Safety device, and flying body provided with safety device

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a safety device capable of further improving ejection performance, and a flying body including the safety device. [Solution] A safety device 100 is provided with: a piston member 10; an actuator 1 having a gas generator 17 which generates a driving force for sliding the piston member 10 to one side; a push-up member 15 which is supported by the piston member 10 so as to be capable of moving together with the piston member 10 during operation, and which supports an ejected object 16; and a container 18 in which at least the piston member 10, the actuator 1, the push-up member 15, and the ejected object 16 are accommodated. The push-up member 15 is supported in a state of not being fixed to the piston member 10 such that, after the piston member 10 is slid to one side due to the driving force, the push-up member 15 slides to one side with respect to the piston member 10 and separates from the piston member 10.

Description

Safety device and aircraft equipped with the safety device

[0001] The present invention relates to a safety device and an aircraft equipped with the safety device.

[0002] In recent years, with the development of autonomous control technology and flight control technology, the industrial use of aircraft equipped with a plurality of rotary wings, such as drones, has been accelerating. A drone flies, for example, by rotating a plurality of rotary wings in balance at the same time, ascends and descends by increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the rotary wings, and can move forward and backward by tilting the aircraft through increasing or decreasing the rotational speed of the rotary wings. Such an aircraft is not only used for disaster relief activities, cargo transportation, landscape photography, etc., but also assumed to carry passengers, and is expected to expand its use worldwide in the future.

[0003] On the other hand, the risk of a fall accident of the above-described aircraft is regarded as dangerous, which has hindered the spread of the aircraft. In order to reduce such a risk of a fall accident, safety devices such as a parachute device for an aircraft are being commercialized.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a safety device including an igniter, an extension member that slides and extends when the igniter operates, and a launch pad that is fixed to the extension member and supports a projectile.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-14320

[0006] By the way, in a safety device, it is desired to further improve the ejection performance.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a safety device capable of further improving the ejection performance and an aircraft equipped with the safety device.

[0008] (1) The safety device according to the present invention comprises a sliding member, an actuator having a power source that generates a driving force to slide the sliding member to one side, a push-up member supported by the sliding member so as to be movable together with the sliding member when in operation and supporting an injection material, and a container that houses at least the sliding member, the actuator, the push-up member, and the injection material inside, wherein the push-up member is supported so as to be slidable and not fixed to the sliding member so as to slide relative to the sliding member to one side after the sliding member slides to one side due to the driving force and separates from the sliding member.

[0009] (2) The safety device described in (1) above further comprises a support member that slidably supports the sliding member, wherein the sliding member has a protruding portion that protrudes to one side from the support member in a state before operation, and the push-up member is preferably supported by the protruding portion such that, after the sliding member slides to one side due to the driving force, the push-up member slides to one side relative to the sliding member and separates from the sliding member.

[0010] (3) In the safety device of (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the sliding member has a telescopic structure that slides and extends to one side by the driving force.

[0011] (4) The aircraft according to the present invention is characterized by comprising an airframe, a safety device as described in (1) or (2) above which is coupled to the airframe, and one or more propulsion mechanisms which are coupled to the airframe and propel the airframe.

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a safety device that can further improve ejection performance, and an aircraft equipped with the safety device.

[0013] This is a cross-sectional view showing a safety device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. This is a side view showing the push-up member, etc., of the safety device in Figure 1. This is a top view showing the push-up member, etc., of the safety device in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view showing the sliding member of the safety device in Figure 1 in a sliding state. This is a cross-sectional view showing the push-up member of the safety device in Figure 1 separated from the sliding member. This is a front view showing an aircraft equipped with the safety device in Figure 1. This is a cross-sectional view showing a safety device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view showing the sliding member of the safety device in Figure 7 in a sliding state. This is a cross-sectional view showing the push-up member of the safety device in Figure 7 separated from the sliding member. This is a cross-sectional view showing a safety device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. This is a cross-sectional view showing the sliding member of the safety device in Figure 10 in a sliding state. This is a cross-sectional view showing the push-up member of the safety device in Figure 10 separated from the sliding member.

[0014] <First Embodiment> Hereinafter, the safety device 100 and the aircraft 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0015] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the safety device 100 comprises an actuator 1, a push-up member 15 that is pushed up in one direction (upward in Figure 1) by the actuator 1, an injection-molded object 16 that is supported and pushed up by the push-up member 15, a bottomed cylindrical container 18 that houses the actuator 1, the push-up member 15, and the injection-molded object 16, and a lid 21 that closes the open end of the container 18. In this embodiment, the injection-molded object 16 is a parachute or paraglider. A sealing member 60 is provided in the gap between the container 18 and the lid 21 to prevent liquid or dust from entering. Examples of sealing members 60 include any material with waterproof and dustproof functions, such as an O-ring, a hardened resin, or a foam material. As a modification of the sealing member 60, a film-like material may be used to cover at least the edge of the lid 21 and the side of the container 18.

