Fire grenade launchers and drones

Abstract

To provide a lightweight fire extinguishing bullet launcher capable of firing a large number of fire extinguishing bullets and mountable on a drone. [Solution] The fire extinguisher launcher (1) is a launch tube (3) with its front angled upward, which launches fire extinguisher 2 located in the launch position at the rear inside the launch tube (3) forward; a fire extinguisher supply unit (4) which stores multiple fire extinguisher 2 in a row with its front angled downward and supplies the fire extinguisher 2 one by one into the inside of the launch tube (3); a launch air tank (5) which is filled with compressed air for the amount of compressed air to be filled into the launch air tank (5); a high-pressure air tank (6) which stores the compressed air to be filled into the launch air tank (5); an air pressure applying unit (32) which applies air pressure to the fire extinguisher 2 located in the launch position by the compressed air supplied from the fire extinguisher supply unit (4) into the launch tube (3) from the fire extinguisher supply unit (4) and then from the launch air tank (5) to fire extinguisher 2; and a compressed air filling unit (7) which fills the compressed air for the amount of compressed air to be used to fire one fire extinguisher 2 from the high-pressure air tank (6) into the launch air tank (5) for each launch of a fire extinguisher 2.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a fire extinguisher launcher that can be mounted on a drone, a light truck bed, etc. and that can launch a large number of fire extinguisher bullets, and a drone equipped with the same. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a demand for the development of drones for firefighting activities to respond to fires in high-rise buildings and other tall structures. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a firefighting system in which a drone connected to a fire hose nozzle flies to the vicinity of the fire. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a drone equipped with a firefighting bomb dropping module consisting of a module that detachably holds multiple firefighting bombs. Patent Document 3 discloses a drone equipped with a firefighting bomb launching module that launches firefighting bombs laterally. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7214446 [Patent Document 2] Registered Utility Model No. 3324081 [Patent Document 3] Registered Utility Model No. 3233863 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The fire extinguishing system described in Patent Document 1 above has a fire hose, wired cables, etc. connected to the drone, which limits its flight range. In addition, the drone described in Patent Document 2 above can carry multiple fire extinguishing shells, but because the shells are dropped from above the fire scene, it is difficult to deploy them inside a building with a roof.

[0005] Furthermore, the drone described in Patent Document 3 is capable of firing three fire extinguishing shells horizontally, but each shell needs to be equipped with a power unit to operate the movable part for firing the shell. Therefore, the number of shells cannot be increased significantly due to the limit on the drone's maximum payload.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a fire extinguishing shell launcher that is lightweight, can fire a large number of fire extinguishing shells, and can be mounted on a drone. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The fire extinguisher launcher of the present invention is a launch tube with its front angled upward, which launches fire extinguishing munitions located at the launch position at the rear inside the launch tube forward; a fire extinguishing munitions supply unit that stores multiple fire extinguishing munitions in a row with its front angled downward and supplies the fire extinguishing munitions one by one into the inside of the launch tube; a launch air tank that is filled with compressed air for firing one fire extinguishing munition; a high-pressure air tank that stores compressed air to be filled into the launch air tank; an air pressure application unit that applies air pressure to the fire extinguishing munitions by using the compressed air that is supplied from the fire extinguishing munitions supply unit to the inside of the launch tube and is then supplied from the launch air tank to the fire extinguishing munitions located at the launch position, thereby firing the fire extinguishing munitions; and a compressed air filling unit that fills the launch air tank with compressed air for firing one fire extinguishing munition from the high-pressure air tank each time a fire extinguishing munition is fired.

[0008] According to the fire extinguisher launcher of the present invention, a fire extinguisher supply unit stores a plurality of fire extinguisher bullets in a row with the front angled downward, and the fire extinguisher bullets fall under their own weight and are supplied one by one into the launch tube due to the downward angle of the front of the fire extinguisher supply unit. Furthermore, compressed air for launching one fire extinguisher bullet is supplied from the high-pressure air tank to the launch air tank, which then supplies it to the air pressure applying unit. The air pressure applying unit applies air pressure to the fire extinguisher bullet using this compressed air, and the fire extinguisher bullet is launched from the launch tube at an upward angle.

