A transport trolley for transporting an aircraft, and an aircraft equipped with a transport trolley.

Abstract

The present invention provides a transport trolley that allows for easy transport of aircraft even when the size of the aircraft increases, and an aircraft equipped with such a transport trolley. [Solution] The aircraft comprises a body, a plurality of rotors provided on the body, and a drive source that drives at least a portion of the plurality of rotors. The aircraft comprises a main body that holds the drive source internally, and a skid. The skid is a transport trolley for transporting an aircraft having left and right ground contact portions 51 that make contact with the ground, and comprises wheels 71, a trolley body 72 supported by the wheels 71, and a support portion 73 capable of supporting the portion of the aircraft above the ground contact portions 51. The support portion 73 is configured to be switchable between a supported state that supports the aircraft and an unsupported state that does not support the aircraft.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier for carrying a flying device such as a multicopter, and a flying device including the carrier.

Background Art

[0002] For example, as described in Patent Document 1, it has been devised to perform work by a working device while moving the working device using a flying device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such a flying device, in some cases such as when connecting a large working device to the flying device, a large flying device may be required.

[0005] When performing maintenance or the like on a large flying device, it is necessary to carry the flying device, and a carrier for easily carrying such a flying device has been desired.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a carrier that can be easily carried even when the size of the flying device becomes large, and a flying device including such a carrier.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The transport trolley of the present invention comprises a body, a plurality of rotors provided on the body, and a drive source that drives at least a portion of the plurality of rotors, the body having a main body that holds the drive source inside, and a skid, the skid being a transport trolley for transporting an aircraft having left and right ground contact portions that make contact with the ground, and comprising wheels, a trolley body supported by the wheels, and a support portion capable of supporting the portion of the aircraft above the ground contact portions, the support portion being configured to be switchable between a supported state that supports the aircraft and an unsupported state that does not support the aircraft.

[0008] The main body of an aircraft, which holds the power source, tends to be heavy. According to this invention, the transport trolley can be configured to support the upper part of the aircraft above the ground contact area, that is, near the heavier main body. As a result, the transport trolley can transport the aircraft in a stable state, and it becomes possible to transport the aircraft even if its size increases.

[0009] In the present invention, it is preferable that the device is configured to be movable by the wheels while in the supported state.

[0010] This configuration allows the transport cart and the flying device to be easily moved by the wheels.

[0011] In the present invention, it is preferable that the support portion has a connecting portion that connects to the flight device, and that the support portion is configured to be switchable between the supported state and the unsupported state by moving closer to and further away from the flight device.

[0012] This configuration allows the aircraft to be brought close to the aircraft in an unsupported state, and then switched to a supported state, making it ready for transport on a transport cart. As a result, the need to manually load the aircraft onto the transport cart is eliminated, reducing the workload on the workers.

[0013] In the present invention, it is preferable that the connecting portion is configured to be movable in the height direction.

[0014] With this configuration, the transport trolley can be moved below the main body in an unsupported state, and then the support section can be switched to a supported state, making it possible to transport the device on the transport trolley. As a result, the need to manually load the flight device onto the transport trolley is eliminated, reducing the workload on the workers.

[0015] In the present invention, the connecting portion is preferably a jack capable of lifting and operating the flying device.

[0016] This configuration allows the support unit to switch between a supported state and an unsupported state using a commonly known jack. As a result, the operator can intuitively understand the operation of switching the support unit between the supported and unsupported states.

[0017] In the present invention, when in the supported state, it is preferable that the contact portion is located at a higher position than the contact position of the wheel.

[0018] With this configuration, the contact points are positioned higher than the wheel contact points when in a supported state, meaning the contact points are suspended above the ground, which allows for easy movement of the transport trolley and the flying device.

[0019] In the present invention, the support portion preferably supports a frame body of the aircraft that extends in the left-right direction.

