, the power receiving coil to be electrically connected to the battery and provided on the leg part. Advantageous effects of the invention

[0018] According to one aspect of the present invention, there are provided: an unmanned aerial vehicle in which charging of a battery can be automated with a simple structure and control, an unmanned aerial vehicle system comprising the unmanned aerial vehicle, and a battery system provided on the unmanned aerial vehicle. Brief description of the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle system of the present embodiment. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram schematically showing the unmanned aerial vehicle system of the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle system of the present embodiment. Fig. 4 is a diagram of the unmanned aerial vehicle system of the present embodiment when viewed along a width direction. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle of the present embodiment. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the connection between a motor and a battery of the present embodiment. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an unmanned aerial vehicle system as another example of the present embodiment. Fig. 8 is a view of an unmanned aerial vehicle as another example of the present embodiment when viewed along a depth direction. Fig. 9 is a diagram of an unmanned aerial vehicle as another example of the present embodiment when viewed along a width direction. Description of an embodiment

[0019] A Z-axis direction, appropriately shown in each drawing, is a direction parallel to a vertical direction. The Z-axis direction is simply referred to as a "vertical direction Z." The positive side in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the upper side in the vertical direction, is simply referred to as the "upper side," and the negative side in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the lower side in the vertical direction, is simply referred to as the "lower side." In addition, an X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction, appropriately shown in each drawing, are orthogonal to the Z-axis direction and orthogonal to each other. The X-axis direction is referred to as a "depth direction X," and the Y-axis direction is referred to as a "width direction Y."The depth direction and the width direction are merely labels for describing a relative positional relationship of respective parts, and the actual arrangement relationship or the like may be an arrangement relationship or the like different from the arrangement relationship or the like indicated by these labels.

[0020] As in the Fig. 1 to 3, an unmanned aerial vehicle system 10 of the present embodiment includes a power transmission device 30 and an unmanned aerial vehicle 20. In the present embodiment, the power transmission device 30 is mounted, for example, on an upper surface of a vending machine M. The power transmission device 30 includes a power transmission device main body 31 and a power transmission coil 70. The power transmission device main body 31 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape that is flat in the width direction Y. The power transmission device main body 31 is arranged at the end on one side in the width direction on an upper surface of a vending machine M.

[0021] As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 1, the power transmission coil 70 has an annular shape centered on a second central axis J21 parallel to the width direction Y. That is, the second central axis J21 of the power transmission coil 70 extends in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The power transmission coil 70 is embedded in the power transmission device main body 31. The power transmission coil 70 is a contactless power supply coil capable of transmitting power to a power reception coil 60, which will be described later. In the depth direction X, which is orthogonal to both the second central axis J21 and the vertical direction Z, a dimension D of the power transmission coil 70 is, for example, 648 mm or less.

[0022] Here, for example, in a typical standard vending machine M, the dimension in the depth direction X of the vending machine M is 648 mm or more and 819 mm or less, and the dimension in the width direction Y of the vending machine M is 870 mm or more and 1378 mm or less. Therefore, by setting the dimension D of the power transmission coil 70 within the foregoing numerical range, the power transmission coil 70 can be installed on the upper surface of the vending machine M in any vending machine M as long as it conforms to the typical standard. Note that the dimension D of the power transmission coil 70 may be larger than 648 mm as long as it is within the above-described dimensional range of the typical standard vending machine M.

[0023] A dimension H2 in the vertical direction Z of the power transmission coil 70 is larger than a dimension H1 in the vertical direction Z of a leg part 22, which will be described later. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, it is possible to arrange the entire leg part 22 within an outer edge of the power transmission coil 70 when viewed along the width direction Y.

[0024] As in Fig. As illustrated in Figure 3, the power transmission device 30 further includes a power transmission unit 32. Electrical power is supplied to the power transmission unit 32 from an external power supply 36. The power supply 36 may be a DC power supply or an AC power supply, such as a commercial power supply. The power transmission unit 32 includes a power transmission power supply unit 33, a power transmission communication unit 35, and a power transmission control unit 34.