[0016] The actuator 1 comprises a piston member 10 which is a sliding member; a cylinder 14 (an example of a support member) which houses the piston member 10 and has a hole 13 for the piston member 10 to protrude outward (upward in Figure 1) when operated; a base 2 (squib holder) to which one end of the cylinder 14 is crimped and fixed, and which is attached via a hole 25 in the center of the bottom of the housing 18; and a gas generator (micro gas generator, etc.) 17 which serves as a power source for moving the piston member 10 within the cylinder 14. The cylinder 14 is made of steel (for example, iron) or steel. For example, if the cylinder 14 is made of iron, it has a side wall with a thickness of 0.6 mm to 1.7 mm, but from the viewpoint of weight reduction, it is preferable that the side wall has a thickness of 1 mm or less (more preferably 0.6 mm).

[0017] The base 2 comprises a substantially cylindrical member 2A that holds a gas generator 17, which generates power to slide the piston member 10, on the cylinder 14 side, and a flange portion 2B provided on the side of the substantially cylindrical member 2A opposite to the cylinder 14 side. The base 2 is preferably made of iron, aluminum, or magnesium, but is more preferably made of aluminum or magnesium in terms of weight reduction.

[0018] The flange portion 2B is machined into a roughly U-shaped, roughly horseshoe shape (not shown), and includes a plurality of holes 2a used for attachment to the housing 18, a plurality of fixing holes (not shown) used for attachment to the airframe 31 of the aircraft 30 (described later), and an insertion opening 2c used for inserting a connector 22 for energizing the electrode 17b at the bottom of the gas generator 17. The inner wall of the holes 2a is threaded so that a bolt 28 (described later) can be screwed into it. The inner wall of the fixing holes (not shown) is also threaded so that a bolt (not shown) can be screwed into the aircraft 30 (described later) from the airframe 31 side, thereby fixing the base 2 to the airframe 31.

[0019] The connector 22 comprises a main body 22a that can be inserted into the substantially cylindrical member 2A via an insertion opening 2c, a projection 22b (see Figure 4, etc.) protruding from the side of the lower part of the main body 22a, and a hole 22c into which the electrode 17b located inside the substantially cylindrical member 2A is fitted. The projection 22b is electrically connected to a connector 71 that is connected to an external power source via wiring 70 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the connector 22 (radially from the center of the base 2 when mounted on the base 2). The main body 22a also has a hole 22c inside which it is electrically connected to both the electrode 17b and the wiring 70 connected to the projection 22b.

[0020] The piston member 10 has a main body portion 10a having an outer diameter approximately the same as the inner diameter of the cylinder 14, a rod-shaped portion 10b connected to the main body portion 10a, extending upward and having a smaller diameter than the main body portion 10a, a hole portion 10c provided inside the main body portion 10a and the rod-shaped portion 10b, a hole portion 10d provided at the upper end of the rod-shaped portion 10b, and a groove portion 10e provided in the circumferential direction of the main body portion 10a.

[0021] The rod-shaped portion 10b has a protruding portion 10f that, in its pre-operation state, protrudes to one side (upward in Figure 1) from the cylinder 14. In other words, the protruding portion 10f is the part of the rod-shaped portion 10b that, in its pre-operation state, protrudes to one side from the cylinder 14. Furthermore, a tubular member 4 is fitted or loosely fitted at the lower part of the rod-shaped portion 10b, with one end in contact with the main body portion 10a. There may be a gap between the inner wall of the tubular member 4 and the outer wall of the rod-shaped portion 10b, but this gap should be within a range that does not hinder the plastic deformation caused by substantially uniform compression during impact, which will be described later. The tubular member 4 is provided as needed. In this embodiment, the tubular member 4 is not required.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the tubular member 4 is held by the holding member 5 at the lower part of the rod-shaped portion 10b, with one end in contact with the main body portion 10a. The tubular member 4 is made of a material that is plastically deformable and has a tensile strength lower than that of the piston member 10 and the stopper member 23 described later (for example, metals such as iron, aluminum, brass, copper, alloys such as stainless steel, resins, etc.). Here, the holding member 5 may be an elastic material such as rubber, or it may be made of the same material as the tubular member 4, and its shape may be ring-shaped or clip-shaped.

[0023] Furthermore, to prevent the tubular member 4 from contacting the inner wall of the cylinder 14, the tubular member 4 and the inner wall of the cylinder 14 are separated by a predetermined distance or more (for example, a distance at which the tubular member 4, which has undergone plastic deformation due to substantially uniform compression upon impact with the stopper member 23, will not come into contact with the inner wall of the cylinder 14). As a result, even if the tubular member 4 undergoes plastic deformation upon impact with the stopper member 23, it will deform without being hindered by the inner wall of the cylinder 14, and the impact on the piston member 10 will be sufficiently mitigated.

[0024] The hole 10c is formed along the central axis from the lower end of the main body 10a to partway along the rod-shaped portion 10b. As a result, the piston member 10 is lighter than when the hole 10c is not formed.

[0025] The hole 10d extends from one end of the rod-shaped portion 10b (the upper side in Figure 1) along the central axis to the other end (the lower side in Figure 1), and is formed up to a certain point in the rod-shaped portion 10b. The protruding portion 19b of the push-up member 15, which will be described later, is slidably inserted into the hole 10d.