[0020] The center of gravity of a flight device varies depending on the location of the drive source and other factors. In other words, the optimal location for support differs depending on the flight device. Because the system has a configuration that supports a frame body extending in the left-right direction of the main body, it is possible to select a suitable position within the frame body for supporting the flight device. As a result, the support can stably support the flight device.

[0021] In the present invention, the support portion has a connection portion configured to be connectable to the frame body, and in the non-support state, it is preferable that the connection portion is located at a height position lower than the height position of the frame body.

[0022] According to this configuration, in the non-support state, the height position of the connection portion is located at a height position lower than the height position of the frame body. As a result, it becomes possible to move the carrier under the frame body in the non-support state. After moving the carrier under the frame body, by switching the support portion to the support state, it becomes possible to be in a state where it can be carried by the carrier, and since it is not necessary to manually place the flying device on the carrier, the burden on the operator is reduced.

[0023] In the present invention, the skid has a vertical extension portion extending upward from each of the left and right grounding portions, and a horizontal extension portion provided across the left and right vertical extension portions, and it is preferable that the frame body is the horizontal extension portion.

[0024] The center of gravity position of the flying device varies depending on the location where the drive source is arranged and the like. That is, the location suitable for the support portion to support varies depending on the flying device. Since it has a configuration to support the horizontal extension portion extending in the left-right direction of the main body, it becomes possible to select a position suitable for supporting the flying device among the horizontal extension portions. As a result, the support portion can support the flying device in a stable state.

[0025] In the present invention, it is preferable that the width of the cart body in the left-right direction is shorter than the distance between the left and right grounding portions.

[0026] According to this configuration, it becomes possible to move the carrier under the main body portion by using the space between the installation portions.

[0027] The flying device of the present invention is provided with the above-described carrier.

[0028] According to this invention, since the flying device is equipped with the above-mentioned transport trolley, it becomes possible to suitably move the flying device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the flying machine. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the aircraft. [Figure 3] This is a bottom view of the flying machine. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the configuration of the main body, connecting members, skid, and mounting part (weight mounting part). [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the mounting section and the weight mounting section. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the configuration of the mounting section and the weight mounting section. [Figure 7] This is a front view showing the configuration of the transport cart. [Figure 8] This is a side view showing the configuration of the transport cart. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the direction of arrow F in the drawings will be "forward", the direction of arrow B will be "backward", the direction of arrow L will be "left", and the direction of arrow R will be "right". Also, the direction of arrow U in the drawings will be "up", and the direction of arrow D will be "down".

[0031] [Overall configuration of the flying device] The following describes the flight device of this embodiment. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the flight device includes a main body 1, two sets of first arm sections 11, four sets of second arm sections 21, two sets of main rotors 19 (corresponding to the "rotors" of the present invention), four sets of sub-rotors 20 (corresponding to the "rotors" of the present invention), skids 29, two sets of engines 30 (corresponding to the "drive sources" of the present invention), a fuel tank 50, two sets of radiators 63, and the like.

[0032] [Main Unit Configuration] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the main body 1 includes an upper horizontal frame 2, a lower horizontal frame 3, an upper joint 4, a lower joint 5, a vertical frame 6, and frames 9 and 10.

[0033] The main body 1 is provided with eight round pipe-shaped upper horizontal frames 2 and eight round pipe-shaped lower horizontal frames 3. Each of the upper horizontal frames 2 and lower horizontal frames 3 is set to the same length. The ends of the upper horizontal frames 2 are connected to each other by eight upper joints 4. The ends of the lower horizontal frames 3 are connected to each other by eight lower joints 5.

[0034] Two round pipe-shaped frames 9 are connected along the front-to-back direction to the lower horizontal frame 3. Two round pipe-shaped frames 10 are connected along the left-to-right direction to the lower horizontal frame 3 and frame 9.

[0035] Eight round pipe-shaped vertical frames 6 are connected across the upper joint section 4 and the lower joint section 5. The engine 30 is held in the space enclosed by the upper horizontal frame 2, the lower horizontal frame 3, and the vertical frames 6 inside the main body section 1.