[0025] The power transmission power supply unit 33 outputs electric power supplied from the power supply 36 to the power transmission coil 70 based on the control of the power transmission control unit 34. The power transmission communication unit 35 includes, for example, an infrared sensor or the like, and receives infrared light emitted from a later-described power reception communication unit 65 provided on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 for communication. The power transmission communication unit 35 can emit infrared light for communication to the power reception communication unit 65 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The power transmission control unit 34 controls power supply through the power transmission coil 70 based on the infrared light received from the power transmission communication unit 35.

[0026] As in the Fig. 2 to 5, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 comprises: a main body 21, a drive unit 40, a battery 50, the leg part 22, a connecting beam part 23 and the power receiving coil 60. In the following description, the relative positional relationship between the respective parts of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 will be described in the case where the orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is the one shown in the Fig. 4 and Fig. 5 is the orientation shown, unless otherwise stated.

[0027] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 5, the main body 21 includes a base 21a and an arm 21b. The base 21a extends along a plane orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. The shape of the base 21a when viewed from the upper side is substantially circular. The arm 21b has a rectangular prism shape extending substantially radially from the base 21a in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. For example, a total of four arms 21b are provided side by side in the depth direction X, with two provided on each side of the base 21a in the width direction Y.

[0028] The drive unit 40 is attached to the main body 21. In the present embodiment, a plurality of the drive units 40 are provided. The plurality of drive units 40 are respectively provided at the tips of the arms 21b. That is, for example, a total of four drive units 40 are provided side by side in the depth direction X, with two being provided on each side of the main body 21 in the width direction Y. The drive unit 40 includes a motor 41 and rotor blades 42. The motor 41 is arranged on the upper surface of the tip of the arm 21b. The rotor blade 42 is fixed to the shaft of the motor 41. The motor 41 rotates the shaft to thereby rotate the rotor blades 42 about a rotation axis R. In the present embodiment, the rotation axis R extends in the vertical direction Z.As the rotor blades 42 rotate, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 receives lift from the propulsion unit 40 and also receives propulsion in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. As shown in . Fig. 3, the drive unit 40 further includes a motor control unit 44. The motor control unit 44 outputs the electric power supplied from the battery 50 to the motor 41 based on information from a flight control unit (not shown).

[0029] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the battery 50 is a rechargeable battery arranged in the main body 21. The battery 50 is electrically connected to the drive unit 40 and supplies electric power to the drive unit 40. In the present embodiment, for example, one battery 50 is provided. The one battery 50 is electrically connected to the plurality of drive units 40 and supplies electric power to the plurality of drive units 40. The type of the battery 50 is not particularly limited as long as it is a rechargeable battery.

[0030] As in Fig. 5, the leg part 22 is connected to the main body 21 at the lower side of the main body 21. In the present embodiment, a plurality of the leg parts 22 are provided. Specifically, a pair of the leg parts 22 are provided across a gap in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. In the present embodiment, one direction is the width direction Y. The pair of leg parts 22 has a frame shape that protrudes downward from the main body 21 and surrounds a first central axis J1 parallel to the width direction Y. For example, the first central axis J1 passes through the center in the depth direction X at the center in the vertical direction Z of the leg part 22. In the present embodiment, the distance in the width direction Y between the pair of leg parts 22 is uniform over the entire vertical direction Z.

[0031] As in Fig. As shown in Figure 4, the leg part 22 includes a semicircular arc portion 22a projecting upward and a linear portion 22b extending linearly in the depth direction X. The top surface of the arc portion 22a is connected to the bottom surface of the base 21a. The linear portion 22b connects the lower ends of the arc portion 22a. In the present embodiment, for example, the leg part 22 is an integral member with the main body 21. The main body 21 and the leg part 22 are made of, for example, resin.

