Flying object fall assist device

Abstract

To provide an auxiliary device that enables a parachute to be opened quickly and reliably when it becomes difficult to continue manipulation and flight in the event of emergency falling of a drone (in an emergency situation) or the like.SOLUTION: The present invention includes a parachute injection part 10 and a cylindrical inner capsule 20 made of a hard resin sheet in a cylindrical storage part mounted on a flight vehicle. A parachute and suspension lines 6 are folded and packed in the inner capsule in a state that a top and a bottom are opened. The injection part has a compression coil and a locking and unlocking mechanism for the coil, and injects the inner capsule, which is mounted in the storage part in a state that the coil is compressed and locked, by releasing force of the coil generated by unlocking to extend the suspension lines and open the package.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a landing assistance device that uses a parachute mounted on an aircraft and is used during landing. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, drones, an aerial vehicle equipped with multiple rotors, have been increasingly used in fields such as photography and delivery, and are expected to become even more popular in the future. In addition, technology has been proposed that takes into account the use of parachutes as a safety device in the event of an emergency fall, which is important for the practical use of drones.

[0003] The following prior art documents disclose techniques for devising mechanisms for storing, ejecting, and opening a parachute. Patent Document 1 discloses a mechanism for storing a chute cover and a spring in a container, which ejects the chute cover and pilot chute by the action of the spring, in order to provide a spare parachute for a canopy-first system that does not have the risk of the pilot chute's bridal line becoming entangled with the line of a damaged parachute. In the technique disclosed in Document 1, the cover placed on the top of the pilot chute is ejected upward, and there remains a possibility that the cover will then descend toward the top of the folded pilot chute due to the action of gravity, causing problems in deploying the folded pilot chute. In addition, the cover is elastic and absorbs the opening force of the compressed spring, so it is ejected at the remaining speed while slowing down or partially nullifying the opening force, leaving concerns about the upper cover coming off.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a technique in which a spring is placed under a storage section for a parachute, the storage section is closed with a cover, and the opening force of the compressed spring pushes up the stored parachute, which then opens and launches the parachute, but there are concerns due to the presence of the cover. Patent Document 3 discloses a technique in which a folded parachute is stored in a hat-shaped push-up member inside a bottomed cylindrical member, and a piston member pushes up the cylindrical member with a lid member attached to the top of the bottomed cylindrical member to launch the parachute. Patent Document 4 discloses a technique in which a parachute or other projectile in a container is launched using gas or a spring, and in paragraphs 0055 and 0059 it is described that, in the absence of a container, the outer periphery of the projectile may be tied with a string-like member or the like, and the string-like member may be cut when activated to deploy the projectile. In the canopy-first method of deployment, which is known for forcibly deploying the canopy as shown in [Patent Document 3] and [Patent Document 4], the canopy (umbrella part) opens first, but there is a concern that it does not necessarily open above the aircraft. If the aircraft is falling with rotation, the deployed canopy may engulf the aircraft body, and if the canopy opens on the side, there is a high possibility that the suspension line may get tangled in the protruding part of the aircraft.

[0005] In the event of an emergency involving the drone making it difficult to continue controlling and flying (due to an emergency situation), it is necessary to release the parachute quickly and without it coming into contact with the body of the drone that is in an abnormal state, and away from the drone without opening, and to open the parachute in the air far enough away from the drone, and there are concerns about the technologies described in Patent Documents 1 to 4. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4884088 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6446491 [Patent Document 3] JP 2021-70426 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-125012 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In view of the need described in paragraph 0005, the present invention aims to provide an auxiliary device that enables a stored parachute to be released and deployed quickly, powerfully and reliably into the air, and that enables the parachute to open in the air at a sufficient distance from the squadron. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a landing assist device for an aircraft, comprising a parachute launching part and a cylindrical inner capsule made of a hard resin sheet in a cylindrical storage part mounted on the aircraft, the parachute and suspension line are folded and packed in the inner capsule in an open state, the launching part has a compression coil and a locking and unlocking mechanism for the coil, the inner capsule mounted in the storage part in a compressed and locked state of the coil is launched by the opening force of the coil generated by the unlocking, and the suspension line is stretched to open the package. The present invention further provides a configuration in which the inner capsule is made of a plurality of overlapping resin plates, the present invention also provides a configuration in which the parachute is stored in an inner sheet and packed in the inner capsule, and the present invention also provides a configuration in which the unlocking mechanism performs unlocking by an electric servo.

