Safety device and flying object equipped with the safety device

Abstract

To provide a safety device whose number of components is reduced more than before so as to be reduced in weight and simplified in manufacturing work, and provide a flight body equipped with the safety device.SOLUTION: A safety device 100 comprises a container 1, an injection unit 20 provided at a lower side in the container 1, and a body 30 to be expanded supported on the injection device 20, at an upper side in the container 1. The container 1 comprises an upper-side container 10, a lower-side container 11 and a fastener 12. The upper-side container 10 is fixed to the lower-side container 11 with the fastener 12 and comprises a fragile part 16. The fragile part 16 is fractured by the body 30 to be expanded moved by operating the injection device 20 and then forms an opening for injection through which the body 30 to be expanded is injected.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device for projecting a projectile such as a parachute or a paraglider, and to an aircraft equipped with the safety device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, with the development of autonomous control technology and flight control technology, the industrial use of aircraft equipped with multiple rotors, for example drones, is accelerating. Drones fly, for example, by rotating multiple rotors simultaneously in a balanced manner, and ascend and descend by increasing and decreasing the rotation speed of the rotors, and move forward and backward by tilting the aircraft through increasing and decreasing the rotation speed of the rotors. Such aircraft are expected to become more widespread worldwide in the future.

[0003] On the other hand, the risk of aircraft falling accidents as described above is considered a danger, which is hindering the widespread use of aircraft. In order to reduce the risk of such falling accidents, parachute devices for aircraft are being commercialized as safety devices.

[0004] For example, one example of the above parachute safety device is disclosed in the following Patent Document 1. The parachute safety device disclosed in Patent Document 1 inflates and deploys an uninflated tubular member (part of the ejection device) inside a container (housing), pushing up a lid placed on the top of the container to open the top of the container, and then ejects a parachute attached via a string-like member near the tip of the tubular member. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,889,941 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the safety device of Patent Document 1, the lid is connected to the main body of the container by a hinge or the like, resulting in a relatively large number of parts. However, in recent years, there has been a demand for reducing the number of parts to make the device lighter and simplify the manufacturing process.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a safety device that has a reduced number of parts, is lighter, and has simplified manufacturing operations compared to conventional devices, and an aircraft equipped with such a safety device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] (1) A safety device according to the present invention comprises a container, a deployable body stored in the container, and an ejection device that is stored in the container while supporting the deployable body and ejects the deployable body from the container when activated, and the container has a fragile portion formed along the periphery of the container that is broken by the deployable body moved by the activation of the ejection device and that forms an ejection opening through which the deployable body is ejected. The container further includes an opening for insertion and removal that is provided along the periphery of the container and can be opened and closed to allow the deployed body and the ejection device to be inserted and removed, and a fastener that is attached to the opening for insertion and removal and can close the opening for insertion and removal. It is characterized by:

[0009] (2) In the safety device described above in (1), it is preferable that the deployable body is connected to the container via a connecting member.

[0010] (3) In the safety device of (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the ejection device is an airbag device that is inflated by gas pressure generated by the combustion of explosives and / or by the inflow of compressed gas, or an actuator that is driven by the biasing force of a spring or gas pressure generated by the combustion of explosives.

[0012] ( 4 The aircraft according to the present invention comprises a fuselage and the above-mentioned (1) to ( 3 ) and a propulsion mechanism connected to the vehicle body and propelling the vehicle body. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a safety device and an aircraft equipped with the safety device, which have a reduced number of parts, simplified manufacturing work, and reduced weight compared to conventional devices. Also, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the storage capacity of the parts in the container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view showing a safety device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an initial state of the safety device of FIG. 1, with a part shown in cross section. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the safety device of FIG. 1 during operation, with a portion shown in cross section. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the safety device of FIG. 1 after it has been activated. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an aircraft to which the safety device of FIG. 1 is applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, a safety device and an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the safety device 100 comprises a container 1, an ejection device 20 provided on the lower side within the container 1, and a deployable body 30 supported by the ejection device 20 on the upper side within the container 1.

[0017] The container 1 includes an upper container 10, a lower container 11, and a fastener 12.

[0018] The upper container 10 is a container that is removably fixed to the lower container 11 via fasteners 12, and has a fragile part 16 formed along almost the entire circumference (a part of which has no fragile part) of the upper container 10. The upper container 10 may be made of a relatively strong cloth such as canvas, or may be made of resin.

