Device for controlling the clearance of an airship from the ground and docking station for an airship with such a device

Description

Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for controlling the ground clearance of an airship.

[0002] The present invention relates to a docking station for an airship, in particular for a rigid-structure airship. It also relates to a method for securely docking an airship, implementing this docking station, as well as an airship suitable for this secure docking. State of the prior art

[0003] Several solutions have been devised to ensure the ground clearance of an airship moored by its nose cone and prevent it from touching the ground, such as a wheel placed under the aft nacelle of the USS Los Angeles or a weighted wheel attached by cables to the rear of Goodyear blimps. However, while preventing the airship from either ascending or descending, these systems do not prevent the airship from moving in the opposite direction.

[0004] Patent document FR 2 706 151 is also known, which discloses a landing and docking device fitted to an airship. The device is not suitable for airships without landing gear. Furthermore, the device does not prevent the airship from adopting a nose-up attitude or from touching the ground with its tail.

[0005] Document US1,749,065 discloses a system for docking an airship, comprising a mooring mast at the nose of the airship and a plurality of trolleys guided on rails, each trolley comprising a pair of arms movable between a horizontal position and a substantially vertical position in which the ends of these movable arms can mechanically engage with the airship. The trolleys comprise bogies provided with wheels guided by longitudinal or circular rails. The present invention relates to a landing gear for rigid airships and aims to provide ground clearance to a rigid airship moored from the front to a low or truncated mast. When moored to a low mast, the airship must be able to turn around said mast without striking the ground or becoming unsteady.The invention has the further aim of supporting the rear of the rigid airship and allowing it to rotate around the mooring mast without damaging the structure of the airship while further limiting the roll angle. Statement of the invention

[0006] One aim of the invention is in particular to remedy all or part of the aforementioned drawbacks.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a device according to claim 1.

[0008] The wheels mounted on the chassis can be idler wheels or wheels whose orientation is controllable.

[0009] The means for approaching a distal end of an arm to the associated lateral anchor may comprise a winch disposed in the airship at said associated lateral anchor and a rope wound on said winch and passing through said associated lateral anchor and said distal end.

[0010] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a docking station according to claim 5.

[0011] The device according to the invention may comprise a ground connection interface arranged to describe an arc of a circle around the mooring mast when the tip anchor of the airship is received in the receiver of said mooring mast and when each of the distal ends is fixed to the lateral anchor points of the airship.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method according to claim 7.

[0013] The method according to the invention may further comprise, prior to the step of deploying the arms, a step for unwinding from each lateral anchoring point a cable, one free end of which is intended to be fixed to a distal end of each arm, and in that the deployment step comprises a step for winding said cables until the respective distal ends of two arms mechanically engage in the respective lateral anchoring points.

[0014] The method according to the invention may further comprise a step for tilting the airship so that the tail of said airship rests on the guard control device according to the invention.

[0015] When the method according to the invention is implemented in an airship provided with a ballast system comprising a first ballast tank located at the front of said airship and a second ballast tank located at the rear of said airship, the tilting step comprises a step for transferring water from said first forward ballast tank to said second aft ballast tank.

[0016] According to yet another aspect which is not part of the invention, there is provided an airship comprising a body provided with a nose and a provided with two lateral anchoring points arranged on either side of the body of said airship, adapted to be moored at the front to a mooring mast and at the rear to a docking station according to the invention, characterized in that it further comprises motorized means for winding / unwinding two cables, a respective proximal end of which is connected to said motorized means.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided an assembly according to claim 11. Description of figures

[0018] Other advantages and particularities of the invention will appear on reading the detailed description of implementations and embodiments which are in no way limiting, with regard to the appended drawings in which: there figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of a docking station for an airship according to the invention, the figure 2 illustrates a device for controlling the ground clearance of an airship in a docking station of the figure 1 . Description of embodiments

[0019] The embodiments described below being in no way limiting, it will be possible in particular to consider variants of the invention comprising only a selection of the characteristics described, subsequently isolated from the other characteristics described, if this selection of characteristics is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art. This selection comprises at least one characteristic, preferably functional without structural details, or with only a part of the structural details if this part only is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention compared to the state of the prior art.

[0020] In the figures, an element appearing in several figures retains the same reference.

[0021] In reference to the figure 1, a system 1 is described, in accordance with an embodiment according to the invention, for docking an airship 200 to a docking station 300 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, and a ground or runway S, at the same time as the method implemented in this system.

[0022] In the example shown, the airship 200 comprises propulsion units 202, 204.

