Lift generating device and thrust generating device for aircraft

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a lift generating device for an aircraft and a thrust generating device for an aircraft that are capable of generating lift and thrust, respectively, using dynamic pressure which is generated when a disc member is rotated. [Solution] A lift generating device (10) for an aircraft comprises: a circular or annular disc member (11); a rotational drive mechanism (12) that rotationally drives a disc member (11); a lift generating mechanism (13) that generates lift (F) with dynamic pressure which is generated in the vicinity of an upper surface of the disc member (11) when the disc member (11) is rotationally driven; an annular pressure reduction chamber (14) that is formed by the disc member (11) and a disc body (6) in a region in the vicinity of a lower surface of the disc member (11); a plurality of sealing means (15A, 15B) that seal the pressure reduction chamber (14) such that air does not enter therein; a vacuum pump (16) that is capable of reducing the pressure inside the pressure reduction chamber (14) to a preset reduced-pressure state; and a plurality of thrust bearing means (17) that are provided inside the pressure reduction chamber (14) and between the disc member (11) and the disc body (6).

Description

Lift generating device and thrust generating device for a flying object

[0001] The present invention relates to a lift generating device and a thrust generating device for a flying object, and particularly to a lift generating device that generates lift and a thrust generating device that generates thrust by dynamic pressure generated in the vicinity of the outer surface of a disk member that is rotationally driven. In the wing of an aircraft, since an angle of attack is set, dynamic pressure generated in the air flow acts on the upper surface side of the wing, and on the lower surface side of the wing, dynamic pressure generated in the air flow, the momentum of the air flow, and an upward force caused by the angle of attack act, so a lift that floats the aircraft body is generated.

[0002] When a rotating body is rotated, approximately the same dynamic pressure is generated near the upper surface and the lower surface of the rotating body, and the pressure drops due to these dynamic pressures become almost equal, so lift cannot be generated. Therefore, when the lower surface side of the rotating body is made vacuum or depressurized, and in a state where the downward force due to the vacuum or depressurization does not occur, the dynamic pressure on the lower surface side becomes smaller than the dynamic pressure on the upper surface side, and the pressure drop on the lower surface side becomes smaller than the pressure drop on the upper surface side, so lift can be generated. Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose lift generating devices that utilize this principle.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a lift generating device that forms a large-volume decompression chamber that is decompressed by a vacuum pump on the lower surface side of a rotating body, rotates the rotating body with a motor, and makes the pressure drop due to the dynamic pressure on the outer surface of the rotating body larger than the pressure drop due to the dynamic pressure on the inner surface of the rotating body facing the decompression chamber, thereby generating lift.

[0004] In the UFO-type flying object described in FIGS. 21A and 21B of Patent Document 2, the outer shell is composed of an upper outer shell and a lower outer shell, the inner shell inside the outer shell is composed of an upper inner shell and a lower inner shell, a first motor that rotationally drives the upper outer shell, a second motor that rotationally drives the lower outer shell or a fan, and a vacuum pump that decompresses the space between the upper outer shell and the upper inner shell are provided.

[0005] WO2005 / 081678 publication, WO2005 / 091740 publication

[0006] In the lift-generating device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to ensure a reduced pressure in order to house the motor and bearings in the reduced pressure chamber, but no feasible structure regarding the rigidity and strength of the wall material and rotating body is disclosed. Moreover, both the vacuum pump and the motor for driving the rotating body are large, and the depressurization process time for reducing the pressure in the reduced pressure chamber also becomes longer.

[0007] In the aircraft described in Figures 21A and 21B of Patent Document 2, a large-volume decompression chamber is formed between the upper outer shell and the upper inner shell. Therefore, similar to Patent Document 1, it is necessary to enlarge the vacuum pump, significantly increase the rigidity and strength of the upper outer shell and the upper inner shell, and enlarge the motor that rotates the upper outer shell. Furthermore, if the decompression chamber is to be kept in a decompressed state even when the upper outer shell is stopped rotating, the rigidity and strength of the upper outer shell and the upper inner shell need to be further strengthened. However, no feasible structure relating to the upper outer shell and the upper inner shell is disclosed.