[0009] The fire extinguishing grenade launcher of the present invention preferably has an angle control unit that controls the upward angle of the launch tube. By controlling the upward angle of the launch tube, it is possible to change the launch angle of the fire extinguishing grenade.

[0010] Furthermore, it is desirable that the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit be fixed with its front facing downward and have a flexible and retractable cylinder that connects the front of the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit to the launch tube. As a result, even if the upward angle of the launch tube is changed, the downward angle of the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit is fixed, so the fire extinguishing bullets fall stably under their own weight from the front of the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit and are supplied one by one into the launch tube through the flexible and retractable cylinder that connects the front of the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit to the launch tube. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] (1) According to the fire extinguishing bullet launcher of the present invention, by storing a large number of fire extinguishing bullets in a row in the fire extinguishing bullet supply section, the stored multiple fire extinguishing bullets fall one by one under their own weight and are supplied into the launch tube, where they can be continuously fired one by one at an upward angle by air pressure. Furthermore, the power for firing the fire extinguishing bullets is compressed air that is filled into the launch air tank one by one from a high-pressure air tank, so there is no need to install a compressor or a compressor power supply, etc., and the device is lightweight and can be mounted on drones, light truck beds, etc., which have restrictions on the maximum load weight.

[0012] (2) By having an angle control unit that controls the upward angle of the launch tube, it is possible to change the launch angle of the fire extinguishing bullet and launch it.

[0013] (3) The fire extinguishing shell supply unit is fixed with its front facing downward, and has an expandable and bendable cylinder that connects the front of the fire extinguishing shell supply unit to the launch tube. As a result, the fire extinguishing shells fall steadily under their own weight from the front of the fire extinguishing shell supply unit, and are supplied one by one into the launch tube through the expandable and bendable cylinder that connects the front of the fire extinguishing shell supply unit to the launch tube, and are then fired one by one continuously at an upward angle from the launch tube by air pressure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view of a drone-mounted fire extinguishing grenade launcher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the drone-mounted fire extinguisher launcher of FIG. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing examples of control of the elevation angle of the launch tube, where (A) is a side view showing an example in which the elevation angle is controlled to 10 degrees, and (B) is a side view showing an example in which the elevation angle is controlled to 40 degrees. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a firefighting operation using a drone equipped with the fire extinguishing grenade launcher shown in FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] Fig. 1 is a side view of a drone-mounted fire extinguisher launcher according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a front view of the drone-mounted fire extinguisher launcher shown in Fig. 1. In the following description, the right side of Fig. 1 will be referred to as the front, and the left side as the rear.

[0016] 1 and 2, a drone-mounted fire extinguisher launcher 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided with, on support frames 11A and 11B, a launch tube 3 that launches fire extinguisher 2, a fire extinguisher supply unit 4 that supplies fire extinguisher 2 to the launch tube 3, a launch air tank 5 that is filled with compressed air for launching one fire extinguisher, a high-pressure air tank 6 that stores compressed air, a compressed air filling unit 7 that fills the launch air tank 5 with compressed air from the high-pressure air tank 6, a control unit 8, and a wireless system 9. In FIG. 1, for the purpose of explaining the compressed air filling unit 7, the high-pressure air tank 6 and the compressed air filling unit 7 are shown in positions other than their original mounting positions.

[0017] The fire extinguishing grenade 2 is, for example, a spherical plastic container (volume: approximately 500 cc) with a diameter of approximately 100 mm filled with extinguishing fluid. The launcher 3 is a cylindrical member that launches the fire extinguishing grenade 2 from a launch port 30 at the front. To avoid horizontal firing, the launcher 3 is held rotatably about a support axis 3A relative to the support frame 11B with the front always facing upward. The support frame 11B supports the launcher 3 and the fire extinguishing grenade supply unit 4, and also functions as the framework of the entire fire extinguishing grenade launcher 1.

[0018] In this specification, the upward (downward) angle refers to an angle (elevation angle) that is upward (downward) with respect to the direction of gravity when the reference plane 11C of the support frames 11A, 11B is horizontal. When a drone (not shown) equipped with the fire extinguisher launcher 1 flies to perform firefighting activities, it is controlled so that the reference plane 11C is horizontal.

