Article holding tool for drone
The item holder with a truss structure and link mechanism on industrial drones maintains the item in a horizontal position, preventing obstacle detection and ensuring stable flight, addressing interference and balance issues.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2024089270
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2024-05-31
- Publication Date
- 2025-12-11
Smart Images
Figure 2025181338000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
[Technical Field]
[0001] The present invention relates to an item holder used for flying a drone while holding an item such as a camera in the space in front of the drone. [Background technology]
[0002] There has been known a technology in which a rod-shaped member is attached to the body of a drone so that it protrudes in the forward and backward directions, a camera or measuring device is attached to the tip of the forward protruding part, and a weight is attached to the tip of the rear protruding part, thereby making it possible to hold the above-mentioned item at a certain distance from the body of the drone and move it together with the drone. Representative examples of this technology are described in the following Patent Documents 1 and 2.
[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a drone configured such that a camera arm is connected to one of the propeller arms of the aircraft body, with a camera attached to its tip, and a counterweight arm is connected to the tip of the propeller arm extending in the opposite direction from the camera arm, with a counterweight (weight) attached to its tip.
[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which a through hole is provided in the body of a drone, a rod-shaped downward-extending holding fixture is inserted into this hole and supported so that it can slide up and down relative to the through hole, and the middle position of a rod-shaped horizontal holding fixture is connected to the lower end of this fixture, with an inspection device such as a noise sensor attached to one end of the latter holding fixture and an inspection device such as a weight or camera attached to the other end. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]
[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7088486 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-109083 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]
[0006] High-performance industrial drones are equipped with control systems that include sensors such as stereo cameras, ultrasonic sensors, acceleration sensors, and angular velocity sensors for attitude control and collision prevention. While this control system enables drones to fly safely, it can be difficult to approach the subject when the subject is attached to a wall, pillar, or other upright structure, or when such a structure is located nearby, hindering the drone's ability to capture images. For similar reasons, when moving measuring or cleaning equipment other than cameras close to the subject, it may not be possible to operate the equipment as intended.
[0007] The configurations disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have the potential to solve the above problems. However, the drone disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a special configuration in which a camera arm and a counterweight arm are connected to the tip of a propeller arm, and it is difficult to convert a drone with a general configuration to the configuration of Patent Document 1.
[0008] The configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2 appears to be applicable to general drones if the vertically extending hanging direction holder is connected to the drone's body via a mounting part or the like rather than penetrating the drone's body. However, with this configuration, when the drone changes speed or direction during flight, the vertical and horizontal holders may not be able to keep up with the movement, causing the drone's control system to recognize the balance as lost, potentially making it difficult to fly the drone normally. In general drones that do not have a control system designed to accommodate a hanging horizontal holder, the horizontal holder may be detected as an obstacle below. Therefore, the configuration of Patent Document 2 is also difficult to apply to general drones.
[0009] The present invention addresses the above-mentioned problems and aims to provide an item holder that can be attached to the body of a drone, allowing the drone to fly while maintaining the item to be held in the space in front of the drone's body without interfering with the drone's flight, and also making it possible to use the item to be held. [Means for solving the problem]
[0010] The article holder according to the present invention comprises an attachment part attached to the drone body in contact with a portion of the widthwise center of the bottom surface of the body, a long holding part, and a hanging part that is suspended from the attachment part together with the holding part to support the holding part. The article to be held (hereinafter referred to as "target article") is attached to the front end of the holding part, and a weight is attached to the rear end of the holding part. The hanging part includes the following three rod-shaped members (referred to as the front support member, rear support member, and connecting member, respectively) and a link mechanism that connects them.
[0011] The front support member has one end connected to a position forward of the center of the length of the holding portion and rearward of the attachment position of the target article, and the other end connected to the link mechanism. The rear support member has one end connected to a position behind the center of the length of the holding portion and in front of the mounting position of the weight, and the other end connected to the link mechanism. The connecting member is swingable back and forth and left and right relative to the mounting portion, and has one end connected to the bottom of the mounting portion and the other end connected to the link mechanism.
[0012] The link mechanism connects the other end of each of the front support member and the rear support member to the other end of the connecting member within the space above the holding portion.
[0013] With the above configuration, when the article holder attached to the drone is floating in the air together with the drone, the connecting member of the hanging part assumes a vertical position, the link mechanism connecting the connecting member to the front and rear support members is positioned directly below the drone body, and the holding part is supported by a truss structure made up of these three members. With this support, the holding part is suspended while maintaining a nearly horizontal position, with its length aligned with the front-to-rear direction of the drone body and protruding forward and backward from the body.
[0014] Furthermore, by setting the length of the connecting member connected to the bottom of the mounting part so that it exceeds the range of detection of obstacles below by the drone's control system, and by attaching the mounting part to the drone body so that it contacts a location in the center of the width direction of the bottom of the drone body where no sensor is attached, it is possible to prevent the sensor's detection surface from being blocked and to prevent the hanging part and holding part from being detected as obstacles below. Similarly, it is possible to prevent target objects held at the same height as the holding part from being detected as obstacles.
[0015] If you want to more accurately prevent the target item from being detected as an obstacle, or if there is some object in the space above the target item, you can set the position where the link mechanism connects the connecting member to the front and rear support members behind the center of the length of the holding part, making the part of the holding part that protrudes forward from the drone longer than the part that protrudes backward, and keeping the target item and surrounding objects away from the drone, thereby preventing them from being recognized as obstacles in front by the drone's control system.
[0016] If the drone's speed or direction of travel changes during flight, causing the drone's main body or the mounting part, which moves with the main body, to shift forward / backward or left / right relative to the hanging part, the connecting member of the hanging part will swing relative to the mounting part, maintaining a vertical orientation of the connecting member. This prevents the hanging part and holding part from tilting or swinging significantly during drone flight, preventing the drone's control system from recognizing an imbalance.
[0017] With the above configuration, the present invention allows the holding portion to protrude in front of and behind the drone's main body, and allows the drone to fly normally while maintaining the holding portion supported in a position close to horizontal. Furthermore, the present invention can provide the following embodiments.
[0018] In the first embodiment, the link mechanism includes a connecting member that rotatably supports the ends of the front support member and the rear support member that are connected to the link mechanism around an axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the members.