[0008] The lift generating device for an aircraft according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a circular or annular disc member rotatably supported on the main frame of the aircraft; a rotational drive mechanism for rotating the disc member about a vertical or substantially vertical axis of the disc member; a lift generating mechanism for generating lift toward the outside by dynamic pressure generated near the upper surface of the disc member facing the outside when the disc member is rotated by the rotational drive mechanism; one or more annular decompression chambers formed by the disc member and the main frame in the region near the lower surface of the disc member, facing one or more annular portions of the lower surface excluding at least the central portion and the outer peripheral portion; a plurality of sealing means for sealing the one or more decompression chambers to prevent air from entering; a vacuum pump capable of reducing the pressure inside the one or more decompression chambers to a preset decompression state; and a plurality of thrust bearing means equipped between the disc member and the main frame in each decompression chamber and supporting the load acting on the disc member portion facing the decompression chamber due to the decompression. Furthermore, the term "domain" mentioned above refers to space.

[0009] According to the above configuration, when the disc member is rotated, lift can be generated by the pressure drop caused by the dynamic pressure generated near its upper surface. In the region near the lower surface of the disc member, one or more annular decompression chambers are formed between the disc member and the main machine frame, and the pressure is reduced to a set decompression state. Therefore, even when the disc member is rotated, only a small dynamic pressure corresponding to the decompression state is generated, and the pressure drop due to this dynamic pressure is small. As a result, most of the lift generated by the dynamic pressure near the upper surface of the disc member can be utilized as effective lift. Furthermore, the downward force acting on the disc member due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber is offset by the upward force acting on the main machine frame due to the negative pressure in the decompression chamber via multiple thrust bearing means, etc., so that the negative pressure in the decompression chamber does not exert any substantial external force on the disc member.

[0010] Furthermore, since one or more annular decompression chambers are formed in the region near the lower surface of the disc member and have small vertical dimensions, the volume of the decompression chambers can be reduced, allowing for miniaturization of the vacuum pump and shortening the decompression time. Moreover, since each decompression chamber is equipped with multiple thrust bearing means to support the load acting due to the decompression on the portion of the disc member facing the decompression chamber, it is advantageous in reducing the rigidity and strength of the disc member, advantageous in miniaturizing and lightweighting the disc member and rotational drive mechanism, and advantageous in reducing the manufacturing cost of the lift generation device. In addition, since negative pressure acts on the disc member from the decompression chamber and pulls it toward the main machine frame side, the rigidity of the disc member can be made relatively small and lightweight, which is advantageous in miniaturizing the rotational drive mechanism.

[0011] The present invention can be implemented in various forms as follows. In the first form, the decompression chamber has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the distance between the upper surface and the lower surface is 30 mm or less. In the second form, the plurality of thrust bearing means are a plurality of annular thrust bearings arranged at predetermined intervals in the radial direction with respect to the axis.

[0012] In the third embodiment, the plurality of thrust bearing means comprises a plurality of rolling elements arranged at a first set interval in the radial direction and a second set interval in the circumferential direction with respect to the axis, and a metal retaining plate having a plurality of retaining holes formed therein for rotatably holding each of the plurality of rolling elements.

[0013] In the fourth embodiment, the rotational drive mechanism has an electric motor in which an output shaft is connected to a shaft portion that is integrally formed with the disc member so as to include the axis and protrudes toward the inner surface. In the fifth embodiment, the rotational drive mechanism has an annular linear motor capable of rotationally driving the disc member.

[0014] The thrust generating device for an aircraft according to the present invention is characterized by comprising: a circular or annular disc member rotatably supported on the main frame of the aircraft; a rotational drive mechanism for rotating the disc member about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis of the disc member; a thrust generating mechanism for generating thrust toward the outside by dynamic pressure generated near the outer surface of the disc member facing the outside when the disc member is rotated by the rotational drive mechanism; one or more annular decompression chambers formed by the disc member and the main frame in the region near the inner surface of the disc member, facing one or more annular portions of the inner surface excluding at least the central portion and the outer peripheral portion; a plurality of sealing means for sealing the one or more decompression chambers to prevent air from entering; a vacuum pump capable of reducing the pressure inside the decompression chambers to a preset decompression state; and a plurality of thrust bearing means equipped between the disc member and the main frame in each decompression chamber and preventing the portion of the disc member facing the decompression chamber from elastically deforming toward the main frame.

