Air and land amphibious vehicles

Abstract

To provide a roadable aircraft moving body capable of travel on the ground with wheels and flight using a propeller assembled with the wheels, and of smoothly shifting between the ground travel and the flight condition.SOLUTION: A roadable aircraft moving body capable of ground travel and float and flight in the air, includes: four wheel units 3 having a body, wheels 4 for ground travel and propellers 6 for flight; four drive mechanisms 10 supplying the four wheel units 3 with a driving force; and a control part 40 controlling operation of the four drive mechanisms 10. Each of the drive mechanisms 10 has: a rotary shaft 13 coupled to the propeller 6 for which a driving force is supplied; and a clutch mechanism 15 which disconnects transmission of the driving force to the wheels 4 from the rotary shaft 13. The four wheel units 3 are attached to the body 2 so that they become inclined with respect to the body 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an air-land vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, development of pedestrian land-and-air vehicles that can travel on the ground and fly in the air has progressed, and land-and-air vehicles with various structures have been proposed (for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, the technologies in Patent Documents 1 to 3 provide separate drive mechanisms dedicated to driving wheels that travel on the ground and drive propellers for flight in the air.

[0003] On the other hand, there is an idea to use wheels that run on the ground as a drive mechanism for flying in the air (see https: / / japan.cnet.com / article / 35133845 / ). In this idea, the position of the wheels running on the ground can be changed between a running state, where the plane of rotation is perpendicular to the ground, and a flying state, where the plane of rotation is rotated 90 degrees from the running state. It has been shown that when the wheels are in the running state, the vehicle can run on the ground, and when the wheels are in the flying state, the vehicle can fly in the air. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2012-505792 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-185866 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-079844 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above idea, when transitioning from a state of running on the ground to a state of flying in the air, two of the four wheels located diagonally remain in a running state, while the other two wheels are in a flying state and generate lift. With this configuration, the moving body must be lifted by the lift generated by the two wheels until it is completely lifted, and there is a possibility that sufficient lift to lift the moving body may not be obtained.

[0006] Furthermore, since only two wheels remain in contact with the ground until the vehicle lifts off, there is a possibility that the vehicle's running on the ground until lifting off may become unstable, and the transition between running on the ground and flying may not be smooth.

[0007] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention aims to provide an air / land amphibious vehicle that can travel on the ground using wheels and fly using propellers built into the wheels, and that can smoothly transition between ground travel and flight. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The air-land amphibious vehicle of the first invention is an air-land amphibious vehicle capable of running on the ground and flying while suspended in the air, and comprises a main body, four wheel units each having wheels for running on the ground and propellers for flight, four drive mechanisms for supplying driving force to the four wheel units, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the four drive mechanisms, each drive mechanism comprising a rotating shaft connected to the propeller and supplied with driving force, and a clutch mechanism for interrupting the transmission of driving force from the rotating shaft to the wheel. and four swing mechanisms for swinging the four wheel units around swing axes parallel to the running direction of the main body, each swing mechanism swinging the wheel unit around a swing axis parallel to the running direction of the main body, the swing mechanism being located inward of the wheels, and having a swing axis moving mechanism for moving the swing axis in a direction intersecting the running direction of the main body so that the contact position between the wheel and the ground does not move in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the main body when swinging the wheel unit. Characterized by 。 No. The air-land amphibious vehicle of the two inventions is First InventionIn the above, each swinging mechanism swings the wheel unit around a swinging axis that is located inward of the wheel and parallel to the running direction of the main body, and has a function of swinging the wheel unit so that a first end of a rotation shaft of the drive mechanism that is located inward of the wheel is positioned higher than a second end of the rotation shaft of the drive mechanism, and / or a function of swinging the wheel unit around a swinging axis that is located inward of the wheel and parallel to the running direction of the main body, and has a function of swinging the wheel unit so that a first end of a rotation shaft of the drive mechanism that is located inward of the wheel is positioned lower than a second end of the rotation shaft of the drive mechanism. Third Invention The air and land amphibious vehicle is First or second invention The vehicle is characterized in that the wheel has a cylindrical wheel whose central axis is coaxial with the rotation axis, and the propeller is disposed within the wheel so that its rotation axis is coaxial with the rotation axis of the wheel. Fourth Invention The air and land amphibious vehicle is First to third inventions In any one of the above, the clutch mechanism is capable of taking three states: a first state in which the clutch mechanism transmits driving force from the rotating shaft to the wheel and the propeller so that the wheel and the propeller rotate at the same rotational speed; a second state in which the clutch mechanism transmits driving force from the rotating shaft only to the propeller; and a transition state in which the clutch mechanism transmits driving force from the rotating shaft to the wheel and the propeller so that the wheel rotates at a slower rotational speed than the propeller. Fifth Invention The air and land amphibious vehicle is Fourth Invention The vehicle is provided with four swing mechanisms that swing the four wheel units around swing axes parallel to the running direction of the main body, and the control unit has a function of controlling the operation of the four swing mechanisms, and the control unit controls the clutch mechanism so that the vehicle is in the transition state for a certain period of time during a period in which the attitude of the wheel units changes due to each swing mechanism between a ground running state in which the rotation plane of the wheels of the wheel units is perpendicular to the ground and a flight state in which the rotation plane of the wheels is rotated 90 degrees around the swing axis from the ground running state. Sixth InventionThe air and land amphibious vehicle is Fourth or fifth invention In the present invention, the control unit controls the operation of the clutch mechanism and / or the drive mechanism so that the rotation speed of the wheel does not exceed a certain rotation speed when the clutch mechanism is in a transition state. Seventh Invention The air and land amphibious vehicle is 1st to 6th inventions In any of the above, the four drive mechanisms are characterized in that at least two drive mechanisms arranged in front of the traveling direction of the main body or two drive mechanisms arranged in the rear of the traveling direction of the main body are equipped with steering mechanisms that swing the wheel units around axes that are not parallel to the rotation axis and swing axis of the drive mechanisms. Eighth Invention The air and land amphibious vehicle is 1st to 7th inventions In any of the above, the main body is provided with a lift generating mechanism at a position surrounded by the four wheel units, which generates lift to make the main body float. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the first invention, By swinging the wheel unit, the drone can transition from a running state where it runs on the ground using the wheels to a flying state where it flies using the propellers. It can transition from a running state where it runs on the ground using wheels to a flying state using propellers, and the main body can run in a stable state during the transition period. In addition, since the ground contact position of the wheel can be prevented from moving in a direction intersecting the traveling direction of the main body when the wheel unit is swung, the wheel unit can smoothly transition from a traveling state to a flying state. Moreover, since the width of the air-land amphibious vehicle of this embodiment in the traveling state can be narrowed, the air-land amphibious vehicle of this embodiment can be made smaller. Second Invention According to the article, by swinging the wheel unit, it is possible to transition from a running state in which the vehicle runs on the ground using the wheels to a flying state in which the vehicle flies using the propellers. 。 Third Invention According to this, damage to the propeller can be prevented, and the propeller can be prevented from interfering with the running of the aircraft when the aircraft is running on the ground. Fourth Invention According to the present invention, in the transition state, the rotation speed of the wheels can be made slower than the rotation speed of the propeller, thereby preventing damage to the wheels during the transition state. Since the time for supplying driving force to the wheels can be extended during the transition from taxiing to flight, a decrease in the running speed of the main body can be prevented when transitioning from taxiing to flight. Fifth Invention According to this, driving force is supplied to the wheels even when the wheel units are swinging, so that a decrease in the running speed of the main body can be prevented when transitioning from ground running to flight. Sixth Invention According to this, even if the rotation speed of the rotary shaft of the drive mechanism increases, damage to the wheel can be prevented. Seventh Invention According to the report, the wheels can be steered, allowing the vehicle to travel on the ground like a normal vehicle. Eighth Invention According to the present invention, since the lift generating mechanism generates the lift for floating the main body, it is possible to reduce the lift generated in the wheel unit, which allows the wheel unit and the drive mechanism to be configured compactly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are schematic explanatory diagrams showing a state in which an air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is traveling on the ground, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are schematic explanatory diagrams showing a state in which an air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is flying, in which (A) is a plan view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are schematic explanatory diagrams of the wheel unit 3 and the drive mechanism 10, in which (A) is an explanatory diagram of the ground running state and (B) is an explanatory diagram of the flying state. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic explanatory diagrams of the operation of changing the attitude of the wheel unit 3 from a ground running state to a flight state by a swing mechanism 30 having a swing axis moving mechanism 35, where (A) is the ground running state, (B) is the state in the middle of transitioning between the ground running state and the flight state, and (C) is the flight state. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic plan view of an air-land amphibious vehicle 1 equipped with a lift generating mechanism 50 in flight. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 1 is a schematic control system diagram of an air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment. [Figure 10] 1A is a schematic explanatory diagram of an air / land amphibious vehicle 1 with a wheel unit 3 tilted outward, and FIG. 1B is a schematic explanatory diagram of an air / land amphibious vehicle 1 with a wheel unit 3 tilted inward. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] The air-land amphibious vehicle of this embodiment is an air-land amphibious vehicle that can achieve both ground running and flight, and is characterized by its ability to smoothly transition between ground running and flight states.

