Parachute ejection device

Abstract

To provide a drive mechanism that has a reduced beginning time of ejection operation, a small size and a light weight, and is capable of a reliable ejection operation, as an ejection machine that is ejected at the time of emergency fall of a drone and ejects a parachute to be deployed.SOLUTION: A parachute ejection device includes: a pulling spring of which one end is connected to an ejection part of a parachute and the other end is connected to part of a first lever member; and a second lever member engaged with the first lever member and driven by a solenoid. The parachute ejection device releases the engagement between the first lever member and the second lever member with the driving of the solenoid and releases the tensile force of the pulling spring to activate the ejection part of the parachute.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a parasitic device used when an aircraft such as a drone lands, falls, or crashes. This invention relates to a chute injection device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, drones, which are equipped with multiple rotors, have come to be used more frequently in the fields of photography, delivery, and the like, and are expected to become even more widespread in the future. Fixed-wing delivery drones are also considered promising, and measures are required for emergency drops due to unexpected events occurring during practical drone flight operations. As a measure against this, the applicant has developed a technology (Patent Document 1: JP 2023-46184 A) that takes into account the use of a parachute as a safety device in the event of an emergency drop. As is well known, a parachute system is composed of a canopy, which is the main body, a number of suspension lines connected to the canopy, bridle cords connected to the canopy, and the like, and is packaged and attached to the flying object, and is opened by utilizing air resistance when in use. This opening operation needs to be performed smoothly without any problems.

[0003] If the drone crashes, the parachute can open before it hits the ground. For example, the parachute system (compression bag) developed by the applicant mentioned above In the process of releasing and releasing the compression of the needle to launch and open the parachute, When we verified it, we found that the servo was used to release the compression spring for parachute ejection. It uses a ball mechanism (driven by a motor and has several rotation transmission mechanisms) to When the servo mechanism is started by the drone's fall detection signal, Servo mechanism starts operating when the switch is turned on. It takes about 1 second from when the switch is turned on to when the servo mechanism starts operating. In other words, when using a servo mechanism, the drone's emergency descent signal is There is a time lag of about 1 second from the detection of the signal to the release of the compression spring (start of the parachute ejection drive). When the drone crashes, the initial descent speed is about 9.7 m / s, so there will be a descent distance of about 10 m during this time, which increases the risk of collision with the ground.