[0023] The airship is further equipped with capacities C1 and C2, forming ballasts, and allowing the modification of the stability and / or the trim of the airship 200 by filling or emptying the capacities from a ballast circuit 206.

[0024] In the longitudinal direction, the bow of the airship 200 is said to be forward while the stern of the airship is said to be aft. The airship further has a pointed anchor point 206, arranged at its bow. The airship may further be equipped with a drum 208 arranged at the bow which winds or unwinds a mooring cable 210, having a free end, from or to the docking station 300.

[0025] The airship has a center of gravity G.

[0026] According to the embodiment, the airship 200 also has two lateral anchoring points 212, 214 (not shown in the figure) arranged in a plane transverse to the longitudinal direction of the airship located behind the center of gravity G in the longitudinal direction, symmetrically and on either side of its yaw axis. Only the port lateral anchoring point 208 is shown in the figure.

[0027] The docking station 300 may comprise, in a known manner, a bow receiving device 400, also called a mooring mast, provided with a base 402, possibly self-propelled, resting on the ground or the runway S, and a pylon 404 at the top of which is arranged a winch comprising a winding drum 406 whose vertical axis is driven by a motor 408. The drum 406 is provided with a slot 410 arranged to receive a free end of the mooring cable 210.

[0028] When the airship 200 is approaching the bow receiving device 400, the pilot initiates a mooring procedure. The winding drum 208 of the airship is controlled in freewheel mode in order to release the unwinding cable towards the ground. The free end of the cable is then inserted into the receiving slot 410 of the drum 406. Once trapped in the receiving slot, the distance between the airship and the slot, therefore the ground S, is limited by the free length of cables.

[0029] Conversely, during a take-off phase, the end of the mooring cable 210 is released, the drum 406 being controlled in freewheel mode while the winding drum 208 winds the released mooring cable.

[0030] The mooring system according to the invention can also be associated with a system for mechanically coupling the airship to the bow receiving device, as described in application WO2018 / 099870 incorporated herein by reference.

[0031] In order to stabilize the attitude of the airship, the docking station 300 further comprises a ground clearance control device 500, also called an aerostat tail receiving station. The ground clearance control device 500 is provided with a frame 502 on which a weight 504 is fixed.

[0032] The device 500 further comprises two rigid arms 506, 508 ( figure 2 ).

[0033] Each of the arms 506, respectively 508, has an A shape, formed of two main beams, 506a and 506b, respectively 508a and 508b, forming the lateral branches of the A.

[0034] The two main beams, 506a and 506b, respectively 508a and 508b, are connected to each other at a vertex 506s, respectively 508s, and connected to each other by a third beam 506c, respectively 508c, forming the horizontal branch of the A.

[0035] Each of the arms 506, respectively 508, has two proximal ends 506p1, 506p2, respectively 508p1, 508p2, arranged at the bottom of the two lateral branches of the A and articulated on the chassis (502), the distal end of the arm being arranged at the top 506s, respectively 508s, of the A, thus defining an axis of rotation of the arm on the chassis in the direction formed by the two proximal ends.

[0036] The device 500 further comprises a ground connection interface 510. The connection interface 510 comprises wheels 512 mounted on the chassis 502, the orientation of which can be modified, for example so-called idler wheels, or controlled, for example mounted on a directional gear.

[0037] In the example shown, the connecting interface further comprises idler wheels 506r, respectively 508r, mounted on the third beam 506c, respectively 508c. The idler wheels mounted on the beam are optional.

[0038] The device 500 further comprises a means (not shown) for moving the distal end 506s, respectively 508s, of each of the arms 506, respectively 508, towards the associated lateral anchoring 212, 214 of the airship 200.

[0039] The displacement means may comprise two winches 216, 218 (not shown), each disposed in the airship 200 at a lateral anchorage and a rope wound on each of the winches and passing through the lateral anchorage.

[0040] Alternatively, it is intended to use a drone as described in the aforementioned international application.

[0041] Also, it is possible to control, from the airship 200, a means of approaching the distal end of an arm towards the associated lateral anchorage of the airship and of fixing a free end of the mooring cable to the docking station or to the airship. The fixing can be carried out by means of a carabiner, or a Scharfenberg type coupling system.

[0042] For the docking phase, two cables can be released from the rear side anchors. A ground crew attaches these cables to each end of the "A" frames of the lander of the device according to the invention.

[0043] The cables are then wound back onto winches 216, 218 to the mooring points by lifting both ends of the 'A' frames until they reach the mooring points and are locked in position.