[0026] A sealing member 11, such as an O-ring, is provided in the circumferential direction in the groove 10e. The sealing member 11 is provided as needed. In this embodiment, the sealing member 11 may not be provided.

[0027] A roughly cylindrical stopper member 23 is provided at the upper part of the cylinder 14, positioned to surround a portion of the rod-shaped portion 10b of the piston member 10. That is, the rod-shaped portion 10b is inserted through the hole 13 of the stopper member 23.

[0028] The stopper member 23 restricts the movement of the tubular member 4 to the cylinder 14 and has a groove 23a along the outer circumference and a groove 23b along the inner circumference. The groove 23a is used to crimp and fix the other end of the cylinder 14 to the stopper member 23. A sealing member 12, such as an O-ring, is provided in the circumferential direction of the groove 23b.

[0029] The gas generator 17 is press-fitted into the lower open end of the cylinder 14 and is positioned below the main body portion 10a of the piston member 10, which will be described later. Furthermore, a cylindrical member 3 is provided around the cup body 17a of the gas generator 17 to form a predetermined distance between it and the piston member 10.

[0030] The push-up member 15 is made of metal (aluminum or iron, which may be an alloy), resin, or a composite material of resin and metal, CFRP, or fiber-reinforced resin, and has a bottomed cylindrical portion 19 that covers a part of the cylinder 14, that is, the outer part of the cylinder 14 excluding the area near the opening end on the side where the gas generator 17 is located, and a disc-shaped support portion 20 that is provided as a flange (flange-shaped portion) at the opening of the bottomed cylindrical portion 19 to support the injection material 16. When the push-up member 15 is made of resin, the thickness of the bottomed cylindrical portion 19, the support portion 20, etc. is preferably 1.5 mm to 3 mm, but from the viewpoint of weight reduction, it is preferable to have a thickness of 2 mm or less (more preferably 1.5 mm).

[0031] The bottomed cylindrical portion 19 has a bottom portion 19a that is roughly flat or roughly columnar (roughly columnar in this embodiment) and a projection portion 19b that protrudes from the bottom portion 19a to the other side (downward in Figure 1). The bottom portion 19a is positioned on the projection portion 10f and supported by the projection portion 10f. The projection portion 19b is slidably inserted into the hole portion 10d.

[0032] The support portion 20 is initially positioned spaced apart from the inner bottom surface of the container 18. The support portion 20 also has a hole portion 26 to reduce the effect of the negative pressure generated between the bottom of the injectable 16 and the support portion 20 during operation, thereby facilitating the injection of the injectable 16. The outer circumference of the support portion 20 is formed so as not to contact the inside of the container 18. At least one (eight in this embodiment) movement prevention member 27 is provided on the upper surface of the support portion 20 to prevent the bottomed cylindrical portion 19 of the injectable 16 from moving in the circumferential direction.

[0033] The movement prevention members 27 are roughly triangular in shape, made of resin, or a composite material of resin and metal, CFRP, or fiber-reinforced resin, and are provided in multiple quantities so as to be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the bottomed cylindrical portion 19. Holes 26 are provided between each of these movement prevention members 27. As an example, only one movement prevention member 27 may be provided. Even in this case, multiple holes 26 are provided in the support portion 20. Furthermore, if the injection material 16 is a parachute or paraglider, the parachute or paraglider line (a string-like member, etc.) may be tied to one or more of the holes 26 to prevent the push-up member 15 from scattering.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the bottom of the container 18 is provided with a hole 25 into which the base 2 is inserted, a hole 29a for bolt fastening, and a hole (not shown) that communicates with a fixing hole (not shown) for the flange portion 2B. Furthermore, the bottom of the container 18 has a recessed central portion, and this central portion and its periphery form at least two stepped shapes.

[0035] The opening 25 is closed by fastening a hole 2a, provided in the flange portion 2B of the base 2 located on the outside of the bottom of the container 18, through a hole 29a using a bolt 28 from the inside of the container 18. In addition, by reducing the distance between the support portion 20 and the bottom surface inside the container 18, the injection material 16 is prevented from falling onto the bottom surface inside the container 18.

[0036] The projectile 16 is housed within the containment container 18, between the inner surface of the containment container 18 and the outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 19 of the push-up member 15, for example, surrounding the outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion 19. The projectile 16 is also folded so that its outer surface does not come into contact with the inside of the containment container 18. The projectile 16 is connected to one end of a string (not shown), for example, and the other end of the string is connected to the inside of the containment container 18 or to the body 31 of the aircraft 30, which will be described later. As one modification, the projectile 16 may be folded so that its outer surface comes into contact with the inside of the containment container 18.

[0037] The gas generator 17 may use only an igniter, or it may be a gas generator equipped with both an igniter and a gas generating agent. Alternatively, a hybrid or stored-type gas generator may be used, which uses a gunpowder-type igniter to break the seal plate in a small gas cylinder and discharge the gas inside to the outside. In this case, the pressurized gas in the gas cylinder can be a non-flammable gas such as argon, helium, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, or a mixture thereof. Furthermore, to ensure that the piston is reliably propelled when the pressurized gas is released, the gas generator may be equipped with a heating element made of a gas generating agent composition or a thermite composition, etc.