[0032] As in Fig. 5, the connecting beam part 23 has a rectangular prism shape extending in the width direction Y. A pair of the connecting beam parts 23 are provided in the depth direction X via a gap. The pair of connecting beam parts 23 connects the pair of leg parts 22 to each other. More specifically, one connecting beam part 23 connects the ends on one side in the depth direction of the linear portions 22b of the pair of leg parts 22. The other connecting beam part 23 connects the ends on the other side in the depth direction of the linear portions 22b of the pair of leg parts 22. By connecting the linear portions 22b of the pair of leg parts 22 and the pair of connecting beam parts 23, a rectangular frame-shaped frame part 24 is configured, which surrounds an axis parallel to the vertical direction Z.

[0033] The leg part 22 and the connecting beam part 23 are used, for example, for an application in which a transported object or the like carried by the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. A transported object is mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 by being hooked, for example, to the linear portion 22b and the connecting beam part 23. In the present embodiment, since the leg part 22 has a frame shape, it is easy to hook a transported object with respect to the leg part 22. Furthermore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 flies, the air resistance acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be reduced.

[0034] The power receiving coil 60 is a coil for contactless power supply. As shown in Fig. As shown in Figure 2, the power receiving coil 60 is electrically connected to the battery 50. When a magnetic field generated by the electric current flowing through the power transmitting coil 70 acts on the power receiving coil 60, the electric current flows through the power receiving coil 60. Therefore, power can be supplied from the power receiving coil 60 to the battery 50, and the battery 50 can be charged. Therefore, by bringing the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 closer to the power transmitting device 30, contactless power supply can be performed through the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70 without connecting the battery 50 to an external power supply.Furthermore, since contactless power supply can be performed by the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70, the structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and the structure of the power transmitting device 30 can be simplified. As described above, charging of the battery 50 can be automated with a simple structure and control.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, when the unmanned aerial vehicle is automatically moved to connect the battery to an external power supply, a terminal for connecting the battery and the external power supply may be exposed to the outside. For this reason, if the power transmission device is mounted outdoors, the terminal may become wet due to rain, which may cause a problem with battery charging. In contrast, according to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to connect the battery 50 to an external power supply, it is not necessary to expose the terminal to the outside. Therefore, even if the power transmission device 30 is mounted outdoors, the battery 50 can be adequately charged.Furthermore, since the charging of the battery 50 can be automated, the battery 50 can be charged even in a location that is difficult for a person to access if the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is movable.

[0036] The power receiving coil 60 is provided on the leg part 22. Therefore, it is not necessary to separately provide a part on which the power receiving coil 60 is provided, thereby reducing the size and weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. Moreover, it is not necessary to change the shape of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. The power receiving coil 60 is provided in a frame shape along the leg part 22. Therefore, it is easy to provide the power receiving coil 60 on the leg part 22 while obtaining the above-described effects with the leg part 22 in a frame shape. In the present embodiment, the power receiving coil 60 also has a frame shape that includes the first center axis J1 as shown in FIG. Fig. 4, since the leg part 22 has a frame shape surrounding the first center axis J1 extending in the width direction Y. The power receiving coil 60 extends in a semicircular shape protruding upward.

[0037] In the present embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 charges the battery 50 with the power receiving coil 60 overlapping the power transmitting coil 70 in the width direction Y, for example, in a state where the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 flies to a position above the upper surface of the vending machine M. Thereby, the battery 50 can be easily charged even when a transported object is mounted on the leg part 22 and the transported object is located below the leg part 22. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can charge the battery 50 in a state where it has landed on the upper surface of the vending machine M.

[0038] In the present embodiment, the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70 are coils for contactless power supply by a magnetic field resonance system. When using contactless power supply by the magnetic field resonance system, when the power receiving coil 60 is brought close to the power transmitting coil 70, an electric current can be generated in the power receiving coil 60 regardless of the relative orientation between the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70. Therefore, it is easy to charge the battery 50 regardless of the orientation of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 with respect to the power transmitting device 30 and the orientation of the power receiving coil 60 with respect to the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.Therefore, even if the position control accuracy of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is relatively low, it is possible to easily charge the battery 50 by bringing the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 closer to the power transmission device 30. Therefore, the battery 50 can be automatically charged by easier control of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the power receiving coil 60 is embedded in the leg part 22. Therefore, the frame part 22 can be manufactured by insert molding, in which a resin is molded in a state in which the power receiving coil 60 is inserted into the mold. Accordingly, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 can be easily manufactured.