[0019] The fragile portion 16 forms the ejection opening 17 (see Figs. 3 and 4) through which the deployable body 30 is ejected after being broken by the deployable body 30 moved by the operation of the ejection device 20. For example, the portion that will become the ejection opening 17 is sewn with thread, and the thread is broken by the force of the ejection device 20 pushing up the deployable body 30 when activated. Here, as a modified example, the fragile portion 16 may be a perforated portion having a plurality of holes formed therein. By forming the portion between adjacent holes to break when activated, it is possible to achieve the same effect as the above-mentioned sewn fragile portion 16.

[0020] The lower container 11 is a container that is removably fixed to the upper container 10 via a fastener 12, and is a bottomed cylindrical container that supports the injection device 20 at its bottom. The lower container 11 may be made of a relatively strong cloth such as canvas, or may be made of resin.

[0021] The fastener 12 is a fastener type fastener including an element (attaching teeth) portion 13, a slider portion 14, and a pull tab portion 15, and capable of closing or opening the opening for inserting or removing the injection device 20 and the object to be deployed 30 between the upper container 10 and the lower container 11 over the entire periphery of the container 1. Note that in the state shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the opening for inserting or removing the injection device 20 and the object to be deployed 30 is shown closed by the fastener 12. Furthermore, although not shown, when the opening for inserting or removing the injection device 20 and the object to be deployed 30 is opened by the fastener 12 (when the engaging teeth head of the element portion 13 described below is disengaged), the injection device 20 and the object to be deployed 30 can be easily removed or attached. Furthermore, when the fastener 12 is in a state where it is blocking the opening for inserting and removing the injection device 20 and the deployed body 30, the fastener 12 is capable of maintaining the blocking state even if the safety device 100 is activated.

[0022] The element (teeth) portion 13 is formed by sewing a plurality of uneven projections (interlocking teeth) to each tape (not shown) provided along the periphery of the container 1 at the end of the fastener 12 side of the upper container 10 and the lower container 11. The interlocking portion of the projections is called the tooth head (not shown). The tape may be made of any material as long as it is relatively strong, and for example, a cloth made of woven thread to increase its strength is used.

[0023] The slider part 14 is a movable part that connects and disconnects the tooth heads of the element (tooth) part 13. For example, the inside of the slider part 14 is a Y-shaped tunnel, and when the element part 13 passes through this tunnel, the tooth heads of the element (tooth) part 13 can be engaged with each other to connect them, or separated to disconnect them.

[0024] The pull tab 15 is provided on the slider portion 14 to make it easier to move the slider portion 14.

[0025] The ejection device 20 includes an airbag 21 and a gas generator 22. The airbag 21 is initially folded and stored in the container 1. The gas generator 22 generates gas upon activation and causes it to flow into the airbag 21, thereby inflating and deploying the airbag 21. As a modified example, the airbag 21 may be replaced by an actuator that is driven by the biasing force of a spring or gas pressure generated by the combustion of explosives.

[0026] The gas generator 22 may be an igniter alone, or a gas generator equipped with an igniter and a gas generating agent. A hybrid type gas generator in which a gunpowder-type igniter breaks the seal of a small gas cylinder and releases the gas inside to the outside, or a stored type gas generator in which high-pressure gas is filled in a pressure-resistant container may be used. In this case, the pressurized gas in the gas cylinder may be a non-flammable gas such as argon, helium, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, or a mixture of these. In addition, the gas generator may be equipped with a heating element made of a gas generating agent composition or a thermite composition, etc., in order to reliably propel the piston when the pressurized gas is released.

[0027] 1 and 2, the deployable body 30 is folded and placed in the container 1. The deployable body 30 is connected to the container 1 via a connecting member 40, and is not connected to the launch device 20.

[0028] As shown in Figure 5, an aircraft 50 to which the safety device 100 of the above configuration can be applied comprises an aircraft body 51, a safety device 100 connected to the aircraft body 51, one or more propulsion mechanisms (e.g., propellers, etc.) 52 connected to the aircraft body 51 and propelling the aircraft 51, and a plurality of legs 53 provided on the bottom of the aircraft body 51.