[0015] This thrust generating device has the same structure as the aforementioned lift generating device, except that the axis of the disc member is oriented horizontally or nearly horizontally, and produces the same effect.

[0016] According to the present invention, the above-mentioned excellent effects can be obtained.

[0017] This is a plan view of a drone according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This is a longitudinal cross-section of the lift generating device. This is an enlarged longitudinal cross-sectional view of the main part of the lift generating device. This is an explanatory diagram of the coordinate system, etc., for deriving the formula for calculating lift. This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 3 according to Embodiment 2. This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 3 according to Embodiment 3. This is a diagram corresponding to Figure 3 according to Embodiment 4. This is a plan view of a disc-shaped flying body according to Embodiment 5. This is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in Figure 8. This is a plan view of an aircraft-type flying body according to Embodiment 6.

[0018] Next, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described based on examples.

[0019] Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the drone 1 (flying body) flying in the air has a main frame 2, four sets of lift generating devices 10 connected to each of the four arm members 4 of the main frame 2, and a control unit 22 including a battery 21 and a communication unit mounted on the central frame 3 of the main frame 2. The main frame 2 has a central frame 3, four arm members 4 extending from the central frame 3, cylindrical bodies 5 connected to the tips of each arm member 4, and disc bodies 6 connected to the upper end of each cylindrical body 5 and arranged opposite to the lower side of the disc member 11. The disc bodies 6 are bolted to the flange 5a at the upper end of the cylindrical body 5.

[0020] Each of the lift generating devices 10 comprises a circular disc member 11 rotatably supported by a cylindrical body 5 and a disc body 6, a rotational drive mechanism 12 that rotates the disc member 11 about a vertical or nearly vertical axis X of the disc member 11, a lift generating mechanism 13, an annular depressurization chamber 14, two sets of sealing means 15, a vacuum pump 16 capable of reducing the pressure inside the depressurization chamber 14 to a preset depressurization state, and a plurality of thrust bearing means 17 that are installed between the disc member 11 and the disc body 6 (main machine frame) inside each depressurization chamber 14 and support the load acting due to the depressurization on the portion of the disc member facing the depressurization chamber 11.

[0021] The lift generation mechanism 13 generates a lift force directed outward (upward) by the dynamic pressure generated near the upper surface of the disc member 11 facing the outside when the disc member 11 is rotated by the rotation drive mechanism 12. The two sets of sealing means 15 include an inner circumference sealing mechanism 15A that seals the area near the inner circumference of the decompression chamber 14, and an outer circumference sealing mechanism 15B that seals the area near the outer circumference of the decompression chamber 14.

[0022] The disc member 11 is made of one of the following materials: metal (for example, stainless steel, titanium, titanium alloy, high-tensile steel, magnesium alloy, or aluminum alloy), fiber-reinforced synthetic resin, or CNF (cellulose nanofiber). However, the disc member 11 may also be made of a different material than those mentioned above. The upper surface 11a (outer surface) of the disc member 11 facing the outside world is formed as a horizontal plane, a partial sphere, a conical surface, or a plane or curved surface of other shapes. For example, in the illustrated example, it is formed as a smooth conical surface with a cross-sectional apex angle of 170° and a projection upwards. The disc member 11 needs to have rigidity and strength to withstand lift, but it is desirable that it be as lightweight as possible.

[0023] The upper surface 11a is formed in a shape obtained by rotating a line segment, such as a straight line, a broken line, or an arc, 360 degrees around the axis X. The lower surface 11b (inner surface) of the disc member 11 opposite to the upper surface 11a is preferably formed as a smooth and horizontal plane, but is not limited to this plane.

[0024] In the initial state, the disc member 11 is in a horizontal position with its axis X set to a vertical position. The rotational drive mechanism 12 is integrally formed with the disc member 12 so as to include the axis X and has a shaft portion 18 that protrudes toward the lower surface 14 of the disc member 12. This shaft portion 18 is connected to the output shaft 20a of the electric motor 20 of the rotational drive mechanism 12 via a coupling 19.

[0025] The central frame 3 of the main body frame 2 houses the battery 21 and the control unit 22, while the electric motor 20 is housed and supported in the cylindrical body 5. The electric motor 20 can be a DC commutator motor, a brushless motor, or various other motors, and this electric motor 20 is controlled by the control unit 22 based on wireless control signals from the operator. Cables 23, including a power cable that supplies power from the control unit 22 and a control cable that sends and receives control signals, are connected to the electric motor 20. An internal combustion engine can be used instead of the electric motor 20. Support legs 24 used when the drone 1 lands are provided at the lower end of the cylindrical body 5.