[0019] According to the first embodiment, when the drone completes its intended flight and descends, and the holding part or the target object at its tip comes into contact with the ground or the like, preventing the holding part from descending, a downward pressure is applied to the connecting member and link mechanism by the force of the drone attempting to descend further. This pressure is also transmitted to the rear end of the front support part and the front end of the rear support part, and the ends of these support members connected to the link mechanism rotate downward, allowing the link mechanism and connecting member to descend, and allowing the drone to continue descending.
[0020] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the front support member of the hanging unit can include a pair of front and rear rod members and an intermediate link mechanism that fits between the rod members and connects them. In response to a downward pressure being applied to the rear end of the rear rod member (the end connected to the link mechanism between the connecting member and the pair of rod members), the intermediate link mechanism displaces the front end of the rear rod member (the end connected to the intermediate link mechanism) and the rear end of the front rod member (the end also connected to the intermediate link mechanism) upward, changing the state in which both rod members are connected in a straight line to a state in which they are connected in a mountain shape.
[0021] With the above configuration, when a downward pressure is applied to the rear end of the rod member behind the front support as the drone descends, the front end of the rod member rises as the rod member begins to rotate, and the rear end of the front rod member connected to the front end via the intermediate link mechanism also rises, changing the rod members from a linear state to a mountain-like state. This change causes the rear end of the rear rod member and the link mechanism connected to it to descend to a position close to the holding part, and the connecting member is placed in an inclined position by the swing function described above, allowing the drone to descend to a height suitable for recovery.
[0022] In a second embodiment of the above-mentioned article holder, the holding portion includes a first rod member including a portion to which the target article is connected and a portion to which the front support member is connected, a pair of second rod members having equal lengths, and a pair of front and rear connecting members that connect both ends of the pair of second rod members so that they are aligned left and right at a predetermined interval with their respective lengths aligned in the front-to-rear direction. The rear end of the first rod member is connected to the front side of the front connecting member, and the end of the rear support member not connected to the link mechanism and a weight are connected to the back side of the rear connecting member. Furthermore, the three rod-shaped members of the support member are connected to the link mechanism in the space above the blank portion between the pair of second rod members.
[0023] According to the second embodiment, by setting the spacing between the pair of second rod members that form the rear portion of the holding unit to a length close to or greater than the width of the drone's body, it is possible to position the blank portion between the second rod members below the center of the width direction of the bottom surface of the body (a zone where sensors are likely to be installed). In addition to this setting, by making the second rod members sufficiently longer than the length of the drone's body in the front-to-rear direction, it is possible to position the pair of second rod members and the front and rear connecting members outside the detection range of the sensors on the bottom of the drone, and it is possible to prevent these members from being detected as obstacles by the drone's control system.
[0024] In a third embodiment of the above-mentioned item holder, a case body having a battery storage section at the rear end of the holding portion is connected together with or as the weight, and a cavity is formed in the holding portion that communicates with the case body and extends to the attachment position of the target item.
[0025] According to the third embodiment, if the item to be held is an equipment that operates by receiving power from an external source, power can be supplied to the item by passing a power cable connected to a battery housed in the case body at the rear end through the cavity of the holding section and leading it to the item. [Effects of the Invention]
[0026] According to the article holder of the present invention, the long holding section that holds the target article can be stably supported in a nearly horizontal position by the truss structure of the three rod-shaped members of the hanging section, and the hanging section and holding section can be prevented from being detected as obstacles by the drone and from affecting the balance control of the drone. Therefore, the target article can be held at a considerable distance from the front of the drone's main body, allowing the drone to fly normally and use the target article. To install this item holder, no settings need to be made on the drone itself; it can be used simply by attaching the mounting part to the drone body, so it can be easily installed on existing drones. [Brief explanation of the drawings]
[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a drone equipped with an article holder according to an embodiment of the present invention is flying. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a side view of the drone and the item holder in the above-mentioned flying state. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating the top surface of the article holder in the flying state. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the front of the article holder in the flying state. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the rear surface of the article holder in the flying state. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of an area including the upper portion of the mounting portion and the hanging portion. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are enlarged side and perspective views of the area including the bottom and upper link mechanisms of the mounting portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a first connecting member of the holding portion. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of a range including a second connecting member of the holding portion and a rear link mechanism. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are an enlarged side view and an enlarged perspective view of the three-way link mechanism of the hanging portion. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are enlarged side and perspective views of an intermediate link mechanism included in the front support member of the hanging unit; [Figure 12] 10 is a diagram showing the relationship between the shape of the article holder and the drone when the drone descends and lands. FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing examples of images taken by a camera held by the article holder. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0028] Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a drone D equipped with an article holder HL according to one embodiment of the present invention is flying, and Fig. 2 is a view showing one side of the drone D and the article holder HL. Fig. 3, like Figs. 1 and 2, is a top view showing the article holder HL when it is floating in the air together with the drone D (the drone is not shown). Figs. 4 and 5 are enlarged views of the article holder HL shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the left and right sides of Fig. 3.
[0029] The item holder HL in this embodiment is used for flying the drone D while holding a camera C in the space in front of the drone D, and for taking pictures with the camera C at appropriate locations. It comprises an attachment part 1 attached to the main body 100 of the drone D, a long holding part 2 that is directly involved in holding the camera C, a hanging part 3 that is suspended from the attachment part 1 together with the holding part 2 and supports the holding part 2, leg members 17 that are arranged in four locations, in front and behind both ends of the attachment part 1, an upper link mechanism 4 that connects the attachment part 1 and the hanging part 3, a front link mechanism 5 that connects the front end of the hanging part 3 to a position near the front end of the holding part 2, and a rear link mechanism 6 that connects the rear end of the hanging part 3 to a position near the rear end of the holding part 2.
[0030] In the following explanation, the surface appearing in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the right side, the surface appearing in Fig. 4 as the front, and the surface appearing in Fig. 5 as the back, and the front-to-back and left-to-right relationships between components will be represented by referring to the left-hand direction in Fig. 2 as the front and the right-hand direction as the rear. In addition to the above five figures, subsequent enlarged partial views (Figs. 6 to 11) will also be referenced as appropriate.
[0031] First, reference is made to Figs. 6 and 7, which show enlarged views of the upper part of the article holder HL. Figure 6 shows the configuration of the mounting part 1 of the article holder HL and its surrounding components, and the upper part of the hanging part 3 (the part located directly below the main body 100 of the drone D). Figure 7(A) is an enlarged view of the right side of the upper link mechanism 4 connecting the mounting part 1 and the hanging part 2 and its surroundings, and Figure 7(B) is a view of the same area as Figure 7(A) viewed obliquely from below.
