Suspension device and cargo transport method

Abstract

The present invention provides a suspension device and a cargo transport method for efficiently transporting multiple loads to different destinations using an aircraft. [Solution] The suspension device has a main body attached to an aircraft and a plurality of hooks, the hooks being switchable between a gripping state and an open state, being in a gripping state when a load is applied and in an open state when no load is applied, and the plurality of hooks are attached to the main body at intervals from each other. The cargo transport method uses the aircraft equipped with the above suspension device, connecting the upper ends of suspension straps of different lengths to the plurality of hooks, connecting the cargo to the lower ends of the suspension straps, and flying the aircraft to land the cargo at a predetermined destination in order, starting with the cargo connected to the longest suspension strap.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a suspension device for suspending a load on an aircraft and a load transportation method using an aircraft equipped with this suspension device.

Background Art

[0002] In some cases, a load is suspended and transported by an unmanned aircraft (also referred to as a UAV or drone) that has become popular in recent years. Usually, as shown in Patent Document 1, one aircraft suspends and transports one load.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Conventionally, when transporting a plurality of loads from a base to different locations, the following methods have been used. The first method is a method in which an aircraft transports each load to its respective destination one by one. The second method is a method in which a plurality of loads are combined into one, and then transported to one destination by an aircraft, and then the remaining destinations are transported by another means. However, both methods were inefficient.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a suspension device and a load transportation method for efficiently transporting a plurality of loads to different destinations by an aircraft.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention relates to a suspension device for suspending a load from an aircraft, comprising a main body attached to the aircraft and a plurality of hooks, wherein the hooks are switchable between a gripping state and an open state, becoming gripped when a load is applied and open when no load is applied, and the plurality of hooks are attached to the main body at intervals from each other.

[0007] The present invention relates to a method for transporting luggage using an aircraft equipped with the suspension device of the present invention, characterized in that the upper ends of suspension strings of different lengths are connected to a plurality of hooks, the luggage is connected to the lower ends of each suspension string, the aircraft is flown, and the luggage is landed at a predetermined destination in order, starting with the luggage connected to the longest suspension string.

[0008] A load is suspended from the hook via a suspension cord. When a load is suspended, the weight of the load acts on the hook, causing it to grip. When the load is lowered, the weight of the load no longer acts on the hook, causing it to release. The suspension cord includes ropes, wires, and chains. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this invention, multiple loads can be transported simultaneously by suspending them from multiple hooks. Since the hooks are released upon the landing of the loads, by varying the length of the suspension straps used to suspend the loads from the hooks, the loads connected to the longest straps can be landed sequentially, and the loads can be transported to their respective destinations. This is efficient because multiple loads can be transported to different destinations in a single flight. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing a load suspended by a suspension device. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram of the main body of the suspension device, with (a) being a front view and (b) being a side view. [Figure 3] This is a diagram illustrating the hook of the suspension device. [Figure 4] (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the hook. [Figure 5-1] (a) to (c) are diagrams illustrating the method of transporting cargo. [Figure 5-2] (d) and (e) are diagrams illustrating the method of transporting cargo. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The specific details of the present invention will be described below. The flying object D to which the suspension device 100 of the present invention is attached and used in the cargo transport method of the present invention is a drone that flies by remote control or automatic control.

[0012] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the suspension device 100 has a main body 1 and a plurality of hooks 2. In this embodiment, there are five hooks 2.

[0013] The main body 1 has a mounting portion 11 that is attached to the aircraft D and a support portion 12 that supports the hook 2. The mounting portion 11 has a plate-shaped mounting portion body 111 and a suspension hole 112 formed in the mounting portion body 111. The mounting portion body 111 is approximately an isosceles triangle, with the vertex at the top and the base at the bottom. The suspension hole 112 is a hole formed at the upper end (near the vertex) of the mounting portion body 111 that penetrates in the direction of the plate thickness. The mounting portion 11 is attached to the aircraft D by being suspended by a wire 4. The lower end of the wire 4 is passed through the suspension hole 112 and connected to the mounting portion 11, and the upper end of the wire 4 is connected to the aircraft D. The support portion 12 has a cylindrical portion 121 located below the mounting portion body 111, a groove portion 122 formed in the cylindrical portion 121, and a support shaft 123 inserted into the cylindrical portion 121. The cylindrical portion 121 is substantially cylindrical and extends along the base of the mounting body 111. The length of the cylindrical portion 121 and the length of the base of the mounting body 111 are approximately the same. The mounting body 111 and the cylindrical portion 121 are formed integrally. The groove portion 122 is formed to divide the cylindrical portion 121 in its axial direction. Three groove portions 122 are formed, dividing the cylindrical portion 121 into four equal parts. The central groove portion 122 is located directly below the suspension hole 112. The upper end of the groove portion 122 extends to the bottom of the mounting body 111. The support shaft 123 consists of a bolt. The support shaft 123 is longer than the cylindrical portion 121. The support shaft 123 is inserted from one end of the cylindrical portion 121. A nut 124 is screwed onto the tip of the support shaft 123 that protrudes from the other end of the cylindrical portion 121.