[0029] In the above configuration, when the gas generator 22 is activated when, for example, an aircraft 50 equipped with the safety device 100 falls, the airbag 21 is inflated and deployed by the pressure of the gas generated by the activation. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, the inflated airbag 21 pushes the deployable body 30 toward the upper direction of the container 1, the fragile portion 16 is broken to form the ejection opening 17, and the deployable body 30 is ejected from the container 1 to the upper outside. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4, the ejected deployable body 30 deploys with the ejection opening 17 formed but with a part of the upper container 10 and the lower container 11 still connected. As a result, when the safety device 100 is activated in the aircraft 50 shown in FIG. 5, the deployable body 30 can be safely dropped by slowing down its descent speed with the deployable body 50 suspended via the connecting member 40 (safety device 100).

[0030] As described above, according to this embodiment, by providing the weak portion 16 in the container 1, it is possible to obtain a safety device 100 that has fewer parts, is lighter in weight, and has a simplified manufacturing process compared to conventional devices.

[0031] Furthermore, by providing the fastener 12, the ejection device 20 and the body to be deployed 30 inside the container 1 can be easily replaced. Therefore, it is possible to improve the accommodation and storage workability of the parts (ejection device 20, body to be deployed 30, etc.) in the container 1 compared to the conventional art.

[0032] Furthermore, by providing the fastener 12, the container 1 can be used repeatedly multiple times or more simply by replacing the ejection device 20 and the object to be deployed 30. Even if the safety device 100 is activated, the lower container 11 can be used repeatedly multiple times or more.

[0033] In addition, since the deployable body 30 is connected to the container 1 via the connecting member 40, no burden is placed on the ejection device 20. In other words, since the airbag 21 of the ejection device 20 is not pulled by the connecting member 40, it is not necessary to use an airbag made of a material with stronger strength.

[0034] Moreover, it is possible to obtain an aircraft 50 equipped with a safety device 100 having the above-described configuration.

[0035] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the description of the above embodiments, and further includes all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0036] In the above embodiment, a fastener type fastener is used, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any fastener may be used as long as it can close or open the opening for inserting and removing the injection device 20 and the deployed body 30 between the upper container 10 and the lower container 11 and does not open when activated. For example, a button type fastener that does not open when activated but can be freely closed or opened by the operation of a button by an operator may be used.

[0037] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the container 1 is formed in a cylindrical shape, but is not limited to this, and may be formed in other shapes, such as a rectangular tube.

[0038] In addition, in each of the above-described embodiments, when a parachute or a paraglider is used as the projectile, the parachute or the paraglider may be packed in a manner that breaks or peels off when the parachute or the paraglider is activated.

[0039] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, a parachute or a paraglider is given as the projectile, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and an object including a lift generating member may be projected as the projectile. Examples of the lift generating member include a parafoil, a Rogallo parachute, a single surface parachute, an airplane wing, a propeller, and a balloon. In addition, when the lift generating member has a control line, it is preferable that the safety device is provided with a steering mechanism that can change the inclination angle of the projected lift generating member by using the control line. For example, this steering mechanism includes a plurality of reels that respectively wind up a plurality of control lines connected to the lift generating member, and a motor that powers these reels. By driving the motor, the control line can be wound up or unwound, thereby pulling or loosening the lift generating member as appropriate.

[0040] Also, instead of a parachute or a paraglider, the flying object may be equipped with a safety device capable of shooting out a net. With this, by shooting the net at the right time toward a hook or a protrusion, the flying object can be hooked onto the hook or protrusion. As a result, the flying object can be prevented from falling and crashing to the ground.

[0041] The flying object may also be equipped with a safety device that can launch a deflated or folded float together with a drive mechanism (such as an expansion device including a gas generator) by a launching device, and inflate and deploy the float by the drive mechanism. This can prevent the flying object from sinking in water, and can serve as a marker for a recovery location in the event that the flying object crashes.

[0042] The flying object may also be equipped with a safety device that can launch a deflated or folded life jacket (float) and a parachute together with a drive mechanism (such as an expansion device including a gas generator) by a launching device and deploy the life jacket and the parachute by the drive mechanism. This can reduce the falling speed of the flying object when it crashes, prevent the flying object from sinking in water, and serve as a marker for the recovery location when the flying object crashes.

[0043] In addition, the parachute may be launched together with a drive mechanism (such as a cutting device equipped with a drive unit) by an ejection device, and after the parachute is deployed, some of the multiple connecting members connecting the parachute to the aircraft may be cut by the drive mechanism, shifting the center of gravity of the aircraft body and causing it to fall sideways, and then the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that can mitigate the impact of collision with the ground or the like using an airbag device provided on the side of the aircraft that is to fall.

