Cargo handling device and unmanned aircraft equipped with it

Abstract

To provide means which can simultaneously transport a plurality of loads, separately deliver the loads to a plurality of conveyance destinations and easily increase the battery capacity without requiring the time for battery charging in a machine body.SOLUTION: An unmanned flying body (drone) 10 has a main control device 12 which controls flight and an internal battery 14 which supplies power to the main control device. A load carrying device 100 can be attached to the drone 10 and includes a retention release mechanism 20 and a machine body coupling device 30. The retention release mechanism 20 simultaneously transports a plurality of containers 6 and individually separates the containers 6 or loads 2 in the containers. The machine body coupling device 30 includes a machine body coupling unit 31 which can detachably attach the retention release mechanism 20 to the drone 10. The retention release mechanism 20 or the machine body coupling device 30 includes an auxiliary battery 41 which can supply the power to the internal battery 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a luggage carrier used by being attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle, and an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with this luggage carrier.

Background Art

[0002] An unmanned aerial vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a "drone") is a type of small unmanned helicopter. In recent years, it has been planned to use drones to carry small luggage unmanned, inspect structures such as bridges, and spray agricultural chemicals.

[0003] A luggage transportation system using an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) is disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3.

[0004] "Gripping mechanism and transported object conveying device" in Patent Document 1 discloses a gripping mechanism that stably grips transported objects of various sizes.

[0005] "Specimen collection system using a drone" in Patent Document 2 discloses a small unmanned mobile body having temperature management means including any one of a cooling mechanism, temperature history recording means, and temperature control means.

[0006] "Transportation system using an unmanned aerial vehicle" in Patent Document 3 discloses a container provided with a power storage unit, a relay base for the container, and an unmanned aerial vehicle for mounting the container. [[ID=​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

[0008] Drones typically use batteries as their power source. Traditionally, drones could only carry one payload per flight, and the flight distance they could carry depended on the weight of the payload and the battery capacity of the aircraft. However, if the cargo is lightweight, it is desirable to transport multiple packages simultaneously on a single flight and deliver them separately to multiple destinations without having to return or stop at intermediate points. Furthermore, it is desirable that the drone be able to fly again immediately after returning to its base (e.g., home port) without requiring time for the internal battery to recharge. In addition, if the cargo is light but the destination is far away, it is desirable to increase the battery capacity to extend the flight range.

[0009] On the other hand, if multiple packages are transported simultaneously in a single flight and delivered to a destination, the weight balance (e.g., center of gravity) of the remaining packages will change, which is expected to make drone flight control difficult.

[0010] This invention was devised to solve the problems described above. Specifically, the first objective of this invention is to provide a means that can transport multiple packages simultaneously, deliver them separately to multiple destinations, and easily increase battery capacity without requiring time for battery charging within the aircraft. Furthermore, the second objective is to provide a means to suppress changes in the weight balance (e.g., center of gravity) of the remaining packages even when the packages are delivered sequentially to their destinations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to the present invention, a cargo carrying device that can be attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a main control device for controlling flight and an internal battery for supplying power to the main control device, It is equipped with a holding and releasing mechanism that can transport multiple containers simultaneously and allow for the individual separation of the containers or the contents within them, The holding and releasing mechanism comprises a plurality of gripping arms that can open and close between a proximity position and a release position, and a container lifting mechanism provided on the gripping arms that can grip the container at the proximity position and move up and down. The gripping arm comprises a lower gripping arm for gripping the lowest container and an upper gripping arm for gripping the containers other than the lowest one. The container lifting mechanism has a plurality of drive rollers provided on the lower gripping arm or the upper gripping arm and rotated around a horizontal axis. A luggage handling device is provided. Furthermore, according to the present invention, a cargo carrying device that can be attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a main control device for controlling flight and an internal battery for supplying power to the main control device, A holding and releasing mechanism that can transport multiple containers simultaneously and allow for the individual separation of the containers or their contents, The aircraft coupling device comprises an aircraft coupling device having an aircraft coupling device that can be attached to and detached from the aforementioned unmanned aircraft, The provided cargo transport device includes a load distribution detector for detecting the load distribution acting on the aircraft coupling device, a horizontal movement device for horizontally moving the holding and release mechanism, and an auxiliary control device for controlling the horizontal movement device to maintain the center of gravity position.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, by means of the holding and releasing mechanism, a plurality of containers can be transported simultaneously, and the containers or the luggage therein can be separated individually, so that the luggage can be delivered separately to a plurality of destinations.