[0004] The inventor attempted to instantaneously start the parachute deployment using the pulling or pushing force of a solenoid, which is an electromagnet mechanism, rather than a servo mechanism, as a parachute launcher. In this case, it was found that in order to directly release the launch compression spring to which a large compression force of about 8 kg is applied by operating the solenoid mechanism, a large solenoid mechanism with built-in gears and the like and weighing, for example, 1 kg or more is required. A large solenoid mechanism uses complex operating members to obtain a large pulling or pushing force depending on the volume and mass, and by using this large solenoid, the time from the start of operation of the solenoid that controls the compression release to the start of the parachute deployment operation is shortened to about 0.1 seconds, but it was found that a solenoid that requires such a large magnetic force is heavy and not suitable for installation on a drone or the like. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-46184 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Through the above study, the present invention has developed a parachute that is launched and deployed in the event of an emergency drop of a drone. As an injection machine that injects mortar, it has a short start time for injection, is small and lightweight, and can be injected reliably. The object of the present invention is to provide a drive mechanism capable of performing the ejection operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention relates to a parachute having one end connected to a launching portion of the parachute and a second end connected to a part of a first lever member. and a tension spring connected to the first lever member and driven by a solenoid. and a second lever member that is connected to the first lever member by driving the solenoid. The engagement with the second lever member is released, and the tension of the tension spring is released, The present invention provides a parachute launching device that activates the launching portion of the parachute. Furthermore, the present invention provides a parachute launching device, The end portion and a part of the second lever member are formed with uneven portions, and the engagement and disengagement are performed at the uneven portions. The present invention also provides a parachute launching device. The fulcrum of the second lever member and the part of the second lever member that is driven by the solenoid and an engagement portion between the first lever member and the second lever member is provided. Furthermore, the present invention provides a parachute launching device comprising: The locking member is configured as a compression spring, and the first locking member controls the compression and release of the compression spring. When the tension of the tension spring is released, the first locking member is engaged with the lever member. The engagement of the lever member 1 is released, and the compression spring is released. The present invention also provides a parachute launching device installed on an aircraft. The solenoid drive mechanism starts operating when an electric signal is detected by the air pressure detection sensor. This provides a configuration. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a tension spring is connected at one end to the launching part of the parachute that is launched and opened in the event of an emergency drop of the drone, and the other end is connected to a part of a first lever member, and a second lever member is engaged with the first lever member and driven by a solenoid, and the engagement between the first lever member and the second lever member is released by driving the solenoid, releasing the pulling force of the tension spring to launch the launching part of the parachute. This realizes a mechanism that uses the principle of leverage and the tension of the spring to amplify and utilize the launching force of the solenoid, making it possible to use a small solenoid with a small actuation force. With this invention, it is possible to ensure a short operation time of about 0.1 seconds from the detection of the crash state to the start of the launching operation, and obtain a lightweight launching part drive start mechanism. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 3A to 3D are diagrams showing the configuration and operation of a locking / releasing mechanism using a solenoid and a lever according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2(a) to 2(c) are diagrams showing the operating status of the launcher of the drone drop assistance device using the locking and unlocking mechanism of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3(a) and (b) are diagrams showing the locking and releasing operation states of the pulling member and the lever part in the locking and releasing mechanism of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a drone equipped with the drone drop assistance device launcher. [Diagram 5] is a diagram showing the configuration of the fall detection unit used in the drone fall assistance device shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] 3(a) to (c) are diagrams showing the pilot chute and main parachute of the drone drop assistance device equipped with the launcher of FIG. 2 in deployment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The configuration and operation of a release mechanism using a solenoid and a lever according to one embodiment of the present invention are shown in FIG. 1. Reference numeral 1 denotes a small, lightweight solenoid in which a plunger (movable iron core) serving as a movable shaft part 2 moves linearly (pushing drive) by magnetic force generated by passing a current through an electromagnetic coil. Reference numeral 3 denotes a lever part made of a metal plate, which rotates around a central shaft 6 provided at one end side, and an opposite end 31 of the shaft 6 abuts against an end 2S of the movable part 2. Reference numeral 4 denotes a lever part made of a metal plate, which rotates around a central shaft 7 provided at the center, and a protrusion (convex) of one end 41 engages with a concave engagement part 32 of the lever part 3. The concave engagement part 32 is provided between the shaft 6 and the end 31. Reference numeral 5 denotes a tension spring, one end of which is attached to a support 8 of a tension spring base fastening part, and which is joined to an end of the lever part 4 at a joint part 9. Reference numeral 42 denotes a locking portion formed between one end 41 of the lever part 4 and the central shaft 7, to which the loop part 10 of the compression spring retracting member 20 constituting the locking mechanism of the compression spring described below is locked. Note that a retraction cord is used for the member 20, and its end is looped to form the loop part 10. The solenoid 1, the lever parts 3 and 4, and the spring 5 are attached and fixed to one main surface of a metal support plate 50 (bottom plate).

[0011] An open hole 51 is formed in the support plate 50, and Fig. 1(a) shows the state before the solenoid movable part 2 starts its pushing-out operation. The retraction member 20 is located on the other main surface side of the support plate 50, and the loop part 10 is led out from the hole 51 to one main surface side, where the loop part 10 is locked and held by the locking part 42 (claw mechanism) which serves as a locking member, thereby forming a locked state. For example, a large retraction force of about 8 kg is applied to the loop part 10, which retracts a compression spring (described later) for driving the parachute ejection.