[0040] The power receiving coil 60 is provided on each of the plurality of leg parts 22. Thereby, the battery 50 can be charged by the electric current generated in the plurality of power receiving coils 60. In the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 2, the plurality of power receiving coils 60 are electrically connected to a battery 50 so that a battery 50 can be charged by the electric current generated in the plurality of power receiving coils 60. Therefore, the battery 50 can be charged more quickly.

[0041] As in Fig. 4, the dimension in the depth direction X and the dimension in the vertical direction Z of the power receiving coil 60 are smaller than the outer diameter of the power transmitting coil 70. Therefore, when the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is brought close to the power transmitting device 30, the power receiving coil 60 is easily disposed in the magnetic field generated by the power transmitting coil 70, and an electric current is easily generated in the power receiving coil 60. Moreover, as described above, since the dimension H2 of the power transmitting coil 70 is larger than the dimension H1 of the leg part 22, the entire leg part 22 is easily disposed within the outer periphery of the power transmitting coil 70 when viewed along the width direction Y. Therefore, it is easy to dispose the entire power receiving coil 60 provided on the leg part 22 within the outer periphery of the power transmitting coil 70.

[0042] In the present embodiment, since the pair of leg parts 22 are arranged with a gap in the width direction Y, by moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to one side in the width direction Y of the power transmission device 30, it is possible to rotate the entire two power receiving coils 60 in the width direction Y as shown in Fig. 4, to be arranged within the outer periphery of the power transmission coil 70. As a result, a single power transmission coil 70 can generate an electric current in each of the multiple power reception coils 60. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide multiple power transmission coils 70, and the structure of the power transmission device 30 can be simplified. Furthermore, since an electric current can be generated in each of the power reception coils 60 simultaneously, the battery 50 can be charged more quickly.

[0043] As in Fig. 6, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 further includes a switching circuit 43. The switching circuit 43 is provided between two wires connecting the two terminals of the battery 50 and the two terminals of the motor 41, respectively. The switching circuit 43 connects the two wires in the ON state. As a result, the switching circuit 43 connects and short-circuits the terminals of the motor 41 in the ON state. Therefore, turning on the switching circuit 43 can prevent the motor 41 from rotating. This makes it possible to suppress a malfunction of the motor 41 due to the magnetic field generated by the power transmission coil 70 when the motor 41 is stopped and the battery 50 is being charged.

[0044] As in Fig. 3, the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 further includes a power receiving unit 62 and a battery control unit 51. The power receiving unit 62 includes a power receiving power supply unit 63, a power receiving communication unit 65, and a power receiving control unit 64. The power receiving power supply unit 63 outputs electric power supplied from the power receiving coil 60 to the battery control unit 51 based on the control of the power receiving control unit 64. The power receiving communication unit 65 includes, for example, a light source that emits infrared light or the like for communication, and emits infrared light based on the control of the power receiving control unit 64. The power receiving communication unit 65 receives infrared light emitted from the power transmitting communication unit 35.

[0045] The power reception control unit 64 controls the power reception communication unit 65. More specifically, the power reception control unit 64 outputs a power supply start request signal and a power supply stop request signal to the power reception communication unit 65. The power reception communication unit 65 transmits the power supply start request signal and the power supply stop request signal output from the power reception control unit 64 to the power transmission device 30.

[0046] The battery control unit 51 includes a charging power supply unit 53 and a charging control unit 52. The charging power supply unit 53 outputs the electric power supplied from the power receiving unit 62 to the battery 50 based on the control of the charging control unit 52. The charging control unit 52 controls the start and end of charging of the battery 50.

[0047] In the present embodiment, a battery system 80 is configured from the battery 50, the leg portions 22, the connecting beam portions 23, the power receiving coils 60, the power receiving unit 62, and the battery control unit 51. That is, the battery system 80 includes the battery 50, the leg portions 22, the connecting beam portions 23, the power receiving coils 60, the power receiving unit 62, and the battery control unit 51.

