Storage system and aircraft hangar

Abstract

To provide a storage system and a flight body hangar that can lower costs while facilitating acquisition of information according to a flight body.SOLUTION: A storage system 1 provided in a flight body hangar 100 includes: a hangar body 10 for storing a flight body 200, having on a lateral side an opening 11 through which the flight body 200 can pass; an opening / closing part 20 for opening / closing the opening 11; and a driving part for driving the opening / closing part 20. The storage system includes: a placement part 3 on which the flight body 200 is placed and which is movable; and a connection part 4 for connecting the opening / closing part 20 to the placement part 3. According to an opening operation of the opening / closing part 20, the placement part 3 passes through the opening 11 to move outside the hangar body 10. According to a closing operation of the opening / closing part, the placement part 3 passes through the opening 11 to be housed in the hangar body 10.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0004] , ,

[0005] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage system and an aircraft storage.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, it has been known to use an unmanned aircraft (e.g., a drone) for transporting luggage, inspecting structures, etc. It is desirable that such an aircraft be stored in a storage such as a hangar. Therefore, a drone takeoff / landing device for storing a drone in a drone storage having a roof that automatically opens and closes has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the drone takeoff / landing device described in Patent Document 1, the drone storage is located at the topmost part, and by providing other devices integrally, the installation time of the device is shortened.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the drone takeoff / landing device described in Patent Document 1, since the drone storage is located at the topmost part and the roof opens and closes, it is difficult to use an existing warehouse or the like, and it is necessary to newly design and manufacture it as a storage for drones, which has the disadvantage of being likely to increase costs. On the other hand, when an aircraft such as a drone is stored in a general warehouse or the like having an opening on the side, the upper part of the aircraft is covered by the roof, making it difficult to receive radio waves during takeoff and the like, and difficult to acquire information. Thus, it has been difficult to achieve both ease of acquiring information by the aircraft and cost reduction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its purpose is to provide a storage system and an aircraft hangar that can reduce costs while making it easier for aircraft to acquire information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the storage system according to the present invention is a storage system provided in an aircraft hangar comprising: a hangar body having a lateral opening through which an aircraft can pass and storing the aircraft; an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the opening; and a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit, the storage system comprising: a mountable portion on which the aircraft is placed and which is movable; and a connecting portion for connecting the opening / closing unit and the mountable portion, wherein when the opening / closing unit opens, the mountable portion passes through the opening and moves to the outside of the hangar body, and when the opening / closing unit closes, the mountable portion passes through the opening and is housed inside the hangar body.

[0007] In one aspect of the present invention, a storage system is provided which a biasing unit generates a force toward the opening side to the placed portion when it is located inside the storage body.

[0008] In a storage system according to one aspect of the present invention, the biasing portion includes an inclined surface that is inclined so as to be directed towards the opening, downward in the vertical direction.

[0009] In a storage system according to one aspect of the present invention, the mounting portion has rollers.

[0010] On the other hand, the aircraft hangar according to the present invention comprises a hangar body having an opening on the side through which an aircraft can pass and for storing the aircraft, an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the opening, a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit, and the above-mentioned storage system. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the storage system and aircraft hangar of the present invention, it is possible to reduce costs while making it easier for aircraft to acquire information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a cross-sectional view of an aircraft hangar equipped with a storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a cross-sectional view showing the opening and closing mechanism in an aircraft hangar equipped with a storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the aircraft hangar equipped with a storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the opening and closing section fully open. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the closing operation of the opening / closing section in an aircraft hangar equipped with a storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the aircraft hangar equipped with a storage system according to an embodiment of the present invention, with the opening and closing section fully closed. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an aircraft hangar 100 equipped with a storage system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the opening / closing section 20 in the aircraft hangar 100 in the open position; Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the opening / closing section 20 in the aircraft hangar 100 in the closed position; and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the opening / closing section 20 in the aircraft hangar 100 in the fully closed position.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 5, the storage system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a storage system provided in an aircraft hangar 100 which includes a hangar body 10 having a side opening 11 through which an aircraft 200 can pass and which stores the aircraft 200, an opening / closing unit 20 for opening and closing the opening 11, and a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit 20, and includes a mounting unit 3 on which the aircraft 200 is placed and which is movable, and a connecting unit 4 connecting the opening / closing unit 20 and the mounting unit 3. When the opening / closing unit 20 opens, the mounting unit 3 passes through the opening 11 and moves to the outside of the hangar body 10, and when it closes, the mounting unit 3 passes through the opening 11 and is housed inside the hangar body 10. The aircraft hangar 100 comprises the hangar body 10, the opening / closing unit 20, the drive unit, and the storage system 1.