[0012] Figure 1(b) shows the state when an air pressure detection (decompression) sensor (described later) mounted on the drone detects an emergency drop of the drone, and this detection electrical signal starts the operation of the solenoid. The detection electrical signal generates an electromagnetic force in solenoid 1, which generates a pushing force in movable part 2, and movable part 2 of the solenoid starts to operate in the direction of arrow 11. At this time, a load begins to be applied to lever part 4 in the direction shown by arrow 12, and tension spring 5 starts to retract in the direction of arrow 13.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1(c), the pushing action of the solenoid movable part 2 progresses, and the end of the movable part When 2S pushes the end 31 of the lever 3 in the direction of the arrow 11, the engagement between the recessed engagement portion 32 of the lever 3 and the end 41 of the lever 4 is released, and a large pulling force (much larger than the pushing force of the solenoid) is generated in the tension spring 5 in the direction of the arrow 14, and the tension spring 5 starts to contract. After that, as shown in FIG. 1(d), the tension spring 5 contracts, and the lever 4 rotates about 45 degrees accordingly, and when the pushing force of the solenoid is released, the movable part 2 of the solenoid and the lever 3 move in the direction of the arrow 15 and return to their original positions. At this time, the locking portion 42 of the lever 4 faces upward, and the so-called latch state is released, that is, the locking of the loop portion 10 of the pulling member 20, which is pulling in the compression spring (described later) with a large force, is released, and the compression spring is in an unlocked state. The large pulling force can be realized by appropriately designing the tension spring 5 and the levers 3 and 4. The mechanism of FIG. 1, including the support plate 50, the solenoid 1, the lever parts 3 and 4, and the spring 5, can be realized as a lightweight mechanism with a total weight of about 100 g.

[0014] Regarding the operation of the mechanism in Fig. 1, when the solenoid 1 was operated in response to a fall detection signal from an air pressure detection sensor mounted on the drone, it was verified that the start of solenoid operation, the disengagement of the concave engagement portion 32 of the lever part 3 and the end portion 41 of the lever part 4, and the release of the locking action of the loop part 10 could be performed in a short time of about 0.1 seconds. In this way, the mechanism in Fig. 1 makes it possible to employ a small and lightweight solenoid 1 with a small actuation force by amplifying the pushing force (throwing force) of the solenoid using the principle of leverage and the force of the tension spring, making it extremely advantageous for installation in drones and the like which require lightweight devices.

[0015] Figure 2 shows the mechanism of Figure 1 when connected to a parachute launcher. The figure shows how a capsule 70 made of hard resin with a built-in parachute is released from inside a cylindrical injector 60. In FIG. 2, the mechanism in FIG. 1 is shown in a simplified form. As shown in (a), a retraction cord (retraction member 20) fixed to the upper part of a compression spring 61 made of a coil spring is retracted downward into the injector 60, and a fixed ring (loop part 10) at the tip is engaged with a locking member (engagement part 42 of the lever part 4) installed at the bottom of the injector 60 to compress and hold the coil spring 61. The capsule 70 is inserted onto a bullet 62 made of metal or hard resin as shown by an arrow 71, and the storage structure shown in (b) is obtained, completing preparations for releasing the capsule 70. In the event of an emergency drop, the lever member 4 rotates obliquely upward as shown in (c) by the rapid action described in FIG. 1, and the locking portion 42 also moves in that direction, releasing the locking of the loop portion 10, and the compression spring 61 is released and stretches upward, pushing the bullet 62 and the capsule 70 above it in the direction of the arrow 73. At this time, the opening force of the spring 61 is not absorbed but is transmitted to the hard bullet 62 and capsule 70 with almost the same momentum, and the bullet 62 and capsule 70 are released with force, and the characteristic functions of this launcher (early release from the drone body, rapid deployment of the parachute, etc.) are demonstrated. Note that the suspension line and bridal cord connected to the parachute are omitted in FIG. 2. 75 indicates a drop detection unit described later.

[0016] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the state of the main locking / unlocking parts around the retractable member, and shows the locking / unlocking action of the compression spring and loop portion 10 of the retractable member 20. (a) shows the loop portion 10 drawn out from the hole 51 of the metal plate 50 in the locked state, and (b) shows the unlocked state. From the state in (a), the lever part 4 is rotated, the loop portion 10 is released from the locking part 42, the compression spring is unlocked, and the member 20 rises in the direction of the compression spring, as indicated by the arrow 73. After this, the member 20 is released, as shown in FIG. 4.