[0014] As shown in Figure 3, the hook 2 comprises a shaft 21 extending vertically, two side plates 22 positioned to sandwich the shaft 21 and movable vertically relative to the shaft 21, a biasing member 23 that biases the side plates 22 upward relative to the shaft 21, a link mechanism 24 provided on the lower side of the shaft 21, a gripping portion 25 provided on the lower side of the link mechanism 24, and a stopper 26 provided on the upper part of the side plates 22. In the description of the hook 2, the front and rear sides refer to the front and back sides of Figure 3, and the left and right sides refer to the left and right sides of Figure 3. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the orientation in which the side plates 22 are positioned front and rear relative to the shaft 21, with the front side plate 22 shown transparently.

[0015] The shaft body 21 includes a shaft body 211 extending vertically, a mounting hole 212 formed at the upper end of the shaft body 211, a guide hole 213 formed at the lower part of the shaft body 211, and branch portions 214 protruding to the left and right from the shaft body 211. The mounting hole 212 is a round hole that penetrates the shaft body 211 in the front-rear direction. The guide hole 213 is an elongated hole that penetrates the shaft body 211 in the front-rear direction and extends vertically.

[0016] The side plate 22 is a rectangular flat plate extending vertically. A guide shaft 221 extending front to back is provided in the center of the side plate 22. The guide shaft 221 is passed through a guide hole 213 in the shaft body 21 and fixed to the front and rear side plates 22. As a result, the side plate 22 can move up and down along the guide hole 213 relative to the shaft body 21.

[0017] The biasing member 23 includes a spring 231, a pressing plate 232, and a receiving shaft 233. The spring 231 is a compression spring. The spring 231 is compressed when the load F gripped by the hook 2 is applied. The pressing plate 232 is a horizontally extending rectangular flat plate. A hole is formed in the center of the pressing plate 232, into which the shaft body 211 is inserted. However, the pressing plate 232 is located above the branch portion 214. The pressing plate 232 is vertically movable relative to the shaft body 211. The receiving shaft 233 extends front to back and is fixed to the front and rear side plates 22. The receiving shaft 233 is provided on the left and right sides above the guide shaft 221. The pressing plate 232 is located below the receiving shaft 233. The spring 231 is mounted in a compressed state between the left and right branch portions 214 and the pressing plate 232. The spring 231 biases the pressure plate 232 upward relative to the branch portion 214 of the shaft 21. Since the pressure plate 232 contacts the receiving shaft 233 from below, the side plate 22 is also biased upward.

[0018] The link mechanism 24 consists of four links 241 and four joints (upper joint 242, lower joint 243, and two lateral joints 244). The link mechanism 24 is a rhombus with vertices (the four joints) located vertically, horizontally, left, and right. The upper joint 242 is connected to the lower end of the shaft body main body 211. The lower joint 243 is connected to the lower ends of the front and rear side plates 22. When the side plates 22 move upward with respect to the shaft body 21, the link mechanism 24 contracts in the vertical direction. When the side plates 22 move downward with respect to the shaft body 21, the link mechanism 24 extends in the vertical direction.

[0019] The gripping part 25 is in the shape of a semi - arc extending downward from the lower ends of the two lower links 241 respectively. Along with the operation of the link mechanism 24, the lower parts of the two gripping parts 25 open and close, switching between the open state and the gripping state. When the link mechanism 24 contracts in the vertical direction (when the side plates 22 move upward with respect to the shaft body 21), the two gripping parts 25 open to the open state. When the link mechanism 24 extends in the vertical direction (when the side plates 22 move downward with respect to the shaft body 21), the two gripping parts 25 close to the gripping state.

[0020] The stopper 26 has a stopper main body 261 which is a substantially L - shaped member, an engagement groove 262 formed in the shaft body main body 211, and a locking shaft 263 provided on the side plate 22. The stopper main body 261 is attached to the side plate 22 so as to be rotatable about the corner of the L - shape. The stopper main body 261 is located on the right side of the shaft body main body 211. One piece of the L - shape of the stopper main body 261 is the engagement part 264, and the other piece is the operation part 265. The operation part 265 is longer than the engagement part 264. The tip of the engagement part 264 is in a tapered shape. The engagement groove 262 is formed on the right side of the shaft body main body 211. The engagement groove 262 opens to the right and has an upper side extending horizontally and a lower side extending from the left end of the upper side diagonally downward to the right. The tip of the engagement part 264 fits exactly into the engagement groove 262. When the engagement part 264 fits into the engagement groove 262, the operation part 265 extends diagonally upward to the right. The locking shaft 263 extends in the front - rear direction and is fixed to the front and rear side plates 22. The locking shaft 263 is provided diagonally below the rotation axis of the stopper main body 261.

