Carrying tool for unmanned aerial vehicle

Abstract

To provide a carrying tool for an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of performing carrying work with high work efficiency.SOLUTION: Provided is a carrying tool 1 capable of carrying an article T by being suspended from an unmanned aerial vehicle U, where the carrying tool 1 includes a bag-shaped main body portion 3 having an internal space 35, includes connecting portions 4A and 4B respectively connectable to the unmanned aerial vehicle U side at both ends 301 and 302 of a main body portion 3, and an opening portion 32A communicating with the internal space 35 at one end 301 of the main body portion 3 is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier for an unmanned aerial vehicle used when transporting goods using an unmanned aerial vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have become increasingly popular. These types of UAVs are used in a variety of fields, such as surveillance work using cameras and cargo transportation. In particular, UAVs with flight capabilities are highly useful for transporting materials and other goods over terrain with varying elevations (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When transporting goods using an unmanned aerial vehicle, a carrier that is suspended from the unmanned aerial vehicle is used. For example, a carrier that can similarly hold and suspend goods is a bag, a so-called flexible container bag, that can be suspended by a crane (see, for example, Patent Document 2). The bag is made of a resin cloth and is freely deformable, has a bottom, an opening at the top end, and a pair of loops arranged opposite each other at the top end. When attaching the bag to the unmanned aerial vehicle, by engaging each of the pair of loops with a hook on the unmanned aerial vehicle, the bag can be suspended with the opening always facing upward, and goods stored in the bag can be transported without falling out. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6912121 (page 3, Figure 1) [Patent Document 2] JP 2006-283443 A (page 4, Figure 3) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In this way, by suspending a bag such as that described in Patent Document 2, it is possible to transport items between destinations using an unmanned aerial vehicle, thereby reducing the labor and labor costs required for the transportation work. Here, in order to access the items inside the bag, it is necessary to disengage the loops from the hooks, a so-called unpacking operation. However, since the bag described in Patent Document 2 has an opening between a pair of loops, it is necessary to disengage each of these loops from the hooks in order to access the items inside the bag through the opening. This unpacking operation becomes complicated, which may ultimately reduce the efficiency of the transportation work.

[0006] The present invention has been made in light of these problems, and aims to provide a carrier for an unmanned aerial vehicle that can perform transportation work with high work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problem, the vehicle for an unmanned aerial vehicle of the present invention comprises: A carrier that enables the transportation of an item by being suspended from an unmanned aerial vehicle, the carrier includes a bag-shaped main body having an internal space, and connection portions at both ends of the main body that can be connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle, The main body has an opening formed at one end thereof that communicates with the internal space. According to this feature, the main body that stores the items has an opening formed at one end and connection parts at both ends, and when these connection parts are suspended, the main body bends with the opening facing upward, preventing the stored items from falling out. Also, when only the connection part at one end where the opening is formed is disconnected from the unmanned aerial vehicle, the main body remains connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle at the connection part at the other end, with the opening facing downward, allowing the items to be released or removed to the outside through the opening, thereby enabling transportation work to be performed with high efficiency.

[0008] The connecting portions are attached to the four corners of the substantially rectangular main body portion, respectively. According to this feature, the main body can be suspended from the unmanned aerial vehicle in a balanced manner, the opening can be stably directed upward, and items are reliably prevented from falling off.

[0009] The main body has a short side and a long side. According to this feature, while maintaining the internal capacity of the main body, the surface area in a plan view can be reduced when the connection parts on both sides are suspended, making the unmanned aircraft less susceptible to the wind blowing down below it during flight.

[0010] The main body has an exhaust port formed on its side. According to this feature, the wind that flows into the internal space of the main body through the upward-facing opening as the unmanned aircraft flies can be expelled to the outside through the exhaust port, thereby reducing the adverse effects on the flight of the unmanned aircraft and enabling stable flight.

[0011] The main body has an opening formed at the other end thereof. According to this feature, by having the openings on both sides facing upward, the downward wind that accompanies the flight of the unmanned aircraft can be actively taken into the internal space of the main body, thereby reducing the adverse effects on the flight of the unmanned aircraft caused by air resistance of the main body, enabling stable flight.