[0019] The fire extinguisher supply unit 4 stores a plurality of fire extinguisher munitions 2 in a row and supplies the fire extinguisher 2 one by one into the launch tube 3. The fire extinguisher supply unit 4 has a fire extinguisher stocker 40 that stores a plurality of fire extinguisher munitions 2 (five in the illustrated example) in a row, and an opening / closing gate 41 for supplying the fire extinguisher 2 in the fire extinguisher stocker 40 to the launch tube 3 one by one. The fire extinguisher stocker 40 is fixed on the support frame 11B with its front facing downward. The fire extinguisher 2 falls forward under its own weight inside the fire extinguisher stocker 40, which is fixed with its front facing downward. The opening / closing gate 41 is provided in front of the fire extinguisher stocker 40. The opening / closing gate 41 supplies the fire extinguisher 2 one by one to the launch tube 3 by a rod 43 that is moved back and forth by an air cylinder 42.

[0020] An insertion port 31 is provided at the top of the front of the launch tube 3 (behind the launch port 30), through which fire extinguishing shells 2 supplied from the fire extinguishing shell supply unit 4 are inserted. A spring bellows 12 is provided between the fire extinguishing shell supply unit 4 and the insertion port 31 as a flexible and bendable cylinder that connects the front of the fire extinguishing shell supply unit 4 with the launch tube 3. The fire extinguishing shells 2 inserted from the fire extinguishing shell supply unit 4 through the spring bellows 12 into the insertion port 31 fall under their own weight inside the launch tube 3, which is held with the front facing upward, i.e., the rear facing downward, and move to launch position A at the rear inside the launch tube 3. Launch position A is provided at the base of the launch tube 3.

[0021] Additionally, an air pressure applying unit 32 is provided behind the firing position A inside the launch tube 3, which applies air pressure to fire the fire extinguishing bullet 2. The air pressure applying unit 32 is a firing valve that applies air pressure to the fire extinguishing bullet 2 by injecting compressed air filled in the launch air tank 5, thereby firing the fire extinguishing bullet 2. The air pressure applying unit 32 is controlled by the control unit 8. For each launch of a fire extinguishing bullet 2, the launch air tank 5 is filled with compressed air adjusted to an appropriate air pressure by the compressed air filling unit 7 from the high-pressure air tank 6, in an amount sufficient to fire one fire extinguishing bullet 2.

[0022] The compressed air charging unit 7 is composed of, for example, a two-stage pressure reducing valve 70, a launch air pressure adjusting pressure reducing valve 71, a urethane air tube 72, and a solenoid valve 73. The high-pressure air tank 6 can be one for an air breathing apparatus commonly used in firefighting and other fields (for example, a 4.7 L capacity (filling pressure 29.4 MPa, air volume approximately 1260 L)). The compressed air charging unit 7 reduces the pressure of the high-pressure compressed air in the high-pressure air tank 6 to, for example, 0.8 MPa using the two-stage pressure reducing valve 70, and then further reduces the pressure to an optimal launch air pressure (for example, 0.5 MPa or less) using the launch air pressure adjusting pressure reducing valve 71. The air is then charged into the launch air tank 5 through the solenoid valve 73 via the urethane air tube 72. The solenoid valve 73 is controlled by the control unit 8 to open and close each time a fire extinguishing grenade 2 is fired, so that the amount of compressed air needed to fire one fire extinguishing grenade 2 is charged into the launch air tank 5.

[0023] The launch air tank 5 supplies the air pressure applying unit 32 with compressed air for firing one fire extinguishing bullet 2. In response to a command from the control unit 8, the air pressure applying unit 32 applies air pressure from the compressed air supplied from the launch air tank 5 to the fire extinguishing bullet 2 located at launch position A inside the launch tube 3. The fire extinguishing bullet 2 receives air pressure from the air pressure applying unit 32 and moves inside the launch tube 3 toward the launch port 30 at the front. This movement causes the launch tube 3 to launch the fire extinguishing bullet 2. The launch tube 3 creates an acceleration and trajectory for the fire extinguishing bullet 2. As a result, the fire extinguishing bullet 2 to which air pressure has been applied is launched from the launch tube 3 at a speed corresponding to the magnitude of the air pressure and on a trajectory corresponding to the direction and angle of the launch tube 3.