[0044] The pilot can then implement another step specific to the invention involving moving as much water as possible to the rear ballast tanks, for example from capacity C1 to capacity C2, which allows the airship to rest on the rear landing gear which is the subject of the invention. The capture can then be considered to have been achieved and the airship can be left in the wind, the tail resting on the rear landing gear.

[0045] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples just described and many adjustments can be made to these examples without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, the various features, forms, variants and embodiments of the invention can be combined with each other in various combinations to the extent that they are not incompatible or mutually exclusive.

[0046] For example, the airship could have more than three anchor points, such as a bow point and three or four lateral anchor points. Therefore, the docking station could have more than two arms, such as three or four, or it could have arms with a distal end attached to the airship at several points.

Claims

1. Device (500) for controlling the ground clearance of an airship (200) equipped with two lateral anchoring points (212), said control device comprising: - a frame (502) comprising a ground connection interface, on which a weight (504) is fixed, - two rigid arms (506, 508), each of the arms having a so-called proximal end articulated on the frame and a so-called distal end, - a means for moving the distal end of each of the arms between a so-called retention position, in which each distal end is intended to be in contact with one of said lateral anchoring ends of the airship, said to be associated with said distal end, and a so-called unlocked position, in which there is no contact between the airship and the device, - means for detachably fixing, in the retention position, the relevant distal end of each of the arms on the associated relevant lateral anchoring point, the ground connection interface comprising wheels (512) mounted on the frame and the orientation of which can be modified, characterized in that each of the arms (506, 508) has an A-shaped configuration formed by two main beams (506a, 506b) forming the lateral branches of the A, connected together at a vertex (506s, 508s) and connected together by a third beam (506c, 508c) forming the horizontal branch of the A, two proximal ends (506p1, 506p2, 508p1, 508p2) of an arm being arranged at the bottom of the two lateral branches of the A and articulated on the frame (502), the distal end of the arm being arranged at the vertex of the A, thus defining an axis of rotation of the arm on the frame in the direction formed by the two proximal ends, and in that the third beams (506c, 508c) of each of the arms (506, 508) are equipped with wheels (506r, 508r).

2. Device according to the preceding claim, wherein the wheels (512) mounted on the frame are idler wheels.

3. Device according to claim 1, wherein the wheels (512) mounted on the frame are wheels of which the orientation is controllable.

4. Device according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the means for bringing a distal end (506s,508s) of an arm closer to the associated lateral anchor comprises a winch intended to be arranged in the airship at said associated lateral anchor and a rope wound on said winch and passing through said associated lateral anchor and said distal end.

5. Docking station (300) for an airship (200) equipped with a pointed anchoring point (206) and two lateral anchoring points (212), comprising: - a mooring mast (400) equipped with a receiver arranged to receive, or be moored at, the pointed anchor of the airship, - a clearance control device (500) according to any of the preceding claims, of which the distal end of each of the arms is arranged to be detachably fixed to each of said two lateral anchoring points.

6. Docking station according to the preceding claim, wherein the device according to the invention comprises a ground connection interface arranged to describe an arc of a circle around the mooring mast when the pointed anchor of the airship is received in the receiver of said mooring mast and when each of the distal ends is fixed to the lateral anchoring points of the airship.

7. Method for securing the mooring of an airship equipped with a pointed anchoring point and two lateral anchoring points, on a site, implementing a docking station according to one of the two preceding claims, comprising the following steps: - mooring the bow of the airship to the mast of said station with freedom of rotation of the airship about said mast, - motorized movement of the clearance control device according to any of claims 1 to 4 to position itself under the tail of the airship already moored, - deploying the two arms until reaching the lateral anchoring points, and - fixing the distal ends of the two arms to the respective anchoring points.

8. Method according to the preceding claim, further comprising, prior to the step of deploying the arms, a step for unwinding a cable from each lateral anchoring point, one free end of which cable is intended to be fixed to a distal end of each arm, and in that the deploying step comprises a step for winding up said cables until the respective distal ends of two arms mechanically engage in the respective lateral anchoring points.

9. Method according to the preceding claim, further comprising a step for tilting the airship so that the tail of said airship rests on the clearance control device according to any of claims 1 to 4.

10. Method according to the preceding claim, implemented in an airship provided with a ballast system comprising a first ballast tank located at the front of said airship and a second ballast tank located at the rear of said airship, wherein the tilting step comprises a step for transferring water from said first front ballast tank to said second rear ballast tank.

11. Assembly comprising a docking station (300) according to one of claims 5 or 6 and an airship (200), the airship comprising a body provided with a nose and two lateral anchoring points (212) arranged on either side of the body of said airship, the airship being adapted to be moored at the front to the mooring mast and at the rear to the clearance control device.