[0012] The location and situation in which the air-land amphibious vehicle of this embodiment is used are not particularly limited. For example, it can be used as a vehicle for transporting people and goods in places where areas where vehicles can travel are limited, such as disaster areas. In other words, when multiple areas with roads and ground on which vehicles can travel are separated by landslides or collapsed buildings, it can be used as a vehicle for transporting people and goods from one area to another. Of course, under normal circumstances, it can be used as a vehicle for transporting people and goods to areas where transportation by ground vehicles is difficult or takes a long time.

[0013] <Ambivalent vehicle 1 of this embodiment> The air-land vehicle 1 of this embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, structures may be omitted as appropriate to make the configuration of each part easier to understand.

[0014] 1 and 2, the land-and-air hydrant vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes a main body 2, four wheel units 3 for the main body 2 to travel on the ground or fly while levitated in the air, and four drive mechanisms 10 for supplying drive force to the four wheel units 3. The land-and-air hydrant vehicle 1 of this embodiment also includes four swing mechanisms 30 for swinging the four wheel units 3 relative to the main body 2, and by adjusting the attitudes of the four wheel units 3 using these four swing mechanisms 30, the main body 2 can be switched between traveling on the ground and flying while levitated in the air. The land-and-air hydrant vehicle 1 of this embodiment also includes a control unit 40 for controlling the operation of the four drive mechanisms 10 and the four swing mechanisms 30 (see FIG. 9).

[0015] <Ambivalent vehicle 1 of this embodiment> 1 and 2, the main body 2 has the above-mentioned four wheel units 3 and four drive mechanisms 10 attached via four swing mechanisms 30. In addition to the above mechanisms, the main body 2 has a structure that allows a person to board and an article to be transported to be placed on it. For example, in a plan view, the main body 2 can have a boarding section 2h for a person to board near the center of the main body 2, or a loading platform for placing an article to be transported near the boarding section 2h.

[0016] There are no particular limitations on the structure of the main body 2 or the material that constitutes the main body 2, as long as the main body 2 has the strength and structure to enable stable ground travel or flight even when carrying people or objects. In particular, since the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment flies in the air, it is desirable for the main body 2 to be made of materials (e.g., duralumin, CFRP, etc.) and structures (e.g., space frame structure, monocoque structure, etc.) that are as light and strong as possible.

[0017] Furthermore, the air / land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is not limited to being operated by a person on board, but may be remotely operated without being operated by a person on board, or may be capable of running on the ground or flying automatically. For example, if only goods to be transported are loaded onto the air / land amphibious vehicle 1, remote operation or automatic running on the ground or flying allows the air / land amphibious vehicle 1 to be operated safely and the amount of goods that can be loaded onto the air / land amphibious vehicle 1 to be increased.

[0018] <Wheel unit 3> 1 and 2, the main body 2 of the land-and-air amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with four wheel units 3 via four drive mechanisms 10 and four swing mechanisms 30. The four wheel units 3 have substantially the same structure.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 3, the wheel unit 3 is equipped with wheels 4 for traveling on the ground. The wheels 4 are formed of two wheel members 5. Each wheel member 5 is composed of a tire 5t made of rubber or the like, and a cylindrical wheel 5a around which the tire 5t is attached. The wheels 5a of the two wheel members 5 are connected so that they rotate as a unit. Of the two wheel members 5, the wheel 5a of the inner wheel member 5 (the wheel member 5 on the left side in FIG. 3) is provided with a boss 5b, and a rotation shaft 13 of a drive mechanism 10, which will be described later, is inserted into this boss 5b.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the wheel unit 3 is provided with a propeller 6. Specifically, the propeller 6 is housed in a space (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a propeller housing space 5h) within the wheel 5a of the wheel member 5 located on the outer side of the two wheel members 5 of the wheel 4 (the wheel member 5 on the right side in Figure 3). Moreover, the propeller 6 is housed in the propeller housing space 5h of the wheel member 5 located on the outer side so that no part of the propeller 6 protrudes outward from the wheel 4. Note that although Figures 1 and 2 show a case in which the propeller 6 has two blades, the number of blades on the propeller 6 is not particularly limited.