[0026] Next, the decompression chamber 14 will be described. The annular decompression chamber 14 is formed by the disc member 11 and the disc body 6 (main machine frame) so as to face the annular portion of the disc member 11b, excluding at least the central portion and the portion near the outer circumference of the disc member 11b, in the region near the lower surface of the disc member 11. The decompression chamber 14 has an upper surface and a lower surface perpendicular to the axis X, and it is desirable that the distance between the upper surface and the lower surface be 30 mm or less.

[0027] The annular pressure-reducing chamber 14 is provided to reduce the dynamic pressure generated near the lower surface 11b of the disc member 11. For this reason, the vertical distance can be set to several millimeters. However, if the volume of the pressure-reducing chamber 14 is too small, the tolerance time when air leaks from the inner circumferential sealing mechanism 15A or the outer circumferential sealing mechanism 15B will be too short. Also, if the volume of the pressure-reducing chamber 14 is too large, the vacuum pump 16 will need to be larger, and the pressure-reducing process will take longer. From this perspective, in this embodiment, the vertical distance is set to, for example, 20 mm. In the example shown in Figure 3, if the radius of the disc member 11 is R, the inner diameter of the annular pressure-reducing chamber 14 is approximately 0.3R to 0.35R, and the outer diameter is approximately 0.8R to 0.85R.

[0028] The vacuum pump 16 is capable of reducing the pressure in the depressurization chamber 14 to a preset depressurization state. This vacuum pump 16 is mounted on the arm member 4 near the cylindrical body 5, and a suction tube 16a extending from the vacuum pump 16 passes through the inside of the cylindrical body 5 and is connected to the inner circumference of the depressurization chamber 14. A cable 16b, including a power cable and a control cable, is connected to the vacuum pump 16 from the control unit 22. A pressure sensor for detecting the pressure inside the depressurization chamber 14 is also provided. The preset depressurization state is, for example, 1000 Pa, which corresponds to 1 / 100th of an atmosphere. However, it is not limited to this depressurization state, and may be a depressurization state in the range of several hundred Pa to several thousand Pa as needed. It is preferable that the degree of depressurization is higher, as this reduces the dynamic pressure generated near the lower surface of the disc member 11 facing the depressurization chamber 14, and the pressure drop due to dynamic pressure is also smaller.

[0029] Next, the inner circumferential sealing mechanism 15A and the outer circumferential sealing mechanism 15B will be described. The inner circumferential sealing mechanism 15A includes an annular sealing groove 31 formed in the disc body 6 on the inner side of the inner circumferential side wall portion 30 of the decompression chamber 14, an annular sealing member 32 fitted in the sealing groove 31, a plurality of vertical screw holes 33 formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction below the sealing groove 31, a plurality of screw members 34 screwed into these vertical screw holes 33, a plurality of compression springs 35 fitted into the spring receiving holes of the plurality of screw members 34 to bias the sealing member 32 upward, and O-rings 36 and 37 fitted in the ring grooves of the inner circumferential wall portion and the ring grooves of the outer circumferential wall portion of the sealing member 32, respectively.

[0030] The threaded member 34 extends downward from the lower end of the vertical screw hole 33 and protrudes into the space inside the cylindrical body 5, and a hexagonal hole 38 for engaging a tool (wrench) is formed at the lower end of the threaded member 34. The sealing member 32 is made of a synthetic resin material such as fluororesin such as Teflon (registered trademark), silicone resin, or polyetheretherketone (PEEK). The O-rings 36 and 37 are made of a synthetic resin material such as silicone resin. The sealing member 32 adheres tightly to the lower surface 11b of the disc member 11 and seals the space between it and the lower surface 11b. By appropriately setting the pressing force of the compression spring 35, the sealing performance of the sealing member 32 can be ensured. Note that the above-described inner circumference sealing mechanism 15A is merely an example, and various sealing mechanisms can be adopted.