[0036] [Configuration of the first arm] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, two sets of first arm portions 11, one on the right and one on the left, are provided on the main body portion 1.

[0037] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the first arm section 11 has two round pipe-shaped upper frames 12, two round pipe-shaped lower frames 13, a flat plate-shaped support plate 14, and two flat plate-shaped connecting plates 15. The upper frames 12 and lower frames 13 are connected to the support plate 14, and the connecting plate 15 is connected across the upper frames 12 and lower frames 13.

[0038] In the right first arm section 11, the upper frame 12 is connected to the front and rear upper joint sections 4 of the right upper horizontal frame 2 of the main body section 1, and the lower frame 13 is connected to the front and rear lower joint sections 5 of the right lower horizontal frame 3 of the main body section 1.

[0039] In the left first arm section 11, the upper frame 12 is connected to the front and rear upper joint sections 4 of the left upper horizontal frame 2 of the main body section 1, and the lower frame 13 is connected to the front and rear lower joint sections 5 of the left lower horizontal frame 3 of the main body section 1.

[0040] The right and left first arm sections 11 extend outward from the main body section 1 in opposite directions in a plan view. The upper frame 12 is configured to be slightly longer than the lower frame 13, and the support plate 14 is positioned at the same height as the lower horizontal frame 3 of the main body section 1 in a side view. As will be described later, the right and left main rotors 19 are attached to the support plate 14.

[0041] [Configuration of the second arm] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, four sets of second arm sections 21 are provided on the main body section 1: right front and right rear, left front and left rear.

[0042] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the second arm section 21 has two round pipe-shaped upper frames 22, two round pipe-shaped lower frames 23, a flat plate-shaped support plate 24, two flat plate-shaped connecting plates 25, and one round pipe-shaped support frame 26.

[0043] The upper frame 22 and the lower frame 23 are connected to the support plate 24, and the connecting plate 25 is connected across the upper frame 22 and the lower frame 23.

[0044] In the right front and right rear second arm sections 21, the upper frame 22 is connected to the front and rear upper joint sections 4 of the right front and right rear upper transverse frame 2 of the main body section 1, and the lower frame 23 is connected to the front and rear lower joint sections 5 of the right front and right rear lower transverse frame 3 of the main body section 1.

[0045] In the left front and left rear second arm sections 21, the upper frame 22 is connected to the front and rear upper joint sections 4 of the left front and left rear upper transverse frame 2 of the main body section 1, and the lower frame 23 is connected to the front and rear lower joint sections 5 of the left front and left rear lower transverse frame 3 of the main body section 1.

[0046] The right front second arm portion 21 is provided on the upper lateral frame 2 and lower lateral frame 3 of the main body portion 1, which are located in front of the right first arm portion 11. The right rear second arm portion 21 is provided on the upper lateral frame 2 and lower lateral frame 3 of the main body portion 1, which are located behind the right first arm portion 11.

[0047] The left front second arm portion 21 is provided on the upper horizontal frame 2 and lower horizontal frame 3 of the main body portion 1, which are located in front of the left first arm portion 11. The left rear second arm portion 21 is provided on the upper horizontal frame 2 and lower horizontal frame 3 of the main body portion 1, which are located behind the left first arm portion 11.

[0048] As shown in Figure 1, the right front and left rear second arm portions 21 extend outward from the main body portion 1 in opposite directions in a plan view.

[0049] As will be described later, the right front and right rear sub-rotors 20 and the left front and left rear sub-rotors 20 are attached to the ends of the support frame 26.

[0050] [Main rotor and sub-rotor configuration] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, right and left main rotors 19 are provided. The main rotors 19 are rotatably mounted on the ends (support plates 14) of the first arm section 11 around an axis P1 in the vertical direction, and are rotationally driven by the power of the engine 30. The rotational drive of the main rotors 19 generates lift, which is necessary for the aircraft to float.