[0024] Furthermore, launcher 3 has angle control unit 10, which controls the upward angle. Angle control unit 10 controls the vertical angle of launcher 3 within a range in which launcher 3 maintains its upward angle. That is, within the vertical angle control range of angle control unit 10, launcher 3 always faces upward relative to reference plane 11C. Regardless of the vertical angle control by angle control unit 10, fire extinguishing grenades 2 supplied from fire extinguishing grenade supply unit 4 fall by their own weight within launcher 3 and reach launch position A at the rear of launcher 3. As described above, launcher 3 is supported rotatably about support axis 3A by support frame 11B, which functions as the framework of the entire fire extinguishing grenade launcher 1. Therefore, even when the angle of launcher 3 is controlled, the angle and position of launcher 3 remain stable.

[0025] The high-pressure air tank 6, control unit 8, and wireless system 9 are fixed on a support frame 11A. The wireless system 9 is a device for wirelessly controlling the opening / closing gate 41, air pressure applying unit 32, and angle control unit 10 from the ground. When a command to load a fire extinguisher 2 is given from the ground using a wireless control device (not shown), the opening / closing gate 41 opens and closes, and one fire extinguisher 2 is supplied to the launch tube 3. When a command to fire a fire extinguisher 2 is given using the wireless control device, air pressure is applied from the air pressure applying unit 32 to the fire extinguisher 2 located at launch position A inside the launch tube 3, and the fire extinguisher 2 is fired. When a command to change the elevation angle of the launch tube 3 is given using the wireless control device, the upward angle (elevation angle) of the launch tube 3 is changed by the angle control unit 10.

[0026] In the fire extinguisher launcher 1 configured as described above, a plurality of fire extinguisher munitions 2 are stored in a row with their front angled downward from the fire extinguisher supply section 4, and because the front of the fire extinguisher supply section 4 is angled downward, the fire extinguisher 2 falls under its own weight and is supplied one by one into the launch tube 3. In addition, compressed air for firing one fire extinguisher 2 is supplied from the high-pressure air tank 6 to the launch air tank 5 by the compressed air filling section 7, and is then supplied from the launch air tank 5 to the air pressure applying section 32. The air pressure applying section 32 applies air pressure to the fire extinguisher 2 using this compressed air, and the fire extinguisher 2 is launched from the launch tube 3 at an upward angle.

[0027] That is, with this fire extinguisher launcher 1, by storing a large number of fire extinguisher munitions 2 in a row in the fire extinguisher supply unit 4's fire extinguisher stocker 40, the stored fire extinguisher munitions 2 fall one by one under their own weight and are supplied into the launch tube 3, where they can be continuously fired one by one at an upward angle by air pressure from the launch tube 3. Furthermore, the power for firing the fire extinguisher 2 is compressed air that is filled into the launch air tank 5 one by one from the high-pressure air tank 6, eliminating the need for a compressor or compressor power supply, making it lightweight and easy to mount on a drone with a maximum payload limit. Although the fire extinguisher launcher 1 in this embodiment is mounted on a drone, it can also be installed on a light truck, platform, or the like on the ground, depending on the situation.

[0028] Figure 3 shows an example of controlling the elevation angle of the launch tube 3, where (A) is a side view showing an example where the elevation angle is controlled to 10 degrees, and (B) is a side view showing an example where the elevation angle is controlled to 40 degrees. Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the situation when a firefighting activity is carried out using a drone equipped with the fire extinguishing shell launcher 1 of Figure 1.

[0029] As shown in Figure 4, during firefighting activities, a drone (not shown) equipped with a fire extinguishing bomb launcher 1 is flown to a position where the ceiling can be seen from an opening such as a window of the building where the fire is occurring, and fire extinguishing bomb 2 is fired toward the ceiling. The fire extinguishing bomb 2 passes through the opening and is destroyed upon impact with the ceiling. This causes the extinguishing fluid inside the fire extinguishing bomb 2 to be sprayed, putting out the fire. Note that if the fire extinguishing bomb 2 is fired horizontally, it may pass through the source of the fire and fly outside the fire scene, so it must be fired toward the building at an elevation.

[0030] In the fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1 of this embodiment, the elevation angle of the launch tube 3 can be continuously controlled within a range of 10 degrees to 40 degrees, and the fire extinguishing bullets 2 can be aimed from an opening toward the ceiling and fired. It is also possible to mount a laser pointer to determine the firing target for the fire extinguishing bullets 2. Furthermore, the fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1 of this embodiment can store multiple fire extinguishing bullets 2 and fire them one by one, allowing for continuous firefighting activities.

