Housing for drone, method for manufacturing same, and drone

Abstract

Provided is a housing for a drone having a monocoque structure which can be manufactured even by using a thermoplastic resin. This housing for a drone includes: a lower body having a bottom surface part and a wall part formed at a peripheral edge part of the bottom surface part; and an upper body having an upper surface part and a wall part formed on a peripheral edge part of the upper surface part. The lower body has an outer shell made of a fiber-reinforced resin in which a thermoplastic resin is impregnated into reinforcing fibers, and a reinforcing material made of a thermoplastic resin and partially disposed inside the outer shell.

Description

Drone housing and manufacturing method thereof, and drone

[0001] The present invention relates to a housing for a drone, a manufacturing method thereof, and a drone.

[0002] Methods are being considered for reducing the weight of the housing that constitutes the drone's main body by making it out of resin.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes that in order to achieve both lightweight and rigidity in a drone housing using resin, the frame body of the housing has a monocoque structure made of a single member having a flange portion that surrounds the inside of the housing. Patent Document 1 also describes that by increasing the rigidity of the frame body by using a monocoque structure, it is possible to suppress damage to the frame body and adverse effects on other components due to stress and load.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-069658

[0005] The monocoque structure described in Patent Document 1 is a structure in which the rigidity of the structure is increased by the wall surfaces. Compared to a frame structure in which the rigidity of the structure is increased by frame members arranged inside, the monocoque structure can reduce the number of parts required to ensure rigidity, making it easier to reduce the weight of the drone.

[0006] On the other hand, a monocoque structure made of a single member, such as that described in Patent Document 1, requires an undercut portion where the wall surface protrudes inward, making it impossible to remove the structure from the mold when it is formed by injection molding. Therefore, it is manufactured using a separable mold, and after molding by vacuum molding or the like, the mold is separated to remove the molded structure. This manufacturing method is commonly used with thermosetting resins. On the other hand, if an attempt is made to produce a structure having a similar shape using a thermoplastic resin, which is typically injection molded, a different mold than usual would be required, which would be economically inconvenient.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a housing for a drone with a monocoque structure that can be manufactured using thermoplastic resin, a method for manufacturing the same, and a drone having the housing.

[0008] One embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problems relates to a drone housing according to the following items [1] to [9]. [1] A drone housing comprising: a lower body having a bottom surface and a wall portion formed on the periphery of the bottom surface; and an upper body having a top surface and a wall portion formed on the periphery of the top surface, the lower body having an outer shell made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with thermoplastic resin, and a thermoplastic resin reinforcing material partially disposed inside the outer shell. [2] The drone housing according to item [1], wherein the outer shell includes a unidirectional fiber layer made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction. [3] The drone housing according to item [1] or [2], wherein the thermoplastic resin reinforcing material has a lattice shape formed by a plurality of bottom ribs. [4] The drone housing according to item [3], wherein the thermoplastic resin reinforcing material has boss portions formed at intersections of the plurality of bottom ribs, and the lower body is joined to the upper body by bolts inserted into the boss portions. [5] The drone housing according to [3] or [4], wherein the thermoplastic resin reinforcing member has a wall reinforcing member arranged inside the wall portion, and the wall reinforcing member is connected to the bottom rib. [6] The drone housing according to any of [3] to [5], wherein the plurality of bottom ribs are arranged in a lattice pattern divided into squares, and the outer shell includes a unidirectional fiber layer made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction, and the unidirectional fiber layer includes a layer in which the reinforcing fibers are oriented in a diagonal direction of the square. [7] The drone housing according to any of [1] to [6], wherein the thermoplastic resin reinforcing member has a wall reinforcing member arranged inside the wall portion, and the wall reinforcing member covers the upper end of the wall portion, and the wall reinforcing member covering the upper end of the wall portion is in contact with the wall portion of the upper body. [8] The drone housing according to any of [1] to [7], wherein the reinforcing member is formed by injection of thermoplastic resin. [9] A housing for a drone described in any one of [1] to [8], wherein the upper body has an outer shell made of fiber-reinforced resin and a reinforcing material made of thermoplastic resin arranged inside the outer shell.