[0021] The hook 2 configured as described above is supported by the main body 1 in the mounting hole 212 of the shaft body 21. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the side plate 22 is located at the uppermost position with respect to the shaft body 21 by the biasing member 23 (that is, the guide shaft 221 is located at the upper end of the guide hole 213), and the gripping portion 25 is in an open state. To make the hook 2 grip the load F, as shown in Fig. 4(b), when an operator positions the suspension string 3 connected to the load F between the two gripping portions 25 and lowers the side plate 22 with respect to the shaft body 21, the gripping portions 25 become in a gripping state. The side plate 22 tends to return upward by the biasing member 23. Therefore, the operator rotates the stopper 26 and inserts the engaging portion 264 into the engaging groove 262. Since the upper side of the engaging groove 262 is horizontal, the stopper 26 and the side plate 22 cannot move upward, and the gripping state is maintained. When the hook 2 is lifted for movement and the load F leaves the ground, the load of the load F acts on the gripping portion 25. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(c), the link mechanism 24 is stretched up and down, and the side plate 22 further descends. Then, the engaging portion 264 of the stopper 26 is pushed out from the engaging groove 262 by the lower side of the engaging groove 262 and disengages from the engaging groove 262. And since the operating portion 265 is longer than the engaging portion 264, the stopper main body 261 falls to the right and abuts against the locking shaft 263. Since the load of the load F exceeds the biasing force of the biasing member 23, the side plate 22 does not return upward, and the gripping state is maintained. When the load F touches down, the load of the load F no longer acts on the gripping portion 25. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(a), the side plate 22 rises by the biasing member 23, and the gripping portion 25 becomes in an open state. That is, by making the load F touch down, the load F is automatically removed from the hook 2.

[0022] This hook 2 is attached to the main body 1. Of the five hooks 2, the upper ends of the shaft body 211 of three hooks 2 are inserted into the grooves 122. The remaining two hooks 2 are positioned so that the upper ends of the shaft body 211 are in contact with the end faces of the cylindrical portion 121. At this time, each hook 2 is spaced apart from the others. Then, the support shaft 123 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 121 and into the mounting holes 212 of each hook 2. In other words, the five hooks 2 are attached to the main body 1 in a line, each rotatable around the central axis of the support shaft 123. In the following, when referring to individual hooks 2, the central hook 2 will be called the first hook 2a, the hook 2 adjacent to one side of the first hook 2a will be called the second hook 2b, the hook 2 adjacent to the other side of the first hook 2a will be called the third hook 2c, the hook 2 adjacent to one side of the second hook 2b will be called the fourth hook 2d, and the hook 2 adjacent to the other side of the third hook 2c will be called the fifth hook 2e. The first hook 2a is located directly below the wire 4 that suspends the main body 1 from the aircraft D.

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, when the outer distance between the shafts 21 of the fourth hook 2d and the fifth hook 2e is defined as the base L1, and the distance from the center of the suspension hole 112 to the center of the mounting hole 212 of the fourth hook 2d or the fifth hook 2e is defined as the hypotenuse L2, it is desirable that the length of the hypotenuse L2 be greater than or equal to the length of the base L1 (L2 ≥ L1). Also, it is desirable that the distance L3 between the centers of the gripping portions 25 of adjacent hooks 2 be 20 mm or more (L3 ≥ 20 mm). Furthermore, fewer than five hooks 2 may be attached to the main body 1. However, it is desirable that the hooks 2 be arranged symmetrically. For example, when attaching three hooks, it is desirable to attach them to both sides of the cylindrical portion 121 and to the central groove portion 122.

[0024] Next, a method for transporting cargo using an aircraft D equipped with the suspension device 100 configured as described above will be explained. Here, five pieces of cargo F will be transported to different locations. In the following, when referring to individual pieces of cargo F, they will be called the first cargo Fa, the second cargo Fb, the third cargo Fc, the fourth cargo Fd, and the fifth cargo Fe, respectively. The first cargo Fa to the fifth cargo Fe will be transported in this order. It is desirable to designate each piece of cargo F as the first cargo Fa to the fifth cargo Fe based on the transport route.

