winch system

Abstract

To provide a winch system that can easily control a machine suspended by a cable and control the cable.SOLUTION: A winch system comprises an electric winch connected to a cable that suspends an aircraft body equipped with a thrust generating unit, a receiving unit that receives control signals from a control device, and a signal generating unit that generates a winch operation signal that instructs the operation of the electric winch based on the control signals received by the receiving unit. The control signals include information for instructing the aircraft to ascend or descend. The signal generating unit generates a winch operation signal including information on a winding instruction based on the ascending instruction, and generates a winch operation signal including information on a feeding instruction based on the descending instruction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[[TECHNICAL FIELD]]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a winch system. [[BACKGROUND ART]]

[0002] Conventionally, a method of inspecting the interior of a facility with a camera suspended by a cable or the like from above is known. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that suspends a camera from the upper opening of a vertical shaft to check the corrosion state inside the vertical shaft. [[PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2016-223164 [[Summary of Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] Furthermore, when it is assumed that a drone equipped with a camera is suspended by a cable to inspect the inside of the facility, it is difficult to perform control of the drone and operations such as winding and unwinding the cable in parallel.

[0005] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a winch system capable of easily controlling a body suspended by a cable and controlling the cable. [[Means for Solving the Problem]]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, there is provided: an electric winch connected to a cable that suspends a body including a thrust generating unit; a receiving unit that receives a control signal from a control device; and a signal generating unit that generates a winch operation signal instructing an operation of the electric winch based on the control signal received by the receiving unit. The aforementioned control signal includes information regarding an instruction to ascend or descend to the aircraft. The provided winch system is characterized in that the signal generation unit generates the winch operation signal including winding instruction information based on the upward instruction, and generates the winch operation signal including unwinding instruction information based on the downward instruction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, a winch system can be provided that allows for easy control of both the machine suspended by the cable and the cable itself. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A side view showing a system according to one embodiment of this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram of the winch system according to the same embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the aircraft according to the same embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a deflection suppression device according to the same embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] <Overview> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of an inspection system 1 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "the system") according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. The system 1 according to this embodiment can be used for various purposes, such as various inspections and repairs of chimneys, various manufacturing furnaces, structures, equipment, piping, etc., or for checking instruments in factories, etc. The target facility is not particularly limited, but it can be a facility with an opening at the top. In the example of Figure 1, the inner wall W can be photographed and inspected by a camera on a device 10 suspended in the internal space A of the target facility.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, System 1 comprises a machine body 10, a cable 20 that suspends the machine body 10 from above, an electric winch 30 that pays out and retracts the cable 20, and a control device 40 for controlling the machine body 10 and the electric winch 30.

[0012] The aircraft 10 in this example is an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) that can fly even without being suspended by the cable 20 and can be controlled to any position and attitude. The aircraft 10 can ascend (float), descend, hover (stay in the air), move horizontally (forward, backward, left, and right), and turn using the thrust obtained from the thrust generating unit 11. Since the aircraft 10 is supported by the cable 20, upward thrust does not need to be obtained from the thrust generating unit 11. The aircraft 10 is not limited to this and may have a structure that does not allow it to float on its own.

[0013] The aircraft body 10 comprises a thrust generating unit 11 and a main body 12 that supports the thrust generating unit 11. The main body has a frame as a support structure and a cover that protects electronic components provided on the frame. The frame constituting the main body is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be made of any or a combination thereof of carbon fiber resin, glass fiber resin, magnesium, magnesium alloy, aluminum, aluminum alloy, steel, titanium, or other materials.

[0014] The thrust generating unit 11 includes, for example, a plurality of rotors, a motor for rotating the rotors, a battery for supplying power, etc. Each rotor constituting the thrust generating unit can generate upward thrust, and by changing the rotation direction of the rotors, downward thrust can also be generated. The thrust generating unit can also generate thrust for parallel movement (horizontal movement) in the forward, backward, left, and right directions. The thrust generating unit can also generate thrust in the turning direction. Furthermore, the thrust generating unit can also change the orientation (attitude) and tilt of the aircraft. In this embodiment, the rotors are provided at four locations around the aircraft (one on the left and one on the right on the front and one on the left and right on the rear), but the present invention is not limited to this example, and for example, the rotors may be provided at six or eight locations around the aircraft. The number of rotors provided can be appropriately changed depending on the structure, shape, equipment, and size of the aircraft 1.