[0031] The outer periphery sealing mechanism 15B comprises an annular sealing groove 41 formed in the disc body 6 on the outer periphery of the outer periphery side wall portion 40 of the depressurization chamber 14, an annular sealing member 42 fitted in the sealing groove 41, an annular wedge member 43 fitted in a wedge shape between the lower surface of the sealing member 42 and the bottom surface of the sealing groove 41, a plurality of transverse screw holes 44 formed at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction in the portion of the disc body 6 near the outer periphery, screw members 45 fitted in each of these transverse screw holes 44, a plurality of compression springs 46 fitted in the spring receiving holes of the plurality of screw members 45 to bias the wedge member 43 toward the axis X, and annular O-rings 47 and 48 fitted in the ring grooves of the upper and lower walls of the wedge member 43, respectively.

[0032] The sealing member 42 is made of the same synthetic resin material as the sealing member 32, and the O-rings 47 and 48 are made of the same synthetic resin material as the O-rings 36 and 37. A hexagonal hole 49 for engaging a tool is formed at the outer end of the screw-in member 45. By adjusting the amount of threading of the screw-in member 43 and appropriately setting the pressing force of the compression spring 46, the sealing performance of the sealing member 42 can be ensured. Note that the outer peripheral sealing mechanism 15B described above is merely an example, and various sealing mechanisms can be adopted.

[0033] Next, the thrust bearing means 17 will be described. The plurality of thrust bearing means 17 are three annular thrust bearings 50 arranged within the depressurization chamber 14 at predetermined intervals in the radial direction centered on the axis X. The above predetermined interval is not limited to a specific interval, but an interval of about 4 cm to 8 cm is desirable.

[0034] Each thrust bearing 50 includes an annular fixing ring 51 fixed to the bottom surface 14a (upper surface of the disc body 6) of the decompression chamber 14, an annular rotating ring 52 fixed to the lower surface 11b of the disc member 11, a plurality of steel balls 53 mounted between the fixing ring 51 and the rotating ring 52, and an annular holder 54 that holds these steel balls 53. It is preferable that the thrust bearing 50 be a non-supplied hydraulic thrust bearing.

[0035] When the electric motor 20 rotates the disc member 11 via the shaft 18, dynamic pressure is generated near the upper surface of the disc member 11, and the static pressure decreases by the amount of this dynamic pressure. As a result, a lift force F equal to the dynamic pressure multiplied by the area acts on the disc member 11. To simplify the calculation of the lift force, we will approximate the outer surface 11a of the disc member 11 as a circular horizontal surface. Here, the rotational angular velocity of the disc member 11 is ω, the radius of the disc member 11 is R, the density of air is ρ, and in the r-θ coordinate system shown in Figure 4, the position of surface element A is (r, θ). The dynamic pressure acting on surface element A is (1 / 2)ρ(rω). ２　 The area of ​​surface element A is rdθdr. Therefore, the lift force F due to the dynamic pressure acting on the entire upper surface 11a of the disc member 11 is given by the following equation. However, the airflow due to centrifugal force was ignored in the calculation.

[0036]

[0037] Next, the density of air ρ = 1.2 kg / m³ ３　 As an example, we will explain the calculation of the lift force acting on one disc member 11. If R = 0.15 m and the rotational speed N of the disc member 12 = 6500 rpm (ω = 216π / s), the lift force F = 21.0 kg. If R = 0.5 m and the rotational speed N of the disc member 11 = 6500 rpm (ω = 216π / s), the lift force F = 2.7 ton.

[0038] If R = 1.0 m and the rotational speed N of the disc member 11 = 3200 rpm (ω = 106π / s), the lift force F = 10.5 ton. If R = 2.0 m and the rotational speed N of the disc member 11 = 1600 rpm (ω = 53π / s), the lift force F = 42.2 ton. If R = 4.0 m and the rotational speed N of the disc member 11 = 800 rpm (ω = 26π / s), the lift force F = 169.0 ton. However, the above calculation examples are approximate.

[0039] Here, even if we assume that a pressure equal to the pressure in the decompression chamber 14 (1 / 100 of an atmosphere) acts on the entire lower surface 11b of the disc member 11, the downward force due to that dynamic pressure will be about 1 / 100 of the lifting force F, and will be a substantially negligible downward force.