[0051] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, in each of the four sets of second arm sections 21 (right front and right rear, left front and left rear), an electric motor 27 is mounted upward on the upper part of the end of the support frame 26, and a sub-rotor 20 is attached to the drive shaft (not shown) of the electric motor 27. An electric motor 28 is mounted downward on the lower part of the end of the support frame 26, and a sub-rotor 20 is attached to the drive shaft (not shown) of the electric motor 28.

[0052] In the four sets of sub-rotors 20, the upper and lower sub-rotors 20 are rotated in opposite directions around the axis P2 aligned with the vertical direction of the electric motors 27 and 28. The rotational drive of the sub-rotors 20 generates lift for attitude control of the main body 1. Attitude control of the main body 1 by the sub-rotors 20, and the lift generated by the main rotor 19, enables forward and backward flight, right and left flight, right and left turns, etc.

[0053] As the main rotor 19 is driven to rotate around the axis P1, two sets of circular rotation surfaces A1 are formed by the rotational trajectory of the main rotor 19. As the sub-rotor 20 is driven to rotate around the axis P2, four sets of circular rotation surfaces A2 are formed by the rotational trajectory of the sub-rotor 20.

[0054] The rotation surface A1 of the main rotor 19 is larger in diameter than the rotation surface A2 of the sub-rotor 20. The rotation surfaces A2 of the right front and right rear sub-rotors 20 are located in front of and behind the rotation surface A1 of the right main rotor 19. The rotation surfaces A2 of the left front and left rear sub-rotors 20 are located in front of and behind the rotation surface A1 of the left main rotor 19.

[0055] [Configuration of connecting members] As shown in Figures 2 and 4, below the main body 1, there are connecting members 16 that connect the main body 1 and the skid 29 before and after the connection. The main body 1 and the connecting members 16 constitute the aircraft body of the flight device (hereinafter referred to as "aircraft A").

[0056] The front and rear connecting members 16 each have a round pipe-shaped horizontal frame 17 and a round pipe-shaped connecting frame 18.

[0057] The horizontal frame 17 has a wider width than the main body 1. The horizontal frame 17 includes a first horizontal frame 17a located in the center, and right and left second horizontal frames 17b connected to both ends of the first horizontal frame 17a by horizontal internal joints 41.

[0058] The first horizontal frame 17a is configured to extend along the left-right direction of the aircraft A.

[0059] As shown in Figure 1, the right and left second transverse frames 17b are configured to be located further outward in the front-rear direction than they are located laterally in the left-right direction of the aircraft A. In other words, the second transverse frame 17b of the front connecting member 16 is located further forward as it is laterally outward, and the second transverse frame 17b of the rear connecting member 16 is located further back as it is laterally outward. With this configuration, the central portion (first transverse frame 17a) of the transverse frame 17 is located further inward in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A compared to the left and right ends.

[0060] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the connecting frame 18 is provided to extend diagonally downward so as to be located lower laterally outward from the lower joint portion 5 of the main body 1 when viewed in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A. The laterally outward end of the connecting frame 18 is connected to both ends of the lateral frame 17 by the lateral outer joint portions 42. Similar to the second lateral frame 17b, the connecting frame 18 is configured to be located further outward in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A as it moves laterally outward from the aircraft A in the left-right direction. In other words, the connecting frame 18 of the front connecting member 16 is located further forward as it moves laterally outward, and the connecting frame 18 of the rear connecting member 16 is located further back as it moves laterally outward.

[0061] With the above configuration, the connecting member 16 is configured to be symmetrical on the left and right sides of the aircraft A, and to have a trapezoidal shape when viewed from the front and rear of the aircraft A. With this configuration, the connecting member 16 extends from the main body 1 in the left and right directions of the aircraft A, and is positioned laterally outward on the side where the skid 29 is located in the left and right directions of the aircraft A. In other words, the connecting member 16 is configured to be wider on the side where the skid 29 is located in the left and right directions of the aircraft A.