[0032] The mounting part 1 of this embodiment includes a square bar-shaped base part 10 whose length exceeds the width (left-right width) of the bottom surface of the main body 100 of the drone D, and a holder part 11 that is integrally provided on the top surface of the base part 10. A central part 10c in the longitudinal direction of the base part 10 protrudes forward. The drone D is placed on the top surface of the central part 10c with the front of the main body 100 facing in the protruding direction.
[0033] Hereinafter, the central portion 10c of the base including the above-mentioned protruding portion will be referred to as the "drone mounting portion 10c." As shown in Figures 7(A) and (B) and Figures 4 and 5, a cylindrical joint 14 that forms part of the upper link mechanism 4 is integrally provided on the bottom side of the drone mounting section 10c.
[0034] 4 to 6, the holder section 11 includes standing sections 12a and 12b erected on both sides of the drone mounting section 10c, and a fastening member 13 connected to the upper end surfaces of these standing sections 12a and 12b. The upper end of each standing section 12a and 12b protrudes outward from the drone mounting section 10c, and a cylindrical hinge section 111 is provided on the right edge of the upper end surface of the right-hand standing section 12b.
[0035] The fastening member 13 includes a pair of connecting pieces 13a, 13b having a shape corresponding to the upper end surfaces of the upright portions 12a, 12b, and a main piece 13c that rises diagonally upward from these connecting pieces 13a, 13b and faces the base portion 10. The right connecting piece 13b includes a hinge piece 112 that engages with a hinge portion 111 of the upright portion 12b, and this hinge piece 112 is rotatably connected to the hinge portion 111. The left connecting piece 13a is placed on the upper end surface of the upright portion 12a and is connected to the upright portion 12a via a bolt (reference number omitted). However, the connection between the connecting piece 13a and the upright portion 12a is not limited to a bolt, and a pair of detachable connecting members may also be used.
[0036] Cubic joints 10a, 10b are integrally formed at both ends of the base 10 (see Figures 6, 7(A) and 7(B)). Connecting rods 15, 15 of a predetermined length are passed through these joints 10a, 10b, and rectangular parallelepiped joints 16 are connected to both ends of these connecting rods 15. The leg members 17 described above are connected to each joint 16 so as to hang down from them.
[0037] The connecting rod 15 and leg member 17 are made of pipe material and are fixed to the joints 10a, 10b, 16 by bolts (numbers omitted) that penetrate radially and nuts (not shown) that fasten the ends of the bolts.
[0038] The rod-shaped members (21, 22a, 22b, 231, 232, 311, 312, 321, 322, etc.) included in the holding unit 2 and the hanging unit 3 are also pipe materials, and like the connecting rod 15 and leg member 17 described above, they are connected to other members via joints. In this embodiment, carbon pipe materials are used as these pipe materials, but this is not limiting and aluminum or reinforced plastic pipe materials may also be used. Furthermore, for the rod-shaped members included in the components other than the holding unit 2, solid rod-shaped bodies may be used instead of pipe materials.
[0039] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the holding part 2 comprises a first rod member 21, which is the longest pipe member among the pipe members included in the article holder HL, second rod members 22a, 22b consisting of a pair of pipe members each having a length approximately half that of the first rod member 21, a first connecting member 23 connecting one end of the first rod member 21 to one end of each of the second rod members 22a, 22b, and a second connecting member 24 connecting the other end of each of the second rod members 22a, 22b, and is arranged with the first rod member 21 facing forward.
[0040] Camera C is connected to the front end of first rod member 21 via tubular joint 20 with a curved tip, and the front end of hanging unit 3 is connected via front link mechanism 5 to a position slightly rearward of the attachment position of joint 20. Weight W and the rear end of hanging unit 3 are connected to the back surface of second connecting member 24 via rear link mechanism 6.
[0041] Figure 8 is an enlarged view of the first connecting member 23 of the holding part 2 and portions of the rod members 21, 22a, and 22b in front and behind it. As shown in Figure 8, the first connecting member 23 is formed by a T-shaped joint 23c having three connecting holes (reference numerals omitted), a pair of connecting rods 231 and 232 each having one end inserted into a connecting hole facing each other in this joint 23c, and a pair of elbow joints 23a and 23b into which the other end of each connecting rod 231 and 232 is inserted. The connecting rods 231 and 232 are also made of pipe material.
[0042] The connecting holes of T-joint 23c into which connecting rods 231, 232 are not inserted face forward, and the rear end of first rod member 21 is inserted into these holes. The connecting holes of elbow joints 23a, 23b arranged on the left and right of T-joint 23c into which connecting rods 231, 232 are not inserted face rearward, and the front ends of second rod members 22a, 22b are inserted into these holes. Rod members 21, 22a, 22b and connecting rods 231, 232 are all fixed to joints 23c, 23a, 23b into which they are inserted by bolts (numbers omitted) inserted radially.
[0043] 9 is an enlarged view of the rear portion of the article holder HL, including the second connecting member 24 of the holder 2 and the rear link mechanism 6. As shown in this Fig. 9, the second connecting member 24 is formed by a rectangular parallelepiped case body 240, a pair of joints 24a, 24b provided integrally on the front surface of the case body 240, and a joint 24c provided in the center of the back surface of the case body 240.
[0044] Case body 240 is disposed with its long sides aligned in the left-right direction. Joints 24a and 24b are rectangular plates with through holes formed through their thickness, and are disposed with the through holes aligned in the front-to-rear direction and spaced apart at a distance equal to the distance between elbow joints 23a and 23b of first connecting member 23.
[0045] The joint 24c on the rear side of the case body 240 functions as one element of the rear link mechanism 6. The form of the joint 24c is the same as the joints 24a and 24b on the front side, and they are also the same in that the through-hole is disposed with its penetration direction facing the front-rear direction.
[0046] Although not shown in the figure, through holes communicating with the holes of each joint 24a, 24b are also provided in the front surface of the case body 240. The rear ends of the second rod members 22a, 22b are passed through the through holes of the joints 24a, 24b, respectively, and are fixed to the joints 24a, 24b by being in contact with the open end faces of the through holes on the case body 240 side.