[0038] The injection unit that ejects the material 16 mainly consists of a piston member 10, a cylinder 14, a push-up member 15, a gas generator 17, and the like.

[0039] In the configuration described above, when the gas generator 17 is activated when an aircraft 30, etc., equipped with the safety device 100, falls, the pressure of the gas generated by the activation causes the piston member 10 to slide upward inside the cylinder 14, the push-up member 15 is propelled upward together with the piston member 10, and the lid 21 is removed. As shown in Figure 4, when the tubular member 4 collides with the stopper member 23 and the upward sliding of the piston member 10 stops, as shown in Figure 5, the push-up member 15 slides upward relative to the piston member 10 due to upward inertial force, etc., the push-up member 15 separates from the piston member 10 and is ejected, and the ejected material 16 is ejected together with the push-up member 15. For example, since the push-up member 15 is connected to a string that connects the ejected material 16 and the container 18, it is possible to prevent the push-up member 15 from falling after it separates from the piston member 10. If the projectile 16 is a parachute or paraglider, the projectile 16 is deployed after being launched.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, the safety device 100 is connected and fixed to the aircraft body 31 of the aircraft 30 from the aircraft body 31 side by bolts (not shown) via fixing holes (not shown) of the base 2. Therefore, the aircraft 30 comprises an aircraft body 31, a safety device 100 connected to the aircraft body 31, one or more propulsion mechanisms (e.g., propellers, etc.) 32 connected to the aircraft body 31 and propelling the aircraft body 31, and a plurality of legs 33 provided on the lower part of the aircraft body 31.

[0041] Furthermore, since the flange portion 2B of the base 2 is provided on the outside of the bottom of the housing 18, the base 2 can be directly attached to the airframe 31 of the aircraft 30. As a result, the recoil during operation is received directly by the airframe 31, rather than through the housing 18, but the impact on the housing 18 during operation can be reduced, so the strength of the bottom of the housing 18 can be reduced compared to when the base 2 is provided inside the housing 18. In other words, the strength of the bottom of the housing 18 can be safely reduced compared to before (for example, by designing it so that the thickness of the bottom of the housing 18 is reduced to a safe predetermined thickness), and the housing 18 as a whole can be made lighter than before while ensuring the same level of safety as before. In addition, since a step is provided on the bottom surface of the housing 18, the strength of the bottom surface of the housing 18 can be strengthened compared to a flat surface without a step.

[0042] In the above configuration, when the tubular member 4 collides with the stopper member 23 and the upward sliding of the piston member 10 stops, the push-up member 15 separates from the piston member 10 and is ejected, and the injection material 16 is ejected together with the push-up member 15. Therefore, the force (impact) applied to the piston member 10 when the tubular member 4 collides with the stopper member 23 can be suppressed, and the thickness of the piston member 10 (for example, the thickness of the movement prevention member 27) that is required to ensure the strength of the piston member 10 can be suppressed, so the piston member 10 can be made lighter and the piston member 10 can be slid more easily, thus further improving the injection performance. In addition, since the injection material 16 can be ejected together with the push-up member 15, the injection performance can be further improved.

[0043] Furthermore, an aircraft 30 equipped with the safety device 100 having the configuration described above can be obtained.

[0044] As described above, the safety device 100 in the first embodiment of the present invention includes a piston member 10, an actuator 1 having a gas generator 17 that generates a driving force for sliding the piston member 10 to one side, a pushing member 15 that is supported by the piston member 10 so as to be movable together with the piston member 10 during operation and supports the ejecta 16, and a container 18 that houses at least the piston member 10, the actuator 1, the pushing member 15, and the ejecta 16 inside. The pushing member 15 is slidably supported by the piston member 10 so as to slide to one side with respect to the piston member 10 and separate from the piston member 10 after the piston member 10 slides to one side by the driving force.

[0045] According to this, after the piston member 10 slides to one side by the driving force, the pushing member 15 separates from the piston member 10, so that it is possible to suppress an increase in the force (impact) applied to the piston member 10 after the piston member 10 slides to one side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress an increase in the thickness of the piston member 10 in order to ensure the strength of the piston member 10, so that the piston member 10 can be lightened and it becomes easier to slide the piston member 10, thereby improving the injection performance. Further, by being able to suppress an increase in the force applied to the piston member 10 described above, (a) even when considering the strength aspect of the base 2, it becomes possible to use aluminum or magnesium, which is lighter than iron, so that it is possible to avoid the situation where the weight of the base 2 increases by adopting iron or the like as in the conventional case, (b) when the pushing member 15 is made of resin, it is possible to suppress the situation where the thickness increases in consideration of strength (the thickness of the pushing member 15 can be made smaller than in the conventional case), so that the safety device 100 can be further lightened. Further, when the seal member 11 and / or the tubular member 4 are not provided, the safety device 100 can be further lightened. Further, the ejecta 16 can be ejected together with the pushing member 15, so that the injection performance can be further improved.