[0016] In Figures 1-5, the up and down directions coincide with the vertical direction. Hereafter, the up and down directions in the vertical direction may be simply referred to as "upper side," "lower side," etc., based on Figures 1-5.

[0017] The hangar body 10 is, for example, a warehouse enclosed on all four sides by side walls and provided with a roof, and is large enough to store the aircraft 200. Here, the aircraft 200 is not particularly limited in terms of its propulsion system, etc., as long as it is capable of unmanned flight, and may be a small helicopter (a so-called drone) or may fly by means other than propellers.

[0018] An opening 11 is formed in at least one side wall of the hangar body 10. The opening 11 only needs to be large enough for the aircraft 200 and the mounted section 3 to pass through. The hangar body 10 can be formed in a box shape, and its specific shape is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0019] The opening / closing part 20 is a shutter provided to open and close the opening 11. The opening / closing part 20 only needs to be such that at least the lower end part 20A moves up and down. When the lower end part 20A rises, an opening operation is performed, and when the lower end part 20A descends, a closing operation is performed. Incidentally, the opening / closing part 20 may be folded as the lower end part 20A rises, or may move as a whole without being folded.

[0020] The drive part is, for example, a motor, and opens and closes the opening / closing part 20 when power is supplied. That is, an electric shutter is constituted by the opening / closing part 20 and the drive part. The drive part is configured to be remotely operable, and the opening / closing part 20 can be opened and closed by remote operation.

[0021] The storage body 10, the opening / closing part 20, and the drive part as described above constitute a general warehouse with an electric shutter. That is, by newly providing the storage system 1 described below to an existing warehouse with an electric shutter, it becomes the aircraft storage 100. The storage system 1 includes a guide part 5 and an inclination forming part 6 in addition to the placement part 3 and the connection part 4 described above.

[0022] The placement part 3 has, for example, a placement part main body 31 formed in a plate shape on which the aircraft 200 is placed, and a plurality of rollers 32 provided on the lower surface of the placement part main body 31, and is movable by the rollers 32. The placement part 3 may be an existing cart, or may be designed according to the size and shape of the aircraft 200.

[0023] The connection part 4 is a long flexible object that connects the lower end part 20A of the opening / closing part 20 and the rear end part 33 of the placement part 3 (the end part facing away from the opening 11), and examples include a wire, a chain, and a belt.

[0024] The guide section 5 is composed of, for example, two rollers 51 and 52, with roller 51 provided on the ceiling 12 of the storage body 10 and roller 52 provided on the side wall 13 opposite the opening 11. The elongated connecting section 4 is suspended from the rollers 51 and 52 so that it passes from the lower end 20A of the opening / closing section 20, through the vicinity of the ceiling 12 and the side wall 13, to the mounting section 3. Note that the rollers 51 and 52 can be any type corresponding to the connecting section 4, such as pulleys or sprockets.

[0025] The inclined forming section 6 is placed on the bottom surface 14 of the hangar body 10 and has an inclined surface 61 that slopes downward in the vertical direction as it moves from the side wall 13 toward the opening 11. When the opening / closing section 20 is closed and the mounted section 3 is located inside the hangar body 10, the mounted section 3 is located on the inclined surface 61, and gravity acts on the mounted section 3 and the aircraft 200, generating a force toward the opening 11. In other words, the inclined surface 61 functions as a biasing section that generates a force toward the opening 11 toward the mounted section 3.

[0026] The following describes how the aircraft 200 is moved in and out of the hangar body 10 using the storage system 1 and the aircraft hangar 100, and the operation of each part during this process. First, the method for taking the aircraft 200 out of the hangar body 10 and taking off will be explained based on Figures 1 to 3.

[0027] In the state shown in Figure 1, the aircraft 200 is placed on the mounting section 3 and stored in the hangar body 10. At this time, the opening / closing section 20 is in a fully closed state, and the lower end 20A is located near the bottom surface 14. The mounting section 3 is located on the inclined surface 61, and a force is acting toward the opening 11. Although the mounting section 3 attempts to move due to the force toward the opening 11, it is connected to the opening / closing section 20 by the connecting section 4, and the opening / closing section 20 is locked, preventing it from opening, so the mounting section 3 cannot move. In other words, tension is applied to the connecting section 4.

