Drone Heliport

Abstract

To enable a drone to fly from an arbitrary place at any time.SOLUTION: A heliport for a drone comprises: a fixed body 2 detachably attached to a plurality of electric power poles P installed on a ground; and a port body 3 which is connected to the fixed body 2, which extends in a substantially horizontal direction in a state in which the fixed body 2 is attached to the electric power pole P, and in which a drone D can take off and land.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a drone heliport for taking off and landing drones (unmanned aerial vehicles). [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, drones have been widely used for equipment inspection, logistics, and other purposes, but a takeoff and landing site (heliport) is required to fly a drone. For this reason, drone ports that can be easily installed in the outdoor space of buildings such as apartment buildings, hospitals, and other buildings are known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). This drone port has a fixed member that can be fixed between the floor and ceiling of the building's exterior, and a flat surface for receiving packages from a drone, and the flat surface rotates relative to the fixed member while maintaining a horizontal state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-27122 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] By the way, there are many different places where drones can be flown. For example, when inspecting power facilities with a drone, it is sometimes necessary to fly the drone not only in urban areas with many buildings, but also in agricultural areas and mountainous areas. For this reason, it would be convenient if it were possible to take off and land from roads (sidewalks and roadways), but in order to take off and land from a road, it is necessary to apply for a road use permit from the police and pay a prescribed usage fee each time, which takes time and money. In addition, if private land around the flight area is used as a takeoff and landing site, it is necessary to explain the purpose of use to the landowner and obtain their consent. In the case of an emergency or when the landowner is absent, there may be cases where consent cannot be obtained and flight is not possible.

[0005] On the other hand, the drone port described in Patent Document 1 cannot be installed or used on farmland or other areas without buildings. In addition, it cannot be installed or used without the permission of the building owner, and in the case of an emergency or when the owner is absent, there may be cases where permission cannot be obtained and flights cannot be made.

[0006] As such, there was a demand for a takeoff and landing site where drones could be easily launched and landed anywhere, at any time.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a heliport for drones that enables drones to fly from any location at any time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the invention of claim 1 provides a drone that includes a fixed body that can be detachably attached to a pole-like body, including a utility pole, which is installed in large numbers on the ground, and a port body that is connected to the fixed body, extends in a substantially horizontal direction with the fixed body attached to the pole-like body, and allows a drone to take off and land. The fixed body is a plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the columnar body, and the port body is a rod-shaped beam extending from the fixed body and a plate-shaped takeoff and landing device provided at the tip of the beam on which the drone is mounted. a take-off and landing section, the shape and size of which are set so that the drone can take off and land reliably and easily, and the installation position is set so that the utility pole and its accessories do not get in the way and the drone can take off and land safely and easily; This is a heliport for drones that features the following:

[0009] According to this invention, when the fixed body is attached to a column-shaped body such as a utility pole, the port body extends in an approximately horizontal direction, enabling the drone to take off and land.

[0011] Claim 2 The invention is as follows: 1 to The described drone heliport is characterized in that the fixed body and the port body are capable of being stacked on top of each other.

[0012] Claim 3 The invention of claim 1 OR 2 The drone heliport described in the above is characterized in that an anti-slip device is provided on the columnar body side of the fixed body. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the invention described in claim 1, a place for drone take-off and landing can be secured simply by attaching a fixed body, i.e., the heliport for the drone, to a pole or other column-shaped structure. Since many pole-shaped structures such as utility poles are installed on the ground, it is possible to fly, take off and land a drone from any location by attaching the heliport for the drone to any pole-shaped structure. Furthermore, since utility poles and the like can be occupied by electric power companies, telecommunications companies, etc., it is possible for the electric power companies, telecommunications companies, etc. to fly drones at any time (or relatively quickly even in an emergency) without obtaining permission from private households.

[0014] Claim 1 According to the invention described in the above, the fixed body is plate-shaped, and the port body is simply composed of a rod-shaped beam section and a plate-shaped takeoff and landing section, so that the structure is simple, making it possible to reduce production costs and maintenance costs, and also making it possible to reduce the size and weight, making it easier to transport and handle.

[0015] Claim 2 According to the invention described in the above, the fixed body and the port body can be stacked, so that when the site is not being used as a takeoff and landing site for drones, the fixed body and the port body can be stacked together, making it easier to transport and store.