[0046] Further, in the safety device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder 14 that slidably supports the piston member 10 is further provided. In the state before operation, the piston member 10 has a protruding portion 10f that protrudes to one side of the cylinder 14. The pushing member 15 is supported in a state of not being fixed to the protruding portion 10f so as to slide to one side with respect to the piston member 10 and separate from the piston member 10 after the piston member 10 slides to one side by a driving force.

[0047] According to this, the cylinder 14 can slidably support the piston member 10, and the pushing member 15 can be supported by the protruding portion 10f that protrudes to one side, so that the injection performance can be further improved.

[0048] Further, the flying object 30 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a fuselage 31, a safety device 100 coupled to the fuselage 31, and one or more propulsion mechanisms 32 coupled to the fuselage 31 and propelling the fuselage 31.

[0049] According to this, the flying object 30 can exhibit the same operational effects as the above-described safety device 100.

[0050] <Second Embodiment> Hereinafter, the safety device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. In this embodiment, the reference numerals with the same last two digits as those in the first embodiment are the same, and thus the description may be omitted. Further, regarding the parts not particularly described, since they are the same as those of the safety device and the flying object in the first embodiment, the description may be omitted.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 7, the safety device according to this embodiment is mainly different from the safety device 100 in that it includes a piston member 110 instead of the piston member 10 and a pushing member 115 instead of the pushing member 15.

[0052] The rod-shaped portion 110b of the piston member 110 has a protruding portion 110f that protrudes to one side (the upper side in FIG. 7) of the cylinder 114 in the state before operation. That is, the protruding portion 110f is a portion of the rod-shaped portion 110b that protrudes to one side of the cylinder 114 in the state before operation.

[0053] The push-up member 115 has a hole 119c and a hole 119d. Hole 119c opens to the other side (downward side in Figure 7), and the protruding portion 110f is inserted into hole 119c without being fixed. One end of hole 119c (upward side in Figure 7) has a smaller diameter so that the protruding portion 110f hits this end and is not inserted any further. Hole 119d opens to the other side (upward side in Figure 7), and is in communication with hole 110d when the protruding portion 110f is inserted into hole 119c.

[0054] In the configuration described above, when the gas generator 117 is activated when, for example, an aircraft equipped with the safety device according to the second embodiment falls, the pressure of the gas generated by the activation causes the piston member 110 to slide upward inside the cylinder 114, the push-up member 115 is propelled upward together with the piston member 110, and the lid (not shown) is removed. As shown in Figure 8, when the tubular member 104 collides with the stopper member 123 and the upward sliding of the piston member 110 stops, as shown in Figure 9, the push-up member 115 slides upward relative to the piston member 110 due to upward inertial force, etc., the push-up member 115 is separated from the piston member 110 and ejected, and the ejected material (not shown) is ejected together with the push-up member 115. For example, since the push-up member 115 is connected to a string that connects the ejected material and a container (not shown), it is possible to prevent the push-up member 115 from falling after it has separated from the piston member 110. If the projectile is a parachute or paraglider, it will be deployed after being launched.

[0055] In the above configuration, when the tubular member 104 collides with the stopper member 123 and the upward sliding of the piston member 110 stops, the push-up member 115 separates from the piston member 110 and is ejected, and the ejected material is ejected together with the push-up member 115. Therefore, the force (impact) applied to the piston member 110 when the tubular member 104 collides with the stopper member 123 can be suppressed, and the thickness of the piston member 110 (for example, the thickness of the movement prevention member 127) that is required to ensure the strength of the piston member 110 can be suppressed, so the piston member 110 can be made lighter and slide more easily, thus further improving the injection performance. In addition, since the ejected material can be ejected together with the push-up member 115, the injection performance can be further improved.

[0056] Furthermore, an aircraft equipped with a safety device having the configuration described above can be obtained.

[0057] As described above, the safety device in the second embodiment of the present invention comprises a piston member 110, an actuator 101 having a gas generator 117 that generates a driving force to slide the piston member 110 to one side, a push-up member 115 that is supported by the piston member 110 so as to be movable together with the piston member 110 when in operation and supports the injectable material, and at least the piston member 110, the actuator 101, the push-up member 115, and a container that houses the injectable material inside, wherein the push-up member 115 is slidably supported by the piston member 110 so as to slide to one side relative to the piston member 110 and separate from the piston member 110 after the piston member 110 has slid to one side due to the driving force.

[0058] According to this, after the piston member 110 slides to one side due to the driving force, the push-up member 115 separates from the piston member 110, so it is possible to suppress the increase in force (impact) applied to the piston member 110 after it slides to one side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the thickness of the piston member 110 in order to ensure the strength of the piston member 110, so the piston member 110 can be made lighter, and the piston member 110 can be slid more easily, thus improving the injection performance. In addition, by suppressing the increase in force applied to the piston member 110 as described above, (a) even when considering the strength of the base 102, it becomes possible to use aluminum or magnesium which are lighter than iron, thus avoiding the increase in weight of the base 102 that occurs when iron or other materials are used as in the past, and (b) when the push-up member 115 is made of resin, it is possible to suppress the increase in thickness in order to ensure strength (the thickness of the push-up member 115 can be made smaller than in the past), so the safety device 200 can be made lighter. Furthermore, if the sealing member 111 and / or the tubular member 104 is not provided, the safety device 200 can be made even lighter. Also, since the injection material can be injected together with the push-up member 115, the injection performance can be further improved.