[0040] As described above, the disc member 11 is rotated by the electric motor 20, and lift is generated by the dynamic pressure generated near the upper surface of the disc member 11. However, one or more annular decompression chambers 14 are formed in the region near the lower surface of the disc member 11, facing one or more annular portions of its lower surface excluding at least the central portion and the portion near the outer circumference, and the decompression chambers 14 are depressurized to a preset decompression state. As a result, the downward force due to the dynamic pressure acting on the lower surface of the disc member 14 becomes a very small force. Therefore, most of the lift due to the dynamic pressure acting near the upper surface of the disc member 11 can be utilized as effective lift.

[0041] The decompression chamber 14 is equipped with multiple thrust bearings 50 to prevent the disc member portion facing the decompression chamber 14 from elastically deforming toward the disc body 6 (main aircraft frame). This is advantageous for reducing the rigidity and strength of the disc member 11, as well as for miniaturizing the electric motor 20. Since the majority of the dynamic pressure generated near the upper surface of the disc member 11 is effectively utilized to generate lift, a large lift can be generated with a substantially small rotary drive mechanism 12. This allows for a compact and highly efficient lift generation device 10 that is inexpensive to manufacture due to the simple structure of the disc member 11 and the rotary drive mechanism 12. Moreover, the noise generated from the rotary drive mechanism 12 is at a low level, and vertical takeoff and landing are possible, which is advantageous.

[0042] Next, the thrust bearing means 17A according to Example 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, in the decompression chamber 14, instead of the thrust bearing 50, a plurality of annular thrust bearing members 55 are provided at predetermined intervals in the radial direction as the plurality of thrust bearing means 17A.

[0043] This thrust bearing member 55 is composed of an annular base member 56 formed as a convex strip integral with the disk body 6, and an annular low-friction member 57 made of a low-friction synthetic resin that is fixed to the upper surface of the base member 56, is in surface contact with the lower surface of the disk member 11, and supports the lower surface thereof. The low-friction member 57 is a member made of a material such as fluororesin like Teflon (registered trademark) or polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Incidentally, it is desirable that the plate-shaped portion 58 of the lower surface of the disk member 11 that contacts the low-friction member 57 is made of a low-friction metal material such as ductile cast iron, white metal, copper-lead alloy, or aluminum alloy.

[0044] Next, the thrust bearing means 17B according to Example 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a predetermined thickness portion (for example, a thickness portion of about 10 mm) of the bottom wall of the decompression chamber 14 is formed as an annular low-friction metal plate 59 made of a low-friction metal material such as ductile cast iron, white metal, copper-lead alloy, or aluminum alloy, and a plurality of annular low-friction members 60 as the plurality of thrust bearing means 17B are integrally formed to protrude from the upper surface. These low-friction members 60 are in surface contact with and support the lower surface 11b of the disk member 11. Incidentally, the low-friction metal plate 59 is fixed to the disk body 6 with a plurality of bolts or the like. Incidentally, it is desirable that the plate-shaped portion 61 of the wall portion near the lower surface of the disk member 11 that contacts the low-friction member 60 is made of a low-friction metal material such as ductile cast iron, white metal, copper-lead alloy, or aluminum alloy. Also, cooling means for cooling the low-friction metal plate 59 may be provided.

[0045] Next, the thrust bearing means 17C according to Example 4 will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the plurality of thrust bearing means 17C includes a plurality of rolling elements 62 arranged with a first set distance in the radial direction centered on the axis X and a second set distance in the circumferential direction, and a plurality of rolling elements 62 are respectively rotatably held. It has a metal holding plate 64 formed with a plurality of holding holes 63. In the illustrated example, the rolling element 62 is a steel ball that contacts the lower surface 11b of the disk member 11 and the bottom surface 14a of the decompression chamber 14, and the holding hole 63 is a partial conical hole. However, a tapered roller member that can roll in the circumferential direction is adopted as the rolling element 62, and in that case, the holding hole becomes a trapezoidal hole.

[0046] FIGS. 8 and 9 show a disk-shaped flying object 70 equipped with lift generating devices 71 and a pair of thrust generating devices 72. The lift generating device 71 is an annular disk member 75 that closes most of the conical upper surface of the disk-shaped main body frame 74, and the disk member 75 has an axis X in a vertical or substantially vertical posture, and an annular linear motor 76 that rotationally drives the disk member 75 in the direction of arrow E, and a sealing mechanism 77 that hermetically seals between the inner circumference of the disk member 75 and the top wall 74a of the main body frame 74, and a sealing mechanism 78 that hermetically seals between the outer circumference of the disk member 75 and the outer peripheral wall 74b of the main body frame 84.