[0021] <Drive mechanism 10> As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the four wheel units 3 are respectively connected to four drive mechanisms 10 that drive the wheels 4 and propellers 6 of the wheel units 3. These four drive mechanisms 10 have substantially the same structure, and each includes a drive motor 11 and a clutch mechanism 15 (see Figure 3). In other words, by operating the drive motor 11 and clutch mechanism 15 of each drive mechanism 10, the four wheel units 3 can be operated independently.

[0022] <Drive motor 11> The drive motor 11 has its main shaft connected to the base end (first end, the end on the left side in FIG. 3) of the rotating shaft 13, and the rotating shaft 13 is inserted into the boss 5b of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3. Specifically, the rotating shaft 13 is rotatably inserted into the boss 5b of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3, and the propeller 6 is fixed to its tip end (second end, the end on the right side in FIG. 3), that is, the portion protruding outward from the boss 5b of the wheel member 5.

[0023] <Clutch mechanism 15> As shown in FIG. 3 , the rotating shaft 13 is provided so as to be connectable to and disconnectable from the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 via a clutch mechanism 15. In other words, the clutch mechanism 15 is provided between the rotating shaft 13 and the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 to connect and disconnect the driving force supplied from the main shaft of the drive motor 11 to the rotating shaft 13. The clutch mechanism 15 is an electromagnetic clutch, and a clutch body 18 is fixed to a holding frame 31 (see FIGS. 4 and 5 ). Note that the clutch body 18 of the clutch mechanism 15 may be fixed to the drive motor 11. The clutch mechanism 15 has a first rotor 16 whose rotation is fixed to the rotating shaft 13, a second rotor 17 fixed to a boss 5 b of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, and an electromagnetic coil 19 (see FIG. 9 ) that brings the first rotor 16 into contact with and separates from the second rotor 17. Therefore, by bringing the first rotor 16 and the second rotor 17 into contact with each other using the electromagnetic coil, the first rotor 16 and the second rotor 17 can be rotated at the same rotation speed. In other words, driving force is supplied from the rotating shaft 13 to the wheels 4, and both the wheels 4 and the propeller 6 can be rotated at the same rotation speed as the rotating shaft 13 (the state shown in FIG. 3(A)). On the other hand, if the first rotor 16 and the second rotor 17 are separated by an electromagnetic coil, the supply of driving force from the rotating shaft 13 to the wheels 4 can be stopped. In other words, driving force can be supplied only to the propeller 6, and only the propeller 6 can be rotated at the same rotation speed as the rotating shaft 13.

[0024] In the following, the state in which first rotor 16 and second rotor 17 are brought into contact with each other by the electromagnetic coil and rotate at the same rotation speed may be referred to as a state in which clutch mechanism 15 is turned ON. Also, the state in which first rotor 16 and second rotor 17 are separated, that is, the state in which first rotor 16 and second rotor 17 are completely separated, may be referred to as a state in which clutch mechanism 15 is turned OFF. The state in which clutch mechanism 15 is turned ON corresponds to the first state in the claims, and the state in which clutch mechanism 15 is turned OFF corresponds to the second state in the claims. In addition, in FIG. 3, the second rotor 17 is provided outside the clutch body 18, but the first rotor, the second rotor 17, and the electromagnetic coil 19 may all be provided inside the clutch body 18.

[0025] Because the drive mechanism 10 is configured as described above, by controlling the operation of the four drive motors 11 and the four clutch mechanisms 15 by the control unit 40, the wheels 4 and the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 can be operated independently. For example, by driving the four drive motors 11 and turning off all four clutch mechanisms 15, it is possible to drive only the propellers 6 of all four wheel units 3. Alternatively, by turning on all four clutch mechanisms 15, it is possible to drive all the wheels 4 and all the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3. Furthermore, by driving the four drive motors 11 and turning off the clutch mechanisms 15 of some of the drive mechanisms 10, it is possible to drive only the propellers 6 of some wheel units 3, and to drive both the wheels 4 and the propellers 6 of some wheel units 3. Furthermore, because the rotation speeds of the four drive motors 11 can be driven independently, it is possible to set the rotation speeds of the wheels 4 and the propellers 6 to which driving force is supplied in all wheel units 3 to the same speed, or to set different rotation speeds for each wheel unit 3.

[0026] Note that clutch mechanism 15 is not limited to one having only the function of switching between two states, ON and OFF, but can also be one having the function of switching between the ON and OFF states. In other words, a clutch mechanism 15 having the function of supplying all of the driving force from rotating shaft 13 to propeller 6 while supplying only a portion of the driving force to wheels 4 can be used. In other words, a clutch mechanism 15 having the function of supplying propeller 6 with the same rotational speed as rotating shaft 13 while wheels 4 rotate at a slower rotational speed than rotating shaft 13 (i.e., a rotational speed slower than the rotational speed of propeller 6) can be used. For example, if an electromagnetic clutch is used for clutch mechanism 15, the coupling state between first rotor 16 and second rotor 17 (i.e., the driving force transmission efficiency) can be adjusted by adjusting the power supplied to the electromagnetic clutch, so that wheels 4 can be rotated at a slower rotational speed than rotating shaft 13. As described above, the state in which a portion of the driving force can be supplied to the wheel 4, that is, the state in which the wheel 4 rotates at a slower rotation speed than the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 13 (i.e., a slower rotation speed than the propeller 6), corresponds to the transition state of the clutch mechanism 15.

[0027] In the above example, the rotating shaft 13 is directly connected to the main shaft of the drive motor 11, that is, the main shaft of the drive motor 11 and the rotating shaft 13 rotate at the same rotation speed. A reducer or a speed increaser may be provided between the main shaft of the drive motor 11 and the rotating shaft 13.

[0028] In the above example, the rotating shaft 13 is inserted into the boss 5b of the wheel 4 or connected to the propeller 6. However, the main shaft of the drive motor 11 may be directly inserted into the boss 5b of the wheel 4 or connected directly to the propeller 6. In this case, the main shaft of the drive motor 11 corresponds to the rotating shaft referred to in the claims. Furthermore, the first rotor 16 of the clutch mechanism 15 is provided on the main shaft of the drive motor 11, but the rotating shaft 13 connected to the main shaft of the drive motor 11 may be inserted into the boss 5b of the wheel 4 or connected to the propeller 6. In this case, the main shaft of the drive motor 11 and the rotating shaft 13 combined correspond to the rotating shaft referred to in the claims.

[0029] The drive mechanism 10 may also have a brake B. For example, as shown in Fig. 3, the brake B may have a brake disc Bp fixed to the boss 5b of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, and a brake caliper Bc fixed to the drive motor 11 or the swing frame 31.