[0016] Claim 3 According to the invention described in the above, since a non-slip surface is provided on the columnar body side of the fixed body, the fixed body, i.e., the drone heliport, can be firmly and stably attached to a columnar body such as a utility pole. This prevents the aircraft from shaking or shifting even in wind and rain, making it possible to provide a stable takeoff and landing site. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a front view and a plan view showing a drone heliport in accordance with embodiment 1 of the present invention attached to a utility pole. [Diagram 2] 2A and 2B are front and side views showing the fixed body of the drone heliport in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2A and 2B are a front view and a plan view showing the port body of the drone heliport in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 2A is a front view and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing the fixed body and port body of the drone heliport in FIG. 1 stacked on top of each other. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a front view showing a drone heliport in accordance with embodiment 2 of the present invention attached to a utility pole. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a front view showing the state in which the support bar of the drone heliport in FIG. 5 is placed along the beam portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on the illustrated embodiment.

[0019] (Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a front view (a) and a plan view (b) showing a drone heliport 1 according to this embodiment attached to a utility pole P. This drone heliport 1 is a portable heliport that is attached to a number of pillar-shaped bodies installed on the ground for launching and landing drones D. Here, the pillar-shaped bodies include utility poles P such as power poles and communication poles that are installed all over a wide area, as well as street lights, but this embodiment will mainly explain the case where the pillar-shaped body is a utility pole P, that is, the case where the drone heliport 1 is attached to a utility pole P.

[0020] In addition, electric power companies, communication companies, etc. own utility poles P and install utility poles P on roads etc. with permission to occupy the road from the government. In this embodiment, the electric power company, communication company, or a person who has permission to use utility pole P attaches a drone heliport 1 to utility pole P and allows drone D to take off, land, and fly.

[0021] The drone heliport 1 mainly comprises a fixed body 2 and a port body 3.

[0022] The fixed body 2 is detachably attached to the utility pole P and is composed of a plate-shaped fixed body main body 21 extending in the longitudinal direction of the utility pole P. That is, the fixed body main body 21 is made of a lightweight material (e.g., wood) having a predetermined strength and rigidity, and is a substantially rectangular, vertically elongated plate-like body, as shown in Fig. 2, with two inverted U-shaped hooks 22 arranged side by side in a lateral direction facing each other on the upper surface. Then, a belt (attachment means) 23 is passed between the two hooks 22 and the fixed body main body 21, and the belt 23 is wound around the utility pole P and a buckle 23a of the belt 23 is fastened, whereby the fixed body 2 is attached to the utility pole P so that the fixed body main body 21 extends along the longitudinal direction of the utility pole P, as shown in Fig. 1.

[0023] Thus, in this embodiment, the belt 23 is used as the attachment means for attaching the fixed body main body 21 to the utility pole P, but attachment means other than the band 23 may be used. For example, the fixed body main body 21 may be attached to the utility pole P by placing a plate-like member opposite the fixed body main body 21, tightening the screws communicating with the fixed body main body 21 and the plate-like member, and sandwiching the utility pole P between the fixed body main body 21 and the plate-like member.

[0024] Moreover, a substantially square mounting hole 21a into which a base end 31a of a beam portion 31 of the port body 3 described below is inserted and mounted is formed in the upper part of the fixed body main body 21, in the center below the hook 22. Furthermore, a retaining material (e.g., a rubber sheet) is laid on the inner peripheral surface of this mounting hole 21a to prevent the base end 31a of the beam portion 31 from coming off.

[0025] Meanwhile, a support member 24 is disposed below the surface of the fixed body main body 21, supporting a lower end 33a of a support bar 33 of the port body 3, which will be described later. This support member 24 is a member obtained by bending a plate material (e.g., a steel plate) into an inverted V shape, with one piece 24a attached to the surface of the fixed body main body 21 and the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 abutting against the other piece 24b. Also, a slip prevention material (e.g., a rubber sheet) is laid on the upper surface / contact surface of the other piece 24b to prevent the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 from slipping.

[0026] Furthermore, on the utility pole P side, i.e., the back surface, of the fixed body main body 21, an anti-slip member 25 is provided to prevent the fixed body main body 21 from slipping from the utility pole P. In this embodiment, a rubber sheet is laid as the anti-slip member 25, but a sheet material made of another material may be disposed, or the anti-slip member 25 may be provided by performing an anti-slip treatment (such as uneven treatment) on the back surface of the fixed body main body 21.