[0025] First, as shown in Figure 1, the upper ends of the hanging straps 3, each with a different length, are connected to each hook 2. As described above, the gripping part 25 is held in place by the stopper 26. In the following, when referring to individual hanging straps 3, the hanging strap 3 connected to the first hook 2a will be called the first hanging strap 3a, the hanging strap 3 connected to the second hook 2b will be called the second hanging strap 3b, the hanging strap 3 connected to the third hook 2c will be called the third hanging strap 3c, the hanging strap 3 connected to the fourth hook 2d will be called the fourth hanging strap 3d, and the hanging strap 3 connected to the fifth hook 2e will be called the fifth hanging strap 3e. The lengths of the hanging straps 3 are such that the first hanging strap 3a is the longest, followed by the second hanging strap 3b, the third hanging strap 3c, and the fourth hanging strap 3d in decreasing order, with the fifth hanging strap 3e being the shortest. That is, the hanging strap 3 is longer closer to the center (if the distance to the center is the same, one side will be longer than the other). The lengths of the hanging straps 3 differ by, for example, 30 cm each.

[0026] Next, the luggage is attached to the lower end of each of the suspension straps 3. The first luggage Fa to the fifth luggage Fe are connected to the first suspension straps 3a to the fifth suspension straps 3e, respectively. Alternatively, the suspension strap 3 may be attached to luggage F first, and then to the hook 2.

[0027] Next, the aircraft D is flown to transport the cargo. First, the aircraft D is flown from base S to destination G1 for the first cargo Fa (Figure 5-1(a)). At destination G1, the aircraft D is lowered. At this time, the first suspension strap 3a that suspends the first cargo Fa is the longest, so the first cargo Fa lands first (Figure 5-1(b)). As a result, the gripping part 25 of the first hook 2a is released, and the first suspension strap 3a is released from the first hook 2a. In this way, the transport of the first cargo Fa is completed. Subsequently, the aircraft D is flown to destination G2 for the second cargo Fb (Figure 5-1(c)). At destination G2, when the aircraft D is lowered, the second suspension strap 3b that suspends the second cargo Fb is the longest, so the second cargo Fb lands first (Figure 5-2(d)). As a result, the gripping portion 25 of the second hook 2b is released, and the second suspension strap 3b is detached from the second hook 2b. In this way, the transport of the second cargo Fb is completed. Next, the aircraft D is flown to the destination of the third cargo Fc (Figure 5-2(e)). Subsequently, the third cargo Fc, fourth cargo Fd, and fifth cargo Fe are landed at their respective destinations in that order (in the order in which they are connected to the longest suspension strap 3). In this way, the transport of all cargo F is completed.

[0028] According to the present invention's suspension device 100 and the cargo transport method using the aircraft D equipped therewith, multiple cargo Fs can be transported simultaneously by suspending them from multiple hooks 2. Since the hooks 2 are released when the cargo F lands, by making the lengths of the suspension straps 3 for suspending the cargo F from the hooks 2 different, the cargo F connected to the longest suspension strap 3 can be landed in order, and the cargo Fs can be transported to their respective destinations. This is efficient because multiple cargo Fs can be transported to different destinations in a single flight. In this case, among the hooks 2 arranged in a row, the suspension straps 3 are longer closer to the center, and the cargo Fs land in order from the center, so the aircraft D is less likely to lose balance. In addition, in the suspension device 100, the length of the hypotenuse L2 is greater than or equal to the length of the base L1, so the suspension device 100 is less likely to tilt when the cargo F lands, and this makes it less likely for the suspension straps 3 to become entangled with each other. Also, since the hooks 2 are spaced apart from each other, the suspended suspension straps 3 are less likely to become entangled with each other.

[0029] The cargo transported by this cargo transport method can be of any kind. For example, it can be used to transport seedlings to be planted on slopes in the mountains. Currently, multiple seedlings are transported to a predetermined location by an aircraft, and then manually placed in the predetermined location in the mountains. According to the method of the present invention, multiple seedlings can be placed in their respective predetermined locations in a single flight, without the need for manual placement.

[0030] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the shape and structure of each part can be appropriately modified within the scope of the invention. For example, the shape of the main body is just one example, and it can be any shape as long as it can be attached to an aircraft and support multiple hooks. The number of hooks can be any number. The shape of the hooks is just one example, and it can be any shape as long as it can switch between a gripping state and a release state depending on whether or not there is a load. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 1 Main unit 2 hooks 3 Hanging cord 100 Suspension equipment D Flying object F Luggage

Claims

1. A suspension device for suspending cargo from an aircraft, The aircraft has a main body that is attached to the aforementioned aircraft, and multiple hooks, The aforementioned hook is switchable between a gripping state and an open state, becoming a gripping state when a load is applied and an open state when no load is applied. A suspension device characterized in that multiple hooks are attached to the main body at intervals from each other.

2. A method for transporting cargo using the aircraft equipped with the suspension device described in claim 1, The upper ends of hanging strings of different lengths are connected to multiple hooks, The luggage is attached to the lower end of the aforementioned suspension string, A method for transporting luggage, characterized by flying the aircraft and landing the luggage, starting with the longest luggage attached to the suspension strap, at a predetermined destination.

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