[0013] In addition, since the holding and releasing mechanism has a power supply device capable of supplying power to an internal battery, the internal battery can be charged during flight by supplying power from the power supply device. Therefore, the battery capacity can be easily increased without taking time for charging the battery in the aircraft, and the unmanned aerial vehicle can be operated for a long time with a short landing without waiting for the charging time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a diagram of the first embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the luggage handling device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram of the luggage handling device. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram of takeoff preparation at the base of an unmanned aerial vehicle using the luggage handling device of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory diagram of takeoff and landing at the destination of an unmanned aerial vehicle using the luggage handling device of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram of the second embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the luggage handling device according to the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram of takeoff preparation at the base of an unmanned aerial vehicle using the luggage handling device of the second embodiment. [Figure 7]This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the takeoff and landing of an unmanned aerial vehicle at a destination using the cargo handling device of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a diagram illustrating a third embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a cargo transport device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Common parts in each figure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted. Furthermore, in the following explanation, "horizontal" and "vertical" refer to the horizontal position of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram of a first embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle 10 equipped with a cargo transport device 100 according to the present invention, and Figure 2 is a block diagram of the cargo transport device 100.

[0017] In Figure 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 (hereinafter also referred to as drone 10) has a main control device 12, an internal battery 14, and a connecting member 16. In this diagram, 1 represents the takeoff and landing surface of the drone 10 (e.g., the drone port), 2 represents the cargo, and 6 represents the container.

[0018] The main control unit 12 is, for example, a computer (PC) with communication capabilities, which communicates bidirectionally with the outside world and controls the flight of the drone 10. It is preferable that the main control unit 12 is not limited to controlling the flight of the drone 10, but can also perform other types of control. The internal battery 14 supplies power to the main control unit 12 and the various devices installed in the drone 10. The connected member 16 is a member for connecting and fixing the cargo transport device 100, and in this example, it is a plurality of cylindrical members that are provided at the lower part of the drone 10 body and extend horizontally. However, the connected member 16 is not limited to this example and may take other forms. In this example, the outer surface of the cylindrical connected member 16 is provided with charging contacts (not shown) that are electrically connected to the internal battery 14.

[0019] In Figure 1, the cargo handling device 100 is attachable to the unmanned aircraft 10 and includes a holding and release mechanism 20 and an aircraft coupling device 30.

[0020] The holding and releasing mechanism 20 is configured to transport multiple containers 6 simultaneously and to allow for the individual separation of the containers 6 or the cargo 2 inside them.

[0021] In Figure 1, multiple containers (four in this example) 6 are configured to be stackable vertically. In this example, each container 6 has a convex portion and a concave portion on its upper and lower surfaces, which fit together to maintain the stacked state. Furthermore, in the stacked state where the containers are stacked in the vertical direction, the overall horizontal outer surface is formed to be substantially the same plane. It is preferable that the thickness of the containers 6 in the vertical direction is the same, but it may be different. In this example, the container 6 is either a cargo container 6A that houses cargo 2 inside, or an external battery 6B capable of supplying power to the internal battery 14. The external battery 6B has contacts (hereinafter referred to as container contacts 7) on its horizontal outer surface that are electrically connected to the internal battery cells and extend in the vertical direction.

[0022] In the stacked configuration, multiple cargo containers 6A are stacked from bottom to top in order of destination, and the external battery 6B is stacked above the stacked cargo containers 6A. The number of cargo containers 6A and external battery 6B can be one or more, as long as they can be transported simultaneously. For example, if the cargo container 6A is lightweight but the destination is far away, it is advisable to increase the number of external batteries 6B to extend the flight range.

[0023] The holding and releasing mechanism 20 is designed to simultaneously grasp multiple stacked containers 6 and separate them sequentially from the bottom up. In Figure 1, the holding and releasing mechanism 20 has multiple gripping arms 22 that can be opened and closed between a proximity position I and a release position O, with multiple containers 6 sandwiched between them. In this example, the gripping arm 22 has a lower gripping arm 22A for gripping the lowest container 6 and an upper gripping arm 22B for gripping the containers 6 other than the lowest one. Furthermore, the lower gripping arm 22A has a claw portion 23 that supports the lower outer surface of the container 6 when gripping the lowest container 6, thereby preventing it from falling.