[0027] The port body 3 is connected to the fixed body 2 and extends in an approximately horizontal and lateral direction with the fixed body 2 attached to the utility pole P, and is capable of allowing the drone D to take off and land.The port body 3 is equipped with a beam portion 31, a takeoff and landing portion 32, and a support bar 33.

[0028] The beam portion 31 is made of a lightweight material (for example, wood) having a predetermined strength and rigidity, and as shown in Fig. 3, is a rectangular bar having a substantially square cross section, and extends from the fixed body 2. That is, by pressing and mounting the base end portion 31a into the mounting hole 21a of the fixed body main body 21 and connecting the beam portion 31 (port body 3) to the fixed body 2, the beam portion 31 extends substantially perpendicular to the fixed body 2, and when the fixed body 2 is attached to the utility pole P, the beam portion 31 extends substantially horizontally.

[0029] The take-off and landing section 32 is provided at the tip of the beam section 31, that is, at the end on the side opposite the fixed body 2, and is a plate-like member on which the drone D rests. That is, it is a substantially square flat plate made of a lightweight material (e.g., wood) having a predetermined strength and rigidity, and its planar shape and size are set so that the drone D can take off and land reliably and easily. Then, the take-off and landing section 32 is attached to the beam section 31 so that the plane of the take-off and landing section 32 extends in a substantially horizontal direction when the beam section 31 is connected to the fixed body main body 21 as described above and the fixed body 2 is attached to the utility pole P. Also, in this state, the position of the take-off and landing section 32 is set so that the utility pole P and its accessory members (e.g., steps) do not get in the way and the drone D can take off and land safely and easily.

[0030] The support bar 33 is a member that supports the beam 31 and the takeoff and landing section 32, and is made of a lightweight material (e.g., wood) having a predetermined strength and rigidity, and is a rectangular bar with a cross section that is approximately square, and extends from the center of the beam 31 toward the lower part of the fixed body 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, a first beam hole 31b is formed in the center of the beam 31, and a first support hole 33b is formed on the upper end side of the support bar 33. Then, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, a connecting bolt 41 is inserted into the first beam hole 31b and the first support hole 33b, a connecting nut 42 is attached, and the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 is abutted against the support material 24 to tighten the connecting nut 42. As a result, the support bar 33 extends from the center of the beam 31 to the lower part of the fixed body main body 21, and the beam 31 and the takeoff and landing section 32 are supported by the support bar 33.

[0031] Such fixed body 2 and port body 3 can be stacked. That is, the base end 31a of the beam portion 31 is pulled out from the mounting hole 21a of the fixed body main body 21 to separate the fixed body 2 and the port body 3, and the support bar 33 is aligned along the beam portion 31 to stack the fixed body 2 and the port body 3. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, a second beam hole 31c is formed on the base end 31a side of the beam portion 31, and a second support hole 33c is formed in the center of the support bar 33. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the connecting bolt 41 is removed and inserted into the second beam hole 31c and the second support hole 33c, and the connecting nut 42 is tightened, thereby shortening the port body 3 and making the entire drone heliport 1 compact. The size and weight of the entire drone heliport 1 are set so that the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 can be stacked in this way and the drone heliport 1 can be carried by one person.

[0032] When flying a drone D using the drone heliport 1 configured as above, the drone heliport 1 is attached to a utility pole P in the area where the drone D is to be flown or in the vicinity thereof. That is, as described above, the belt 23 is passed between the two hooks 22 and the fixed body main body 21, the belt 23 is wrapped around the utility pole P, and the buckle 23a is fastened, thereby attaching the fixed body 2 to the utility pole P as shown in FIG. 1. Next, the base end 31a of the beam portion 31 is attached to the mounting hole 21a of the fixed body main body 21, the connecting bolt 41 is inserted into the first beam hole 31b and the first support hole 33b, and the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 is brought into contact with the support material 24 and the connecting nut 42 is fastened. At this time, the height of the drone heliport 1 and the direction of the takeoff and landing part 32 are adjusted according to the surrounding environment, etc., so that the drone D can be easily taken off, landed, and flown. Then, the drone D is placed on the takeoff and landing part 32 and the drone D is flown.