[0047] The pair of second rod members 22a, 22b are supported in a parallel relationship with a fixed gap between them in the space between the first and second connecting members 23, 24 by the first connecting member 23 and the second connecting member 24 (see FIG. 3). The internal holes of the second rod members 22a, 22b communicate with the internal space of the case body 240, and the holes of the second rod members 22a, 22b and the holes of the first member 21 are connected via the first connecting member 23, forming a cavity that extends over almost the entire area of the holding part 2.
[0048] Although not shown, the case body 240 of the second connecting member 24 houses a battery that serves as the external power source (DC power source) for the camera C and a circuit board on which a wireless communication circuit is mounted. A slot 241 is provided on the right side of the case body 240, through which a USB terminal 242 mounted on the circuit board is exposed. The USB terminal 242 is electrically connected to the battery, and the battery can be charged by connecting the USB terminal 242 to an external power source via a power cable when the drone D is not flying. The wireless communication circuit operates by receiving power from the battery and establishes a wireless environment necessary for the camera C to communicate with a communication terminal device (such as a personal computer or smartphone) on the ground. In addition to the slot 241 and the through-hole on the front, the case body 240 can also be provided with holes (with lids) for inserting and removing the circuit board, ventilation holes, etc.
[0049] A cable (not shown) for supplying power to camera C is also connected to the battery inside case body 240. This cable is pulled out from one of the through holes on the front surface of case body 240, enters second rod member 22a or 22b connected to said hole, passes through first connecting member 23, enters the hole in first rod member 21, is led to camera C at the tip, and is connected to the power terminal of camera C. In other words, the cavity inside holding part 2 functions as a passage for the cable.
[0050] With the power supply via the above cable and the wireless environment provided by the wireless communication circuit inside the case body 240, it is possible to operate camera C by remote control from a communication terminal device on the ground, send images captured by camera C to the communication terminal device, and check the captured images in real time or record the captured images on the communication terminal device.
[0051] Referring back to Figures 1 and 2. The hanging section 3 includes a front support member 31 connected to the first rod member 21 of the holding section 2, a rear support member 32 connected to the second rod members 22a, 22b, a connecting member 33 for connecting these support members 31, 32 to the mounting section 1, and a link mechanism 30 (hereinafter referred to as the "three-way link mechanism 30") that connects the connecting member 33 to each support member 31, 32 at a position behind the longitudinal center position of the space above the holding section 2.
[0052] The front support member 31 includes a pair of front and rear rod members 311, 312 and a link mechanism 310 connecting them. The rear support member 32 also includes a pair of front and rear rod members 321, 322 and a link mechanism 320 connecting them. Hereinafter, the front rod members 311, 321 of each support member 31, 32 will be referred to as the "front members 311, 321," the rear rod members 312, 322 will be referred to as the "rear members 312, 322," and the link mechanisms 310, 320 will be referred to as the "intermediate link mechanisms 310, 320."
[0053] 4 to 6, the connecting member 33 is configured by connecting a universal joint 34 to one end of a rod member 35 made of a pipe material. One joint Pu of the universal joint 34 is connected to the joint 14 on the bottom surface of the mounting part 1, and the other joint Pd is connected to the rod member 35. These connections form the upper link mechanism 4, and the connecting member 33 is connected to the bottom surface of the mounting part 1 so as to be able to swing back and forth and left and right relative to the mounting part 1 and the main body 100 of the drone D.
[0054] Fig. 10(A) is an enlarged right side view of the three-way link mechanism 30, and Fig. 10(B) is an enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the three-way link mechanism 30 as seen from diagonally below. As shown in these figures and Fig. 6, the three-way link mechanism 30 includes a pair of front and rear joints 305, 306 and a hinged joint 300.
[0055] The joints 305 and 306 have a configuration in which solid connecting rods 307 and 308 are integrally provided on one end surface of a cylindrical main body (the same applies to the joints 314, 324, 51 and 62 described later). The hinged joint 300 has a cylindrical base 301 having the same shape as the joints 305, 306, a pillar 302 connected to an area of a predetermined width including the center of one end face of the base 301, and a pair of hinge pieces 303, 304 connected to both side faces of the pillar 302 and protruding from the front and rear of the pillar 302 (see FIGS. 10(A) and 10(B)). The hinged joint 300 is placed between the other two joints 305, 306, with the base 301 facing upward and the hinge pieces 303, 304 facing each other in the left-right direction and with the protruding direction of the hinge pieces 303, 304 aligned along the front-to-rear direction.
[0056] The connecting rod 307 on the joint 305 side is inserted between the protruding portions on the front side of the hinge pieces 303, 304 of the hinged joint 300, and is connected to the hinge pieces 303, 304 via hinge pins (reference numerals omitted). The connecting rod 308 on the joint 306 side is inserted between the protruding portions on the rear side of the hinge pieces 303, 304, and is similarly connected to the hinge pieces 303, 304 via hinge pins (reference numerals omitted).
[0057] A rod member 35 of the connecting member 33 is inserted from above into the base 301 of the hinged joint 300. A rear member 312 of the front support member 31 is inserted into the front joint 305, and a front member 321 of the rear support member 32 is inserted into the rear joint 306. These members 35, 312, and 321 are bolted to the inserted joints 300, 305, and 306, and are connected to each other via these joints. In addition, because the connecting rods 307 and 308 of the joints 305 and 306 are rotatably connected to the hinged joint 300, the rear member 311 and the front member 321 also rotate in the same direction as the connecting rods 307 and 308 rotate.
[0058] 11(A) is an enlarged right side view of the intermediate link mechanism 310 that connects the front member 311 and the rear member 312 of the front support member 31, and Fig. 11(B) is an enlarged perspective view showing the configuration of the intermediate link mechanism 310 as seen from diagonally below. As shown in both figures, the intermediate link mechanism 310 has a joint 314 (having the same shape as the joints 305 and 306 of the three-way link mechanism 30) on the front side, with a solid connecting rod 316 integrally formed on one end face, and a specially shaped joint 315 that is longer than the joint 314 on the rear side.
[0059] Joint 315 has a configuration in which a portion of one end face of a cylindrical body and a portion of the peripheral wall connected to that portion are cut out, with a hole h0 formed in the cutout portion as the opening end face (see FIG. 11(B)). A pair of elongated holes (through holes) h1, h1 extending along the length of joint 315 and facing each other are formed in the peripheral wall of joint 315 at a location corresponding to the hole h0. Joint 315 is disposed behind cylindrical joint 314, with its length aligned along the front-to-rear direction, the elongated holes h1, h1 facing each other in the left-to-right direction, and the open end face of hole h0 facing forward and downward.