[0017] The launch mechanism shown in FIG. 2 is mounted on a drone as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4(a), a drone is an aircraft used for various purposes such as photography and transportation. A plurality of propellers 81 (six in this example) are attached to a main body 80 of the drone, and legs 82 are attached to the bottom of the main body 80 and a container 83 is attached to the top. A main parachute wrapped in an inner container is folded and stored inside the container 83. Furthermore, a cylindrical launcher (storing an inner capsule packed with a pilot chute shown in FIG. 2) 60 is attached to the main body 80. 72 is a suspension line, and 74 is a bridal cord, which connects the pilot chute and the main parachute.

[0018] When an abnormality occurs in the drone shown in FIG. 4 and it makes an emergency fall, the fall assist device having the mechanism shown in FIG. 2 releases the inner capsule 70 consisting of the bullet 62 and the hard resin sheet with force by the opening force of the spring 61 compressed and stored in the launcher 60, and the fall assist mechanism starts to operate. At this time, the opening force of the spring 61 is transmitted to the capsule 70 made of hard resin almost as it is without any decrease. The retractable cord 20 having the fixed ring (loop portion 10) that controlled the locking and unlocking of the spring 61 is also released. When the capsule 70 is released with force, it quickly and at high speed separates from the drone body, and the parachute is reliably opened and unfolded at this separated position, and the fall assist function is performed without any risk of interference. The release of the capsule 70, the mid-air dismantling mechanism, and the deployment of the parachute are explained in FIG. 6.

[0019] The configuration and function of the drop detection unit used in the drone drop assist device will be described with reference to FIG. 5. The detection mechanism 100 for detecting the start of the drone's descent includes a detection unit 101 (having a variometer and altimeter known as a variometer and altimeter) having a sensor for detecting changes in air pressure caused by the descent and a detection electric signal generation unit for this detection, a conversion circuit unit 102 for converting the detection electric signal into a switch signal SW, and a button battery (not shown) for operating the detection unit 101 and the conversion circuit unit 102. By setting an arbitrary sinking speed in the detection unit 101, an electric signal is generated when the preset sinking speed is reached. The switch signal SW consisting of this electric signal is applied to a PMOS (current-light conversion switch) 103, and controls the current supply to the solenoid 1 driven by a battery power source (Li battery) 104. That is, the switch 103 is turned on by the switch signal SW generated by the start of the drone's descent, and a drive current is supplied from the battery 104 to the solenoid 1, causing the moving part 2 of the solenoid 1 to perform a push-out operation. By using this fall detection unit, it is possible to respond automatically to emergency situations without relying on the pilot's human senses, which increases the likelihood of limiting damage compared to the unlikely event of a drone crashing.

[0020] In this way, a sensor that detects changes in air pressure automatically detects the start of a descent of, for example, -7 m / sec, converts this into an electrical signal, and links it to a mechanism that quickly unlocks the compression coil lock described above, thereby realizing a small, lightweight, and high-performance fall assistance device. As an example of the power supply battery 104, a 1000 mAh 3.7 V lithium-ion battery is used.

[0021] As described above, the present invention utilizes a mechanism that uses the principle of leverage for locking, and the operating energy is generated by energizing an electromagnet using a solenoid. In other words, the present invention makes it possible to reduce the operating force of the solenoid by using the principle of leverage and the force of a tension spring to unlock the latch, thereby realizing a fall assistance device equipped with a small-mass locking / unlocking mechanism. Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using a solenoid that utilizes the characteristics of an electromagnet to unlock the ejector, which compresses and locks a compression spring to control the opening force, it is possible to reduce the time loss to about 0.1 seconds, and a significant reduction in the time lost from the start of a fall to the opening of the parachute can be achieved.