[0048] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and other configurations described below can also be adopted. The rotation axis R along which the rotor blade 52 rotates may extend in a direction different from the vertical direction Z. For example, the rotation axis R may extend in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction Z. Furthermore, the extending directions of the rotation axes R in the plurality of rotor blades 42 may differ from each other. Furthermore, the number of drive units 40 is not specifically limited.

[0049] Furthermore, a plurality of batteries 50 may be provided. In this case, the power receiving coil 60 may be connected one-to-one to each of the plurality of batteries 50, or a plurality of power receiving coils 60 may be connected to each other. The battery 50 may be provided for each drive unit 40. Furthermore, the switching circuit 43 may not be provided.

[0050] Furthermore, the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70 may be contactless power supply coils of a system different from the magnetic field resonance system. For example, the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70 may be electromagnetic induction type contactless power supply coils or radio wave receiving type contactless power supply coils. In the magnetic field resonance system, power can be supplied even if the power receiving coil 60 and the power transmitting coil 70 are misaligned. Therefore, even if the power receiving coil 60 is positioned outside the outer edge of the power transmitting coil 70, power can be supplied. The unmanned aerial vehicle does not necessarily have to land within the outer edge of the power transmitting coil 70.

[0051] In addition, the power transmission device 30 may have a configuration similar to that of the Fig. 7 shown power transmission device 130. As in Fig. As shown in FIG. 7, in the unmanned aerial vehicle system 110, the power transmission device main body 131 of the power transmission device 130 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, which is, for example, flat in the vertical direction Z. The power transmission device main body 131 is arranged on the upper surface of the vending machine M. The power transmission coil 170 has an annular shape centered on a second central axis J22 parallel to the vertical direction Z. In this configuration, the first central axis J1 surrounded by the power reception coil 60 of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 and the second central axis J22 of the power transmission coil 170 are substantially orthogonal. Even in this case, by using a contactless power supply of the magnetic field resonance system, it is possible to charge the battery 50 by generating an electric current in the power reception coil 60.In the power transmission device 130, for example, the one shown in . Fig. 1 is rotated by 90° about an axis parallel to the depth direction X.

[0052] The dimension X in the depth direction of the power transmission coil 170 is 648 mm or less, and the dimension W in the width direction Y of the power transmission coil 170 is 870 mm or less. Therefore, the power transmission coil 170 can be installed on the upper surface of the vending machine M in any vending machine M as long as it meets the typical standard.

[0053] In this configuration, in the unmanned aerial vehicle 20, the battery 50 is charged, for example, in a state where the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 has landed on the upper surface of the power transmission device main body 131. When the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 lands without carrying a transported object, the lower surface of the frame part 24, which is configured from the leg parts 22 and the connecting beam parts 23, comes into contact with the landing surface. Therefore, by allowing the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 to land on the upper surface of the power transmission device main body 131, the leg part 22 can be brought closer to the upper surface of the power transmission device main body 131. This allows the power receiving coil 60 to be brought close to the power transmission coil 170 embedded in the power transmission device main body 131.Therefore, it is easier to charge the battery 50.

[0054] Furthermore, the outer diameter of the power transmission coil 70 of the power transmission device 30 may be larger than the maximum dimension of the unmanned aerial vehicle 20. In this case, since the entire unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is placed slightly within the outer periphery of the power transmission coil 70, the battery 50 can be charged by simultaneously generating an electric current for the plurality of power reception coils 60. Note that, in the present specification, the "maximum dimension of the unmanned aerial vehicle" includes the length of a longest virtual line segment among the virtual line segments connecting any two points in the unmanned aerial vehicle. Furthermore, the installation position of the power transmission device 30 is not specifically limited.The dimensions of the power transmission coil 70 can be appropriately determined according to the installation position of the power transmission device 30. Part of the power transmission coil 70 or the entire power transmission coil 70 can be exposed from the power transmission device main body 31.