[0012] The main body has a weight attached to one of the two ends. This feature prevents the main body from being blown by the wind when it is not holding an item, and prevents the main body from coming into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle while in flight. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of use of a vehicle for an unmanned aerial vehicle in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 10 shows a hook device below the unmanned aerial vehicle. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 shows the carrier laid out substantially flat. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the placement of items in a carrier. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating the connection between a linear member on one longitudinal side of the main body and a hook device. [Figure 6] (a) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the unmanned aerial vehicle has begun to take off, and (b) is a diagram illustrating the state in which the vehicle has lifted off the ground. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram showing the state in which the unmanned aerial vehicle has descended and the vehicle has touched the ground. [Figure 8] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams illustrating engagement and disengagement between a linear member on one longitudinal side of the main body and a hook device. [Figure 9] 10A is a diagram illustrating a state in which one longitudinal end of the main body is dropped off, and FIG. 10B is a diagram illustrating a state in which an article is released from an opening on one longitudinal side of the main body. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the shape of the carrier when an article is stored therein. [Figure 11] 10 is a diagram illustrating the air flow in the internal space of the main body when the unmanned aerial vehicle is flying. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the shape of the carrier when no articles are stored therein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A mode for carrying an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment. [Example]

[0015] A vehicle for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle 1 in this embodiment will be described as an example in which an unmanned aerial vehicle U is used to transport an item T (see Figure 4), which is a tree sapling, from a first point A to a second point B. The unmanned aerial vehicle U used in this embodiment is a so-called multicopter that flies by rotating multiple rotors arranged radially from the center of the aircraft, and is remotely controlled by a pilot.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle U is equipped with a winch W on its underside, and a hook device 2 is suspended from the lower end of a wire Wa of this winch W via a damper D. A pair of movable hook-shaped portions 21, 21 protrude from the lower end of a housing 20 of the hook device 2. These hook-shaped portions 21, 21 are configured so that their tips can be switched between a state in which they are close to each other and a state in which they are separated by a movable mechanism (not shown) built into the housing 20.

[0018] Although not described in detail here, the movable mechanism of the hook device 2 is connected to the lower end of the wire Wa of the winch W, and has a conversion means that converts the downward load acting on the wire Wa to bring the tips of the hook-shaped portions 21, 21 closer to each other, and a biasing means that constantly applies a biasing force in a direction that separates the tips of the hook-shaped portions 21, 21. In other words, when the load acting on the wire Wa falls below the biasing force of the biasing means, the tips of the hook-shaped portions 21, 21 automatically move apart.

[0019] Furthermore, a connector 22 such as a carabiner is attached to the upper part of the housing 20 of the hook device 2.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 3 , the carrier 1 includes a bag-shaped main body 3 and connecting portions 4A and 4B attached to both longitudinal sides of the main body 3. The main body 3 is formed into a bag shape by stacking two rectangular synthetic resin sheets and sewing the opposing sides of the sheets together. In plan view, the main body 3 has a rectangular shape with a pair of short sides 30 and a pair of long sides 31. The short sides 30 of the main body 3 are not sewn together, and openings 32A and 32B that communicate with an internal space 35 of the main body 3 are formed at both longitudinal ends of the main body 3. An exhaust port 33 that communicates with the internal space 35 is formed in the center of one of the long sides 31 of the main body 3.

[0021] Connection holes 3a for attaching the connection parts 4A and 4B are provided at the edges of the openings 32A and 32B of the main body 3, i.e., at the ends 301 and 302 on both longitudinal sides of the main body 3. In this embodiment, the connection holes 3a are configured by attaching grommets to holes drilled in the main body 3. The connection holes 3a are provided at both ends of the short sides 30 and 30 of the main body 3. These connection holes 3a are provided at symmetrical positions on both longitudinal sides of the main body 3.

[0022] One connection hole 3a is also disposed at the midpoint between the connection holes 3a, 3a formed at both ends of the short sides 30, 30 of the main body 3, and a plurality of connection holes 3a are also formed at separate locations on the long sides 31, 31 of the main body 3.

[0023] The connection parts 4A, 4B are composed of linear members 41A, 41B such as ropes, and in this embodiment, both ends of the linear members 41A, 41B are tied and attached to connection holes 3a, 3a arranged at both ends of the short sides 30, 30 of the main body 3.

[0024] Next, the procedure for transporting an item using the unmanned aerial vehicle U and the carrier 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 4 to 12. First, with the unmanned aerial vehicle U in a landed state, as shown in Figure 4, an item T is placed in the internal space 35 of the main body 3 through an opening 32A on one side of the main body 3 in the longitudinal direction.

[0025] Next, as shown in Figure 5, the linear member 41A attached to the end 301 (see Figure 3) on one side of the longitudinal direction of the main body 3 is connected to the hook-shaped portions 21, 21 of the hook device 2. Note that, before the unmanned aerial vehicle U takes off, the linear member 41B attached to the end 302 (see Figure 3) on the other side of the longitudinal direction of the main body 3 is connected and fixed to the connector 22 above the hook device 2.