[0022] The drop assistance operation, i.e. the deployment and opening of the pilot chute and main parachute, will be explained with reference to Figure 6. When an abnormality is detected in the drone during flight, the drone body 2 moves in the direction indicated by the arrow. When the capsule 70 is launched in the direction of 84 as shown in FIG. 4, the loop 10 of the locking part 42, which is a locking member shown in FIG. 2, is released, and the capsule 20 is released from the launcher 60 into the air by the opening force of the coil compression spring 61 as shown in (a). Next, as shown in (b), the suspension line 72 and the bridle cord 74 connecting the pilot chute in the capsule 70 and the main parachute in the container 83 are pulled as shown by the arrow 85, and the capsule 70 is dismantled and separated and scattered in the air. The pilot chute 90 is also unpacked and is in a deployment start state. After that, the pilot chute 90 quickly opens and pulls out the main parachute 91 to deploy it (b). In this state, the drop assist function is exerted, and the drone body 2 starts to fall slowly and stably, and the drone lands at an appropriate speed.

[0023] As described above, when an abnormality occurs in the drone and it makes an emergency drop, the drop assistance device using the present invention causes the hard bullet 62 to rise due to the opening force of the metal coil compression spring 61 compressed and stored in the launcher 60, and the hard inner capsule 70 that comes into contact with it is released with force, starting the operation of the drop assistance mechanism. At this time, the retraction cord 20 having the temporary fastening loop 10 that controlled the locking and unlocking of the tension spring shown in Figures 1 and 2 is also released. The inner capsule 70 and the pilot chute quickly and at high speed move away from the drone body, and the parachute is reliably opened and deployed at this separated position, providing the drop assistance function without the risk of hindrance (parachute failure). [Industrial Applicability]

[0024] According to the present invention, during the process of pulling the drop-assistance parachute of an aerial vehicle such as a drone from its packaging and opening it, the initial action of ejection is activated in a short time, allowing the parachute to open and deploy quickly, thereby providing the drop-assistance function of the aerial vehicle more instantly and contributing to the safe operation of the aerial vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 1 Solenoid 2 Solenoid movable shaft part 3 Lever parts 4 Lever parts 5. Extension spring 6 Central axis of lever part 3 7 Lever part 4 central axis 9 Junction between tension spring and lever part B end 10 Compression spring retraction loop 11 Arrow indicating the direction in which the solenoid's movable shaft moves 12 Arrow indicating the load direction of lever part 4 13 Arrow indicating the direction of load on the tension spring when locked 14 Arrow indicating the load direction in which the tension spring tries to expand and contract when unlocking 15 Arrow indicating the direction in which the solenoid's movable shaft returns to its original position after operation 20 Retractable member 42 Locking part 50 Metal plate (bottom plate) 60 injection machine 61 Compression spring 80 Drone body 100 Detection mechanism for detecting emergency descent of drones (fall sensor) 101 Detection unit 102 Conversion circuit section 103 P MOS (source optical conversion switch)

Claims

1. One end is connected to the parachute launch portion, and the other end is connected to a part of the first lever member. A tension spring is engaged with the first lever member and is driven by a solenoid. and a second lever member, and the first lever member and the second lever member are driven by the solenoid. The engagement with the child member is released, and the tension of the tension spring is released, so that the parachutes are A parachute launching device characterized by activating a launching portion of the parachute.

2. A concave-convex portion is formed on a tip end portion of the first lever member and a part of the second lever member, and the concave-convex portion 2. The parachute launching device according to claim 1, wherein engagement and release are performed by a.

3. Between the fulcrum of the second lever member and a portion of the second lever member that is driven by a solenoid, 2. The parasitic switch according to claim 1, further comprising an engagement portion for engaging the first and second lever members. ute injection device.

4. 2. A parachute launching device as described in claim 1, wherein the parachute launching portion is composed of a compression spring, a locking member that controls the compression and release of the compression spring is engaged with a first lever member, and when the tension of the tension spring is released, the engagement of the first lever member of the locking member is released, thereby releasing the compression of the compression spring.

5. 2. The parachute launching device according to claim 1, wherein the operation of the solenoid drive mechanism is initiated by an electric signal sensed by an air pressure detection sensor installed in the aircraft.

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