[0015] The frame of the aircraft 10 mounts and supports components related to the control and power of the rotor blades, such as a circuit board, flight controller, ESC (Electric Speed ​​Controller), sensors, and battery. A control circuit, including the flight controller, may be mounted on the frame. Power is supplied from the battery to the motors, cameras, and sensors, and the flight controller controls the motor speed, etc. The flight controller may have one or more processors 23b, such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a programmable processor such as an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The flight controller has memory, which is accessible. The memory stores logic, code, and / or program instructions that the flight controller can execute to perform one or more steps. The memory and other storage units may include separable media such as an SD card or random access memory (RAM), or external storage devices. Data acquired from the camera / sensors may be directly transmitted to and stored in memory. For example, still images and video data captured by the camera are recorded in the internal memory or external memory. The flight controller includes a control module configured to control the state of the aircraft 10. For example, the control module controls the motors of the aircraft 10 via an ESC to adjust the spatial position, velocity, and / or acceleration of the aircraft 10, which has six degrees of freedom (translational motion x, y, and z, and rotational motion θx, θy, and θz). Sensors may include, for example, inertial sensors (such as IMUs (Inertial Measurement Sensors)), accelerometers, gyroscopes, GPS sensors, wind sensors, temperature sensors, humidity sensors, barometric pressure sensors, altitude sensors, proximity sensors such as LiDAR (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging), or vision / image sensors other than cameras. Sensors may be mounted on the flight controller or provided outside the flight controller. Cameras may be any type of camera.For example, the camera may be a general-purpose camera, an infrared camera, a stereo camera, or the like. The camera system may also include, for example, a camera for self-localization and another camera for capturing images of the target object.

[0016] The attitude of the aircraft 10 may be controlled by the flight controller based on inputs obtained from sensors as appropriate. Furthermore, the attitude control of the aircraft 10 may be performed by adjusting the thrust obtained from the thrust generation unit 11, or by moving the cable 20 in the vertical or horizontal directions (forward, backward, left, right, or diagonally), or both. Specifically, when setting a target value so that the attitude of the aircraft 10 is 0 degrees relative to the horizontal, the attitude feedback control may involve controlling the rotation speed of each rotor, or by controlling the horizontal or vertical movement of the cable 20. This makes it possible to suppress horizontal movement of the aircraft 10 and maintain its attitude more reliably, even if the attitude of the aircraft 10 is tilted due to wind or drift. The number of rotors generating thrust is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to have four or more rotors to further stabilize the attitude of the aircraft 10. Also, the thrust generation unit may be implemented by a mechanism other than rotors.

[0017] Furthermore, when rotating the aircraft 10 along a horizontal plane (i.e., rotation around a yaw axis perpendicular to the horizontal plane), this can be achieved by twisting the cable 20 or by controlling the rotation of the rotor blades. Rotation control around the yaw axis using rotor blades can be achieved, for example, by making the rotation direction of each of the four rotor blades different. Specifically, by setting the rotation direction of the two rotor blades on the right front and left rear (first rotor blades) to counterclockwise, and the rotation direction of the left front and right rear rotor blades (second rotor blades) to clockwise, and controlling the rotation speeds of the first and second rotor blades to be different, the aircraft 10 can be rotated around the yaw axis. Note that the rotation directions of the first and second rotor blades may be opposite.

[0018] The airframe 10 includes one or more cameras, and is capable of capturing images of the surroundings of the airframe 10 to acquire image data (including still images and moving images). The cameras may be arranged in any orientation relative to the airframe 10, including upward / downward, front / rear, and left / right, and there is no particular limitation on the position thereof on the airframe 10. For example, the cameras may be arranged on the front side of the airframe 10 in a forward-facing orientation (an orientation in which the imaging direction faces forward of the airframe).

[0019] The airframe 10 includes a control device 40 and a communication unit for transmitting and receiving signals to and from other external devices, etc. The airframe 10 can transmit data acquired by a camera, a sensor, or the like to an external device including the control device 40 via the communication unit. Note that data acquired by the airframe 10 may be stored in a storage unit provided on the airframe 10, or may be transmitted to an external device to be stored therein. Any suitable communication means such as wired communication or wireless communication can be used for the communication unit. The communication unit can use one or more of any communication methods, for example, such as local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), infrared, wireless, WiFi, point-to-point (P2P) network, telecommunication network, and cloud communication.