[0009] Another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem relates to a drone as set forth in

[10] below.

[10] A drone having a drone housing as set forth in any one of [1] to [9].

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention for solving the above problem relates to a method for manufacturing a drone housing as described below in

[11] .

[11] A method for manufacturing a drone housing, comprising the steps of: preparing a lower body having a bottom surface and a wall portion formed on the periphery of the bottom surface; preparing an upper body having a top surface and a wall portion formed on the periphery of the top surface; and joining the lower body and the upper body, wherein the lower body has an outer shell made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with thermoplastic resin, and a thermoplastic resin reinforcing material partially disposed inside the outer shell, and in the joining step, the lower body and the upper body are joined via the thermoplastic resin outer shell.

[0011] According to the present invention, there are provided a housing for a drone having a monocoque structure that can be manufactured using a thermoplastic resin, a manufacturing method thereof, and a drone having the housing.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a drone according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a fuselage (housing) of the drone shown in FIG. 1. FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic plan views showing the relationship between the lattice shape of the bottom ribs and the orientation direction of fibers in a unidirectional fiber layer included in the lower outer shell. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the end of the fuselage (housing), showing how the lower body and upper body are joined. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing the fuselage (housing).

[0013] 1. Drone Housing Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of a drone 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the drone 100 has a body 110, a plurality of blades 120, a plurality of arms 122 connecting the blades 120 to the body 110, and legs 130. By rotating each blade 120, the drone 100 is capable of flight and movement while flying. In this embodiment, the body 110 of the drone 100 is configured as a housing having a monocoque structure.

[0014] Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the fuselage 110 (housing) of the drone shown in Fig. 1. The fuselage 110 has a lower body 200 and an upper body 300. The lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined by a plurality of bolts 400.

[0015] The shape of the lower body 200 is maintained by a lower outer shell 210 made of fiber-reinforced resin. A lower reinforcing member 220 made of thermoplastic resin for increasing the rigidity of the lower body 200 is fused to the lower outer shell 210 and disposed inside the housing of the lower outer shell 210. The shape of the upper body 300 is maintained by an upper outer shell 310 made of fiber-reinforced resin. An upper reinforcing member 320 (not shown in FIG. 2 ) made of thermoplastic resin for increasing the rigidity of the upper body 300 is fused to the upper outer shell 310 and disposed inside the housing of the upper outer shell 310. The lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined to each other via the lower reinforcing member 220 and the upper reinforcing member 320.

[0016] The lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 can be formed of a fiber-reinforced resin having, for example, reinforcing fibers oriented in one direction and a thermoplastic resin impregnated into the reinforcing fibers. This fiber-reinforced resin may be a single layer consisting of one unidirectional fiber layer, or a multi-layer having multiple unidirectional fiber layers.

[0017] The type of the reinforcing fiber is not particularly limited, and it is possible to use carbon fiber, glass fiber, aramid fiber, alumina fiber, silicon carbide fiber, boron fiber, metal fiber, etc. Among these, carbon fiber and aramid fiber are preferred, and carbon fiber is more preferred, from the viewpoint of low density, reducing the weight of lower body 200 and upper body 300, and further increasing their specific rigidity.

[0018] The reinforcing fibers may be long fibers oriented in one direction and having a length of 15 mm or more. The long fibers may be oriented in only one direction, or multiple layers with different long fiber orientation directions may be formed in the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310, or the long fibers may be woven. Alternatively, blocks of long fibers oriented in one direction may be arranged in the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 so that the long fiber orientation direction in each block is random. Of these, from the viewpoint of improving formability during manufacturing, it is preferable that the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 have multiple layers with long fibers oriented in the same or different directions, or that the long fibers be woven. The outermost layers of the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 be layers with woven long fibers or layers with randomly arranged blocks, which can improve the appearance of the lower body 200 and the upper body 300.