[0024] The holding and releasing mechanism 20 further includes a container lifting mechanism 24 provided on the gripping arm 22 that can grip the container 6 at a proximity position I and move it up and down. In this example, the container lifting mechanism 24 is a plurality of drive rollers 24a provided on the lower gripping arm 22A or the upper gripping arm 22B and rotated around a horizontal axis.

[0025] With the configuration of the holding and release mechanism 20 described above, multiple gripping arms 22 can be opened and closed between a proximity position I and a release position O, with the horizontal outer surface of the vertically stacked containers 6 sandwiched in between. Furthermore, with the gripping arm 22 and drive roller 24a separated from the horizontal outer surface of the container 6, multiple containers 6 can be loaded or unloaded between them. Furthermore, by rotating the drive roller 24a while the gripping arm 22 is in close proximity to the horizontal outer surface of the container 6 and the drive roller 24a is in contact with it, multiple containers 6 can be moved up and down simultaneously.

[0026] In this example, the holding and releasing mechanism 20 has a contact (hereinafter referred to as the arm contact 25) provided on the upper gripping arm 22B that electrically contacts the container contact 7 of the external battery 6B. With this configuration, the gripping arm 22 is close to the horizontal outer surface of the container 6 and the drive roller 24a is in contact with it, allowing power to be supplied from the external battery 6B to the internal battery 14 via the container contact 7 and the arm contact 25 for charging.

[0027] In Figure 1, a pair of gripping arms 22 are shown horizontally on the left and right sides with multiple containers 6 in between, but another pair of gripping arms 22 may also be provided in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] In Figure 1, the aircraft coupling device 30 has an aircraft coupling device 31 that can be attached to and detached from the unmanned aircraft 10. In this example, the aircraft coupling device 30 is fixed to the upper part of the holding and release mechanism 20, suspending the holding and release mechanism 20 downwards. However, the present invention is not limited to the suspension method, and may also be mounted on the side, for example. In this example, the aircraft coupling device 31 is located on the lower part of the main body of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 and releasably grips a horizontally extending cylindrical coupling member 16. This grip allows the cargo handling device 100 (i.e., the holding and release mechanism 20 and the aircraft coupling device 30) to be detachably fixed to the unmanned aerial vehicle 10. Furthermore, the aircraft coupler 31 has contacts (hereinafter referred to as coupling contacts 31a) for supplying power to the internal battery 14 via the charging contacts of the coupled member 16.

[0029] The aforementioned holding and release mechanism 20 or aircraft coupling device 30 (in this example, the holding and release mechanism 20) has a power supply device 40 capable of supplying power to the internal battery 14.

[0030] In Figure 2, the power supply unit 40 is an auxiliary battery 41. The luggage transport device 100 also has a power supply line 42 and a charging circuit 44 that supply power from the auxiliary battery 41 or an external battery 6B to the internal battery 14. As described above, the aircraft coupler 31 has a coupling contact 31a for supplying power to the internal battery 14, and the power supply line 42 electrically connects the coupling contact 31a to the auxiliary battery 41 or the external battery 6B. The charging circuit 44 controls the voltage and current of the power supplied from the auxiliary battery 41 or the external battery 6B to the internal battery 14. This configuration allows the internal battery 14 to be charged by supplying power from the auxiliary battery 41 or the external battery 6B. Furthermore, the luggage transport device 100 has a power supply line (not shown) that supplies power to the gripping arm 22 from an auxiliary battery 41 or an external battery 6B.

[0031] In Figure 2, the aircraft coupling device 30 includes a load distribution detector 32, a horizontal movement device 34, and an auxiliary control device 36. Furthermore, the cargo handling device 100 has a power supply line (not shown) that supplies power to the aircraft coupling device 30 from an auxiliary battery 41 or an external battery 6B.

[0032] The load distribution detector 32 is, for example, a load cell with three or more points, and detects the load distribution acting on three or more machine coupling devices 31. The horizontal movement device 34 is, for example, an actuator that can move the holding and release mechanism 20 in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane relative to the aircraft coupling device 30, and moves the holding and release mechanism 20 horizontally.

[0033] The auxiliary control device 36 is, for example, a computer (PC), which calculates the center of gravity of the cargo handling device 100 in a plan view from the detected load distribution, controls the movement of the holding and releasing mechanism 20 in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane, and maintains the center of gravity at the same position (for example, on the central axis of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10). Furthermore, the auxiliary control device 36 has a communication function and communicates bidirectionally with the main control device 12 to control the aircraft coupling device 31 and the holding and release mechanism 20 described above.