[0060] Joint 314 is disposed with connecting rod 316 facing backward, and a predetermined area of connecting rod 316, including its tip, is inserted into bore hole h0 of joint 315. A circular through-hole (not shown) having a diameter slightly smaller than the width of the oblong hole h1 is formed at the tip of connecting rod 316. This through-hole is aligned with oblong hole h1, and hinge pin 313 of a length corresponding to the distance between the left and right oblong holes h1, h1 is passed through the through-hole, and hinge pin 313 is fixed to connecting rod 316 such that both ends of hinge pin 313 are maintained within the left and right oblong holes h1, h1. By being supported between oblong holes h1, h1 by hinge pin 313 in this way, connecting rod 316 is able to move back and forth relative to joint 315 and is also able to rotate around the axis of hinge pin 313 within bore hole h0.
[0061] A blind hole (not shown) that opens on the rear side is also provided in the area rearward of the bore hole h0 of the joint 315. The front end of the rear member 312 is inserted into this hole, and the rear member 312 is fixed to the joint 315 by a bolt (reference number omitted) that is inserted along the radial direction of the rear member 312. The rear end of the front member 311 is inserted into the joint 314, and the front member 311 is fixed to the joint 314 by a bolt (reference number omitted) that is similarly inserted along the radial direction of the front member 311.
[0062] 11(A) and 11(B) are enlarged views of the connection between the front member 311 and the rear member 312 when the drone D shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is flying. At this time, the connecting rod 316 of the joint 314 is located near the center of the length of the cutout hole h0, and the hinge pin 313 abuts against the front edge of the elongated hole h1. Therefore, the joint 315 and the rear member 312 fixed thereto can be moved forward, and the connecting rod 316 and the front member 311 connected thereto can also be rotated.
[0063] Referring again to FIG. 9, the configuration of the intermediate link mechanism 320 of the rear support member 32 and the rear link mechanism 6 that connects the rear support member 32 and the holding part 2 will be described.
[0064] The intermediate link mechanism 320 of the rear support member 32 includes a joint 324 in the form of a solid connecting rod 326 integrally provided on one end surface of a cylindrical body, and a hinged joint 325 located behind it. The connecting rod 326 of the joint 324 faces rearward, and its tip is inserted between two hinge pieces (reference numerals omitted) facing each other in the left-right direction of the hinged joint 325, and is connected to these via a hinge pin (reference numerals omitted). The front member 321 of the rear support member 32 is inserted into the joint 324, and the rear member 322 of the rear support member 32 is inserted into the joint 325. These members 321, 322 are fixed to the inserted joints 324, 325 with bolts (reference numerals omitted).
[0065] The rear link mechanism 6 includes a joint 24c on the back of the case body 240 mentioned above, a hinged joint 60, a connecting pipe material (not shown) that is longer than this joint 60, a cylindrical joint 61 integrally formed on the front surface of the weight W, and a cylindrical joint 62 connected to the rear end of the hanging part 3.
[0066] The hinged joint 60 has a pair of hinge pieces 601, 602 erected on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical main part (reference numeral omitted), and is disposed behind the joint 24c with the hinge pieces 601, 602 facing upward and facing each other in the left-right direction. The connecting pipe material is passed through the main part of the joint 60 so as to protrude from both ends of the main part and is fixed to the main part, with the part protruding forward fixed to the joint 24c of the case body 24 and the part protruding rearward fixed to the joint 61 in front of the weight W.
[0067] A connecting rod 63 is also integrally provided on one end surface of the main body of joint 62. This connecting rod 63 is directed rearward, and its tip portion is inserted between each of hinge pieces 601, 602 of hinged joint 60 (see FIG. 5), and is connected to each of hinge pieces 601, 602 via hinge pins (reference numeral omitted). The rear member 322 of the rear support member 32 of the hanging unit 3 is inserted into joint 62, and is fixed to said joint 62 by bolts (reference numeral omitted).
[0068] With the above-described connection structure, the rear member 322 of the rear support member 32 of the hanging unit 3 is supported at both ends by the joint 325 of the intermediate link mechanism 320 and the joint 62 of the rear link mechanism 6, and the rear end is supported so as to be rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction. The rear end of the front member 321 of the rear support member 32 is also supported by the intermediate link mechanism 320 so as to be rotatable around an axis along the left-right direction.
[0069] The front link mechanism 5 that connects the front support member 31 of the hanging unit 3 and the first rod member 21 of the holding unit 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, with an enlarged illustration omitted. The front link mechanism 5 includes a hinged joint 50 attached to the first rod member 21, and a cylindrical joint 51 attached near the front end of the front support member 31. Similar to the joint 60 of the rear link mechanism 6, the hinged joint 50 has a pair of hinge pieces standing on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical main part, and the first rod member 21 is inserted through the hinge pieces with each hinge piece facing upward and facing opposite each other in the left-right direction. The first rod member 21 is fixed to this joint 50, and the tip of the part of the joint 50 that protrudes forward is fixed to the joint 20 for the camera.
[0070] Similar to joint 62 of the rear link mechanism 6, joint 51 also has a form in which a connecting rod is integrally provided on one end surface, and this connecting rod is directed forward and inserted between each hinge piece of hinged joint 50, and is rotatably connected to them. The front end of front member 311 of front support member 31 of the hanging unit 3 is inserted into the body of joint 51, and this front end is fixed to joint 51 with a bolt.
[0071] According to the above-described configuration, when the entire article holder HL is floating in the air together with the drone D, tension generated in the connecting member 33 causes the connecting member 33 to extend vertically, as shown in Fig. 2. The front support member 31 and the rear support member 32 connected to the connecting member 33 via the three-way link mechanism 30 are highest at the connected position and assume an inclined posture in which they displace downward as they move away from the connected position. The support members 31, 32 and the connecting member 33 in this inclined posture form a truss structure that supports the holder 2.
[0072] The connecting member 33 is connected to the mounting unit 1 and the main body 100 of the drone D by a link mechanism 4 including a universal joint 34 at its upper end so that it can swing back and forth and left and right (see Figures 4 to 7). Therefore, if the main body 100 of the drone D or the mounting unit 1 shifts forward and backward or left and right relative to the hanging unit 3 due to an event such as a change in the speed or direction of travel of the drone D, the joint Pu on the mounting unit 1 side of the universal joint 34 rotates so as to tilt in the direction of the shift, while the other joint Pd and rod member 35 are maintained in a position extending along the vertical direction. This action also maintains the position of the front and rear support members 31, 32 and the holding unit 1.