[0019] Furthermore, from the viewpoint of sufficiently enhancing the effect of improving rigidity, the reinforcing fibers preferably have an average diameter of 1 μm or more and 20 μm or less, and more preferably 4 μm or more and 10 μm or less.

[0020] The reinforcing fibers may be sized with a sizing agent. The sizing agent is not particularly limited, but preferably contains unmodified polyolefin and modified polyolefin, and more preferably contains modified polyolefin containing a metal carboxylate. The modified polyolefin is, for example, an unmodified polyolefin in which a carboxylic acid group, a carboxylic anhydride group, or a carboxylic acid ester group is grafted onto the polymer chain of the unmodified polyolefin, and a salt is formed between the functional group and a metal cation.

[0021] The unmodified polyolefin is preferably an ethylene polymer containing 50 mol% or more of structural units derived from ethylene, or a propylene polymer containing 50 mol% or more of structural units derived from propylene. Examples of the ethylene polymer include ethylene homopolymers and copolymers of ethylene and an α-olefin having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms. Examples of the propylene polymer include propylene homopolymers and copolymers of propylene and ethylene or an α-olefin having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms. The unmodified polyolefin is preferably homopolypropylene, homopolyethylene, ethylene-propylene copolymer, propylene-1-butene copolymer, or ethylene-propylene-1-butene copolymer. The α-olefins used as raw materials for these unmodified polyolefins may be derived from fossil fuels, biomass materials, or mixtures thereof.

[0022] The content of reinforcing fibers relative to the total mass of the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 is preferably 20% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, more preferably 30% by mass or more and 75% by mass or less, even more preferably 30% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 35% by mass or more and 60% by mass or less.

[0023] The content of reinforcing fibers (fiber volume fraction (Vf)) relative to the total volume of the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 is preferably 10 vol% or more and 70 vol% or less, more preferably 15 vol% or more and 60 vol% or less, and even more preferably 20 vol% or more and 60 vol% or less.

[0024] The material of the matrix resin is not particularly limited as long as it is a thermoplastic resin, and the matrix resin may be a crystalline resin or a non-crystalline resin.

[0025] Examples of thermoplastic resins include polyolefin resins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, and poly4-methyl-1-pentene, polyamide resins, polyester resins, polystyrene resins, thermoplastic polyimide resins, polyamideimide resins, polycarbonate resins, polyphenylene ether resins, polyphenylene sulfide resins, polyacetal resins, acrylic resins, polyetherimide resins, polysulfone resins, polyether ketone resins, polyether ether ketone resins, polyarylate resins, polyether nitrile resins, vinyl chloride resins, ABS resins, and fluororesins. These thermoplastic resins may be derived from fossil fuels, biomass materials, or mixtures thereof.

[0026] Of these, polyamide resin and polyolefin resin are preferred because they are less likely to break when struck by flying objects such as pebbles, and can increase the reliability of the lower body 200 and the upper body 300. From the viewpoint of suppressing the deterioration of mechanical properties when the skin material 250 absorbs water, polyolefin resin is more preferred, and polypropylene resin is even more preferred.

[0027] The matrix resin may be a resin composition containing additives, examples of which include known fillers (inorganic fillers, organic fillers), pigments, dyes, weather resistance stabilizers, heat resistance stabilizers, antistatic agents, antislip agents, antioxidants, antifungal agents, antibacterial agents, flame retardants, and softeners.

[0028] The matrix resin may also contain other components such as resins other than those mentioned above and short fibers shorter than the carbon fibers mentioned above.

[0029] The content of the matrix resin relative to the total mass of the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 is preferably 20% by mass or more and 80% by mass or less, more preferably 25% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, even more preferably 35% by mass or more and 70% by mass or less, and particularly preferably 40% by mass or more and 65% by mass or less.

[0030] The content of the matrix resin relative to the total volume of the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310 is preferably 30% by volume or more and 90% by volume or less, more preferably 40% by volume or more and 85% by volume or less, and even more preferably 40% by volume or more and 80% by volume or less.