[0028] Figure 2 shows the opening / closing section 20 being opened by remotely controlling the drive unit from the state shown in Figure 1. As the lower end portion 20A of the opening / closing section 20 rises (approaching the roller 51 provided on the ceiling 12), the mounted portion 3 connected by the connecting portion 4 becomes movable and moves toward the opening 11 as the lower end portion 20A rises.

[0029] As described above, by continuing the opening operation, the mounted portion 3 passes through the opening 11 and reaches the outside of the hangar body 10, as shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 shows the opening / closing portion 20 in the fully open state. In this way, by opening the opening / closing portion 20, the mounted portion 3 passes through the opening 11 and moves to the outside of the hangar body 10. Note that the mounted portion 3 and the aircraft 200 may be located outside the hangar body 10 before the opening / closing portion 20 is fully open. It is preferable that a base 300 is provided on the outside of the hangar body 10 adjacent to the opening 11. The mounted portion 3, having moved to the outside of the hangar body 10, is located on the base 300, and the base 300 becomes a port for takeoff and landing.

[0030] In this way, the aircraft 200, having moved to the outside of the hangar body 10, is not supported by any of the hangar body 10's components (such as a roof) above it. As a result, the aircraft 200 can acquire information by receiving radio waves, for example, by obtaining its own position information via GPS.

[0031] Next, the method for storing the aircraft 200 in the hangar body 10 after landing will be explained based on Figures 3 to 5.

[0032] As shown in Figure 3, with the mounted portion 3 located outside the hangar body 10, Figure 4 shows the drive unit being remotely operated to close the opening / closing section 20. As the lower end portion 20A descends, the mounted portion 3 is pulled by the connecting portion 4 toward the inside of the hangar body 10. As a result, the mounted portion 3 passes through the opening 11 and moves into the hangar body 10. At this time, the force generated by the drive unit is sufficiently greater than the force generated on the mounted portion 3 by the inclined surface 61 (force toward the outside of the hangar body 10), and the mounted portion 3 can ascend the inclined surface 61.

[0033] Figure 5 shows the opening / closing section 20 in the fully closed position, which is the same state as in Figure 1. In this way, when the opening / closing section 20 closes, the object to be placed 3 passes through the opening 11 and is housed inside the storage body 2.

[0034] As described above, the opening / closing section 20 and the mounting section 3 are connected by the connecting section 4, so that the mounting section 3 moves in conjunction with the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing section 20, allowing the aircraft 200 to be moved in and out of the hangar body 10.

[0035] Thus, according to the storage system 1 of the present invention, the aircraft 200 can be taken in and out of the hangar body 10 by opening and closing the opening and closing section 20, making it easier to acquire information at takeoff. Furthermore, there is no need to form an opening in the roof, and existing warehouses can be used, thus reducing costs.

[0036] Furthermore, the inclined surface forming section 6, which has an inclined surface 61 as a biasing section, eliminates the need to push the mounted section 3 towards the opening 11 using the connecting section 4, thus simplifying the configuration of the connecting section 4. In addition, because the inclined surface 61 functions as a biasing section, it is less prone to deterioration compared to other biasing sections such as springs, and can generate force with a simple configuration.

[0037] Furthermore, the presence of rollers 32 in the mounting section 3 makes it easier to move the mounting section 3, thereby reducing the load on the drive unit.

[0038] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes other configurations that can achieve the objectives of the present invention, including the following modifications. For example, in the above embodiments of the present invention, an inclined surface 61 is provided as a biasing part, but the biasing part may be a spring, a magnetic force, or a combination of these as appropriate. In other words, an appropriate biasing part is provided according to the force and distance required to move the mounted part 3.

[0039] Furthermore, the biasing part may be omitted. That is, when the opening / closing part is opened by the drive unit, this force may be transmitted to the mounted part by the connecting part, thereby pushing the mounted part toward the opening. An example of such a configuration is one in which a limiting member is provided to restrict the movement of the connecting part 4 so that the connecting part 4 does not bend between the roller 51 and the mounted part 3.