[0020] The flight controller receives a control signal from the control device 40 via the communication unit, the thrust generating unit 11 is controlled based on the control signal, and operations such as movement and turning of the airframe 10 are controlled. In addition, operation of the camera is also possible in accordance with a signal from the control device 40. Camera operation includes the start and stop of imaging, zoom operation, change of camera orientation, and the like. Furthermore, based on a control signal from the control device 40, various sensors and lights provided on the airframe 10 can also be controlled. It is preferable that the center of gravity of the airframe 10 is located approximately at the center of the airframe 10 in plan view, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, a rotary joint 7 may be provided on the cable 20. The rotary joint 7 is configured to be rotatable, so that the rotation (twisting) of the cable 20 connected to one side of the rotary joint 7 (for example, the lower side in Figure 3) is not transmitted to the cable 20 connected to the other side of the rotary joint 7 (for example, the upper side in Figure 3). With this configuration, even if the machine rotates around the yaw axis, for example, the cable 20 does not twist, so it is not affected by torsional reaction forces, and the machine becomes easier to control. The position of the rotary joint 7 is not particularly limited and can be provided at any position, but it is preferable to provide it on the main part 50 near the connection part 52.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, a weight 8 may be attached to the cable 20. By attaching the weight 8, the aircraft and cable 20 become less susceptible to the effects of airflow, improving stability. Also, even when the weight 8 is attached, the aircraft is supported by the cable 20, so there is almost no effect on the battery consumption when controlling the aircraft. The position of the weight 8 may be on the upper or lower side of the rotary joint 7, or it may be integrated with the rotary joint 7. Note that the position of the weight 8 is not particularly limited, and it may be attached to one or more positions on the main part 20a of the cable 20, each branch part 20b, the connecting part 20c, or on the aircraft.

[0023] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the aircraft may be equipped with a light-emitting light 9. The position and orientation of the light 9 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it be positioned to illuminate the shooting direction and shooting range of the camera 6. In the illustrated example, the light 9 is positioned to illuminate the front of the aircraft, corresponding to the camera 6 that shoots the front of the aircraft. In the illustrated example, the light 9 is located above the camera 6, but it may be located below, to the left, or to the right of the camera 6.

[0024] One end of the cable 20 is connected to the machine body 10, and the other end is connected to the electric winch 30. The cable 20 suspends and supports the machine body 10. The cable 20 may, for example, branch off and be connected to the four corners of the upper part of the main body 12 of the machine body 10, or it may be connected to the center of the main body without branching.

[0025] The materials that make up the cable 20 are not particularly limited. The cable 20 may be made of, for example, fiber, metal, or hard plastic, and may have different materials in parts, or other rods, plates, etc. may be provided in parts.

[0026] The cable 20 may include a power cable capable of supplying power, a communication cable capable of sending and receiving signals, etc. (see reference numeral 21 in Figure 3). This allows power to be supplied from the power supply unit on the electric winch 30 side to the machine body 10, data such as control signals to the machine body 10, and conversely, various data such as image data to be transmitted from the machine body 10 to the information processing device on the electric winch 30 side.

[0027] The electric winch 30, together with a communication unit (receiving unit) 31 that receives control signals from the control device 40 and a control unit (signal generation unit) 32 that generates winch operation signals to instruct the operation of the electric winch 30 based on the control signals received by the communication unit 31, constitutes a winch system S. The winch system S may also include other components such as a memory unit. The communication unit 31 may be capable of transmitting signals from the electric winch 30 to the control device 40, the machine body 10, and other external devices, or it may be configured to only receive signals without transmitting them. The control unit 32 generates winch operation signals based on control signals from the control device 40 while referring to information pre-stored in a memory unit (not shown), and controls the motors constituting the electric winch 30. The winch operation signals include information such as the rotation direction, rotation speed, and rotation angle of the motors. By controlling the motors with the winch operation signals, it is possible to start, stop, or change the speed of unwinding and winding the cable 20. The electric winch 30 includes a motor and a power supply unit for rotating the motor. The power supply unit may be, for example, an external power supply or a rechargeable battery. It is preferable that the electric winch 30, electronic components, battery, etc., provided in the winch system S are covered by a waterproof case, waterproof cover, etc.

[0028] The winch system S comprises a support section 33 for supporting the electric winch 30 and a guide section 34 for guiding the cable 20. The support section 33 comprises a base section 33a, such as a tripod, that can be placed on the ground or the top surface of a facility, a support column section 33b extending from the base section 33a, and an arm section 33c extending from the support column section 33b. The support column section 33b and the arm section 33c are provided with one or more guide rollers as the guide section 34. In this example, guide rollers are provided at the connection between the support column section 33b and the arm section 33c, and at the tip of the arm section 33c. The base section 33a, the support column section 33b, and the arm section 33c may be made compact for transport by folding. The support column section 33b and the arm section 33c may each be made extendable, rotatable, tilted in any direction (forward, backward, left, right, up, or down), or bent. This allows for control of the position of the cable 20 and the machine body 10 in a plan view. The operation of the support column 33b and the arm 33c may be controlled by the control unit 32 based on control signals from the control device 40, or they may be manually extended, rotated, tilted, bent, etc. For example, by extending the arm 33c in the direction of extension of the horizontally extending arm 33c, the position of the machine body 10 can be moved in the direction of extension of the arm 33c. In this case, the electric winch 30 may be controlled to pay out the cable 20 so that the height of the machine body 10 does not change.