[0031] 2 has a flat or curved lower bottom portion 212 that forms the bottom surface of the trunk portion 110, and a flat or curved lower wall portion 214 that rises from the edge of the periphery of the lower bottom portion 212 toward the upper body 300. The lower bottom portion 212 and the lower wall portion 214 are integrally formed from a fiber-reinforced resin sheet.

[0032] The shape of the lower bottom surface portion 212 may be a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon, or may be a circular shape such as a circle or an ellipse. In this embodiment, the lower bottom surface portion 212 is a rectangle, but each side is curved outward. The area of ​​the lower bottom surface portion 212 is, for example, 5 cm ２ More than 30000cm ２ It can be less than 400 cm ２ More than 10000cm ２ It is preferable to do the following:

[0033] The lower wall portion 214 may be formed on the entire outer periphery of the lower bottom portion 212, or may be formed on a portion of the outer periphery. In this embodiment, the lower wall portion 214 is formed in four locations along each side of the rectangular outer periphery of the lower bottom portion 212, excluding the vertices. The height of the lower wall portion 214 may be, for example, 0.5 cm to 100 cm, and preferably 1 cm to 50 cm. Note that the vertices of the outer periphery of the lower bottom portion 212 are areas where arm portions 122 for attaching the blade 120 are disposed, and in these areas the lower wall portion 214 is bent outward along the arm portions 122.

[0034] The rising angle of the lower wall portion 214 is preferably perpendicular to the lower bottom surface portion 212 or at an angle pointing outward from that. By setting the angle at such a value, undercuts are not formed and the lower body 200 can be easily removed from the mold after molding. Therefore, the lower body 200 can be easily manufactured even when the lower reinforcing member 220 is formed by injecting a thermoplastic resin.

[0035] A lower reinforcing member 220 made of thermoplastic resin is disposed inside the lower outer shell 210. In this embodiment, the lower reinforcing member 220 has a plurality of bottom ribs 222 arranged in a lattice pattern inside the lower bottom portion 212, and a wall reinforcing portion 224 disposed inside the lower wall portion 214.

[0036] 2 has a flat or curved upper top surface portion 312 that forms the upper surface of the body portion 110, and a flat or curved upper wall portion 314 that rises from the edge of the periphery of the upper top surface portion 312 toward the lower body 200. The upper top surface portion 312 and the upper wall portion 314 are integrally formed from a fiber-reinforced resin sheet.

[0037] The shape of the upper top surface portion 312 may be a polygonal shape such as a triangle, a rectangle, a pentagon, a hexagon, or an octagon, or may be a circular shape such as a circle or an ellipse. The shape of the upper top surface portion 312 may be substantially the same as the shape of the lower bottom surface portion 212.

[0038] The upper wall portion 314 may be formed on the entire outer periphery of the upper top surface portion 312, or may be formed on a part of the outer periphery. The upper wall portion 314 may be formed at a position corresponding to the lower wall portion 214. However, the height of the upper wall portion 314 may be lower than the height of the lower wall portion 214. The height of the upper wall portion 314 may be, for example, 0.5 cm to 100 cm, and preferably 1 cm to 50 cm.

[0039] The rising angle of the upper wall portion 314 is preferably perpendicular to the upper top surface portion 312 or at an angle pointing outward from that. By setting the angle at such an angle, no undercuts are formed and the upper body 300 can be easily removed from the mold after molding. Therefore, the upper body 300 can be easily manufactured even when the upper reinforcing member is formed by injecting a thermoplastic resin.

[0040] 1-2. Reinforcement Material 1-2-1. Lower Reinforcement Material A lower reinforcement material 220 is disposed inside the lower outer shell 210.

[0041] The lower reinforcement member 220 is made of a thermoplastic resin. The lower reinforcement member may include a reinforcing material such as reinforcing fibers, but the reinforcing fibers are preferably short fibers having a fiber length of 5 mm or less. Furthermore, the lower reinforcement member 220 preferably does not include reinforcing fibers oriented in one direction.