[0040] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the mounting portion 3 is made movable by having rollers 32, but the mounting portion may be made movable by other means. For example, rails may be provided on the bottom surface of the storage body, and the mounting portion may be made movable along these rails.

[0041] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the opening operation is performed by the lower end portion 20A of the opening / closing section 20 rising. However, the direction of operation when the opening / closing section opens and closes is not limited to this, and for example, the opening / closing section may open and close by horizontal movement. In this case, a connecting section and a guide section are provided according to the direction of operation of the opening / closing section, and the mounted section moves to the outside of the hangar body by the opening operation and is housed inside the hangar body by the closing operation.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the connection between the opening / closing section 20 and the mounting section 3 results in a configuration where the travel distance of the lower end portion 20A and the travel distance of the mounting section 3 are equal. However, a conversion section may be provided so that these travel distances are different. An example of such a conversion section is a movable pulley provided on either the opening / closing section side or the mounting section side.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment of the present invention, only one aircraft 200 is stored in the hangar body 10, but multiple aircraft may be stored in the hangar body. In this case, the multiple aircraft may be arranged in a line along the direction of movement of the mounting section, or they may be arranged in a direction that intersects this direction of movement (for example, perpendicular). If the multiple aircraft are arranged in a direction that intersects the direction of movement of the mounting section, all aircraft may move to the outside of the hangar body by opening the opening / closing section, or each aircraft may be placed in a separate mounting section, and a switching section may be provided to switch the mounting section connected to the opening / closing section, so that only some of the aircraft move to the outside of the hangar body by opening the opening / closing section.

[0044] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the storage system according to the above embodiments, but includes all aspects included in the concept and claims of the present invention. Furthermore, each component may be selectively combined as appropriate to achieve at least some of the above-described problems and effects. For example, the shape, material, arrangement, size, etc. of each component in the above embodiments may be appropriately changed depending on the specific use of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0045] 1...Storage system, 3...Placement section, 32...Roller, 4...Connection section, 61...Inclined surface (biasing section), 10...Hangar body, 11...Opening, 20...Opening / closing section, 100...Aircraft hangar, 200...Aircraft

Claims

1. A storage system provided in an aircraft hangar comprising: a hangar body having a side opening through which an aircraft can pass and storing the aircraft said; an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the opening; and a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit, The aforementioned aircraft is mounted on a movable mounting section, A connecting portion that connects the opening / closing portion and the mounting portion so as to be able to transmit force between the opening / closing portion and the mounting portion, The system includes a biasing unit that generates a force toward the opening side to the mounting portion while it is located inside the storage body, In the fully closed state of the opening / closing section, the mounting section is connected to the opening / closing section by the connecting section, thereby restricting its movement toward the opening. When the drive unit opens the opening / closing unit, the biasing force of the biasing unit allows the mounted portion to move toward the opening, and the mounted portion passes through the opening and moves to the outside of the storage body. A storage system in which the drive unit closes the opening / closing unit, thereby acting on the mounted portion via the connecting portion toward the storage body, causing the mounted portion to pass through the opening and be housed within the storage body.

2. A storage system provided in an aircraft hangar comprising: a hangar body having a side opening through which an aircraft can pass and storing the aircraft said; an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the opening; and a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit, The aforementioned aircraft is mounted on a movable mounting section, A connecting part which is a long, flexible object that connects the opening / closing part and the mounting part, The aforementioned connecting part is suspended from the guide part, The system includes a biasing unit that generates a force toward the opening side to the mounting portion while it is located inside the storage body, The guide section includes one provided on the side wall of the hangar body opposite to the opening, The connecting portion is connected to the opening / closing part and the mounting part such that the dimensions of the connecting portion between the guide portion provided on the side wall and the mounting part become shorter when the opening / closing part is closed and longer when it is opened. A storage system in which, when the opening / closing mechanism opens, the object to be placed moves through the opening to the outside of the storage body, and when the closing mechanism closes, the object to be placed passes through the opening and is housed inside the storage body.

3. The storage system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the biasing portion includes an inclined surface that is inclined so as to be directed vertically downward toward the opening.

4. The storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the mounting portion has rollers.

5. An aircraft hangar comprising: a hangar body having a lateral opening through which an aircraft can pass and storing the aircraft; an opening / closing unit for opening and closing the opening; a drive unit for driving the opening / closing unit; and a storage system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images