[0047] The above-mentioned annular linear motor 76 has a plurality of sets of three-phase coils arranged annularly on the main body frame 74 side and a plurality of sets of rotors made of a non-magnetic material provided on the inner surface of the disk member 75. Note that various types of annular linear motors other than the above can be adopted as the annular linear motor 76.

[0048] Below the disk member 75, a conical disk body 79a and a partial conical disk body 79b that are part of the main body frame are arranged, and annular decompression chambers 80 and 81 are respectively formed on the inner peripheral side and the outer peripheral side of the annular linear motor 76. These decompression chambers 80 and 81 are thin types with an up-down dimension of about 20 mm. A vacuum pump 87 for decompressing the decompression chambers 80 and 81 is also provided. By this vacuum pump 87, the decompression chambers 80 and 81 are decompressed to a decompressed state of, for example, several hundred Pa.

[0049] The disc member 75 is strongly attracted towards the depressurization chambers 80 and 81 in the reduced pressure state and will not fall off. However, to enhance safety, an annular support 75a is provided to support the inner circumference of the disc member 75 against the top wall 74a, and an annular support 75b is provided to support the outer circumference of the disc member 75 against the outer wall 74b. Three annular thrust bearings 82 are installed inside the inner circumference depressurization chamber 80, and two annular thrust bearings 82 are installed inside the outer circumference depressurization chamber 81. Multiple sealing mechanisms 83 and 84 are provided in the inner circumference of the inner circumference depressurization chamber 80 and in the outer circumference of the outer circumference depressurization chamber 81 to prevent air from entering the depressurization chambers 80 and 81.

[0050] A pair of thrust generators 72 are provided on the lower part of the main aircraft frame 74. The thrust generators 72 have the same structure as the various lift generators 71 described above, and generate thrust T instead of lift by arranging the axis X of the disc member 75 horizontally or nearly horizontally. The pair of thrust generators 72 generate forward thrust T to cause the aircraft 70 to fly forward. Furthermore, by adjusting the thrust of the pair of thrust generators 72, it becomes possible to perform turning flight to the left or right.

[0051] In this aircraft 70, when ascending, the rotational speed of the disc member 75 is increased to increase lift. Conversely, when descending, the rotational speed of the disc member 75 is decreased to reduce lift. However, the pair of thrust generating devices 72 may be configured to swing up and down by a predetermined small angle around the pivot axis 85, so that when the aircraft 70 is ascending, the pair of thrust generating devices 72 are swung upward, and when the aircraft 70 is descending, the pair of thrust generating devices 72 are swung downward.

[0052] Furthermore, when the disc member 75 rotates in the direction of E, the main machine frame 74 rotates in the opposite direction to E. A pair of thrust generating devices 86 are provided to apply an anti-torque to the main machine frame 74 to prevent this rotation. In Figure 7, the thrust generating device 86 on the right generates a forward thrust H, and the thrust generating device 86 on the left generates a rearward thrust H.

[0053] Figure 9 shows an aircraft-type flying object 90. The main frame of this flying object 90 has a fuselage 91, four main wings 92, a vertical stabilizer 93, and a pair of horizontal stabilizers 94. Each of the four main wings 92 is equipped with a lift generating device 95 whose axis is oriented vertically or nearly vertically, and the rotation direction of its circular disc member 95a is as shown by the arrows. This lift generating device 95 rotates the disc member 95a using an electric motor or an internal combustion engine, and for example, one lift generating device 95 can generate a lift of 50 tons.

[0054] A pair of thrust generators 96 are mounted on the lower part of the longitudinal center of the fuselage 91, and a pair of thrust generators 97 are mounted on the lower part near the rear end of the fuselage 91. These thrust generators 96 and 97 not only generate thrust for the forward movement of the aircraft 90, but also enable turning in the left and right directions. Furthermore, these thrust generators 96 and 97 are configured to swing vertically at a predetermined angle around the pivot axes 98 and 99, swinging upward when raising the aircraft 90 and swinging downward when lowering the aircraft. Each of the thrust generators 96 and 97 generates, for example, 15 tons of thrust.