[0042] The thermoplastic resin used to make the lower reinforcing member 220 can be the same as the thermoplastic resins described as the material for the lower outer shell 210 and the upper outer shell 310. The thermoplastic resin used to make the lower reinforcing member 220 is preferably the same type of resin as the thermoplastic resin used to make the lower outer shell 210, and for example, both are preferably polypropylene.

[0043] The bottom ribs 222 are disposed inside the lower bottom portion 212 to reinforce the lower bottom portion 212. In this embodiment, the bottom ribs 222 are disposed in a lattice pattern divided into quadrangular shapes. However, the arrangement of the bottom ribs 222 is not limited to this, and the bottom ribs 222 may be disposed in a lattice pattern divided into triangular or hexagonal shapes, or may be disposed in a shape other than a lattice.

[0044] To improve the fluidity of the thermoplastic resin when forming the bottom ribs 222 by injection and to reduce the risk of chipping of the bottom ribs 222 during manufacturing, the bottom ribs 222 are preferably arranged in a lattice pattern divided into squares. A square lattice pattern tends to have lower rigidity in the diagonal direction compared to a triangular or other lattice pattern. In contrast, the lower shell 210 may include a single or multiple unidirectional fiber layer, and at least one unidirectional fiber layer may include a layer in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in the diagonal direction of the square lattice pattern, thereby increasing the rigidity in the diagonal direction. The orientation of the reinforcing fibers in the at least one unidirectional fiber layer may be within ±15° of the diagonal direction of the square lattice pattern, preferably within ±5°, and more preferably within ±3°.

[0045] 3A and 3B are schematic plan views showing the relationship between the lattice shape of the bottom ribs 222 and the orientation direction of fibers in the unidirectional fiber layers included in the lower shell 210. As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , in this embodiment, the bottom ribs 222 are arranged in a rectangular lattice shape. In one unidirectional fiber layer included in the lower shell 210, the reinforcing fibers 210a are oriented in a diagonal direction of the rectangular lattice shape ( FIG. 3A ). In another unidirectional fiber layer included in the lower shell 210, the reinforcing fibers 210a are oriented in a different diagonal direction of the rectangular lattice shape ( FIG. 3B ). While the lower shell 210 preferably has multiple layers with reinforcing fibers oriented in each of the two diagonal directions of the rectangular lattice shape as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B , it may have only one of these layers if sufficient rigidity is achieved. Alternatively, one unidirectional fiber layer may be a layer in which the reinforcing fibers 210a are woven and oriented in the two diagonal directions. The lower shell 210 may further include another layer in which the reinforcing fibers 210a are oriented in a direction different from the above.

[0046] It is preferable that all of the bottom ribs 222 are connected together, with no isolated ribs present, and this arrangement allows the bottom ribs 222 to be efficiently produced by a single injection of thermoplastic resin.

[0047] In the regions between the ribs that make up the lattice, a thin layer of thermoplastic resin may or may not be formed on the inside of the lower bottom surface portion 212. From the viewpoint of reducing the weight of the lower body 200, it is preferable that the thin layer of thermoplastic resin be small in the regions between the ribs, and it is even more preferable that no layer be formed.

[0048] The bottom ribs 222 have, at the intersections of the ribs, a plurality of bosses 222a that protrude toward the upper body 300. The bosses 222a serve as nuts into which bolts 400 can be inserted. The upper body 300 has bosses made of thermoplastic resin at positions corresponding to the bosses 222a of the lower body 200, and the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined by the bolts 400 via these bosses.

[0049] The wall reinforcing portion 224 is disposed inside the lower wall portion 214 to reinforce the lower wall portion 214 .

[0050] The wall reinforcement portion 224 has a membrane portion 224a formed as a thin film on the inside of the lower wall portion 214, and a wall rib 224b formed from the lower end (lower bottom portion 212 side) of the lower wall portion 214 toward the upper end (upper body 300 side). The wall reinforcement portion 224 is connected to the end of the bottom rib 222. This arrangement allows both the bottom rib 222 and the wall reinforcement portion 224 to be efficiently produced by a single injection of thermoplastic resin. From the perspective of enhancing the rigidity-improving effect of each rib, it is preferable that the lower end of the wall rib 224b be connected to the end of the bottom rib 222.