[0026] The pilot confirms that the linear members 41A, 41B on both longitudinal sides of the main body 3, i.e., the connection parts 4A, 4B, are connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle U, and then causes the unmanned aerial vehicle U to take off. As shown in Figure 6(a), as the unmanned aerial vehicle U ascends, the wire Wa of the winch W and the linear members 41A, 41B become tensed, and as they are pulled up, the end parts 301, 302 on both longitudinal sides of the main body 3 are lifted, and the main body 3 begins to deform so as to be bent longitudinally.

[0027] Then, as the unmanned aerial vehicle U continues to rise, the main body 3 completely separates from the ground G, and as shown in Figure 6(b), both longitudinal ends 301, 302 of the main body 3 are lifted, the main body 3 is bent longitudinally, and the openings 32A, 32B on both longitudinal sides face upward, forming a roughly U-shape, and the main body 3 is transported in this state. The article T stored in the internal space 35 (see Figure 4) of the main body 3 is guided to the bottom 300 of the roughly U-shape as both longitudinal ends 301, 302 of the main body 3 are lifted.

[0028] The operator flies the unmanned aerial vehicle U from a first point A to a second point B and then descends it at the second point B (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 7, after the operator has grounded the main body 3 of the carrier 1 on the ground G, the operator further lowers the unmanned aerial vehicle U slightly or pays out the wire Wa of the winch W. As a result, with the load of the carrier 1 and the object T resting on the ground G, the tension in the wire Wa of the winch W and the linear members 41A, 41B is relaxed, and when the load acting on the wire Wa falls below the biasing force of the biasing means, the movable mechanism is activated and the tips of the hook-shaped portions 21, 21 are automatically moved apart, as shown in FIGS. 8(a) and (b).

[0029] As the tips of the hook-shaped portions 21, 21 automatically move apart, the linear member 41A on one longitudinal side of the main body 3 is disengaged from the hook-shaped portions 21, 21, and the end portion 301 on one longitudinal side of the main body 3 drops downward (see FIG. 9(a)). In this embodiment, the dropped end portion 301 on one longitudinal side of the main body 3 is in contact with the ground G, and by performing an operation to slightly raise the unmanned aerial vehicle U from this state or an operation to wind up the wire Wa of the winch W, the article T stored in the internal space 35 of the main body 3 (see FIG. 4) is released onto the ground G from the opening 32A on one longitudinal side (see FIG. 9(b)).

[0030] As described above, the main body 3 of the carrier 1, which stores the item T, has an opening 32A formed at one end 301, and is provided with connection parts 4A and 4B at both ends 301 and 302, respectively.By suspending these connection parts 4A and 4B, the main body 3 is bent with the opening 32A facing upward, thereby preventing the stored item T from falling out.

[0031] Furthermore, since the connection parts 4A and 4B are respectively attached to the four corners of the roughly rectangular main body part 3, the main body part 3 can be suspended in a balanced manner on the unmanned aerial vehicle U side, and the openings 32A and 32B can be reliably directed upward to prevent the item T from falling off.

[0032] Furthermore, when only the connection part 4A of the end part 301 on one side where the opening 32A is formed is disconnected from the unmanned aerial vehicle U side, the opening 32A of the main body part 3 faces downward while maintaining its connection to the unmanned aerial vehicle U side at the connection part 4B of the other end part 302, and the item T can be released or removed to the outside through the opening 32A, making it easy to perform unpacking work (what is called rigging work with a crane), and ultimately allowing transportation work to be performed with high work efficiency.

[0033] Furthermore, by suspending the connecting parts 4A, 4B on both sides in the longitudinal direction, the article T stored in the internal space 35 (see FIG. 4) of the main body 3 is guided to the approximately U-shaped bottom 300 (see FIG. 6(b)), and since the main body 3 is deformed into an approximately U-shape, the bottom 300 of the main body 3 deformed into an approximately U-shape has a longitudinal dimension that follows the external shape of the article T in the stored attitude. Therefore, the article T is less likely to move in the internal space 35 of the main body 3 during flight, and is less likely to have an adverse effect on the control of the flight attitude.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, when the main body 3 is suspended by the connection parts 4A and 4B on both sides of the longitudinal direction, it deforms into an approximately U-shape, so that the width dimension of the bottom 300 does not become larger in the longitudinal direction than necessary for the item T. This reduces air resistance and the wind from the rotor of the unmanned aerial vehicle U located directly above, making it less likely to have a negative impact on flight.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 11, when the connecting parts 4A, 4B on both longitudinal sides of the main body 3 are suspended, the openings 32A, 32B on both longitudinal sides are open upward, and the main body 3 actively takes in air sent downward by the rotor of the unmanned aerial vehicle U. The taken-in air is then exhausted to the outside through an exhaust port 33 formed on the side of the main body 3. This effectively reduces the air resistance that the vehicle 1 experiences from the air sent downward by the rotor of the unmanned aerial vehicle U, making it less likely to adversely affect flight performance, particularly during ascent.