[0030] <Swing mechanism 30> As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the land-and-air hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes four swinging mechanisms 30 having substantially the same structure. The four swinging mechanisms 30 have the function of swinging the four wheel units 3 together with the four drive mechanisms 10 relative to the main body 2. Specifically, each swinging mechanism 30 has the function of swinging each wheel unit 3 and each drive mechanism 10 between a state in which the land-and-air hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment is traveling on the ground, i.e., a state in which the plane of rotation of the wheel 4 of each wheel unit 3 is approximately perpendicular to the ground (ground traveling state, see FIGS. 1 and 4), and a state rotated 90 degrees from this state (flight state, see FIGS. 2 and 5). The ground traveling state can also be described as a state in which the rotation axis 13 of each drive mechanism 10 is approximately parallel to the ground.

[0031] The swing mechanism 30 includes a swing frame 31 to which the wheel unit 3 and the drive motor 11 of the drive mechanism 10 are fixed. The swing frame 31 is connected to a shaft 32 that is arranged parallel to the traveling direction of the main body 2 (the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and the direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIGS. 4 and 5). Specifically, the swing frame 31 is connected to the shaft 32 in a state in which rotation around the center axis of the shaft 32 is fixed. The shaft 32 is rotatably provided with respect to a frame 36 provided on the main body 2 via a swing source 33 so as to be located inward (toward the main body 2) of the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 and below the rotation axis 13 when traveling on the ground (see FIGS. 4 and 5). Note that when a swing shaft moving mechanism 35 (described later) is provided, the shaft 32 is rotatably provided with respect to a moving frame 36a of the frame 36 (see FIG. 6). The swing source 33 has a drive source such as a motor that generates a drive force to rotate the shaft 32, and a transmission mechanism that transmits the drive force generated by the drive source to the shaft 32. The swing source 33 has a function of swinging the base end of the rotating shaft 13, which is located inward from the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3, so that it is positioned higher than the tip end of the rotating shaft 13 (see FIGS. 5 and 6). Specifically, when the rotating shaft 13 is put into a flying state from a ground running state, the swing source 33 swings the rotating shaft 13 so that the base end is positioned higher than the tip end (swing from FIGS. 4 to 5, swing from FIGS. 6(A) to 6(C)), and when the rotating shaft 13 is put into a flying state from a ground running state, the swing source 33 swings the rotating shaft 13 so that the base end and tip end of the rotating shaft 13 are at approximately the same height from the ground (swing from FIGS. 5 to 4, swing from FIGS. 6(C) to 6(A)).

[0032] Because the swinging mechanism 30 has such a configuration, by operating each swinging mechanism 30 to rotate the shaft 32 and swing the swing frame 31, and placing each wheel unit 3 in a ground-traveling state, the air-land hydrant 1 of this embodiment can be placed in a state where it travels on the ground. Furthermore, by operating each swinging mechanism 30 to rotate the shaft 32 and swing the swing frame 31, the wheels 4 of each wheel unit 3 are tilted outward from a state where the plane of rotation is approximately perpendicular to the ground (ground-traveling state). This places each wheel unit 3 in a flying state, and the air-land hydrant 1 of this embodiment can be placed in a state where it is flying in the air. Furthermore, at an angle between the ground-traveling state and the flight state, the wheels 4 of each wheel unit 3 can be tilted outward while they are in contact with the ground (see FIG. 6(B)). This allows the wheels 4 to generate lift according to the inclination angle of the wheels 4 even while they are in contact with the ground, so the land-and-air amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment can smoothly transition from a state of running on the ground to a state of floating in the air.

[0033] The structure of the oscillation source 33 is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the shaft 32 with its central axis parallel to the traveling direction of the main body 2 and can rotate the shaft 32 around its central axis. The above-mentioned shaft 32 corresponds to the oscillation axis referred to in the claims. <Control unit 40>

[0034] 9, each of the four drive mechanisms 10 and four swing mechanisms 30, i.e., the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the electromagnetic coils 19 of the clutch mechanisms 15, and the swing sources 33 of the four swing mechanisms 30, is electrically connected to a control unit 40 that sends actuation signals to these devices to control their operation. This control unit 40 controls the drive forces of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, i.e., the rotation speeds of the drive motors 11, the ON / OFF of the clutch mechanisms 15, and the tilt angles of the wheels 4 of the wheel units 3 caused by the four swing mechanisms 30, to operate in a coordinated manner so that the ground running, flight in the air, transition from ground running to flight, and transition from flight to ground running of the land-and-air amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment are all stable. An example of the control by the control unit 40 will be described below.

[0035] When the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment is traveling on the ground, the control unit 40 controls the swing sources 33 of the four swing mechanisms 30 so that the rotation axes 13 of the four wheel units 3 are approximately parallel to the ground, that is, so that the rotation planes of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 are approximately perpendicular to the ground.The control unit 40 then controls the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 so that the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 rotate at a speed suitable for ground traveling (for example, approximately 440 rpm or less), and turns the four clutch mechanisms 15 on (corresponding to the first state in the claims).This allows the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment to travel stably on the ground.

[0036] When the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is in a flying state, the control unit 40 controls the swing source 33 of the swing mechanism 30 so that the rotation axis 13 of each wheel unit 3 is tilted 90 degrees from the state in which the vehicle is traveling on the ground. The control unit 40 also controls the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 so that the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 rotate at a speed (e.g., 3000 rpm or higher) that allows the vehicle to generate sufficient lift, and also turns the clutch mechanism 15 OFF (corresponding to the second state in the claims). This allows the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment to fly stably.

[0037] When the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment transitions from a ground-traveling state to a flight state, the control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 so that the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 gradually increases from the rotation speed in the ground-traveling state to a rotation speed at which the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 can generate sufficient lift. In addition, in accordance with the increase in the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the control unit 40 controls the clutch mechanism 15 to adjust the driving force transmitted from the rotating shaft 13 to the wheels 4. Specifically, as the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 gradually increases, the control unit 40 controls the clutch mechanism 15 so that the driving force supplied to the four wheels 4 gradually decreases (this corresponds to the transition state referred to in the claims). Then, in accordance with the increase in the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the control unit 40 adjusts the tilt of each wheel unit 3 by the four swing mechanisms 30. Specifically, the operation of the four swing mechanisms 30 is controlled so that the tilt of each wheel unit 3 gradually increases (i.e., so that each wheel unit 3 approaches a flying state) as the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 gradually increases. Then, even while the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment transitions from a ground-traveling state to a flying state, the wheels 4 of each wheel unit 3 are supplied with driving force for traveling on the ground, so the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment can travel stably even until it completely transitions to a flying state. Moreover, the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 can be gradually increased to gradually lift the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment, so the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment can transition stably from a ground-traveling state to a flying state.