[0051] The membrane portion 224a may cover the entire surface of the lower wall portion 214, or may cover only a portion of the lower wall portion 214. From the viewpoint of enhancing the reinforcing effect, it is preferable that the membrane portion 224a cover the entire surface of the lower wall portion 214. Note that when a sufficient reinforcing effect can be obtained by the wall surface ribs 224b, the membrane portion 224a is not necessarily required.

[0052] The membrane portion 224a preferably has a covering portion 224c that covers the upper surface of the upper end (on the upper body 300 side) of the lower wall portion 214. When a fiber-reinforced resin sheet, which is the material for the lower outer shell 210, is placed inside a molding die and a thermoplastic resin, which is the material for the lower reinforcement member 220, is injected to produce the lower body 200, the flow of the injected thermoplastic resin can cause the fiber-reinforced resin sheet to shift position, resulting in different heights for the lower wall portion 214. In contrast, covering the upper end of the lower wall portion 214 with the injected thermoplastic resin can prevent the lower wall portion 214 from shifting in height. Furthermore, thermoplastic resin is less slippery than fiber-reinforced resin. Due to these effects, the membrane portion 224a that covers the upper end of the lower wall portion 214 can facilitate the alignment of the lower body 200 and the upper body 300. At this time, it is preferable that the lower surface of the lower end (on the lower body 200 side) of the upper wall portion of the upper body 300, which comes into contact with the film portion 224a covering the upper end of the lower wall portion 214 when the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined, is also covered with a film portion made of injected thermoplastic resin. Furthermore, by covering the upper end of the lower wall portion 214 with injected thermoplastic resin, the rigidity of the lower body 200 can be increased.

[0053] A plurality of wall ribs 224b are arranged on each lower wall portion 214 to enhance the reinforcing effect of the lower wall portion 214. In this case, by connecting the lower ends of the wall ribs 224b to the ends of the bottom ribs 222 as described above, the reinforcing effect of the entire lower body 200 can be further enhanced. Note that when a sufficient reinforcing effect can be obtained by the membrane portion 224a, the wall ribs 224b are not necessarily required.

[0054] An upper reinforcing member (not shown) made of thermoplastic resin may be disposed inside the upper shell 310, or if sufficient rigidity is obtained, no upper reinforcing member may be disposed. The upper reinforcing member may have, for example, an upper rib and wall reinforcing portion similar to those of the lower reinforcing member.

[0055] 1-3. Joining of Lower Body and Upper Body Fig. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the end of the body part 110 (housing), showing how the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined together.

[0056] As shown in Figure 4, the lower body 200 has a lower outer shell 210 and a lower reinforcing member 220. The lower outer shell 210 has a lower bottom portion 212 and a lower wall portion 214. The lower reinforcing member 220 has a bottom rib 222 and a wall reinforcing portion 224 (membrane portion 224a and wall rib 224b; however, the wall rib 224b is not shown in Figure 4). The upper end of the membrane portion 224a forms a covering portion 224c that covers the upper end of the lower wall portion 214.

[0057] As shown in FIG. 4 , the upper body 300 has an upper outer shell 310 and an upper reinforcing member 320. The upper outer shell 310 has an upper top surface portion 312 and an upper wall portion 314. The upper reinforcing member 320 has an upper surface rib 322 and a wall reinforcing member 324 (a membrane portion 324a and a wall rib; however, the wall rib is not shown in FIG. 4 ). The lower end of the membrane portion 324a forms a covering portion 324c that covers the lower end of the upper wall portion 314. As shown in FIG. 4 , the height of the upper wall portion 314 of the upper outer shell 310 may be lower than the height of the lower wall portion 214 of the lower outer shell 210. Also, as shown in Figure 4, unlike the lower outer shell 210, the upper outer shell 310 does not need to bear the load of the parts loaded on the body part 110 (housing), so the height of the top surface rib 322 of the upper reinforcement member 320 may be lower than the height of the bottom surface rib 222 of the lower reinforcement member 220.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 4 , the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are aligned by contacting the coverings 224c and 324c that cover the walls of their respective outer shells. By bringing the non-slip thermoplastic resin coverings into contact with each other in this manner, misalignment between the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 can be prevented. The lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined by inserting bolts 400 into bosses 222a (bosses formed at the intersections of the lattice-shaped bottom ribs 222) made of thermoplastic resin formed on the lower body 200 and bosses 322a (bosses formed at the intersections of the lattice-shaped top ribs 322) made of thermoplastic resin formed on the upper body 300. Note that there may be multiple bosses into which the bolts 400 are inserted, and they may be located at locations other than the intersections of the lattice-shaped ribs.