[0033] As described above, with this drone heliport 1, a place for drone D to take off and land can be secured simply by attaching the fixed body 2, i.e., the drone heliport 1, to the utility pole P. Since many utility poles P are installed on the ground, by attaching the drone heliport 1 to any utility pole P, drone D can fly, take off, and land from any location. Furthermore, since utility poles P can be occupied by electric power companies and communication companies, they can fly drone D at any time (or relatively quickly even in an emergency) without obtaining permission from private homes. Moreover, since utility poles P are installed on roads and the like with permission from the government, even if permission is required to attach the drone heliport 1 and fly drone D, it is expected that permission can be obtained easily, quickly, and at low cost (or free of charge) compared to taking off and landing from a road.

[0034] In addition, since the fixed body 2 is plate-shaped and the port body 3 is composed only of a rod-shaped beam portion 31 and a plate-shaped takeoff and landing portion 32, the structure is simple, making it possible to reduce production and maintenance costs, and it can be made smaller and lighter, making it easier to transport and handle.

[0035] Furthermore, since the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 can be stacked, when the site is not being used as a takeoff and landing site for the drone D, the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 can be stacked together, making it easier to transport and store.

[0036] In addition, since anti-slip pads 25 are provided on the pole P side of the fixed body 2, the fixed body 2, i.e., the drone heliport 1, can be firmly and stably attached to the pole P. This prevents the body from shaking or shifting even in wind and rain, making it possible to provide a stable place for takeoff and landing.

[0037] (Embodiment 2) 5 is a front view showing the drone heliport 10 according to this embodiment attached to a utility pole P. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 are integrally connected and cannot be separated, and the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

[0038] That is, a rotating support shaft 26 is fixed to the upper part of the fixed body main body 21 in place of the mounting hole 21a, and the rotating support shaft 26 is inserted into an axial hole formed in the base end 31a of the beam portion 31. This allows the beam portion 31, i.e., the port body 3, to freely rotate relative to the fixed body 2, with the rotating support shaft 26 as the axis. Also, an inverted triangular support groove 21b is formed in the lower part of the fixed body main body 21 to support the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 in place of the support member 24.

[0039] Then, by loosening the connecting bolt 41 and fitting the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 into the support groove 21b while rotating the beam 31, the beam 31 extends substantially horizontally, and the beam 31 and the takeoff and landing section 32 are supported by the support bar 33. On the other hand, by releasing the fitting of the lower end 33a of the support bar 33 into the support groove 21b and aligning the support bar 33 along the takeoff and landing section 32 side of the beam 31 as shown in Fig. 6, the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 can be overlapped.

[0040] Thus, according to this embodiment, the port body 3 can be disposed substantially horizontally or stacked on the fixed body 2 simply by rotating the beam portion 31 to stand or lie down with respect to the fixed body 2. In other words, the drone heliport 10 can be set up and folded up easily, quickly, and appropriately.

[0041] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and even if there are design changes within the scope of the present invention, they are included in the present invention. For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment 1, the support material 24 is inverted V-shaped, but it may be shaped to more firmly support the support bar 33 (so that the support bar 33 does not slip off). For example, it may be shaped to cover the lower end 33a of the support bar 33. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiments 1 and 2, the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 are configured to be overlapped, but the positional relationship between the fixed body 2 and the port body 3 may be fixed to increase the rigidity and robustness of the drone heliport 1. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] 1, 10 Drone Heliport 2 Fixed body 21 Fixed body 22 Hook 23 Belt (attachment means) 24 Support material 25 Anti-slip 3 Port body 31 Beam section 32 Takeoff and Landing Section 33 Support bar D. Drone P Utility pole (columnar body)

Claims

1. A fixed body that can be detachably attached to a column-shaped body including a utility pole that is installed on the ground in large numbers; a port body that is connected to the fixed body, extends in a substantially horizontal direction with the fixed body attached to the columnar body, and allows a drone to take off and land; Equipped with The fixed body is a plate extending in the longitudinal direction of the columnar body, The port body includes a rod-shaped beam portion extending from the fixed body, and a plate-shaped takeoff and landing portion provided at a tip of the beam portion and on which the drone is placed, The shape and size of the takeoff and landing section are set so that the drone can take off and land reliably and easily, and the installation position is set so that the utility pole and its accessories do not get in the way and the drone can take off and land safely and easily. A heliport for drones.

2. The fixed body and the port body are configured to be stacked on top of each other. The heliport for drones according to claim 1 .

3. A non-slip surface is provided on the columnar body side of the fixed body.

3. The heliport for drones according to claim 1 or 2.

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