[0055] Furthermore, the power receiving coil 60 may be provided only on a part of the leg parts 22. That is, in the above-described embodiment, the power receiving coil 60 may be provided only on one leg part 22 of the pair of leg parts 22. The shape of the leg part 22, the shape of the power receiving coil 60, and the shape of the power transmitting coil 70 are not specifically limited and may be rectangular, polygonal, or elliptical. The shape of the power receiving coil 60 and the shape of the power transmitting coil 70 may be different from each other. The first central axis J1 surrounded by the leg part 22 and the power receiving coil 60 may be parallel to the vertical direction Z. Furthermore, the number of power receiving coils 60 mounted on the unmanned aerial vehicle 20 is not specifically limited.Furthermore, the number of leg parts 22 is not specifically limited.

[0056] Furthermore, in this specification, "the power receiving coil is provided on the leg part" means that at least a portion of the power receiving coil may be provided on the leg part. That is, in the above-described embodiment, a configuration in which the entire power receiving coil 60 is provided on the leg part 22 is described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the power receiving coil 60 may be provided on the frame part 24. In this case, the power receiving coil 60 has a rectangular frame shape along the frame part 24, and a part of the power receiving coil 60 is provided on the linear portion 22b of the leg part 22.

[0057] In addition, the leg part 22 may have a configuration similar to that of a Fig. 8 shown leg part 222. As in Fig. As shown in Fig. 8, in the unmanned aerial vehicle 220, the distance in the width direction Y between a pair of the leg parts 222 increases toward the lower side. That is, the pair of leg parts 222 protrude downward from the main body 21 in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z. Therefore, a power receiving coil 260 provided on the leg part 222 is also inclined with respect to the vertical direction Z. In this case, the power receiving coil 260 and the power transmitting coil 70 tend to be inclined with respect to each other, but the battery 50 can be appropriately charged by employing non-contact power supply by the magnetic field resonance system.

[0058] Furthermore, even if the leg part 222 is provided so as to be inclined as in this configuration, the battery 50 can be easily charged as described above simply by providing the power receiving coil 260 along the leg part 222. That is, the battery 50 can be easily charged while the power receiving coil 60 is provided on the leg part 222 without changing the inclination of the leg part 222 with respect to the main body 21.

[0059] Furthermore, the leg part 22 may be detachable from the main body 21. In this case, it is easy to replace the battery system 80, which is configured from the battery 50, the leg part 22, the connecting beam part 23, and the power receiving coil 60. Furthermore, the connecting beam part 23 may also be omitted.

[0060] Furthermore, in this specification, “the power receiving coil is provided on the leg part” includes a case where the leg part itself provides the power receiving coil like a Fig. 9 is the leg part 322. As in Fig. As shown in Figure 9, the leg part 322 of an unmanned aerial vehicle 320 is configured from a power receiving coil 360. The power receiving coil 360 is fixed to the main body 21. According to this configuration, the leg part 322 can be manufactured by forming the power receiving coil 360, since the power receiving coil 360 can be used as the leg part 322. Therefore, it is easy to form the leg part 322 provided with the power receiving coil 360, and the unmanned aerial vehicle 320 can be easily manufactured.

[0061] Furthermore, the power transmission communication unit 35 and the power reception communication unit 65 can perform communication at any time or at predetermined intervals. The power reception unit 62 can receive power reception state information indicating a state of power reception by the power reception coil 60 from the power transmission communication unit 35. Note that the power transmission communication unit 35 and the power reception communication unit 65 are not limited to the system using infrared light, and other systems such as wireless communication may be used. The unmanned aerial vehicle 20 performs horizontal movement or rotational movement based on the power reception state information received from the power reception communication unit 65.That is, the motor control unit 44 controls the motor 41 based on the power reception state information indicating the state of power reception by the power reception coil 60, thereby moving the unmanned aerial vehicle 20.

[0062] In addition, as shown by a two-point chain line in Fig. 3, the power receiving unit 62 may be directly connected to the motor control unit 44. In this configuration, electrical power is supplied directly from the power receiving unit 62 to the motor control unit 44. In this configuration, the power receiving control unit 64 may, for example, determine whether to supply electrical power from the battery 50 to the motor control unit 44 or to supply electrical power from the power receiving unit 62 to the motor control unit 44.