[0073] The component included in the link mechanism 4 of the connecting member 33 is not limited to the universal joint 34, and other connecting members capable of generating the above-mentioned action may be used.
[0074] The rear end of the front support member 31 and the front end of the rear support member 32 of the hanging unit 3 are rotatably connected to hinged joint 300 of three-way link mechanism 30 via joints 305, 306, respectively, around axes that extend in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of each support member 31, 32 (left-right direction). The ends of each support member 31, 32 that are not connected to three-way link mechanism 30 are also rotatably connected to hinged joints 50, 60 of front link mechanism 5 and rear link mechanism 6 via joints 51, 62, respectively, around axes that extend in a direction perpendicular to the length direction of each support member 31, 32 (left-right direction). Due to these connecting structures, when drone D completes its intended flight and descends, and a downward pressure is applied to the three-way link mechanism 30 as it descends, the rear end of the forward support member 31 and the front end of the rear support member 32 rotate in the direction that they each descend, and this rotation allows the three-way link mechanism 30 and the connecting member 33 to descend, allowing drone D to continue its descent.
[0075] Furthermore, by making the rear member 312 of the front support member 31, which extends long toward the front side of the main body 100 of the drone D, movable forward together with the joint 315 of the intermediate link mechanism 310, and by rotatably connecting the front member 311 to the joint 315, the shape of the front support member 31 can be significantly changed when the drone D descends, making it easier for the drone D to descend.
[0076] When drone D descends and camera C attached to the front end of holder 2 comes into contact with reference plane S, and holder 2 is no longer able to descend, a downward pressing force is applied to three-way link mechanism 30 as drone D continues to descend. Due to this pressing force, the ends of connecting rods 307, 308 of front and rear joints 305, 306 of three-way link mechanism 30 that are connected to hinged joint 303 begin to rotate in the downward direction, and rear member 312 of front support member 31 and front member 321 of rear support member 32 also begin to rotate in the same direction as connecting rods 307, 308.
[0077] In the front support member 31, in response to the above rotation, the front end of the rear member 312 attempts to rise together with the joint 315, and the upward force caused by this movement is transmitted to the connecting rod 316 and the rear end of the front member 311 via the joint 315. As a result, the connecting rod 316 rotates upward inside the borehole h0 of the joint 315, and the front member 311 also rotates in a direction that causes its rear end to rise. In accordance with this movement, the rear member 312 shifts forward and rotates so that its front end is higher and its rear end is lower.
[0078] As the rear member 312 is displaced as described above, the components connected to the rear member 312 (the three-way link mechanism 30, the lower end of the connecting member 33, the front end of the rear support member 32, etc.) are also pulled forward. As the lower end of the connecting member 33 is pulled forward, the joint Pd below the universal joint 34 rotates, and the connecting member 33 assumes an inclined position with its lower end shifted forward. Following this displacement, the three-way link mechanism 30 also moves forward, and the rear support member 32 also rotates in a direction in which its front end lowers while moving forward.
[0079] Figure 12 shows the entire drone D and object support device HL when the drone D, to which the item holder HL is attached, descends and the legs 17 come into contact with the reference surface S (the ground or the floor surface of a building) in the space in which the drone D is flying, and also shows an enlarged view of the intermediate link mechanism 310 of the forward support member 31 at this time.
[0080] As described above, the connecting member 33 and the rear support member 32 change shape while moving forward in response to the rotation of the front support member 31, so the front support member 31 rotates smoothly without receiving resistance from them, and the connection state between the front member 311 and the rear member 312 of the front support member 31 changes from a linear connection state to a mountain-like connection state, as shown in FIG. 12. The three-way link mechanism 30 assumes an inclined position with its lower end shifted forward and stops in the vicinity of the first connecting member 23 of the holding unit 2. The rear support member 32, which does not have a link mechanism that significantly changes the relationship between the front and rear rod members 321, 322, ultimately assumes a gently inclined position with its rear end slightly higher than its front end, and is positioned at a height close to the reference plane S.
[0081] In this embodiment, the width of the hole h0 of the joint 315 of the intermediate link mechanism 310 and the length of the elongated hole h1 are adjusted so that the displacement of the front and rear rod members 311, 312 of the front support member 31 continues at least until each leg member 17 comes into contact with the reference surface S. By making these adjustments, the drone D can be lowered until each leg member 17 comes into contact with the reference surface S and enters an upright state, as shown in FIG. 12. By raising each leg member 17 to the reference surface S, the base 10 of the mounting unit 1 assumes a horizontal position, and the drone D can be stably maintained on the drone mounting unit 10c.
[0082] Changing the shape of the front support member 31 in response to the descent of drone D or connecting legs 17 to the mounting unit 1 are not essential requirements of the present invention. However, in order to ensure the strength of the truss structure so that first rod member 21 of holding unit 2 protrudes to a position considerably away from drone D and the protruding portion is supported in a nearly horizontal position, it is necessary to connect the three rod members 31, 32, and 33 at a height considerably away from holding unit 2, and connecting member 33 also needs to be of a certain length so that the suspending unit 3 is not detected as an obstacle by the control system of drone D. In this case, when holding unit 2 descends to near reference plane S and can no longer descend further, drone D will still be at a fairly high position, and it may be difficult to descend drone D to a height suitable for recovery if the truss structure of suspending unit 3 is maintained.
[0083] In such a case, the above-mentioned deformation of the front support member 31 and the rear support member 32 allows the drone D to descend close to the reference surface S, and the leg member 17 connected to the mounting part 1 including the drone mounting part 10c can be raised on the reference surface S to support the descending drone D, thereby making it possible to easily recover both the drone D and the item holder HL without risk of damaging them.
[0084] When attaching the above-described article holder HL to the main body 100 of the drone D for the first time, each leg member 17 is raised on a flat surface such as the reference surface S to make the article holder HL in the same form as that shown in Figure 12, the fastening member 13 of the holder part 11 is disconnected from the standing part 12 to leave the holder part 11 in an open state, the part of the bottom of the main body 100 of the drone D where sensors are not installed is placed on the drone mounting part 10c of the mounting part 1, and the fastening member 13 is connected to the standing part 12.