[0059] In this embodiment, a monocoque structure is formed between the lower shell 210 having the lower bottom surface 212 and the lower wall 214, and the upper shell 310 having the upper top surface 312 and the upper wall 314, thereby increasing the rigidity of the body 110 (housing). Furthermore, by forming the body 110 (housing) by joining the lower body 200 and the upper body 300, it is possible to manufacture the body 110 (housing) without creating undercuts, and the body 110 (housing) can also be easily manufactured by injecting thermoplastic resin.

[0060] 2. Housing / Drone Manufacturing Method FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a manufacturing method for the fuselage 110 (housing) described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the housing is manufactured by the steps of preparing a lower body 200 having the above-described configuration (step S110), preparing an upper body 300 having the above-described configuration (step S120), and joining the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 (step S130). Steps S110 and S120 may be performed in either order, or simultaneously. Each step will be described in detail below.

[0061] 2-1. Step S110: Preparation of Lower Body The lower body 200 can be produced by, for example, forming the lower outer shell 210 by shaping a fiber-reinforced resin sheet, and then injecting a thermoplastic resin into a mold in which the lower outer shell 210 is placed to form the lower reinforcing member 220 by insert molding.

[0062] The fiber-reinforced resin sheet may be any fiber-reinforced resin sheet containing the reinforcing fibers and thermoplastic resin described above as the material for the lower outer shell 210. For example, a unidirectional sheet containing reinforcing fibers oriented in one direction and a thermoplastic resin impregnated into the reinforcing fibers may be used. The fiber-reinforced resin sheet is cut into the unfolded shape of the lower outer shell 210 and shaped.

[0063] The fiber-reinforced resin sheet can be shaped by a known method such as heat press molding. In this case, it is preferable to stack multiple fiber-reinforced resin sheets and integrate them by heat pressing. When multiple unidirectional sheets are used, the orientation direction of the reinforcing fibers may be changed for each layer to reduce the difference in rigidity depending on the direction of load application. Alternatively, unidirectional sheets may be arranged and heat pressed so that the reinforcing fibers are oriented in the diagonal direction of the lattice shape of the bottom rib 222 described above.

[0064] The thermoplastic resin is injected into a mold in which a shaped fiber-reinforced resin sheet is placed and a cavity in the shape of the lower reinforcement member is formed on the surface of the fiber-reinforced resin sheet. By connecting the bottom rib 222 and the wall reinforcement portion 324, the lower reinforcement member 220 can be formed by injecting the thermoplastic resin only once.

[0065] After that, post-processing such as drilling holes for fitting the bolts 400 may be performed.

[0066] 2-2. Step S120: Preparation of Upper Body The upper body 300 can be produced in the same manner as the lower body 200, for example, by forming the upper outer shell 310 by shaping a fiber-reinforced resin sheet, and then injecting a thermoplastic resin into a mold in which the upper outer shell 310 is placed to form the upper reinforcing member 320 by insert molding.

[0067] Next, the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are joined together. Specifically, with components such as the arm 122 for attaching the blade 120 and the battery placed on the bottom surface of the lower body 200, the lower body 200 and the upper body 300 are aligned vertically and joined together with bolts 400.