[0044] Also, a so-called paramotor may be launched together with a drive mechanism (including a drive unit such as a power source) by the launching device, and after the parachute or paraglider is fully deployed, the drive mechanism may drive the motor to rotate the propeller, providing an aircraft equipped with a safety device. This prevents the parachute or paraglider from getting tangled in the propeller. A paramotor is a device that can fly by obtaining thrust from a power source (such as a motor-driven propeller rotation device) attached to the harness of the parachute or paraglider.

[0045] In addition, the flying object may be equipped with a safety device that can launch a sound generating device together with a drive mechanism (including a drive unit such as a power source) using an ejection device, and activate the sound generating device via the drive mechanism when the flying object crashes, thereby alerting those in the vicinity to danger.

[0046] In addition, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that can use an ejection device to eject a lighting device (such as a flashlight) together with a drive mechanism (including a drive unit such as a power source), and that can activate the lighting device via the drive mechanism when the aircraft crashes, thereby alerting those in the vicinity to danger.

[0047] In addition, the fire extinguisher may be ejected together with a drive mechanism (including a drive unit such as a power source) by an ejection device, and the drive mechanism may activate the fire extinguisher when the aircraft crashes, thereby making the aircraft equipped with a safety device that can spray a fire extinguishing agent onto the body of the aircraft and its surroundings.

[0048] Also, the flying object may be equipped with a safety device that launches a payload with a parachute (such as expensive equipment) that has been pre-installed and can be ejected by the ejection device together with the drive mechanism, and deploys the parachute of the payload with a parachute by the drive mechanism. This allows the payload with a parachute to be protected in a focused manner.

[0049] Also, the flying object may be equipped with a safety device that ejects an airbag device-equipped payload (such as expensive equipment) that has been pre-installed and can be ejected together with a drive mechanism (such as an inflation device including a gas generator) by the ejection device, and inflates and deploys the airbag of the airbag device-equipped payload by the drive mechanism. This allows the airbag device-equipped payload to be protected in a focused manner.

[0050] The aircraft may also be equipped with a safety device that can launch the distress signal transmitter together with a drive mechanism (including a drive unit such as a power source) by a launching device, and activate the distress signal transmitter by the drive mechanism when the aircraft crashes, thereby making it possible to identify the crash site when the aircraft crashes.

[0051] Also, the flying object may be equipped with a safety device that ejects a black box with a parachute (such as a flight recorder) together with a drive mechanism (such as an expansion device including a gas generator) from an ejection device, and deploys the parachute of the black box with a parachute when the flying object crashes using the drive mechanism. This allows the black box with a parachute to be protected in a focused manner. As a result, flight data can be protected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 1 Container 10 Upper vessel 11 Lower vessel 12 Fasteners 13 Element section 14 Slider section 15 Pull handle 16 Weakened Part 17 Injection opening 20 Injection device 21 Airbag 22 Gas Generator 30 Object to be developed 40 Connecting member 50 Flying Objects 51 Aircraft 52 Propulsion mechanism 53 Legs 100 safety equipment

Claims

1. A container; A deployable body contained in the container; an ejection device that is stored in the container in a state in which the deployable body is supported and ejects the deployable body from the container when activated; Equipped with a fragile portion that forms an ejection opening through which the deployable object is ejected after being broken by the deployable object moved by the operation of the ejection device is provided along a periphery of the deployable object, The container further comprises: an opening for insertion and removal that is provided along the periphery of the container and can be opened and closed to allow the deployment object and the ejection device to be inserted and removed; a fastener attached to the opening for insertion and removal and capable of closing the opening for insertion and removal; A safety device comprising:

2. The safety device according to claim 1, wherein the object to be deployed is connected to the container via a connecting member.

3. 3. The safety device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ejection device is an airbag device which is inflated by gas pressure generated by the combustion of explosives and / or by the inflow of compressed gas, or an actuator which is driven by the biasing force of a spring or by gas pressure generated by the combustion of explosives.

4. The aircraft and A safety device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which is coupled to the airframe; a propulsion mechanism coupled to the vehicle body for propelling the vehicle body; An aircraft characterized by comprising:

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