[0059] Furthermore, in the safety device according to the second embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder 114 is further provided to slidably support the piston member 110, wherein the piston member 110 has a protruding portion 110f that protrudes to one side from the cylinder 114 in the state before operation, and the push-up member 115 is supported in a state that is not fixed to the protruding portion 110f so as to slide to one side relative to the piston member 110 and separate from the piston member 110 after the piston member 110 slides to one side due to the driving force.

[0060] According to this, the piston member 110 can be slidably supported by the cylinder 114, and the push-up member 115 can be supported by a protruding portion 110f that protrudes to one side, thereby further improving injection performance.

[0061] <Third Embodiment> The safety device according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 12. In this embodiment, symbols with the same last two digits as those in the first embodiment are the same and their descriptions may be omitted. Also, parts that are not specifically described are the same as the safety device and aircraft in the first embodiment and their descriptions may be omitted.

[0062] As shown in Figure 10, the safety device according to this embodiment differs from the safety device 100 in that it includes a piston member 210 instead of a piston member 10, and a push-up member 215 instead of a push-up member 15.

[0063] The piston member 210 has a first sliding portion 210g and a second sliding portion 210h, and has a telescopic structure that slides and extends to one side (upward in Figure 10) by the driving force of the gas generator 217. A sealing member 211a is provided between the lower end of the first sliding portion 210g and the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 214. A sealing member 211b is provided between the upper end of the first sliding portion 210g and the second sliding portion 210h. A sealing member 211c is provided between the lower end of the second sliding portion 210h and the inner circumferential surface of the first sliding portion 210g. In its pre-operation state, the second sliding portion 210h has a protruding portion 210i that protrudes to one side (upward in Figure 10) from the cylinder 214. In other words, the protruding portion 210i is the part of the second sliding portion 210h that protrudes to one side from the cylinder 214 in its pre-operation state.

[0064] The push-up member 215 has a hole 219c. The hole 219c opens to the other side (downward in Figure 10), and the protruding portion 210i is inserted into the hole 219c without being fixed in place. The protruding portion 210i hits the bottom of the hole 219c, preventing it from being inserted any further.

[0065] In the configuration described above, when the gas generator 217 is activated when an aircraft or the like equipped with the safety device according to the third embodiment falls, the pressure of the gas generated by the activation causes the first sliding portion 210g of the piston member 210 to slide upward inside the cylinder 214, the second sliding portion 210h of the piston member 210 to slide upward inside the first sliding portion 210g, the push-up member 215 is propelled upward together with the piston member 210, and the lid (not shown) is removed. As shown in Figure 11, when the tubular member 204 collides with the stopper member 223 and the lower end of the second sliding part 210h collides with the upper end of the first sliding part 210g, stopping the upward sliding of the piston member 210, as shown in Figure 12, the push-up member 215 slides upward relative to the piston member 210 due to upward inertial force, etc., and the push-up member 215 is ejected, separating from the piston member 210, and the ejected material (not shown) is ejected together with the push-up member 215. For example, since the push-up member 215 is connected to a string that connects the ejected material and a container (not shown), it is possible to prevent the push-up member 215 from falling after separating from the piston member 210. If the ejected material is a parachute or paraglider, the ejected material is deployed after being ejected.

[0066] In the above configuration, when the tubular member 204 collides with the stopper member 223 and the lower end of the second sliding portion 210h collides with the upper end of the first sliding portion 210g, stopping the upward sliding of the piston member 210, the push-up member 215 separates from the piston member 210 and is ejected, and the ejected material is ejected together with the push-up member 215. Therefore, the force (impact) applied to the piston member 210 when the tubular member 204 collides with the stopper member 223 and the lower end of the second sliding portion 210h collides with the upper end of the first sliding portion 210g can be suppressed, thereby preventing damage to the piston member 210 and allowing the stroke amount to one side to be made longer by the telescopic structure, thus improving the injection performance. In addition, since the ejected material can be ejected together with the push-up member 215, the injection performance can be further improved.

[0067] Furthermore, an aircraft equipped with a safety device having the configuration described above can be obtained.

[0068] As described above, the safety device in the third embodiment of the present invention comprises a piston member 210, an actuator 201 having a gas generator 217 that generates a driving force to slide the piston member 210 to one side, a push-up member 215 that is supported by the piston member 210 so as to be movable together with the piston member 210 when in operation and supports the injectable material, and at least the piston member 210, the actuator 201, the push-up member 215, and a container that houses the injectable material inside, wherein the push-up member 215 is supported so as to be slidable and not fixed to the piston member 210 so as to slide to one side relative to the piston member 210 and separate from the piston member 210 after the piston member 210 has slid to one side due to the driving force.