[0031] Furthermore, the fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a high-pressure air tank 6 that stores compressed air to be filled into the launch air tank 5, in addition to the launch air tank 5 that is filled with compressed air to launch one fire extinguishing bullet 2. Therefore, after all fire extinguishing bullets 2 have been launched, the device lands once and only the fire extinguishing bullets 2 are replenished, allowing repeated firefighting activities up to the capacity of the high-pressure air tank 6. For example, in the case of a high-pressure air tank 6 with a capacity of 4.7 L (filling pressure 29.4 MPa), it is possible to launch approximately 100 or more rounds at a speed of 100 km / h or more.

[0032] In this embodiment, the control unit 8 can be operated entirely on 24V DC, and because power consumption is minimal, a 24V, 100W lithium-ion battery can be used. Therefore, by mounting the fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1 with the high-pressure air cylinder 6, which is the air source for firing the fire extinguishing bullets 2, and the control power supply, the fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1 is a self-contained fire extinguishing bullet launcher that can carry out firefighting activities using only this fire extinguishing bullet launcher 1. [Industrial Applicability]

[0033] The fire extinguishing grenade launcher of the present invention is useful as a fire extinguishing grenade launcher that can be mounted on a drone and can launch a large number of fire extinguishing grenades in order to respond to fires in high-rise buildings and other tall structures, and can also be used on the ground by being installed on a light truck, platform, etc., depending on the situation.

[0034] In some cases, such as when the windows in a high-rise building are made of tempered glass, the water pressure from a fire hose may not be enough to break the glass. In such cases, the water used to extinguish the fire will not reach the source of the fire. However, the fire extinguishing grenade launcher of the present invention can fire a spherical plastic container with a diameter of approximately 100 mm filled with approximately 500 g of fire extinguishing agent at a speed of over 100 km / h. This can destroy the tempered glass, making it possible to extinguish the fire with a fire hose. [Explanation of symbols]

[0035] 1. Fire grenade launcher 2 Fire Extinguisher 3 Launcher 4. Fire Extinguishing Grenade Supply Department 5. Launch air tank 6. High-pressure air tank 7 Compressed air filling section 8 Control Unit 9. Radio Systems 10 Angle control section 11A, 11B Support frame 12 Spring bellows 30 Launch Port 31 Inlet 32 Air pressure applying section 40 Fire Extinguisher Stocker 41 Opening and Closing Gate 42 Air Cylinder 43 Rod 70 Two-stage pressure reducing valve 71 Launch air pressure regulator 72 Urethane air tube 73 Solenoid valve

Claims

1. a launcher whose front is always facing upward, with a fire-extinguishing shell inlet at the front upper part, fire-extinguishing shells inserted from the inlet fall by their own weight to a firing position at the rear inside the launcher, and the launcher which fires the fire-extinguishing shells at this firing position forward; a fire extinguishing shell supply unit that stores a plurality of fire extinguishing shells in a row with the front facing downward and supplies the fire extinguishing shells one by one from the insertion port into the launch tube; a launch air tank filled with compressed air for launching one of the fire extinguishing bullets; a high-pressure air tank for storing compressed air to be filled into the launch air tank; an air pressure applying unit that applies air pressure to the fire extinguishing bullets at the launch position by using compressed air supplied from the fire extinguishing bullet supply unit to the inside of the launch tube and then supplied from the launch air tank, thereby launching the fire extinguishing bullets; a compressed air filling unit that fills the launch air tank with compressed air for firing one fire extinguishing bullet from the high-pressure air tank every time one fire extinguishing bullet is fired; A fire extinguishing grenade launcher having a

2. 2. The fire extinguishing grenade launcher according to claim 1, further comprising an angle control section for controlling an upward angle of said launch tube.

3. The fire extinguishing grenade supply unit is fixed with its front facing downward, The fire extinguishing bullet supply unit has a telescopic and bendable cylinder that communicates with the launch tube.

3. The fire extinguishing grenade launcher according to claim 2.

4. A drone equipped with the fire extinguishing grenade launcher according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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