[0062] The lower end portion of the connecting member 16 is provided with a lateral inner connecting portion 43 and a lateral outer connecting portion 44 for connecting the connecting member 16 and the skid 29. The lateral inner connecting portion 43 and the lateral outer connecting portion 44 are made of round pipe-shaped members.

[0063] The lateral internal connection portion 43 is configured to extend in the vertical direction. The upper end of the lateral internal connection portion 43 is connected to the lower part of the lateral internal joint portion 41. The lateral internal connection portion 43 is positioned to penetrate the skid 29 in the vertical direction and is fixed to the skid 29 by welding or the like.

[0064] The upper portion of the horizontal internal joint 41 is provided with a vertical connecting member 45 that connects the horizontal internal joint 41 to the lower joint 5 of the main body 1. In this embodiment, the front and rear vertical frames 6 penetrate the lower joint 5 and extend below the lower joint 5. The portions of the front and rear vertical frames 6 below the lower joint 5 are configured as the vertical connecting member 45. With this configuration, the vertical connecting member 45 is configured to connect the main body 1 to the location where the horizontal internal connection 43 of the connecting member 16 is located. The horizontal internal connection 43 is located in a position that overlaps with the location where the connecting member 16 and the main body 1 are connected in a plan view.

[0065] The lateral external connection portion 44 is configured to extend in the vertical direction. The lateral external connection portion 44 is located laterally outward from the connection point (lower joint portion 5) between the connecting member 16 and the main body portion 1 in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A, and is located at the outermost lateral end of the connecting member 16. The lateral internal connection portion 43 is located laterally inward from the lateral external connection portion 44 in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A. The upper end of the lateral external connection portion 44 is connected to the lateral external joint portion 42. The lower end of the lateral external connection portion 44 is fixed to the skid 29 by welding or the like, connecting the connecting member 16 and the skid 29.

[0066] [Skid configuration] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the skid 29 has left and right contact points 51 that make contact with the ground, front and rear longitudinal extensions 52 that extend upward from the left and right contact points 51, front and rear lateral extensions 53 that are provided across the left and right longitudinal extensions 52, and left and right front and rear connecting points 54 that connect the front and rear lateral extensions 53.

[0067] As shown in Figure 3, the front and rear lateral extensions 53 are bent at the left-right central portion 53c, which is the central part of the lateral extension 53 in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A. The left-right central portion 53c is located closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body A than the upper connection portion 55, which is the connection point between the longitudinal extension 52 and the lateral extension 53. In other words, the front and rear lateral extensions 53 are configured to move further apart from each other as they move laterally outward. With this configuration, the longitudinal extension 52 and the lateral extension 53 are located outside the rotation trajectory (rotation plane A1) of the main rotor 19 in a plan view.

[0068] As shown in Figure 2, the lateral extension 53 is composed of a frame body that extends in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A. The lateral extension 53 is configured to extend horizontally when viewed in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body A, and the height position of the left-right central portion 53c of the lateral extension 53 and the height position of the upper connecting portion 55 are at the same height. Reinforcing members 55s are provided at both ends of the lateral extension 53, extending across the vertical extension 52 and the lateral extension 53.

[0069] Each of the front-rear and left-right longitudinal extensions 52 is composed of a frame body extending downward from both ends (upper connection parts 55) of the lateral extension 53. The longitudinal extensions 52 are positioned so that they are located further outward towards the bottom in the front-rear and left-right directions of the aircraft A (see Figures 7 and 8). The lower connection part 56, which is the connection point between the longitudinal extension 52 and the ground contact part 51, is located laterally outward from the upper connection part 55 in the left-right direction of the aircraft A.

[0070] The left and right ground contact points 51 are each composed of pipe-shaped members extending along the front-rear direction of the aircraft body A. The left and right ground contact points 51 are located at the lower ends of the longitudinal extension 52 and are positioned laterally outward from the upper connection point 55 in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A.

[0071] As shown in Figure 3, the left and right front and rear connecting sections 54 are made of round pipe-shaped members that extend in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body A. The left and right front and rear connecting sections 54 are connected to a point that is located outward in the left-right direction of the aircraft body A from the point where the lateral inward connecting section 43 of the front and rear longitudinal extension section 52 is fixed.