[0068] Then, the blade 120 is attached to the arm 122 and the foot 130 is attached to the lower body, thereby obtaining the drone 100 having the above-mentioned fuselage 110 (housing).

[0069] 3. Other Embodiments The above-described embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Needless to say, various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the concept of the present invention.

[0070] For example, in the above embodiment, the membrane portion 224a constituting the wall surface reinforcing portion 224 of the lower body 200 may cover the upper end of the lower wall portion 214, but the membrane portion 224a may also wrap around to partially cover the outer side of the lower wall portion 214. The membrane portion 224a arranged on the outer side of the lower wall portion 214 in this manner can be used as an attachment portion for attaching other components to the drone 100.

[0071] In addition, the above-mentioned housing can be used not only on the body of the drone, but also as a housing attached to the arms or legs to house or hold other parts.

[0072] This application claims priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-091302, filed June 2, 2023. The entire disclosures of the specification, claims, and drawings of that application as originally filed are incorporated herein by reference.

[0073] Drones having the housing of the present invention can be used for a variety of purposes, such as spraying pesticides, transporting supplies, and taking photographs from high altitudes.

[0074] 100 Drone 110 Body 120 Blade 122 Arm 130 Foot 200 Lower body 210 Lower shell 210a Reinforced fiber 212 Lower bottom 214 Lower wall 220 Lower reinforcement 222 Bottom rib 222a Boss 224 Wall reinforcement 224a Membrane 224b Wall rib 224c Covering 300 Upper body 310 Upper shell 312 Upper top 314 Upper wall 320 Upper reinforcement 322 Top rib 322a Boss 324 Wall reinforcement 324a Membrane 324c Covering 400 Bolt

Claims

1. a lower body having a bottom surface and a wall portion formed on the periphery of the bottom surface; an upper body having a top surface and a wall formed on a periphery of the top surface; The lower body has an outer shell made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with thermoplastic resin, and a reinforcing material made of thermoplastic resin partially disposed inside the outer shell. Drone enclosure.

2. The outer shell includes a unidirectional fiber layer made of a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction. The housing for a drone according to claim 1 .

3. The thermoplastic resin reinforcing material has a lattice shape formed by a plurality of bottom ribs. The housing for a drone according to claim 1 .

4. the thermoplastic resin reinforcing member has boss portions formed at intersections of the plurality of bottom ribs, The lower body is joined to the upper body by a bolt inserted into the boss portion. The housing for a drone according to claim 3.

5. the thermoplastic resin reinforcing member has a wall reinforcing portion disposed inside the wall portion, The wall reinforcing portion is connected to the bottom rib. The housing for a drone according to claim 3.

6. The plurality of bottom surface ribs are arranged in a lattice pattern divided into squares, The outer shell includes a unidirectional fiber layer made of a fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are oriented in one direction, The unidirectional fiber layer includes a layer in which the reinforcing fibers are oriented in the diagonal direction of the quadrangle. The housing for a drone according to claim 3.

7. the thermoplastic resin reinforcing member has a wall reinforcing portion disposed inside the wall portion, the wall surface reinforcing portion covers an upper end of the wall portion, a wall reinforcing portion covering an upper end of the wall portion is in contact with the wall portion of the upper body; The drone enclosure of claim 1 .

8. The reinforcing material is formed by injection of a thermoplastic resin. The drone enclosure of claim 1 .

9. The upper body has an outer shell made of fiber reinforced resin and a reinforcing material made of thermoplastic resin arranged inside the outer shell. The housing for a drone according to claim 1 .

10. A drone comprising the housing for a drone according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. providing a lower body having a bottom surface and a wall formed on a periphery of the bottom surface; providing an upper body having a top surface and a wall formed on a periphery of the top surface; and joining the lower body and the upper body together, The lower body has an outer shell made of fiber-reinforced resin in which reinforcing fibers are impregnated with thermoplastic resin, and a reinforcing material made of thermoplastic resin partially disposed inside the outer shell, In the joining step, the lower body and the upper body are joined via the reinforcing material made of thermoplastic resin. A method for manufacturing drone housings.