[0085] When drone D, to which article holder HL is attached, begins to ascend and suspending unit 3 is pulled up, lower joint Pd of universal joint 34 rotates rearward, and connecting member 33 assumes a vertical position. Accompanying this change, front support member 31 is pulled rearward, causing front member 311 and rear member 312 to rotate in the opposite direction to when descending, resulting in a linear connection with each other, each assuming an inclined position that increases in height as they approach three-way link mechanism 300. Rear support member 32 is also pushed rearward and rotates with its front end side raised, resulting in front member 321 and rear member 322 assuming an inclined position that increases in height as they approach three-way link mechanism 300, resulting in a linear connection with each other. These changes result in suspending unit 3 assuming the configuration shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and together with suspending unit 3, it supports holding unit 2, which is floating in the air.
[0086] Even if the suspending unit 3 or the holding unit 2 shifts position forward, backward, or left and right relative to the main body of the drone D when the direction of flight of the drone D changes and the main body 100 of the drone D tilts, or when the speed of the drone D changes, the action of the universal joint 34 described above causes the connecting member 33 to swing relative to the mounting unit 1, maintaining the vertical orientation of the rod member 35, so there is no significant change in the orientation of the suspending unit 3 or the holding unit 2. Therefore, there is no risk of the suspending unit 3 or the holding unit 2 tilting or swinging significantly during flight of the drone D, causing the drone D to lose balance, and the drone D can continue flying while changing its speed and direction of flight as controlled. During this flight, the holding unit 2 of the item holder HL is stably supported in a nearly horizontal orientation, allowing for easy photography with the camera C.
[0087] During flight, the upper link member 4 and connecting member 33 are positioned in the space below the main body 100 of the drone D where no sensors are installed, the leg member 17 is positioned outside the main body 100 of the drone D, and the second rod members 22a, 22b and connecting members 23, 24 of the holding part 2 are also positioned outside the zone where sensors on the bottom of the main body 100 are likely to be installed, thereby preventing these from being detected as obstacles by the control system of the drone D.
[0088] Furthermore, by setting the length of the connecting member 33 to a length that exceeds the range of detection of obstacles below by the control system, it is possible to extremely reduce the possibility that the three-way linkage 30 and the components below it will be detected as obstacles. The front end of the holding part 2 and the camera C are also positioned far enough in front of the drone D and below the drone D, so there is no risk that they will be detected as obstacles by the control system.
[0089] As described above, the article holder HL of this embodiment has the function of preventing the drone D from assuming a posture that would cause it to lose balance or being detected as an obstacle, and can stably support the holder 2, which has a camera C attached to its front end. Therefore, there is no need to modify the control system of the drone D to take into account the presence of the article holder HL. Simply attaching the article holder HL to the main body of the drone D in the manner described above allows the drone D to fly as intended while holding the camera C at a position away from the drone D and to operate the camera C as appropriate. When starting or ending flight, the universal joint 34 of the link mechanism 4 can be used to change the posture of the connecting member 33, thereby quickly changing the configuration of the front support member 31 and the rear support member 32 and switching between a posture when floating in the air ( FIG. 2 ) and a posture when not floating in the air ( FIG. 12 ). Even after flight ends, the latter posture can be maintained and the drone D can be stably supported while still attached to the main body 100 of the drone D.
[0090] 13 shows an example in which a camera C held by the article holder HL of the above embodiment is photographing a photographing target object 71 that is located on a stepped portion of a wall of a standing structure 70. If an attempt is made to photograph this target object 71 using only a drone D, the wall 70a behind the target object 71 is likely to be recognized as an obstacle, making close-up photography impossible. However, with a drone D equipped with an article holder HL, the camera C can be brought close to the target object 71 to photograph it while keeping the main body 100 of the drone D sufficiently far from the wall 70a. The target object 71 and the lower wall 70b of the standing structure 70 are also sufficiently far from the front and bottom of the main body 100 of the drone D, so there is no risk of them being recognized as obstacles.
[0091] In this embodiment, the camera C is connected to a joint 20 whose front end is curved rearward and diagonally downward, so that it can photograph the object 71 from a direction that cannot be photographed with the camera that is standardly installed on the drone D, as shown in Figure 13.
[0092] However, the above-described shape of joint 20 is merely an example, and the desired shooting can be achieved by changing the direction of the tip of joint 20 or by replacing it with a joint of a different shape depending on the purpose of shooting. The camera C itself can also be changed to one with a body that can be freely bent.
[0093] This concludes the description of the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 13, and a modification of this embodiment (hereinafter referred to as the "main embodiment") will now be described.
[0094] In the main embodiment, the holding unit 2 is divided into two components, a front and a rear, and the rear component is configured as a pair of rods 22a, 22b arranged in parallel with a predetermined distance apart. However, if the connecting member 33 is set to a length that exceeds the obstacle detection range of the drone D, the main component of the holding unit 2 can be a single pipe or a series of pipes connected together, without dividing it into front and rear components. A component corresponding to the case body 24 of the main embodiment can be connected to the rear end of the holding unit 2, with its length aligned along the front-to-rear direction. Even in this case, a cable connected to the battery inside the case body can be passed through a hole (cavity) in the pipe material and led to the camera C, electrically connecting the camera C to the battery. Furthermore, in this modification, the weight W at the rear end can be omitted by providing the case body with a weight that balances the load on the front side or by integrating a weight into the case body.
[0095] The portion of the holding unit 2 that protrudes forward from the main body 100 of the drone D can also be made longer by using a longer pipe or a connection of multiple pipes than those shown in the main embodiment. In this case, the distance between the connection point (front link mechanism 5) between the front support member 31 of the hanging unit 3 and the holding unit 2 and the front end where the camera C is attached can also be longer than that shown in the main embodiment. Conversely, when the drone D is raised to a height where the subject to be photographed is not detected as an obstacle below, if there are no other objects in the space above the subject to be photographed and there is no possibility of any object getting between that space and the drone D, the holding unit 2 can be made shorter than that of the main embodiment. For example, by setting the connection positions of the rod-shaped members 31, 32, and 33 of the three-way link member 30 of the hanging unit 3 to positions facing near the center of the length of the holding unit 2, the length of the portion of the holding unit 2 that protrudes forward from the main body of the drone D can be made approximately the same as the length of the portion that protrudes rearward. In this case, if the horizontal position of the holding portion 2 can be maintained by adjusting the weight of the weight W, the connecting positions of each rod-shaped member 31, 32, 33 may be opposed to each other at a position slightly forward of the center of the length of the holding portion 2.