[0072] [Configuration of the mounting section] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the skid 29 has a mounting section 60 to which a working device (not shown) can be attached. Here, the working device may be, but is not limited to, a seeding device for sowing seeds in the field, a fertilizer application device for supplying fertilizer to seedlings planted in the field, a pesticide application device for supplying herbicides or other chemicals to the field, or a camera for photographing the field.

[0073] In this embodiment, four mounting portions 60 are provided. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, each mounting portion 60 has a mounting plate-shaped member 61 made of a plate-shaped material. The mounting plate-shaped member 61 is fixed by welding or the like to the lower end portion of a lateral internal connection portion 43 that is provided to penetrate the skid 29 in the vertical direction.

[0074] The mounting portion 60 has a bolt Ba to which a work device can be attached. A bolt hole 61h for attaching a work device is formed in the central part of the mounting plate-shaped member 61, through which the bolt Ba can be inserted. The bolt Ba is fixed to the mounting plate-shaped member 61 by being fastened with a nut while inserted through the bolt hole 61h for attaching a work device. In this embodiment, the bolt Ba to which the work device can be attached is an eye bolt with a ring at its head. The bolt Ba is configured to allow attachment of a work device using a hook or the like.

[0075] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, each mounting portion 60 is provided on the lower surface of the lateral extension portion 53 of the skid 29 and is positioned below the main body portion 1. Furthermore, the mounting portions 60 are located laterally inward from both ends of the lateral extension portion 53 in the front-rear and left-right directions of the aircraft A, and are located inside the upper connection portion 55.

[0076] The four mounting parts 60 (mounting plate-shaped members 61) are arranged to be at the same height.

[0077] With the above configuration, the work device is supported so as to be located below the four mounting parts 60 and in a position that overlaps with the space surrounded by the four mounting parts 60 in a plan view.

[0078] [Weight mounting configuration] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the aircraft is equipped with a weight attachment section 60W that allows for adjustment of the center of gravity by attaching weights W.

[0079] The mounting plate-shaped member 61 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape, and weight bolt holes Wh are formed at the four corners of the mounting plate-shaped member 61, through which bolts Bw for fixing the weight W can be inserted. The bolts Bw are inserted into the weight bolt holes Wh and fastened with nuts to fix them to the mounting plate-shaped member 61. The weight W is attached to the mounting plate-shaped member 61 using the four bolts Bw. In other words, the mounting plate-shaped member 61 and the bolts Bw constitute the weight mounting section 60W.

[0080] With the above configuration, the mounting plate-shaped member 61 is configured to allow the work device and the weight W to be attached. In other words, the weight mounting section 60W also serves as the mounting section 60.

[0081] In this embodiment, as described above, the working device is attached to the ring of the bolt Ba, which is an eyebolt, and the weight mounting portion 60W is located above the mounting position of the working device (the ring of the bolt Ba) in the mounting portion 60.

[0082] As shown in Figure 3, the mounting portion 60 and the weight W attached to the mounting portion 60 are positioned so as not to overlap with the engine 30 in a plan view. Furthermore, the weight W attached to the mounting portion 60 and the weight mounting portion 60W is positioned so that at least a portion of it overlaps with the fuel tank 50 in a plan view, and is positioned at a height lower than the height of the fuel tank 50.

[0083] [Configuration of the transport cart] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the flying device is equipped with a transport trolley 70 configured to transport the flying device. The transport trolley 70 has wheels 71, a trolley body 72 supported by the wheels 71, and a support part 73 that supports the flying device.

[0084] The wheels 71 are configured to rotate freely, and the transport cart 70 can be moved manually by an operator using the wheels 71.