[0009] The present invention further provides a landing assist device for an aircraft, characterized in that a container storing a main parachute and a cylindrical storage section are mounted on the aircraft, the cylindrical storage section includes an ejection section of a pilot chute connected to the main parachute by a suspension line and a cylindrical inner capsule made of a hard resin sheet, the pilot chute and the suspension line are folded and packed in the inner capsule in an open state, the ejection section has a compression coil and a locking and unlocking mechanism for the coil, the inner capsule is ejected by the opening force of the coil generated by the unlocking, the suspension line is stretched to open the package and deploy the pilot chute, and the main parachute is released from the container by the tension of the suspension line. The present invention also provides a configuration in which the pilot chute is stored in an inner sheet and packed in the inner capsule, and the unlocking mechanism performs unlocking by an electric servo. Effect of the Invention

[0010] In the present invention, the cylindrical inner capsule made of a hard resin sheet is used to efficiently receive the kinetic energy of the momentum released from the compression of the compression coil, increasing the momentum of the ejection, and successfully increasing the ejection speed and flight distance. As a result, the present invention makes it possible to deploy and open the parachute in an accurate shape, and the function of realizing straight-line stability during the subsequent natural descent by the parachute is reliably demonstrated. The use of the inner sheet of the present invention makes it easier to compress and pack the parachute, and further increases the ejection speed and flight distance. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A shows a state in which a drop assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention is attached to a drone, and FIG. 1B shows a state in which the device is launched. [Diagram 2]2A is a diagram showing the assembly status of the injection machine of the auxiliary device in FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a diagram showing the coil compression status of the injection machine, FIG. 2C is a front schematic diagram of the compression status, and FIG. 2D is a diagram showing the capsule injection status by releasing the coil compression of the injection mechanism. [Diagram 3] 3(a) and (b) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the locking / unlocking mechanism of the coil spring used in the injection machine of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1(a) is an external view of the inner sheet that wraps around the folded pilot chute that is installed in the injection machine of FIG. 2, FIG. 1(b) is an external view of the pilot chute wrapped in the inner sheet of FIG. 1(a), FIG. 1(c) is an external view of the inner capsule structure, FIG. 1(d) is an external view showing the state before the inner sheet wrapping body of FIG. 1(b) is wrapped in the capsule of FIG. 1(c), and FIG. 1(e) is a view showing the state of FIG. 1(d) after wrapping. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1(a) is a diagram showing the storage structure of the pilot chute, suspension line, and bridal cord inside the inner capsule before ejection, and FIG. 1(b) and (c) are diagrams showing the state immediately after the capsule is ejected. [Figure 6] 1 shows the operating status of the drone drop support device in Fig. 1, where (a) is the status immediately after the inner capsule is released, (b) is the status of the inner capsule disassembly and the start of pilot chute deployment, (c) is the status of the pilot chute opening, (d) is the status of the main parachute starting to deploy, and (e) is the status of the main parachute opening. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] As shown in Fig. 1(a), a drone 1 is an aircraft used for various purposes such as photography and transportation. A number of propellers 3 (six in this example) are attached to the main body 2 of the drone, legs 4 are attached to the bottom of the main body 2, and a container 5 is attached to the top, and a main parachute is folded and stored inside the container 5. A cylindrical launcher (which stores an inner capsule packed with a pilot chute shown in Figs. 4 and 5) 10 is attached to the main body 2, and the container 5 and launcher 10 constitute the main part of the drone drop support device of the present invention. 6 is a suspension line, and 7 is a bridal cord, which connects the pilot chute and the main parachute.

[0013] When an abnormality occurs in the drone of FIG. 1(a) and an emergency drop occurs, the drop assist device of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1(b), releases the inner capsule 20 consisting of a metal or hard resin bullet 12 and a hard resin sheet by the opening force of the metal coil spring 11 (shown in FIG. 2) compressed and stored in the launcher 10, and the operation of the drop assist mechanism is started. At this time, the opening force of the spring 11 is transmitted to the hard resin capsule 20 almost as it is without any decrease. The retraction cord 14 having the fixed ring 13 that controlled the locking and unlocking of the spring 11 is also released. This feature of the capsule 20 being released with force (exemplified by the present invention) is that the capsule 20 is quickly and at high speed separated from the drone body, and the parachute is reliably opened and unfolded at this separated position, and the drop assist function is performed without any risk of interference. The packaging configuration, release, mid-air dismantling mechanism, and parachute deployment of the capsule 20 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 to 6.