[0034] With the configuration of the aircraft coupling device 30 described above, the aircraft coupler 31 is controlled to fix the holding and release mechanism 20 and the aircraft coupling device 30 to the unmanned aircraft 10 in a detachable manner, and at the same time, the contact 31a can be electrically connected to the charging contact of the coupled member 16. Furthermore, the load distribution acting on the aircraft coupling device 31 allows the center of gravity of the cargo transport device 100 to be maintained at the same position (for example, on the central axis of the unmanned aircraft 10). Furthermore, each component of the cargo transport device 100 can be autonomously controlled or remotely controlled using the main control device 12 or the auxiliary control device 36. The same applies to the second embodiment described later.

[0035] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the preparation for takeoff of an unmanned aerial vehicle 10 using the cargo handling device 100 of the first embodiment described above at a base (e.g., home port). This figure shows the steps (processes) from gripping multiple containers 6 with the holding and release mechanism 20 to takeoff. In this example, the cargo handling device 100 is pre-attached to the drone 10, and the aircraft coupler 31 constantly grips the connected member 16. In this case, operation and control of the aircraft coupler 31 are unnecessary. This configuration is not mandatory; the cargo transport device 100 may not be fixed to the drone 10, but rather fixed only when necessary by gripping the connected member 16 with the aircraft coupler 31.

[0036] In Figure 3(A), multiple containers 6 are pre-placed on the takeoff / landing surface 1 in a stacked vertical configuration. With the lower gripping arm 22A and upper gripping arm 22B of the cargo handling device 100 open to the release position O, the drone 10 descends and lands at a designated position on the takeoff / landing surface 1 with the stacked containers 6 in between. Alternatively, the drone 10 may first land at a designated position on the landing / takeoff surface 1, and then raise the stacked containers 6 to their designated positions on the landing / takeoff surface 1 through an opening (not shown) provided at a designated position on the landing / takeoff surface 1.

[0037] In Figure 3(B), the lower gripping arm 22A and the upper gripping arm 22B are closed to the proximity position I. In this proximity position I, the drive roller 24a contacts the outer surface of the stacked containers 6 and becomes capable of vertical movement. In addition, the claw portion 23 supports the lower outer surface of the lowest container 6, preventing it from falling.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 3(C), the drone 10 takes off and begins transporting the multiple containers 6 while the lower gripping arm 22A and the upper gripping arm 22B are held in the close-proximity position I.

[0039] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram of the takeoff and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 using the cargo handling device 100 of the first embodiment described above at the destination. This figure shows the steps (processes) from landing to takeoff at the destination.

[0040] In Figure 4(A), the drone 10 shown in Figure 3(C) lands on the landing / takeoff surface 1 of the transport destination, and opens the lower gripping arm 22A to the release position O, so that the drive roller 24a and claw portion 23 are separated from the bottom container 6. At this time, the containers 6 other than the bottom container are held in place so that the drive roller 24a of the upper gripping arm 22B does not come into contact with them and cause them to fall.

[0041] In Figure 4(B), the drone 10 takes off while the lower gripping arm 22A is held in the release position O. The bottom container 6 is left on the landing / takeoff surface 1 of the destination, and its transport is completed.

[0042] In Figure 4(C), the lower gripping arm 22A is closed to the close position I, and the drive rollers 24a of the lower gripping arm 22A and the upper gripping arm 22B are rotated to move the stacked containers 6 downward until the lowest container 6 is supported by the claw portion 23. This process is carried out while the drone 10 is in flight to the next destination, or immediately after it lands on the takeoff / landing surface 1 of the next destination.

[0043] Next, by repeating the steps in Figures 4(A) to 4(C) at the next destination, container 6 can be delivered separately to multiple destinations.

[0044] Furthermore, after the transport of the cargo container 6A is completed, leaving the external battery 6B behind, the unmanned aircraft 10 returns to its base (for example, home port), ejects the external battery 6B onto the base's takeoff and landing surface 1, and returns to the state shown in Figure 3(A). If the external battery 6B is not being transported, the system will return to the state shown in Figure 3(A) and begin the next transport.

[0045] According to the first embodiment of the present invention described above, the holding and releasing mechanism 20 allows for the simultaneous transport of multiple containers 6, and also enables the individual separation of the containers 6, allowing them to be delivered separately to multiple destinations.