[0069] According to this, after the piston member 210 slides to one side due to the driving force, the push-up member 215 separates from the piston member 210, so it is possible to suppress the increase in force (impact) applied to the piston member 210 after it slides to one side. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the increase in the thickness of the piston member 210 in order to ensure the strength of the piston member 210, so the piston member 210 can be made lighter and slide more easily, thus improving the injection performance. In addition, by suppressing the increase in force applied to the piston member 210 as described above, (a) even when considering the strength of the base 202, it becomes possible to use aluminum or magnesium which are lighter than iron, thus avoiding the increase in weight of the base 202 that occurs when iron or other materials are used as in the conventional method, and (b) when the push-up member 215 is made of resin, it is possible to suppress the increase in thickness in order to ensure strength (the thickness of the push-up member 215 can be made smaller than in the conventional method), so the safety device 300 can be made lighter. Furthermore, if the sealing member 211 and / or the tubular member 204 are not provided, the safety device 300 can be made even lighter. Also, since the injection material can be injected together with the push-up member 215, the injection performance can be further improved.

[0070] Furthermore, in the safety device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, a cylinder 214 is further provided that slidably supports the piston member 210, and the piston member 210 has a protruding portion 210i that protrudes to one side from the cylinder 214 in the state before operation, and the push-up member 215 is supported in a state that is not fixed to the protruding portion 210i so that after the piston member 210 slides to one side due to the driving force, it slides to one side relative to the piston member 210 and separates from the piston member 210.

[0071] According to this, the piston member 210 can be slidably supported by the cylinder 214, and the push-up member 215 can be supported by a protruding portion 210i that protrudes to one side, thereby further improving injection performance.

[0072] Furthermore, in the safety device according to the third embodiment of the present invention, the piston member 210 has a telescopic structure that slides and extends to one side by the driving force.

[0073] According to this, the telescopic structure allows for a longer stroke on one side, thus further improving injection performance.

[0074] <Other Embodiments> Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configurations are not limited to these embodiments. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are further included.

[0075] In the first embodiment described above, the push-up member 15 was supported by the protrusion 10f of the piston member 10, but the piston member 10 does not have to have a protrusion 10f. In this case, for example, the push-up member 15 may be supported by the piston member 10 with the protrusion 19b of the push-up member 15 in contact with the bottom of the hole 10d.

[0076] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, a part of the base 2 was configured to be located outside the housing 18, but the entire base 2 may be configured to be located inside the housing 18. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0077] Furthermore, although a gas generator was used as the power source in each of the above embodiments, the configuration is not limited as long as it is capable of providing the sliding member with the driving force necessary for the sliding member to move within the cylinder. For example, an elastic body such as a spring, or a system using pressure from a gas cylinder may be used.

[0078] Furthermore, although the container 18 is formed in a cylindrical shape in the first embodiment described above, it is not limited to this and may be formed in other shapes, such as a square tube. The same applies to the second and third embodiments.

[0079] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, if a parachute or paraglider is used as the projectile, the parachute or paraglider may be packed. The packing is configured to tear or peel off during operation.

[0080] Furthermore, while the above embodiments mention parachutes or paragliders as the ejected objects, the invention is not limited to these, and objects including lift-generating members may also be ejected. Examples of lift-generating members include parafoils, Rogallo-type parachutes, single-surface parachutes, airplane wings, propellers, balloons, etc. If the lift-generating member has a control line, it is desirable that the safety device includes a steering mechanism that can use the control line to change the inclination angle of the ejected lift-generating member. This steering mechanism may include, for example, a plurality of reels that wind up a plurality of control lines connected to the lift-generating member, and a motor that powers these reels. By winding up or unwinding the control lines by driving the motor, the lift-generating member can be pulled or released as appropriate.

[0081] Furthermore, the projectile may be a pilot chute, and the safety device may include a parachute connected to the pilot chute. In this case, for example, the safety device may include a separate housing for the parachute in addition to the housing for the pilot chute.

[0082] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device capable of launching a net instead of a parachute or paraglider. This allows the aircraft to hook onto a hook or protrusion by launching the net at the right time, thereby preventing the aircraft from falling to the ground. Furthermore, instead of a parachute or paraglider, the aircraft may be capable of launching medical supplies, cargo, etc.

[0083] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a deflated or folded float along with a drive mechanism (such as an inflation device including a gas generator), and the drive mechanism to inflate and deploy the float. This prevents the aircraft from sinking and also provides a marker for the recovery location in the event of a crash.

[0084] Furthermore, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a retracted or folded lifebuoy (float) and parachute together with a drive mechanism (such as an inflation device including a gas generator), and the drive mechanism to deploy the lifebuoy and parachute. This reduces the falling speed of the aircraft in the event of a crash, prevents the aircraft from sinking into water, and also serves as a marker for the recovery location in the event of a crash.

[0085] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a parachute along with a drive mechanism (such as a cutting device with a drive unit), and after the parachute is deployed, the drive mechanism cuts some of the multiple connecting members that connect the parachute to the aircraft, shifting the aircraft's center of gravity so that it falls sideways, and then using an airbag device provided on the side of the aircraft that is falling to mitigate the impact of a collision with the ground or the like.