[0038] When transitioning from the ground running state to the flight state, the control unit 40 may first turn off the clutch mechanism 15, i.e., turn off the state in which driving force is not transmitted from the rotation shaft 13 to the wheels 4, and then gradually increase the rotation speed of the drive motor 11 while gradually increasing the inclination of each wheel unit 3. Even in this case, the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment can transition from the ground running state to the flight state while coasting. In this case, when transitioning from the ground running state to the flight state, the clutch mechanism 15 can simply be switched from ON to OFF. This has the advantage of easier control compared to when the clutch mechanism 15 is used to adjust the driving force transmitted from the rotation shaft 13 to the wheels 4 in accordance with the rotation speed of the drive motor 11.

[0039] When the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment transitions from a flight state to a ground-traveling state, the control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 so that the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 gradually decreases from the rotation speed in the flight state. Furthermore, in accordance with the decrease in the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the control unit 40 controls the clutch mechanism 15 to adjust the driving force transmitted from the rotating shaft 13 to the wheels 4. Specifically, as the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 gradually decreases, the control unit 40 controls the clutch mechanism 15 so that the driving force supplied to the four wheels 4 gradually increases (this corresponds to the transition state in the claims). Then, in accordance with the decrease in the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the control unit 40 adjusts the tilt of each wheel unit 3 by the four swing mechanisms 30. Specifically, the operation of the four swing mechanisms 30 is controlled so that the tilt of each wheel unit 3 gradually decreases (i.e., so that each wheel unit 3 approaches a ground-traveling state) as the rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 gradually decreases. As a result, when the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment lands from a flight state, a driving force for traveling on the ground can be provided to the wheels 4 of each wheel unit 3.

[0040] Incidentally, even when transitioning from a flight state to a ground running state, the control unit 40 may keep the clutch mechanism 15 in the OFF state until the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment has completely landed on the ground. <Operation of the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment>

[0041] The air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment has the four wheel units 3, four drive mechanisms 10, four swing mechanisms 30 and control unit 40 as described above, and therefore, by operating as follows, the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment can be made to run on the ground, fly in the air, transition from ground running to a flying state, and transition from a flying state to ground running.

[0042] First, when the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment is parked on the ground, the rotation planes of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 are set to be approximately perpendicular to the ground, and the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 are set to the ON state and the drive motors 11 are set to the stopped state. The clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 may be set to the OFF state, but if the brakes B of the wheels 4 are set to the ON state (i.e., the brakes are applied), the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment can be maintained in a stable stationary state.

[0043] When the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment is caused to travel from a state where it is parked on the ground, the brake B is turned OFF while the clutch mechanism 15 is kept ON, and the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 are operated. This allows the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment to travel on the ground at a speed corresponding to the rotation speed of the drive motors 11.

[0044] If the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 have the same size (outer diameter), the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 all rotate at the same speed. On the other hand, if wheels 4 of different sizes are used in the four wheel units 3, the operation of the drive motors 11 can be controlled so that the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 rotate at the same speed (i.e., the same peripheral speed). Of the four wheel units 3, only some of the wheel units 3 (for example, only the front two wheels or only the rear two wheels) may be driven. In this case, the clutch mechanisms connected to the wheel units 3 that are not being driven are turned off.

[0045] When the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment transitions from a state of traveling on the ground to a state of flight, the rotation speeds of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 are increased. This increases the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 (the force in the direction of the rotation axis of the propellers 6). Furthermore, in accordance with the increase in the rotation speeds of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10, the driving force supplied to the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 is gradually reduced while the inclination of the four wheel units 3 is increased. In other words, the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 is gradually increased while the angle between the direction of the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 and the vertical direction is gradually reduced. This increases the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3, and the proportion of this lift that tends to lift the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment (the vertical component of the lift) increases. Eventually, when the combined vertical components of the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 reach a magnitude sufficient to lift the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the vehicle will lift off. If only some of the four wheel units 3 (for example, only the front two wheels or only the rear two wheels) are driven during ground travel, the wheel units 3 that are not being driven will also be driven when the vehicle starts to transition from a ground travel state to a flying state. At this time, the clutch mechanisms of the wheel units 3 that are not being driven may remain OFF, or the clutch mechanisms may be temporarily switched from OFF to ON.

[0046] On the other hand, once the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment takes off, all of the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 are turned OFF, and the rotation axes 13 of the four wheel units 3 are tilted 90 degrees from the ground running state. This puts the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment into a fully flying state. Then, in the flying state, the flight direction and attitude of the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment in the flying state can be controlled by adjusting the rotation speed of the four wheel units 3.

[0047] In addition, even before the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment takes off, if the rotation speed of the rotation shaft 13 reaches a certain level or more, all of the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 may be turned off. In other words, during the period when the vehicle transitions from the ground running state to the flight state, the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 may be in the transition state for a certain period, and after the certain period has passed, all of the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 may be turned off. For example, when the angle between the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 and the vertical direction becomes 60 degrees or more, all of the clutch mechanisms 15 of the four drive mechanisms 10 may be turned off even when the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment has not taken off. In this case, the period when the angles between the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 and the vertical direction are between 0 degrees and 60 degrees corresponds to the certain period referred to in the claims. Of course, the clutch mechanisms 15 of all four drive mechanisms 10 may be ON for a predetermined period of time after the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 begin to tilt, and then be placed in a transition state after that period has elapsed. For example, the clutch mechanisms 15 of all four drive mechanisms 10 may be ON until the angles of the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 with respect to the vertical direction reach 30 degrees or more. In this case, the period when the angles of the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 with respect to the vertical direction are between 30 degrees and 60 degrees corresponds to the "certain period" referred to in the claims. Furthermore, the clutch mechanisms 15 of all four drive mechanisms 10 may transition from the ON state to the transition state or from the transition state to the OFF state at the same time, or the timing of the transition of the clutch mechanisms 15 for each wheel unit 3 may be different. This has the advantage of allowing the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 to stably transition to a flight state even when the vehicle is not in a horizontal position.

[0048] When the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment lands from a flying state, the rotation speeds of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10 are reduced. This reduces the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3, and driving force is gradually supplied to the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 in accordance with the reduction in rotation speed of the drive motors 11 of the four drive mechanisms 10. At the same time, the inclination of the four wheel units 3 is reduced. This gradually reduces the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3, and the four wheel units 3 are able to have the tires 5t of the wheels 4 touch the ground, allowing the air-land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment to land. Of course, the vehicle may land with the clutch mechanism 15 in the OFF state, and then the clutch mechanism 15 may be turned ON.

[0049] <About the swing axis movement mechanism 35> In the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment, when transitioning from a state of traveling on the ground to a state of flying, or from a state of flying to a state of traveling on the ground, the wheel unit 3 is tilted by the swing mechanism 30, but the swing mechanism 30 may be provided with a mechanism that moves the shaft 32 in accordance with the tilt of the wheel unit 3. Specifically, a swing shaft moving mechanism 35 may be provided that moves the shaft 32 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2 (a direction parallel to the ground) in accordance with the tilt of the wheel unit 3.