[0046] Furthermore, since the holding and release mechanism 20 or the aircraft coupling device 30 has an auxiliary battery 41 and can also use an external battery 6B, the internal battery 14 can be charged during flight by supplying power from the auxiliary battery 41 or the external battery 6B. Therefore, the battery capacity can be easily increased without requiring time for charging the battery inside the aircraft, and the drone 10 can be operated for extended periods with short landings without waiting for charging time.

[0047] Furthermore, the containers 6 are configured to be stacked vertically, and the holding and releasing mechanism 20 simultaneously grips the stacked containers 6 and separates them sequentially from the bottom. Therefore, even when the containers 6 are separated sequentially, changes in the weight balance (center of gravity) of the remaining containers 6 can be suppressed.

[0048] Furthermore, since the aircraft coupling device 30 has a load distribution detector 32, a horizontal movement device 34, and an auxiliary control device 36, the holding and release mechanism 20 can be controlled to move in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane, and the center of gravity of the cargo transport device 100 can be maintained at the same position (for example, on the central axis of the unmanned aircraft 10).

[0049] Figure 5 is a diagram of a second embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle 10 equipped with a cargo transport device 100 according to the present invention. In this figure, the configuration of the unmanned aircraft 10 and the aircraft coupling device 30 is the same as in the first embodiment.

[0050] In Figure 5, multiple containers 6 are arranged adjacent to each other horizontally, with an opening at the bottom. Furthermore, the holding and release mechanism 20 has a luggage support device 26 located at the lower end of the opening of the container 6, which supports the luggage 2 inside the container so that it can be removed. In this example, the cargo support device 26 is a swinging flap 26a provided on the lower outer edge of the opening of the container 6 and driven to swing around a horizontal axis. In the open position, it allows the cargo 2 to fall downward, and in the closed position, it supports the cargo 2 and prevents it from falling.

[0051] The configuration of the holding and releasing mechanism 20 described above allows for gripping multiple adjacent containers 6 and for individually separating the cargo 2 from any given container 6. Alternatively, an external battery 2B may be stored in container 6 instead of luggage 2. In this case, the contacts of the external battery 2B are connected to contacts provided on container 6 and connected to the charging circuit 44 described above. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment.

[0052] Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the preparation for takeoff at its base (e.g., home port) for an unmanned aerial vehicle 10 using the second embodiment of the cargo handling device 100 described above. This example shows the steps (processes) from when the cargo 2 is pre-stored in the cargo handling device 100 (multiple containers 6 of the holding and releasing mechanism 20), when the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 grasps the cargo handling device 100, and when it takes off.

[0053] In Figure 6(A), the baggage carrier 100, with the cargo 2 already stored, is placed on the takeoff / landing surface 1. At this time, all of the swing flaps 26a are in the closed position, supporting the cargo 2 and preventing it from falling. The aircraft coupling 31 is also open. Alternatively, the drone 10 may first land at a designated position on the landing / takeoff surface 1, and then raise the cargo transport device 100 to the designated position on the landing / takeoff surface 1 through an opening (not shown) provided at the designated position on the landing / takeoff surface 1.

[0054] In Figure 6(B), when the unmanned aircraft 10 descends and lands so that the connecting member 16 can be gripped by the aircraft coupler 31, the aircraft coupler 31 activates and secures the cargo transport device 100 to the unmanned aircraft 10. Alternatively, as in the first embodiment, the cargo transport device 100 may be fixed to the drone 10 in advance, the drone 10 may first land at a fixed position on the takeoff / landing surface 1, and the cargo 2 may be raised from below into multiple containers 6 through an opening (not shown) provided at a fixed position on the takeoff / landing surface 1. In this case, all of the swinging flaps 26a are opened in advance and closed after the cargo 2 is stored.

[0055] Next, as shown in Figure 6(C), the drone 10 takes off and begins transporting the multiple containers 6 containing the cargo 2.

[0056] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram of the takeoff and landing of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 using the cargo handling device 100 of the second embodiment described above at the destination. This figure shows the steps (processes) from landing to takeoff at the destination.

[0057] In Figure 7(A), when the drone 10 shown in Figure 6(C) lands on the landing / takeoff surface 1 of the destination, the swinging flap 26a below the container 6 containing the cargo 2 to be delivered moves from the closed position to the open position, and the cargo 2 is moved to the landing / takeoff surface 1 below. In Figure 7(B), the drone 10 takes off. The package 2 to be delivered is left on the landing / takeoff surface 1 at the destination, and its delivery is completed. In Figure 7(C), the auxiliary control device 36 controls the movement of the holding and releasing mechanism 20 in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane, thereby maintaining the center of gravity of the cargo transport device 100 at the same position (for example, on the central axis of the unmanned aircraft 10).