[0086] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a so-called paramotor along with its drive mechanism (including a power supply and other drive components), and after the parachute or paraglider is fully deployed, the drive mechanism can drive the motor to rotate the propeller. This prevents the parachute or paraglider from becoming entangled in the propeller. A paramotor is a device that obtains thrust and allows flight by providing power (such as a motor-driven propeller rotater) to the harness portion of a parachute or paraglider.

[0087] Furthermore, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a sound-generating device along with a drive mechanism (including a power supply and other drive components), and the drive mechanism to activate the sound-generating device when the aircraft crashes, thereby alerting those in the surrounding area to danger.

[0088] Furthermore, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a lighting device (such as a flashlight) along with a drive mechanism (including a power supply and other drive components), and the drive mechanism to activate the lighting device when the aircraft crashes, thereby alerting those in the surrounding area to danger.

[0089] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a fire extinguisher along with a drive mechanism (including a power supply and other drive components), and the drive mechanism to activate the fire extinguisher in the event of a crash, thereby spraying fire extinguishing agent onto the aircraft and its surroundings.

[0090] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that uses an actuator to eject a pre-launched, ejectable payload with a parachute (for example, expensive equipment) along with a drive mechanism, and the drive mechanism deploys the parachute of the payload. This allows for focused protection of the parachute payload.

[0091] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that uses an actuator to eject an airbag-equipped payload (for example, expensive equipment) that has been pre-loaded in a ejectable manner, along with a drive mechanism (such as an inflation device including a gas generator), and inflates and deploys the airbag of the airbag-equipped payload. This allows for focused protection of the airbag-equipped payload.

[0092] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that allows an actuator to eject a distress signal transmitter along with a drive mechanism (including a power supply and other drive components), and the drive mechanism to activate the distress signal transmitter when the aircraft crashes, thereby transmitting a distress signal to the outside. This makes it possible to pinpoint the crash site if the aircraft crashes.

[0093] Alternatively, the aircraft may be equipped with a safety device that uses an actuator to eject a black box with a parachute (such as a flight recorder) along with a drive mechanism (such as an inflation device including a gas generator), and the drive mechanism to deploy the parachute of the black box when the aircraft crashes. This allows for focused protection of the black box with the parachute. As a result, flight data can be protected.

[0094] 1, 101, 201 Actuator 2, 102, 202 Base 2A, 102A, 202A Roughly cylindrical member 2B, 102B, 202B Flange portion 2a, 10c, 10d, 22c, 25, 26, 102a, 110c, 110d, 119c, 119d, 122c, 126, 202a, 219c, 226 Hole portion 2c, 102c, 202c Insertion port 3, 103, 203 Cylindrical member 4, 104, 204 Tubular member 5, 105, 205 Holding member 10, 110, 210 Piston member 10a, 110a Main body portion 10b, 110b Rod-shaped portion 10e, 23a, 23b, 110e, 123a, 123b, 223a, 223b Grooves 10f, 19b, 22b, 110f, 210i, 222b Protrusions 11, 12, 111, 112, 211a, 211b, 211c, 212 Sealing members 13, 113, 213 Holes 14, 114, 214 Cylinders 15, 115, 215 Push-up members 16 Injected material 17, 117, 217 Gas generators 17a, 117a, 217a Cup bodies 17b, 117b Electrodes 18 Containers 19, 119, 219 Bottomed cylindrical parts 19a, 119a, 219a Bottom 20, 120, 220 Support part 21 Cover part 22, 71, 122, 222 Connector 22a, 122a, 222a Main body part 23, 123, 223 Stopper member 27, 127, 227 Movement prevention member 28 Bolt 29a Hole 30 Flight body 31 Airframe 32 Propulsion mechanism 33 Leg part 60 Closure member 70, 270 Wiring 100 Safety device 210g First sliding part 210h Second sliding part

Claims

1. A safety device comprising: a sliding member; an actuator having a power source that generates a driving force to slide the sliding member to one side; a push-up member supported by the sliding member so as to be movable together with the sliding member when in operation and supporting an injection material; and a container that houses at least the sliding member, the actuator, the push-up member, and the injection material inside, wherein the push-up member is supported so as to be slidable and not fixed to the sliding member, such that after the sliding member slides to one side due to the driving force, the push-up member slides to one side relative to the sliding member and separates from the sliding member.

2. The safety device according to claim 1, further comprising a support member that slidably supports the sliding member, wherein the sliding member has a protruding portion that protrudes to one side from the support member in a state before operation, and the push-up member is supported by the protruding portion such that, after the sliding member slides to one side due to the driving force, it slides to one side relative to the sliding member and separates from the sliding member.

3. The safety device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sliding member has a telescopic structure that slides and extends to one side by the driving force.

4. An aircraft comprising: an airframe; a safety device according to claim 1 or 2 coupled to the airframe; and one or more propulsion mechanisms coupled to the airframe for propelling the airframe.

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