[0050] If the position of the axis 32 does not move, the contact position between the wheel 4 and the ground moves closer to the main body 2 as the wheel unit 3 tilts. In other words, as the wheel unit 3 tilts, the wheel 4 slides on the ground and moves in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2 (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as the width direction of the main body 2), and the frictional force generated by this movement wears down the tire 5t of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, and the resistance to tilting the wheel unit 3 increases.

[0051] Furthermore, if the position of the axle 32 does not move, and the wheel unit 3 tilts, the distance between the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 and the main body 2 in the width direction of the main body 2 will become shorter, and there is a possibility that the main body 2 will come into contact with the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3. Therefore, to prevent the main body 2 from coming into contact with the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 even when the wheel unit 3 tilts, the axle 32 must be positioned at a position some distance away from the main body 2 in the width direction of the main body 2, and this increases the width of the land-air amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment when in a traveling state.

[0052] However, if the swing axis movement mechanism 35 is provided, even if the tilt of the wheel unit 3 changes, the contact position between the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3 and the ground does not move in the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. This prevents wear on the tire 5t of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4 and prevents the resistance to tilting the wheel unit 3 from increasing.

[0053] Furthermore, by moving the position of the shaft 32 so as to move away from the main body 2 in the width direction of the main body 2 as the wheel unit 3 tilts, it is possible to prevent contact between the main body 2 and the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 when the wheel unit 3 tilts, even if the position of the shaft 32 is kept close to the main body 2 when the wheel unit 3 is not tilted, that is, when the wheel unit 3 is in a traveling state. Therefore, by providing the swing shaft moving mechanism 35, it is possible to narrow the width of the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment when in a traveling state, and therefore to reduce the size of the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment when in a traveling state.

[0054] The swing shaft moving mechanism 35 can have the following structure, for example. As shown in FIG. 6, a frame 36 having a swing source 33 at its tip is composed of a moving frame 36a that moves in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2 and a guide frame 36b that is fixed to the main body 2 and guides the movement of the moving frame 36a. A moving mechanism 37 is provided to move the moving frame 36a in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. This moving mechanism 37 is composed of a screw-nut mechanism and has a threaded shaft 37a that extends in the direction of movement of the moving frame 36a, i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. This threaded shaft 37a is fixed to the moving frame 36a via a bearing so that it can rotate around its central axis but cannot move along its axial direction. A threaded shaft drive motor 37c is provided at the axial end of the moving frame 36a so that its main shaft is coaxial with the moving frame 36a. The moving frame 36a is also provided with a nut member 37b that is fixed to the main body 2 via the guide frame 36b and is threadedly engaged with the threaded shaft 37a.

[0055] With this configuration, by driving the screw shaft drive motor 37c of the movement mechanism 37, the moving frame 36a can be moved together with the screw shaft 37a relative to the main body 2 in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. In other words, the oscillation source 33 and the shaft 32 provided on the oscillation source 33 can be moved together with the moving frame 36a in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. Then, by adjusting the rotation amount of the screw shaft drive motor 37c in accordance with the inclination of the wheel unit 3, when the inclination of the wheel unit 3 changes, the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 can be oscillated around the contact point between the outer wheel member 5 and the ground as a fulcrum. In other words, the wheel unit 3 can be tilted without moving the contact point between the wheel 4 and the ground in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2.

[0056] As described above, by providing the swing shaft moving mechanism 35, it is possible to prevent the contact position between the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3 and the ground from shifting in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2, even if the tilt of the wheel unit 3 changes. This prevents wear on the tire 5t of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, and prevents the resistance to tilting the wheel unit 3 from increasing. Furthermore, by providing the swing shaft moving mechanism 35, it is possible to prevent contact between the main body 2 and the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3 when the wheel unit 3 tilts, even if the position of the shaft 32 in the traveling state is kept close to the main body 2. Therefore, it is possible to narrow the width of the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment in the traveling state, and therefore to reduce the size of the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment in the traveling state.

[0057] The moving mechanism 37 is not limited to the screw and nut mechanism as described above, as long as it can move the moving frame 36a in a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the main body 2. For example, a cylinder mechanism can be used as the moving mechanism 37.

[0058] <Steering mechanism 38> The swing mechanism 30 may be provided with a steering mechanism 38 that swings the wheel units 3 and the drive mechanisms 10 relative to each holding frame 31. By providing the steering mechanism 38, the wheel units 3, i.e., the wheels 4, can be steered during running, allowing the main body 2 to run in the same manner as a general vehicle. In this case, it is desirable to provide the steering mechanism 38 to at least two drive mechanisms 10 arranged in front of the running direction of the main body 2 or two drive mechanisms 10 arranged in rear of the running direction of the main body 2. In other words, it is desirable to make the two wheel units 3 arranged in front of the running direction of the main body 2 steerable, or the two wheel units 3 arranged in rear of the running direction of the main body 2 steerable. Of course, it is also possible to provide the steering mechanism 38 to all four drive mechanisms 10, allowing all four wheel units 3 to be steerable.

[0059] The configuration of the steering mechanism 38 is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 6, it can be configured with a steering shaft 38a connected to the oscillation source 33 and rotatable relative to the main body 2 (frame 36 in FIGS. 4 to 6), and a steering motor 38b connected to the steering shaft 38a by a gear mechanism or the like and rotating the steering shaft 38a relative to the main body 2. In this case, the steering shaft 38a is arranged in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis 13 of the wheel unit 3, that is, parallel to the rotation plane of the wheels 4 of the wheel unit 3 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) or slightly inclined (see FIG. 6). Then, by rotating the steering shaft 38a by the steering motor 38b, the wheel unit 3 can be steered. Note that the steering shaft 38a is not limited to the above-mentioned arrangement as long as it can steer the wheels 3 by rotating the steering shaft 38a. In other words, when the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment is traveling on the ground, it is sufficient that the rotation plane of the wheel 4 can rotate around an axis perpendicular to the ground (around a vertical axis when the ground is horizontal). This state can be achieved if the steering shaft 38a is provided non-parallel to the rotation shaft 13 of the drive mechanism 10 and the shaft 32 of the swing mechanism 30.

[0060] <About Wheel Unit 3> There are no particular limitations on the size, blade shape, number of blades, etc. of the propeller 6 of each wheel unit 3. It is sufficient that the propellers are configured so that when the four wheel units 3 are in a flying state and when the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 are inclined at a certain angle or less with respect to the planes of rotation of the wheels 4 in a flying state, the air-land amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment can be lifted by the lift generated by the four propellers 6.