[0014] The assembly, storage, and ejection structure of the capsule 20 and the like in the injection machine 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in (a), the retraction cord 14 fixed to the upper part of the coil spring 11 is retracted downward into the injection machine 10, and the fixed ring 13 at the end is engaged with the locking member 15 installed at the bottom of the injection machine 10 to compress and hold the coil spring 11. The capsule 20 made of hard resin is inserted onto the bullet 12 made of metal or hard resin as shown by the arrow 17, and the storage structure shown in (b) and (c) is obtained, completing preparation for ejection of the capsule 20. In the event of an emergency drop, as shown in (d), the locking member 15 moves in the direction of the arrow 18 to release the engagement of the fixed ring 15, and the compression of the coil spring 11 is released and it extends upward, pushing the coil 20 in the direction of the arrow 19. The locking and unlocking mechanism 16 moves the locking member 15 by an electric servo to perform unlocking. At this time, the opening force of the spring 11 is not absorbed but is transmitted to the hard bullet 12 and capsule 20 with almost the same momentum, and the bullet 12 and capsule 20 are released with great force, thereby demonstrating the characteristic functions of the present invention (early detachment from the drone body, rapid deployment of the parachute, etc.).

[0015] As shown in the specific example of FIG. 3, the locking member 15 is operated by a rotating arm 23 that transmits the rotational force of a mechanism 15 having an electric servo motor, and moves in the direction of an arrow 18 to release the lock of the fixing ring 13.

[0016] 4, the assembly and structure of the capsule and pilot chute stored in the injection machine 10 will be described. As shown in (a), the fastening parts 22 are formed at both ends of a curved inner sheet 21 made of a thin resin sheet. The folded pilot chute 24 is stored in the sheet 21, and the sheet 21 is tightly attached around the pilot chute 24 for packaging. 7 is a suspension line, one end of which is connected to the pilot chute 24 and the other end to the suspension line 7, and the bridal sheet 7 is connected to the main parachute. The pilot chute 24 compressed and packed in the inner sheet 21 using the fastening parts 22 is further compressed and fixed to a volume that can be stored in the internal volume of the inner capsule 20 using the fastening parts 22. If the pilot chute 24 is disturbed due to handling after packaging, the volume of the pilot chute may be recompressed and adjusted while the inner capsule 20 is locked.

[0017] Fig. 4(c) shows a curved structure consisting of capsule sheets 31, 32, 33 made of hard resin (for example, polypolyethylene terephthalate) having a thickness of about 0.2 mm, which are used to exteriorize the inner sheet packaging body of Fig. 4(b), and the packaging body of Fig. 3(b) is enclosed and stored in this as shown in Fig. 3(d). Four holes 30 are formed in each of the sheets 31, 32, 33, and rubber strings 34, 35 are attached as shown in the figure. In the state shown in Fig. 4(d), a part of the suspension line 6 is inserted into the ring parts 34-1, 35-1 at the ends of the rubber strings 34, 35, and the rubber strings 34, 35 are tightened and locked to create a capsule in the packaged state shown in Fig. 4(e).

[0018] The feature of this capsule structure is that the pilot chute 24 is stored compactly, and when it is released in an emergency, the suspension line 6 is extended, and a part of the suspension line 6 is pulled out from the ring parts 34-1 and 35-1 to release the lock, and the rubber strings 34 and 35 are also pulled out from the holes in the sheets 31, 32 and 33, and the sheets 31, 32 and 33 are dismantled, and the sheet 21 is also easily opened, and all the packaging around the pilot chute 24 is released and opened. These operations proceed quickly in the air after the capsule 20 is ejected. The capsule sheets 31, 32 and 33 that act as a cover are made of hard resin, and the curved structure allows for compact storage, and the upper parts of the three capsule sheets of the capsule 20 are open, making them suitable for ejection and opening the pilot chute. In addition, the three capsule sheets are easily disassembled in the curved structure by the unlocking of the rubber strings 34 and 35 due to the extension of the suspension line (hanging rope), and the curved structure is easily disassembled, and the capsule sheets are released to the left and right sides of the side of the pilot chute, and the cover is dismantled. In addition, the number of capsule sheets is not limited to three, and it is also possible to use two or four.

[0019] As shown in Figure 5, the pilot chute, suspension line 6 and bridal sheet 7 are stored in the state (a), and immediately after the capsule 20 is ejected, the suspension line 6 is pulled out (b), and part of the suspension line 6 detaches from the rubber cord, pulling out the pilot chute 24 (c).