[0029] The support column 33b is provided with a connecting portion to which a wire, string, or the like can be attached to prevent the support portion 33 from tipping over. The connecting portion may be, for example, ring-shaped, hook-shaped, or other connecting structure. By extending the wire connected to the connecting portion to the side opposite to the arm portion 33c and connecting it to the ground or another heavy object, it is possible to prevent the support portion 33 from tipping over towards the arm portion 33c due to the weight of the arm portion 33c and the machine body 10. Preferably, the connecting portion is provided on the upper part of the support column 33b, from the central portion.

[0030] Here, when the electric winch 30 winds up the cable 20, if the cable 20 sags, there is a risk that the cable 20 will become entangled and twisted in the electric winch 30. Therefore, in this example, as shown in Figure 4, a deflection suppression device 35 is provided on the support column 33b to prevent the cable 20 from sagging when the electric winch 30 winds up the cable 20. The deflection suppression device 35 is located above the electric winch 30 and maintains the tension of the cable 20 between the electric winch 30 and the deflection suppression device 35 by sandwiching the cable 20 between the first roller 35a and the second roller 35b. This suppresses the sagging of the cable 20 when it is wound up by the electric winch 30 and prevents twisting. In this example, the first roller 35a is rotatably fixed to the first support portion 35c, and the second roller 35b is rotatably fixed to the second support portion 35d. The second support portion 35d is held so as to be able to swing (rotate) around the rotation axis 35e relative to the first support portion 35c, and the second support portion 35d is biased toward the first support portion 35c by a biasing member such as a spring. By opening the second support portion 35d toward the first support portion 35c, the cable 20 can be sandwiched between the first roller 35a and the second roller 35b or removed. It is preferable that at least one of the outer surfaces of the first roller 35a and the second roller 35b is provided with an anti-slip portion such as rubber or elastomer.

[0031] The length of the cable 20 can be adjusted by winding and unwinding the electric winch 30. Depending on the length (amount unwinded) of the cable 20, the aircraft body 10 moves up and down, allowing, for example, the camera's shooting height to be changed. The installation location of the electric winch 30 is not particularly limited and may be inside or outside the flight environment. Furthermore, by installing guide rollers above the aircraft body 10 to support the cable 20, the electric winch 30 can also be positioned below the aircraft body. For example, the electric winch 30 may be located on the ground outside or inside the facility being inspected.

[0032] The electric winch 30 performs controls such as winding and unwinding based on input from the control device 40, but it may also be partially controlled autonomously according to a program or the like.

[0033] The control signals from the control device 40 include, for example, information regarding an ascent or descent instruction for the aircraft 10. The signal generation unit 32 generates a winch operation signal that includes information regarding a wind-up instruction based on an ascent instruction, and generates a winch operation signal that includes information regarding an unwinding instruction based on a descent instruction. As a result, the electric winch 30 can automatically wind up the cable 20 and raise the aircraft 10 simply by the operator performing an operation to instruct the aircraft 10 to ascend, for example, by tilting the control stick on the control device 40 to one side or sliding the operation icon displayed on the touch panel to one side. Similarly, the electric winch 30 can automatically unwind the cable 20 and lower the aircraft 10 simply by the operator performing an operation to instruct the aircraft 10 to descend by manually operating the control device 40.

[0034] The control device 40 transmits control signals for controlling the thrust generating unit 11 and other components of the aircraft 10. For example, it may be a transmitter / receiver (RC) for controlling a conventional unmanned aerial vehicle, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or other information processing device, but is not limited to these.

[0035] The control device 40 can control the operation of the thrust generating unit 11 and the electric winch 30 of the aircraft body 10. The control device 40 can transmit control signals (control instruction information) to the communication unit provided on the aircraft body 10 and the receiving unit 31 connected to the electric winch 30. The control signals include information that instructs the aircraft body 10 to ascend, descend, stop, move horizontally in the forward, backward, left, right, and diagonal directions, and turn left and right. In other words, the control signals can include information that controls the orientation of the aircraft body 10 and information that controls the parallel position (horizontal position) of the aircraft body 10.

[0036] The control device 40 can also transmit signals to control cameras, sensors, etc., installed on the aircraft 10. For example, it can transmit control instruction signals for starting and stopping shooting, zooming, changing the camera's orientation, controlling various sensors installed on the aircraft 10, and turning lights on and off.