[0085] The bogie body 72 is constructed by combining multiple metal frames. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the frames are combined to form the edges of a cube, thereby constructing the bogie body 72 in a cubic shape. The wheels 71 are provided on the underside of the bogie body 72. As shown in Figure 7, the width of the bogie body 72 in the left-right direction is shorter than the distance between the left and right longitudinal extensions 52 and the distance between the left and right ground contact portions 51 of the skid 29 of the aircraft device.

[0086] The support portion 73 is fixed to the upper surface of the trolley body 72. In this embodiment, the support portion 73 is a manual jack that can lift and operate the flying device by being configured to extend and retract in the height direction. The support portion 73 has a connecting portion 73c at its upper end that is configured to be connected to the flying device. The connecting portion 73c is configured to be movable in the height direction. By moving the connecting portion 73c closer to and further away from the flying device, it is possible to switch between a supported state that supports the flying device and an unsupported state that does not support the flying device. Note that Figure 7 shows the transport trolley 70 in the unsupported state, and Figure 8 shows the transport trolley 70 in the supported state.

[0087] In the unsupported state, the connecting portion 73c is located at a lower height than the lateral extension portion 53. By operating the support portion 73 to the supported state and changing the height of the connecting portion 73c, it is configured to be connectable to the lateral extension portion 53. With this configuration, the support portion 73 is configured to support the lateral extension portion 53, which is the portion of the flight device above the ground contact portion 51.

[0088] When the support portion 73 is in the supporting position, the contact portion 51 of the skid 29 is located higher than the contact position of the wheel 71 and is lifted off the ground. When in the supporting position, the aircraft can be moved manually by an operator using the wheel 71.

[0089] [Another embodiment] The following are examples of alternative embodiments that modify the above embodiments.

[0090] (1) In the above embodiment, the skid 29 was described as having a configuration comprising left and right ground contact portions 51 that make contact with the ground, front and rear longitudinal extension portions 52 that extend upward from each of the left and right ground contact portions 51, front and rear lateral extension portions 53 that are provided across the left and right longitudinal extension portions 52, and left and right front and rear connecting portions 54 that connect the front and rear lateral extension portions 53. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the skid 29 may have a configuration comprising one longitudinal extension portion 52 and one lateral extension portion 53 located in the central part in the front-rear direction of the aircraft body A.

[0091] (2) In the above embodiment, the connecting member 16 was provided so as to extend from the main body 1 in the left-right direction of the aircraft A when viewed in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A, and was configured to be located laterally outward on the side where the skid 29 is located. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the connecting member 16 may have the same width as the main body 1 when viewed in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A, or the connecting member 16 may be configured so that its width becomes narrower on the side where the skid 29 is located when viewed in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A.

[0092] (3) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which a lateral inner connecting portion 43 and a lateral outer connecting portion 44 for connecting the connecting member 16 and the skid 29 are provided was described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the configuration may consist of only the lateral inner connecting portion 43 of the lateral inner connecting portion 43 and the lateral outer connecting portion 44, or the configuration may consist of only the lateral outer connecting portion 44 of the lateral inner connecting portion 43 and the lateral outer connecting portion 44.

[0093] (4) In the above embodiment, the mounting portion 60 was described as having a bolt Ba to which a work device can be attached, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the mounting portion 60 may be provided with a towing portion that can wind up and unwind a long towing body, and the mounting portion 60 may be configured to attach a work device to a long towing body and then wind up the long towing body to attach the work device. Alternatively, the work device may be attached to the mounting portion 60 via a long body such as a wire.

[0094] (5) In the above embodiment, each mounting portion 60 is provided on the lower surface of the lateral extension portion 53 of the skid 29, and is located laterally inward from both ends of the lateral extension portion 53 in the front-rear and left-right directions of the aircraft body A, and is located inward from the upper connecting portion 55. Furthermore, the four mounting portions 60 (mounting plate-shaped members 61) are arranged to be at the same height. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the mounting portion 60 may be provided on the longitudinal extension portion 52 of the skid 29, and may also be located laterally outward from both ends of the lateral extension portion 53 in the front-rear and left-right directions of the aircraft body A. Furthermore, the four mounting portions 60 (mounting plate-shaped members 61) may be arranged to be at different heights. Also, there may be three or fewer mounting portions 60, or five or more.