[0058] Next, by repeating Figures 7(A) to 7(C) at the next destination, package 2 can be delivered separately to multiple destinations.

[0059] Furthermore, after the transport of cargo 2 is completed, leaving the external battery 2B behind, the unmanned aircraft 10 returns to its base (for example, home port), releases the aircraft coupling 31, leaves the cargo transport device 100 on the base's takeoff and landing surface 1, and flies again, returning to the state shown in Figure 6(A). Furthermore, the old and new cargo handling devices 100 may be replaced while the drone 10 remains on the ground, through an opening (not shown) provided at a fixed position on the take-off and landing surface 1.

[0060] According to the second embodiment of the present invention described above, the holding and releasing mechanism 20 allows for the simultaneous transport of multiple packages 2, and also enables the individual separation of the packages 2, so that they can be delivered separately to multiple destinations.

[0061] Furthermore, since the holding and release mechanism 20 or the aircraft coupling device 30 has an auxiliary battery 41 and can also use an external battery 2B, the internal battery 14 can be charged during flight by supplying power from the auxiliary battery 41 or the external battery 2B. Therefore, the battery capacity can be easily increased without requiring time for charging the battery inside the aircraft, and the drone 10 can be operated for extended periods with short landings without waiting for charging time.

[0062] Furthermore, since the aircraft coupling device 30 has a load distribution detector 32, a horizontal movement device 34, and an auxiliary control device 36, the holding and release mechanism 20 can be controlled to move in two orthogonal directions in the horizontal plane, and the center of gravity of the cargo transport device 100 can be maintained at the same position (for example, on the central axis of the unmanned aircraft 10).

[0063] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, since the cargo transport device 100 is equipped with an aircraft coupling device 30, when the unmanned aircraft (drone 10) flies without carrying the cargo transport device 100, the payload weight equivalent to that of the aircraft coupling device 30 can be reduced, and the flight range can be increased.

[0064] Figure 8 is a diagram of a third embodiment of an unmanned aerial vehicle 10 equipped with a cargo transport device 100 according to the present invention. In this figure, the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 is equipped with a luggage coupling device 50 having a luggage coupling device 51 to which the luggage transport device 100 can be attached and detached. In this example, the luggage coupler 51 is located on the upper part of the main body of the luggage transport device 100 (holding and releasing mechanism 20) and grips a horizontally extending cylindrical coupling member 46 in a detachable manner. This grip allows the luggage transport device 100 to be detachably fixed to the unmanned aircraft 10. The configuration of the luggage coupler 51 is the same as that of the aircraft coupler 31.

[0065] Furthermore, the luggage coupling device 50 includes a load distribution detector 32 for detecting the load distribution acting on the luggage coupling device 51, a horizontal movement device 34 for horizontally moving the holding and release mechanism 20, and an auxiliary control device 36 for controlling the horizontal movement device 34 to maintain the center of gravity position. The configuration of the luggage coupling device 50 is the same as that of the aircraft coupling device 30.

[0066] In this example, the cargo coupling device 50 is fixed to the underside of the unmanned aerial vehicle 10 and suspends the holding and release mechanism 20 downwards. However, the present invention is not limited to the suspension method, and other methods such as side mounting are also possible.

[0067] In the third embodiment described above, since the unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) 10 is equipped with a cargo coupling device 50, it is possible to reduce the number of cargo coupling devices 50 when handling a large amount of cargo.

[0068] The power supply device 40 described above may be a generator or a fuel cell. In this case, it is preferable that part of the container 6 be a fuel tank capable of supplying fuel (gasoline, hydrogen, etc.) to the power supply unit 40. This configuration allows for charging of the internal battery 14 while generating power during flight. This reduces charging time at the base (e.g., home port) and enables rapid charging of the internal battery 14 even in areas where power is not supplied to the base (e.g., home port) (e.g., areas where power from a power plant is not available).