[0037] The control device 40 has an input section that accepts manual operation by the user (operator). The input section can be, for example, a pair of left and right rod-shaped control sticks, a rotary dial, a push button, various icons displayed on a touch panel screen, or a microphone for voice input, but is not particularly limited as long as it accepts input from the user. The control device 40 may also be capable of transmitting control signals based on movement path information and an autonomous flight program (for example, a GCS (Ground Control Station)) obtained by sensing.

[0038] In this embodiment, a single control device 40 can simultaneously control both the aircraft 10 and the electric winch 30. This makes it easy to control the position and attitude of the aircraft 10 suspended by the cable 20. Furthermore, by suspending the aircraft 10 by the cable 20 during operation, it is possible to prevent the aircraft 10 from crashing or becoming unrecoverable within the facility. Also, by suspending it by the cable 20, the thrust generating unit 11 of the aircraft 10 does not need to generate upward thrust exceeding its own weight, reducing battery consumption and enabling long-term use. In addition, there is no need to control the aircraft 10 when hovering, making operation easier.

[0039] Although these embodiments have been described above, they are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention and are not intended to limit its interpretation. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from its spirit, and equivalents thereof are also included.

[0040] In the above embodiment, when the aircraft is suspended by a mooring body, the thrust generating unit is configured to generate an upward force (thrust DF2) smaller than the gravitational force G acting on the aircraft, thereby reducing the load on the cable 20 (see Figure 3). However, the system is not limited to this configuration, and the thrust generating unit may be configured to generate a downward force relative to the aircraft. Furthermore, the thrust generating unit may temporarily generate an upward force (thrust DF2) larger than the gravitational force G acting on the aircraft.

[0041] In the above embodiment, autonomous control was described as being performed by the aircraft's flight controller, but this technology is not limited to such examples. That is, such autonomous flight control methods are not limited to examples where processing is performed at the edge on the aircraft, but may also be performed remotely by another autonomous control device, the above-mentioned correction processing is transmitted to the aircraft, and the drive unit is controlled based on these results. In other words, the main hardware that performs such autonomous flight control methods is not particularly limited, and the above-mentioned functional units may be performed by multiple hardware components. The same applies to the control unit 32 of the electric winch 30.

[0042] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or illustrative and not limiting. In other words, the technology relating to this disclosure may produce other effects that will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description herein, in addition to or in lieu of the effects described herein.

[0043] Furthermore, the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of this disclosure. (Item 1) An electric winch connected to a cable that suspends the aircraft equipped with a thrust generating unit, A receiving unit that receives control signals from the control device, The system includes a signal generation unit that generates a winch operation signal that instructs the operation of the electric winch based on the control signal received by the receiving unit, The aforementioned control signal includes information regarding an instruction to ascend or descend to the aircraft. The winch system is characterized in that the signal generation unit generates a winch operation signal including winding instruction information based on the upward instruction, and generates a winch operation signal including unwinding instruction information based on the downward instruction. (Item 2) A support part that supports the electric winch, The winch system according to claim 1, further comprising a guide section for guiding the cable. (Item 3) The winch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control signal includes information for controlling the orientation of the aircraft. (Item 4) The winch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control signal includes information for controlling the parallel position of the aircraft. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 1. Winch System 10 aircraft 20 Cables 30 Electric winches 31 Receiving unit 32 Signal generation unit 40 Control devices

Claims

1. An electric winch connected to a cable that suspends and supports an aircraft equipped with a thrust generating unit, A receiving unit that receives control signals transmitted from the control device to the aircraft's communication unit without using the cable, The system includes a signal generation unit that generates a winch operation signal that instructs the operation of the electric winch based on the control signal received by the receiving unit, A deflection suppression device is provided located between the machine body and the electric winch. A winch system characterized in that the deflection suppression device prevents the cable from deflecting by maintaining the tension of the cable between the electric winch and the deflection suppression device when the electric winch winds up the cable.

2. A support part that supports the electric winch, The winch system according to claim 1, further comprising a guide section for guiding the cable.

3. The winch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control signal includes information for controlling the orientation of the aircraft.

4. The winch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control signal includes information for controlling the parallel position of the aircraft.

5. The winch system according to claim 1, wherein the cable is not a power supply cable.

6. The winch system according to claim 1, wherein the thrust generating unit generates an upward thrust smaller than the gravitational force acting on the aircraft.

7. The deflection suppression device comprises a pair of rollers that clamp the cable between the electric winch and the deflection suppression device, The winch system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer surfaces of the pair of rollers is provided with an anti-slip portion.

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