[0036] The pilot releases the item T from the carrier 1 at the second point B, and then returns the unmanned aerial vehicle U to the first point A. During the return, the carrier 1 is transported with the main body 3 hanging down in a straight line below the unmanned aerial vehicle U, as shown in Figure 12, because the linear member 41B on the other side is connected and fixed to the connector 22.

[0037] 3 and 12, a weight 36 is attached to the other longitudinal end 302 of the main body 3 of the carrier 1. This prevents the main body 3 from flapping in the wind when not holding an item T, and prevents the main body 3 from coming into contact with the unmanned aerial vehicle U during flight.

[0038] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0039] For example, in the above embodiment, the linear members 41A, 41B constituting the connection portions 4A, 4B are separate from the main body portion 3, but this is not limited to this. For example, the main body portion and the connection portions may be formed by cutting them out from a single sheet constituting the main body portion, thereby making the main body portion and the connection portions into one unit.

[0040] In addition, in the above embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle U is described as being equipped with a winch W and a hook device 2, but this is not limiting, and for example, the hook device may constitute a part of the carrier, or the winch and hook device may constitute a part of the carrier. In other words, for commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles that do not have these winches and hook devices, a carrier equipped with a winch, hook device, connection part, and main body part can be sold as a kit that enables the carrier to transport goods.

[0041] Furthermore, the shape of the main body 3 when spread out flat is not limited to a rectangle, but may be, for example, a square or a circle, or may be asymmetrical in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction.

[0042] Furthermore, the main body 3 is not limited to a type that can be spread out flat as in the above embodiment, but may be any flexible type that has a built-in frame such as a wire to maintain its cylindrical shape.

[0043] Furthermore, the connecting portions 4A, 4B are not limited to being attached to both longitudinal ends 301, 302, that is, both widthwise sides of the short sides 30, 30 of the main body 3, but may be attached only to the center of the short sides.

[0044] Furthermore, the connecting portions 4A, 4B on both longitudinal sides do not have to have the same configuration. For example, the connecting portion at the other end 302 may be configured with a ring member that connects the main body to the unmanned aerial vehicle instead of a linear member.

[0045] Furthermore, exhaust port 33 may be disposed anywhere on the main body, or may be disposed at multiple locations. For example, it may be disposed near the end of the main body so as to avoid the position of bottom 300.

[0046] Furthermore, the weight 36 may be disposed at any position in the longitudinal direction, or may be disposed at multiple positions.

[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the openings 32A, 32B are provided at the ends 301, 302 on both sides in the longitudinal direction, but this is not limited to this, and an opening may be provided only at one end in the longitudinal direction, and the connection portion of this end on one side may be detachably connected to the hook-shaped portion of the hook device.

[0048] Furthermore, the items transported using the transport device 1 are not limited to seedlings, but could also be materials made from trees cut down in the mountains, or any item that is large enough to be stored in the main body and heavy enough to be transported by the unmanned aerial vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1. Transportation equipment 2 Hook device 3 Main body 3a Connection hole 4A, 4B connection 20 Case 21,21 Uncinate part 22 Connector 30,30 short side (short side) 31,31 Long side (longitudinal) 32A,32B opening 33 Exhaust port 35 Interior Space 36 weight 41A, 41B Linear member 300 bottom G ground T Goods U unmanned aerial vehicle Winch Wa Wire

Claims

1. A carrier that enables the transportation of an item by being suspended from an unmanned aerial vehicle, the carrier includes a bag-shaped main body having an internal space, and connection portions at both ends of the main body that can be connected to the unmanned aerial vehicle, A transport device for an unmanned aerial vehicle, characterized in that an opening communicating with the internal space is formed at one end of the main body.

2. 2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portions are attached to four corners of the substantially rectangular main body portion.

3. 3. A carrier for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the main body has a short side and a long side.

4. 2. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an exhaust port is formed on a side of the main body.

5. 2. The carrier for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed at the other end of the main body.

6. 6. A carrier for an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a weight is attached to either of the ends of the main body.

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