[0020] Next, the drop assist operation, i.e., the deployment and opening of the pilot chute and main parachute, will be described with reference to FIG. 6. When an abnormal state of the drone during flight is detected and the drone body 2 detects a drop in the direction of the arrow 40, the locking member 15 shown in FIG. 2 releases the fixed ring 14, and the capsule 20 is released into the air from the launcher 10 by the opening force of the coil spring 11 as shown in (a). Next, as shown in (b), the suspension line 6 and the bridal cord 7 connecting the pilot chute in the capsule 20 and the main parachute in the container 5 are pulled as shown by the arrow 41, the capsule 20 is disassembled, and the packaging of the resin sheets 31, 32, 33, and the inner sheet 21 is released and they are separated and scattered in the air. The pilot chute 24 is also released from its packaging and is in a state where it starts to deploy. After that, the pilot chute 24 quickly opens, and the bridal cord 6 pulls out the inner equipment 51 of the container and the main parachute stored therein (c). (d) shows the state where the pilot chute 24 pulls out and deploys the main parachute 50. After this, the main parachute 50 opens (e). 60 is a suspension line of the main parachute 50, and 61 is a bridal line connecting the line 60 to the main parachute 50. In this state, the fall assist function is exerted, and the drone body 2 starts to fall slowly and stably, and the drone lands at an appropriate speed.

[0019] The example described above uses a pilot chute and a main parachute, but it is also possible to use a landing assistance device that does not use a pilot chute, but instead packs the main parachute in the capsule shown in Figure 3 and uses only the main parachute. [Industrial Applicability]

[0020] According to the present invention, by using a cylindrical inner capsule made of a hard resin sheet, the kinetic energy of the momentum released from the compression of the compression coil is efficiently received, increasing the momentum of the ejection, and successfully increasing the ejection speed and flight distance. As a result, the present invention makes it possible to deploy and open the parachute in an accurate shape in the air away from the squadron, and the function of realizing straight flight stability during the subsequent natural descent by the parachute is reliably demonstrated, and is highly effective in the emergency drop of an aircraft such as a drone. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 2 Drone body 5. Container 6 Suspension Line 7 Bridal Code 10 injection machine 11 Coil spring 12 Barrett 13 Fixing ring 14 Retractable cord 15 Locking member 20 Inner Capsule 22 Fastening section 21 Inner sheet 24 Pilot Shoot 31, 32, 33 Hard resin capsule sheet 50 Main Parachute

Claims

1. A parachute launching unit is provided in a cylindrical storage unit mounted on the aircraft. a parachute that is folded and packed in an inner sheet package; and a cylindrical inner capsule made of multiple overlapping hard resin sheets, the inner sheet, a suspension line connected to the parachute, and a bridle cord connected to the suspension line and the aircraft are stored in the inner capsule with the top open, the multiple hard resin sheets are locked in the storage section to pack the inner sheet package, the ejection section has a compression coil and a locking / unlocking mechanism for the coil, the inner capsule that is loaded in the storage section with the coil compressed and locked is released into the air by the opening force of the coil generated by the unlocking, the bridle cord and suspension line are stretched, and then the suspension line is stretched to unlock the multiple hard resin sheets with a part of the suspension line, thereby dismantling and scattering the multiple overlapping resin sheets, the inner sheet package is unpacked, and the parachute is deployed.

2. A container containing a main parachute and a cylindrical storage section are mounted on the aircraft, and the cylindrical storage section contains an ejection section of a pilot chute connected to the main parachute by a suspension line and a bridal cord, an inner sheet package in which the pilot chute in a folded state is packaged in an inner sheet, and a cylindrical inner capsule made of a plurality of overlapping hard resin sheets. The inner sheet, the suspension line connected to the pilot chute, and the bridal cord connected to the suspension line and the main parachute are stored in an open-top state in the inner capsule, and the plurality of hard resin sheets package the inner sheet package within the storage section. the ejection section has a compression coil and a mechanism for locking and unlocking the coil, and the inner capsule attached to the storage section with the coil compressed and locked is ejected into the air by the opening force of the coil generated by the unlocking, the bridal cord and the suspension line are stretched, and then the suspension line is stretched to release the lock on the multiple hard resin sheets at a part of the suspension line, thereby dismantling and scattering the multiple overlapping resin sheets, unpacking the inner sheet, deploying the pilot chute, and releasing the main parachute from the container by the tension of the bridal cord and the suspension line.

3. 3. The landing assist device for an aircraft according to claim 1, wherein the locking and unlocking mechanism performs unlocking by an electric servo.

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