[0069] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] I: Approach position, O: Departure position, 1: Takeoff / landing surface, 2: Luggage, 2B: External battery, 6 containers, 6A cargo container, 6B external battery, 7 container contacts, 10 Unmanned aerial vehicle (drone), 12 Main control unit, 14 Internal battery, 16 Connected member, 20 Holding and release mechanism, 22 Gripping arm, 22A Lower gripping arm, 22B Upper gripping arm, 23 Claw portion, 24 Container lifting mechanism, 24a Drive roller, 25 Arm contact, 26 Luggage support device, 26a Swinging flap, 30 Aircraft coupling device, 31 Aircraft coupling device, 31a Coupling contact, 32 Load distribution detector, 34 Horizontal movement device, 36 Auxiliary control unit, 40 Power supply unit, 41 Auxiliary battery, 42 Power supply line, 44 Charging circuit, 50 Luggage coupling device, 51 Luggage coupling device, 100 Luggage transport device

Claims

1. A cargo carrying device that can be attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a main control unit for controlling flight and an internal battery for supplying power to the main control unit, It is equipped with a holding and releasing mechanism that can transport multiple containers simultaneously and allow for the individual separation of the containers or the contents within them, The holding and releasing mechanism comprises a plurality of gripping arms that can open and close between a proximity position and a release position, and a container lifting mechanism provided on the gripping arms that can grip the container at the proximity position and move up and down. The gripping arm comprises a lower gripping arm for gripping the lowest container and an upper gripping arm for gripping the containers other than the lowest one. The container lifting mechanism is a cargo transport device having a plurality of drive rollers provided on the lower gripping arm or the upper gripping arm and rotated around a horizontal axis.

2. The cargo transport device according to claim 1, further comprising an aircraft coupling device having an aircraft coupling device that can be attached to and detached from the unmanned aircraft.

3. Multiple of the aforementioned containers are configured to be stackable in the vertical direction. The luggage transport device according to claim 1, wherein the holding and releasing mechanism simultaneously grips a plurality of stacked containers and separates them sequentially from the bottom.

4. Multiple of the aforementioned containers are arranged adjacent to each other in the horizontal direction. The luggage transport device according to claim 1, wherein the holding and releasing mechanism grips a plurality of adjacent containers and separates the luggage individually from any of the containers.

5. The container has an opening at the bottom. The luggage transport device according to claim 4, wherein the holding and release mechanism has a luggage support device located at the lower end of the opening that supports the luggage so that it can be removed.

6. The luggage transport device according to claim 5, wherein the luggage support device is provided on the lower outer edge of the opening of the container and is a swinging flap that is driven to swing about a horizontal axis, and in the open position allows the luggage to fall downward and in the closed position supports the luggage to prevent it from falling.

7. A cargo carrying device that can be attached to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a main control unit for controlling flight and an internal battery for supplying power to the main control unit, A holding and releasing mechanism that can transport multiple containers simultaneously and allow for the individual separation of the containers or their contents, The aircraft coupling device comprises an aircraft coupling device having an aircraft coupling device that can be attached to and detached from the aforementioned unmanned aircraft, The aircraft coupling device comprises a load distribution detector for detecting the load distribution acting on the aircraft coupling device, a horizontal movement device for horizontally moving the holding and release mechanism, and an auxiliary control device for controlling the horizontal movement device to maintain the center of gravity position, wherein the aircraft coupling device is a cargo transport device.

8. The cargo transport device according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary control device communicates bidirectionally with the main control device and controls the holding release mechanism and the aircraft coupling device.

9. The luggage transport device according to claim 1 or 7, wherein the holding and releasing mechanism has a power supply device capable of supplying power to the internal battery.

10. The aforementioned power supply device is an auxiliary battery, The container is either a luggage container that stores luggage inside, or an external battery capable of supplying power to the internal battery. The luggage transport device according to claim 9, further comprising a power supply line and a charging circuit that supply power from the auxiliary battery or the external battery to the internal battery.

11. The power supply device is a generator or a fuel cell. The cargo transport device according to claim 9, wherein the container is a cargo container for storing cargo inside, or a fuel tank capable of supplying fuel to the power supply device.

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the cargo transport device described in claim 1.

13. An unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with the cargo transport device described in claim 7.

14. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 12, further comprising a luggage coupling device having a detachable luggage coupling device for the luggage transport device.

15. The unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 14, wherein the cargo coupling device comprises a load distribution detector for detecting the load distribution acting on the cargo coupling device, a horizontal movement device for horizontally moving the holding and release mechanism, and an auxiliary control device for controlling the horizontal movement device to maintain the center of gravity position.

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