[0095] (6) In the above embodiment, the weight mounting portion 60W was described as also serving as the mounting portion 60, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the mounting portion 60 and the weight mounting portion 60W may be configured as separate parts.

[0096] (7) In the above embodiment, the front and rear lateral extensions 53 are bent at the left and right central portions 53c, and the left and right central portions 53c are located closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A than the upper connecting portion 55. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The front and rear lateral extensions 53 may not be bent at the left and right central portions 53c. For example, the front and rear lateral extensions 53 may each be curved from the upper connecting portion 55 located at one end of the lateral extension 53 to the upper connecting portion 55 located at the other end, so that the left and right central portions 53c are located closer to the center in the front-rear direction of the aircraft A than the upper connecting portion 55.

[0097] (8) In the above embodiment, the transport trolley 70 was described as having a configuration in which it is equipped with freely rotating wheels 71, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the transport trolley 70 may be equipped with drive wheels or crawlers driven by a motor or the like instead of the freely rotating wheels 71.

[0098] (9) In the above embodiment, the support portion 73 was described as a manual jack, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the support portion 73 may be a hydraulic jack or an air jack.

[0099] (10) In the above embodiment, the support portion 73 was described as supporting the lateral extension portion 53 of the skid 29 of the aircraft when in the support state, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the support portion 73 may be configured to support the longitudinal extension portion 52 of the skid 29 of the aircraft when in the support state.

[0100] Furthermore, the configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no inconsistencies arise. In addition, the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the object of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0101] The present invention is applicable to a transport trolley for transporting an aircraft, and to an aircraft equipped with a transport trolley. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] A: Aircraft 1: Main body 19: Main rotor (rotor) 20: Sub-rotor (rotor) 29: Skid 30: Engine (power source) 51: Grounding part 52: Longitudinal extension 53: Lateral extension section (frame body) 70: Transport cart 71 :Wheel 72: Trolley body 73: Support part 73c: Connection part

Claims

1. The aircraft comprises an airframe, a plurality of rotors provided on the airframe, and a drive source that drives at least a portion of the plurality of rotors, the airframe having a main body that holds the drive source internally, and skids, the skids being a transport trolley for transporting an aircraft having left and right ground contact parts that make contact with the ground, Wheels and, A bogie body supported by the aforementioned wheels, The aircraft is provided with a support portion capable of supporting the portion of the aircraft above the ground contact portion, The support portion is configured to be switchable between a supported state in which the flying device is supported and an unsupported state in which the flying device is not supported.

2. The transport trolley according to claim 1, configured to be movable by the wheels in the aforementioned supported state.

3. The support portion has a connecting portion that connects to the flight device, The transport trolley according to claim 1, wherein the connecting portion is configured to be switchable between the supported state and the unsupported state by moving closer to and further away from the flight device.

4. The transport trolley according to claim 3, wherein the connecting portion is configured to be movable in the height direction.

5. The transport trolley according to claim 4, wherein the connecting portion is a jack capable of lifting and operating the flying device.

6. The transport trolley according to claim 1, wherein, in the support state, the ground contact portion is positioned higher than the ground contact position of the wheel.

7. The transport trolley according to claim 1, wherein the support portion supports the frame body of the aircraft, which is part of the flight device, extending in the left-right direction.

8. The support portion has a connecting portion that is configured to be connectable to the frame body, The transport trolley according to claim 7, wherein in the unsupported state, the connecting portion is positioned at a height lower than the height of the frame body.

9. The skid has longitudinal extensions extending upward from each of the left and right contact points, and transverse extensions provided across the left and right longitudinal extensions. The transport trolley according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the frame body is the lateral extension portion.

10. The transport trolley according to claim 9, wherein the width of the trolley body in the left-right direction is shorter than the distance between the left and right ground contact points.

11. An aircraft equipped with a transport trolley according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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