[0063] Furthermore, the use of the unmanned aerial vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle system of the above-described embodiment is not specifically limited. The respective configurations can be appropriately combined within a range where they are not inconsistent with each other.

[0064] This application is based on and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2017-112645 filed on June 7, 2017. List of reference symbols 10, 110 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle System 20, 220, 320 unmanned aerial vehicle 21 main body 22, 222, 322 leg part 30, 130 power transmission device 40 drive unit 41 Engine 42 rotor blades 43 Switching circuit 50 battery 60, 260, 360 power receiving coil 70, 170 power transmission coil 80 battery system J1 first central axis J21, J22 second central axis R axis of rotation Y latitude direction (one direction) Z vertical direction

Claims

[1] Unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320), comprising: a main body (21); a drive unit (40) having a rotor blade (42) and a motor (41) for rotating the rotor blade (42) about a rotation axis (R), the drive unit (40) being attached to the main body (21); a rechargeable battery (50) for supplying electrical power to the drive unit (40); a leg part (22; 222; 322) connected to the main body (21) at a lower side of the main body (21) in a vertical direction; and a power receiving coil (60; 160; 260) for contactless power supply, wherein the power receiving coil (60; 160; 260) is electrically connected to the battery (50) and is provided on the leg part (22; 222; 322), wherein the leg part (22; 222; 322) has a frame shape surrounding a first central axis (J1) and the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is provided in the frame shape surrounding the first central axis (J1) along the leg part (22; 222; 322). [2] Unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320) according to claim 1, wherein the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is provided for contactless power supply by a magnetic field resonance system. [3] Unmanned aerial vehicle (220) according to claim 2, wherein a pair of leg parts (222) is provided which are provided across a gap in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, the pair of leg parts (222) protrudes downward in the vertical direction from the main body (21) and has a frame shape surrounding a first central axis (J1) parallel to said one direction, and a distance between the pair of leg parts (222) in one direction increases as the pair of leg parts (222) transitions toward the lower side in the vertical direction. [4] The unmanned aerial vehicle (320) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the leg part (322) is configured from the power receiving coil (360). [5] Unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320) according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein several leg parts (22; 222; 322) are provided and the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is provided on each of the plurality of leg parts (60). [6] The unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a switching circuit (43) that connects and short-circuits terminals of the motor (41) in an ON state. [7] Unmanned aerial vehicle system (10; 110), comprising: the unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320) according to one of claims 1 to 6 and a power transmission device (30; 130) having a power transmission coil (70; 170) for contactless power supply capable of transmitting electric power to the power reception coil (60; 260; 360). [8] Unmanned aerial vehicle system (10) according to claim 7, wherein the power transmission coil (70) has an annular shape centered on a second central axis (J21) extending in a direction orthogonal to the vertical direction, and wherein a dimension in the vertical direction of the power transmission coil (70) is larger than a dimension in the vertical direction of the leg part (22) and / or in a direction orthogonal to both the second central axis (J21) of the power transmission coil (70) and the vertical direction, a dimension of the power transmission coil (70) is 648 mm or less. [9] Battery system (80) of an unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320), the unmanned aerial vehicle (20; 220; 320) comprising: a main body (21) and a drive unit (40) having a rotor blade (42) and a motor (41) for rotating the rotor blade (42) about a rotation axis (R), the drive unit (40) being attached to the main body (21), wherein the battery system (80) comprises: a rechargeable battery (50) for supplying electrical power to the drive unit (40); a leg part (22; 222; 322) connected to the main body (21) at a lower side of the main body (21) in a vertical direction; and a power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) for contactless power supply, wherein the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is electrically connected to the battery (50) and is provided on the leg part (22; 222; 322), wherein the leg part (22; 222; 322) has a frame shape surrounding a first central axis (J1), and the power receiving coil (60; 260; 360) is provided in the frame shape surrounding the first central axis (J1) along the leg part (22; 222; 322).

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