[0061] For example, if the total weight of the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment is 60 kg, and the four propellers 6 each have two blades, the diameter should be 600 mm or more. Then, if the inclination of the rotational planes of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 relative to the horizontal plane is 30 degrees or less and the rotational speed of the propellers 6 is 8000 rpm or more, a lift force that lifts the land-and-air hybrid vehicle 1 of this embodiment can be generated.

[0062] Furthermore, the diameter of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4 of the wheel unit 3 is not particularly limited. The wheel member 5 only needs to be able to arrange the propeller 6 of the above-mentioned size within the wheel 5a without interfering with the rotation of the propeller 6. For example, if the diameter of the propeller 6 is A, then the wheel 4 may be formed so that the inner diameter of the wheel 5a is A+20 mm.

[0063] Furthermore, the shape of the tires 5t of the wheel members 5 is not particularly limited, but a shape that provides little resistance to the ground when the wheel unit 3 is swung is desirable. The tires 5t of the wheel members 5 desirably have an elliptical or circular cross section at the ground contact portion, like bicycle or motorcycle tires, for example. As mentioned above, when the wheel 4 is formed of two wheel members 5, the cross sections of the ground contact portions of the tires 5t of the two wheel members 5 may both be elliptical or circular. However, since only the outer wheel member 5 comes into contact with the ground when the wheel unit 3 starts to swung, it is also possible to use a tire 5t of the outer wheel member 5 with an elliptical or circular cross section at the ground contact portion.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above example, the wheel 4 has two wheel members 5, but the wheel 4 may be formed with only one wheel member 5. Using a wheel 4 with two wheel members 5 is preferable in that it can reduce the weight of the wheel 4 and makes it easier to protect the propeller 6.

[0065] In each wheel unit 3, the propeller 6 is installed inside the outer wheel member 5, but it may also be installed inside the inner wheel member 5. However, installing it inside the outer wheel member 5 is preferable because it can protect the propeller 6 and improve safety during flight. When the propeller 6 is installed inside the inner wheel member 5, the boss 5b is provided on the wheel 5a of the outer wheel member 5.

[0066] Furthermore, the propeller 6 of the wheel unit 3 does not necessarily have to be disposed within the propeller accommodating space 5h of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, as long as its rotational axis is coaxial with the rotational axis of the wheel 5 of the wheel unit 3 (in other words, the rotational axis of the wheel 5a) and is connected to the main shaft of the same drive motor 11. However, if the propeller 6 is disposed within the propeller accommodating space 5h of the wheel member 5 of the wheel 4, it becomes easier to prevent the propeller 6 from coming into contact with an object and being damaged.

[0067] <Regarding the driving mechanism 10> In the above example, the drive mechanism 10 is described as having the drive motor 11 as a drive source that supplies drive force to the wheel unit 3, but there is no particular limitation on the drive source that supplies drive force to the wheel unit 3. For example, an internal combustion engine, air pressure, hydraulic pressure, etc. can be used as the drive source.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above example, an electromagnetic clutch is used as clutch mechanism 15, but any known clutch mechanism can be used as clutch mechanism 15 as long as it has the function of interrupting the transmission of driving force from rotating shaft 13 to wheels 4. In particular, a clutch mechanism that has the function of supplying a portion of the driving force supplied from rotating shaft 13 to wheels 4, in other words, the function of rotating wheels 4 at a slower rotation speed than propeller 6, is desirable.

[0069] <Ambivalent vehicle 1 in which wheel unit 3 swings inward> In the above example, a case has been described in which the four swing mechanisms 30 swing the four wheel units 3 so that the base end of the rotation shaft 13 of the drive mechanism 10, which is located inward from the wheels 4, is positioned higher than the tip end of the rotation shaft 13 of the drive mechanism 10. In other words, a case has been described in which the four swing mechanisms 30 swing the four wheel units 3 outward when the inclination of the four wheel units 3 changes between the ground running state and the flight state.

[0070] The land-and-air amphibious vehicle 1 of this embodiment may employ, as the four swing mechanisms 30, a configuration in which the four wheel units 3 are swung so that the base end of the rotation shaft 13 of the drive mechanism 10, which is positioned inward from the wheels 4, is positioned lower than the tip end of the rotation shaft 13 of the drive mechanism 10. In other words, a configuration in which the four swing mechanisms 30 swing the four wheel units 3 inward when the inclination of the four wheel units 3 changes between the ground traveling state and the flight state may be employed (see FIG. 10(B)).

[0071] In this case, the mechanism for swinging the four wheel units 3 outward described above may be used as it is as the mechanism for swinging the four swing mechanisms 30. However, in the four swing mechanisms 30 described above, the axis 32 serving as the fulcrum for swinging the wheel units 3 (i.e., the swing frame 31) is provided so as to be located lower than the rotation axis 13 when the vehicle is traveling on the ground. Therefore, when the four wheel units 3 swing inward, the distance between the main body 2 and the ground contact positions of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 in the vertical direction (or the direction normal to the ground), in other words, the distance between the main body 2 and the ground, becomes shorter, and therefore, when the four wheel units 3 swing inward, there is a possibility that the main body 2 may come into contact with the ground.

[0072] However, even if a mechanism that swings the four wheel units 3 outward is adopted as the four swing mechanisms 30 described above to swing the four wheel units 3 inward, by adjusting the equipment and layout used, it is possible to maintain a certain distance between the main body 2 and the ground until the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 reach a predetermined tilt angle. For example, by increasing the diameter of the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 or adjusting the size of the drive motor 11 of the drive mechanism 10 or the distance from the shaft 12, it is possible to maintain a certain distance between the main body 2 and the ground until the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 reach a predetermined tilt angle.

[0073] Furthermore, when the wheel unit 3 swings inward, only the inner wheel member 5 comes into contact with the ground when the swinging starts. Therefore, when the wheel unit 3 swings inward, only the tire 5t of the inner wheel member 5 may have an oval or circular cross section at the ground contacting portion.

[0074] <Aerial and land amphibious vehicle 1 in which wheel unit 3 does not swing> In the above example, the four wheel units 3 are swung by the four swinging mechanisms 30. However, the four swinging mechanisms 30 may not be provided. That is, the four wheel units 3 may be fixed in a state inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the main body 2 (for example, the state shown in FIG. 10 ). Even in this case, if the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 reach a certain rotation speed or higher, the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 can generate lift to lift the land-and-air vehicle 1 of this embodiment. In this case, the inclination angle of the four wheel units 3 is preferably set so that the rotation speed of the propellers 6 is not too high to generate lift to lift the land-and-air vehicle 1 of this embodiment, and so that the weight of the land-and-air vehicle 1 of this embodiment is unlikely to damage the four wheel units 3 when the vehicle is traveling on the ground. For example, the inclination angle is preferably set so that the angle between the rotation planes of the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3 and the vertical direction when the land-and-air vehicle 1 of this embodiment is placed on a horizontal plane is approximately 45 to 60 degrees. Of course, it goes without saying that the preferable range of the inclination angle varies depending on the outer diameter of the four wheel units 3 (i.e., the diameter of the propeller 6) and the strength of the wheel units 3. Furthermore, the direction in which the wheel units 3 are inclined is not particularly limited as long as all four wheel units 3 are inclined outward or inward.