[0096] In the main embodiment, the mounting part 1 is used in a form that is attached to the entire periphery of the main body 100 of the drone D at a predetermined position in the front-to-rear direction, but if the base 10 of this mounting part 1 or the upright parts 12a, 12b of the holder 11 can be fixed to the main body 100 by a method such as bolting or welding, the mounting part 1 can also be attached only to the bottom and both side surfaces of the main body 100, for example, by eliminating the fastening member 13 or the upper parts of the upright parts 12a, 12b. If the mounting strength can be ensured, the mounting part 1 can also be only the base 10.
[0097] The leg members 17 are also not essential components and can be omitted. If the leg members 17 are omitted, there is no need for the base 10 of the mounting unit 1 to protrude to the left and right of the main body 100 of the drone D, and the drone mounting unit 10c is also unnecessary. Therefore, the mounting unit 1 can be a belt-like member that is connected to the main body 100 of the drone D by wrapping it around and tightening it. Alternatively, a plate member of a size corresponding to the portion of the center of the bottom surface of the main body 100 of the drone D where no sensor is installed can be used as the mounting unit 1, and the plate member can be fixed to an appropriate location on the bottom surface of the main body 100. A joint can be integrated into the fixing member, and the universal joint 34 of the connecting member 33 can be connected to the joint.
[0098] Even if the shape of the mounting part 1 and the holding part 2 is changed except for the leg member 17, by connecting the holding part 2 to the mounting part 1 via a hanging part 3 having the same configuration as in the main embodiment, the holding part 2 can be stably supported in a position close to a horizontal position without interfering with the flight of the drone D.
[0099] Even if the leg member 17 or the drone mounting portion 10c is eliminated, if the connection state between the first member 311 and the second member 312 of the forward support portion 31 is changed from a linear state to a mountain-like state in response to the downward pressure applied to the connecting member 33 and the three-way link mechanism 30 when the drone D is lowered, the drone D can be lowered together with the three-way link mechanism 30 and the connecting member 33 to near the reference plane S and then recovered by being caught by the user's hands.
[0100] In an embodiment excluding the leg members 17, provided that the drone D can be lowered to a height that is within the reach of the user, the shape of the front support part 31 of the hanging unit 3 may not be changed from a straight shape to a mountain shape, but may be changed to an inclined posture in which the rear end connected to the three-way link mechanism 30 descends and the front end connected to the camera C rises in response to the descent of the drone D. In this case, the front support part 31 may be changed to a configuration in which both ends of a single rod member are connected to the three-way link mechanism 30 and the front link mechanism 5.
[0101] The rear support portion 32 may also be modified to have a configuration in which both ends of a single rod member are connected to the three-way link mechanism 30 and the rear link mechanism 6 without providing the intermediate link mechanism 320 .
[0102] In both the various modified examples and the main embodiment, the object held by the item holder HL is not limited to the camera C, but measuring equipment including a predetermined type of sensor, cleaning equipment, chemical spraying equipment, etc. can also be attached to and held at the front end of the holder 2. In either case, the drone D can fly normally while maintaining the equipment held, and power can be supplied to the held equipment from a battery housed in the rear case body, allowing the user to perform the intended task by remotely operating the equipment. [Explanation of symbols]
[0103] D Drone C Camera W weight HL article holder 1 Mounting part 2 Holding part 3 Hanging part 4 Upper link mechanism 5. Forward link mechanism 6 Rear link mechanism 10 base 11 Holder part 21 1st bar member 22 Second bar member 23 First connecting member 24 Second connecting member 30 Three-way link mechanism 31 Front support member 32 Rear support member 33 Connecting members 34 Universal joint 35 Bar member 100 Drone body 240 Case body 300 hinged joint 310 Intermediate link mechanism of front support member 311 Front member of front support member 312 Rear member of front support member
Claims
1. The drone comprises an attachment part attached to the drone body in a state of contacting a part of the widthwise center of the bottom surface of the drone body, a long holding part to the front end of which an item to be held is attached and a weight is attached to the rear end, and a hanging part that is hung from the attachment part together with the holding part and supports the holding part, The hanging portion is a rod-shaped front support member having one end connected to a position forward of the center of the length of the holding portion and rearward of the attachment position of the article to be held; a rod-shaped rear support member having one end connected to a position behind the center of the holding portion in the longitudinal direction and in front of the attachment position of the weight; a rod-shaped connecting member that is swingable back and forth and left and right relative to the mounting portion and has one end connected to a bottom of the mounting portion; a link mechanism that connects an end portion of each of the front support member and the rear support member that is not connected to the holding portion and an end portion of the connecting member that is not connected to the mounting portion within a space above the holding portion; Equipped with an item holder for drones.
2. The link mechanism includes a connecting member that supports the ends of the front support member and the rear support member that are connected to the link mechanism so as to be rotatable around an axis that is aligned in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the members.
2. An article holder for a drone according to claim 1.
3. The front support member has a pair of front and rear rod members and an intermediate link mechanism that is inserted between the rod members and connects them together, In response to a downward pressing force being applied to the rear end of the rear bar member of the pair of bar members, the intermediate link mechanism displaces the front end of the rear bar member and the rear end of the front bar member upward, thereby changing the state in which both bar members are connected in a straight line to a state in which they are connected in a mountain shape.
3. An article holder for a drone according to claim 2.
4. The holding portion includes a first rod member including a portion to which the article to be held is connected and a portion to which the front support member is connected, a pair of second rod members having equal lengths, and a pair of front and rear connecting members connecting both end portions of the pair of second rod members so that the length directions of the pair of second rod members are aligned in the front-rear direction and are arranged left and right at a predetermined interval, a rear end of the first rod member is connected to a front side of a front connecting member of the pair of connecting members, and an end of the rear support member not connected to the link mechanism and the weight are connected to a back side of a rear connecting member, The front and rear support members and the connecting member of the hanging portion are connected to the link mechanism within a space above the blank portion between the pair of second rod members.
2. An article holder for a drone according to claim 1.
5. The item to be held is a device that operates when connected to an external power source, a case body having a storage section for a battery serving as the external power source is connected to a rear end of the holding section together with or as the weight; The holding portion has a cavity formed therein that communicates with the case body and extends to an attachment position of the article to be held.
2. An article holder for a drone according to claim 1.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
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