[0055] These thrust generating devices 96 and 97 have the same structure as the various lift generating devices described above, and generate thrust S instead of lift by arranging the axis of the disc member horizontally or nearly horizontally and in the front-rear direction. The oscillation shafts 98 and 99 can be omitted, and the device may be configured to increase the lift of the lift generating device 95 when ascending and decrease the lift of the lift generating device 95 when descending.

[0056] Furthermore, those skilled in the art can implement the present invention in various forms with modifications to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention, and the present invention also encompasses such modifications. For example, it is desirable to provide a thrust support mechanism that supports the axial force on the main machine frame so that the axial force does not act on the output shaft of the electric motor.

[0057] Furthermore, the lift-generating device and thrust-generating device of the present invention function not only in air but also in water. The density of water is 1000 kg / m³. ３　Since its density is approximately 1000 times that of air, it is possible that lift and thrust will be generated approximately 1000 times or several hundred times greater than in air when compared under the same conditions.

[0058] The present invention provides a lift-generating device and a thrust-generating device with a simple structure that can be used in drones, single-person aircraft, helicopter-type aircraft, automobile-type aircraft, disc-type aircraft, aircraft-type aircraft, and various other aircraft that require lift or thrust.

[0059] 1 Drone 2 Main frame 6 Disc 10 Lift generating device 11 Disc member 12 Rotary drive mechanism 13 Lift generating mechanism 14 Pressure reducing chamber 15 Sealing means 16 Vacuum pump 17, 17A, 17B, 17C Thrust bearing means 18 Shaft 20 Electric motor 20a Output shaft 62 Rolling element 63 Retaining hole 64 Retaining plate

Claims

1. A lift generating device for an aircraft, comprising: a circular or annular disc member rotatably supported on the main frame of the aircraft; a rotational drive mechanism for rotating the disc member about a vertical or nearly vertical axis of the disc member; a lift generating mechanism for generating lift toward the outside by dynamic pressure generated near the upper surface of the disc member facing the outside when the disc member is rotated by the rotational drive mechanism; one or more annular decompression chambers formed by the disc member and the main frame in the region near the lower surface of the disc member, facing one or more annular portions of the lower surface excluding at least the central portion and the outer peripheral portion; a plurality of sealing means for sealing the one or more decompression chambers to prevent air from entering; a vacuum pump capable of reducing the pressure inside the one or more decompression chambers to a preset decompression state; and a plurality of thrust bearing means equipped between the disc member and the main frame in each decompression chamber and supporting the load acting on the disc member portion facing the decompression chamber due to the decompression.

2. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the decompression chamber has an upper surface and a lower surface, and the distance between the upper surface and the lower surface is 30 mm or less.

3. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of thrust bearing means are a plurality of annular thrust bearings arranged at predetermined intervals in the radial direction with respect to the axis.

4. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the plurality of thrust bearing means comprises a plurality of rolling elements arranged at a first set interval in the radial direction and a second set interval in the circumferential direction with respect to the axis, and a metal retaining plate having a plurality of retaining holes formed therein for rotatably holding each of the plurality of rolling elements.

5. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational drive mechanism has an electric motor in which an output shaft is connected to a shaft portion that is integrally formed with the disc member so as to include the axis and protrudes toward the inner surface.

6. The lift generating device for an aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that the rotational drive mechanism has an annular linear motor capable of rotating the disc member.

7. A thrust generating device for an aircraft, comprising: a circular or annular disc member rotatably supported on the main frame of the aircraft; a rotational drive mechanism for rotating the disc member about a horizontal or substantially horizontal axis of the disc member; a thrust generating mechanism for generating thrust toward the outside by dynamic pressure generated near the outer surface of the disc member facing the outside when the disc member is rotated by the rotational drive mechanism; one or more annular decompression chambers formed by the disc member and the main frame in the region near the inner surface of the disc member, facing one or more annular portions of the inner surface excluding at least the central portion and the outer peripheral portion; a plurality of sealing means for sealing the one or more decompression chambers to prevent air from entering; a vacuum pump capable of reducing the pressure inside the decompression chambers to a preset vacuum state; and a plurality of thrust bearing means equipped between the disc member and the main frame in each decompression chamber and supporting the load acting on the disc member portion facing the decompression chamber due to the decompression.

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