[0075] Incidentally, even when the four wheel units 3 are fixed in a state inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the main body 2, it is desirable to employ a clutch mechanism 15 that can assume a transition state in addition to the ON and OFF states. This increases the time for which driving force is supplied to the wheels 4 of the four wheel units 3 during the transition from ground travel to flight, thereby preventing a decrease in the travel speed of the main body 2 during the transition from ground travel to flight. Of course, even when the four wheel units 3 are fixed in a state inclined at a predetermined angle relative to the main body 2, it is also possible to employ a clutch mechanism 15 that can assume only the ON and OFF states.

[0076] <About the lift generating mechanism 50> In the above example, the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment is described as floating and flying solely using the lift generated by the propellers 6 of the four wheel units 3. However, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment may be provided with a lift generating mechanism 50 that generates lift. By providing such a lift generating mechanism 50, the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment can float even if the lift generated by the four wheel units 3 is small. This allows the size of the four wheel units 3, i.e., the size of the propellers 6, to be reduced, resulting in the advantages of being able to downsize the drive mechanism 10 and swing mechanism 30 and reduce the weight of the drive mechanism 10. Furthermore, this also provides advantages such as stabilizing the flight of the air / land hydraulic vehicle 1 of this embodiment and simplifying flight control.

[0077] The structure of the lift generating mechanism 50 is not particularly limited, and a general propeller fan for vertical levitation used in vertically levitating aircraft can be used. The location where the lift generating mechanism 50 is installed is also not particularly limited, but if it is installed in a position surrounded by four wheel units 3 in a plan view, the land-and-air vehicle 1 of this embodiment can be levitated in a stable state. For example, the lift generating mechanism 50 can be installed near the rear of the passenger section 2h where a person boards (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

[0078] 7 shows an example in which two lift generating mechanisms 50 are provided at the front and rear, but the number of lift generating mechanisms 50 is not particularly limited. For example, only one lift generating mechanism 50 may be provided at the front or rear of the riding section 2h. [Industrial Applicability]

[0079] The air-land amphibious vehicle of this embodiment is suitable as a vehicle for transporting people and goods in places where areas where vehicles can travel are limited, such as disaster areas. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1. Amphibian 2 Main unit 3 Wheel Unit 4 wheels 5 Wheel components 5a wheels 5b Boss 5t tire 5h Propeller placement space 6 propellers 10 Drive mechanism 11 Drive motor 13 Rotation axis 15 Clutch mechanism 16 First rotor 17 Second rotor 18 Clutch body 30 Swing mechanism 31 Swinging frame 32 axes 33 Oscillation source 35 Swing axis movement mechanism 36 frames 36a Moving Frame 36b Guide frame 37 Moving mechanism 37a screw shaft 37b Rotation transmission member 37c screw shaft drive motor 38 Steering mechanism 38a Steering shaft 38b Steering motor 40 Control Unit 50 Lift generation mechanism

Claims

1. An amphibious vehicle capable of running on the ground and flying in the air, The main body and four wheel units having wheels for ground travel and propellers for flight; four drive mechanisms for supplying drive forces to the four wheel units; a control unit that controls the operation of the four drive mechanisms, Each drive mechanism is a rotating shaft connected to the propeller and supplied with driving force; a clutch mechanism that interrupts the transmission of driving force from the rotary shaft to the wheels; four swing mechanisms that swing the four wheel units around swing axes parallel to the traveling direction of the main body, Each rocking mechanism is The wheel unit is swung around a swing axis that is located inside the wheel and parallel to the traveling direction of the main body, The vehicle has a swing shaft moving mechanism that moves the swing shaft in a direction intersecting the running direction of the main body so that the contact position between the wheel and the ground does not move in a direction perpendicular to the running direction of the main body when the wheel unit is swung. An air and land amphibious vehicle.

2. Each rocking mechanism is a function of swinging the wheel unit around a swing axis parallel to the traveling direction of the main body and located inward of the wheel, and swinging the wheel unit so that a first end of a rotation shaft of the drive mechanism located inward of the wheel is positioned higher than a second end of the rotation shaft of the drive mechanism; and / or The wheel unit is swung around a swing axis that is parallel to the traveling direction of the main body and located inward of the wheels, and has a function of swinging the wheel unit so that a first end of a rotation shaft of the drive mechanism located inward of the wheels is positioned lower than a second end of the rotation shaft of the drive mechanism.

2. The air-land vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The wheel has a cylindrical wheel whose central axis is coaxial with the rotation axis, The propeller is The rotation axis of the wheel is arranged in the wheel so as to be coaxial with the rotation axis of the wheel.

3. The air / land vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The clutch mechanism includes: a first state in which a driving force is transmitted from the rotary shaft to the wheel and the propeller so that the wheel and the propeller rotate at the same rotation speed; a second state in which driving force is transmitted from the rotary shaft only to the propeller; and a transition state in which the drive force is transmitted from the rotary shaft to the wheels and the propeller such that the wheels rotate at a slower rotational speed than the propeller.

4. The air / land amphibious vehicle according to claim 1.

5. four swing mechanisms for swinging the four wheel units around swing axes parallel to the traveling direction of the main body, The control unit The device has a function of controlling the operation of the four swing mechanisms, During a period in which the attitude of the wheel unit is changed by each swing mechanism between a ground running state in which the rotation plane of the wheel of the wheel unit is perpendicular to the ground and a flight state in which the rotation plane of the wheel is rotated 90 degrees around the swing axis from the ground running state, the clutch mechanism is controlled so that the vehicle is in the transition state for a certain period of that period.

5. The air-land vehicle according to claim 4.

6. The control unit When the clutch mechanism is in a transition state, the operation of the clutch mechanism and / or the drive mechanism is controlled so that the rotational speed of the wheel does not exceed a certain rotational speed.

6. The air / land vehicle according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The four drive mechanisms are: At least two drive mechanisms arranged in front of the body in the traveling direction or two drive mechanisms arranged in the rear of the body in the traveling direction are provided with steering mechanisms that swing the wheel units around axes that are not parallel to the rotation axis and the swing axis of the drive mechanisms.

7. The air / land amphibious vehicle according to claim 1.

8. The main body is provided with a lift generating mechanism at a position surrounded by the four wheel units, which generates lift for floating the main body.

8. The air / land amphibious vehicle according to claim 1.

Images