JP6770912B2 - Flying body for unmanned aerial vehicle transportation - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle, and is particularly useful for safely starting an unmanned aerial vehicle after transporting it to a target airspace at a high speed.

In general, an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of staying in the air for a certain period of time does not have a structural strength that can withstand a high dynamic pressure environment due to weight reduction and the like. Therefore, this type of unmanned aerial vehicle has a relatively slow flight speed, and it takes time to advance to the target airspace.
On the other hand, an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of high-speed flight can reach the target airspace in a short time, but the flight time in the target airspace becomes short due to its high weight and the like.
Therefore, in order to allow an unmanned aerial vehicle that can stay in the air for a certain period of time to advance to the target airspace in a short time, the unmanned aerial vehicle is housed in a containment member and safely protected, as seen in the launch of an artificial satellite by a rocket. , It is necessary to transport (fly) the accommodating member at high speed.

In this case, as a holding structure for the unmanned aerial vehicle during transportation, it is conceivable to apply a structure for holding the artificial satellite in the fairing (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Generally, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the artificial satellite is held by the satellite separation portion by being fastened to the clamp band with the base end portion in contact with the satellite separation portion. .. This holding structure may be applied to an unmanned aerial vehicle in the accommodating member.

JP-A-11-121100

By the way, since the load in the lateral direction does not act so much when the rocket is launched, the above-mentioned holding structure of the artificial satellite is sufficient as long as it can withstand the load in the axial direction of the rocket, including the strength of the artificial satellite itself.
However, when transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle by flying object, a large lateral load acts, unlike when a rocket is launched. Therefore, when the above-mentioned holding structure of the artificial satellite is simply applied to the unmanned aerial vehicle, the unmanned aerial vehicle is cantilevered and supported, and a large bending load acts on the unmanned aerial vehicle due to the lateral load. Since the unmanned aerial vehicle does not have high structural strength as described above, it may be damaged by this bending load.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately transport and start a flight while safely protecting an unmanned aerial vehicle.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is an unmanned aerial vehicle transport projectile for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle.
A containment member having a containment chamber for accommodating the unmanned aerial vehicle and having an opening for allowing the unmanned aerial vehicle to be taken in and out of the containment chamber.
A moving means provided in the accommodating member to move the unmanned aerial vehicle accommodated in the accommodating chamber in the opening direction of the opening.
A cushioning member formed in a wedge shape and arranged between the inner surface of the containment chamber and the unmanned aerial vehicle in a direction constricting along the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle transport vehicle or the opposite direction.
Equipped with a,
The opening is characterized in that it opens in the direction opposite to the flight direction of the flying object for transporting the unmanned aerial vehicle .

The invention according to claim 2 is the invention for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1.
The cushioning member is connected to the accommodating member via a string-shaped member.

The invention according to claim 3 is the invention for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.
The cushioning member is
The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a first cushioning member that supports an end portion on the flight direction side and a second cushioning member that supports a portion on the side opposite to the flight direction .
The first cushioning member is arranged in a direction that narrows in the direction opposite to the flight direction, and the second cushioning member is arranged in a direction that narrows in the direction of flight .

The invention according to claim 4 is the invention for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The moving means is a pushing mechanism that is arranged in the accommodation chamber on the side opposite to the unmanned aerial vehicle in the opening direction and pushes the unmanned aerial vehicle in the opening direction.

The invention according to claim 5 is the invention for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The unmanned aerial vehicle has a stronger frame part than the other parts and
The cushioning member is arranged so as to be in contact with the frame portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle .

According to the present invention, the unmanned aerial vehicle in the containment member is protected by a cushioning member arranged between the inner surface of the containment chamber and the unmanned aerial vehicle. As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle receives the acting load as a compressive load on the outer skin surface via the cushioning member, so that the bending load acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle can be reduced as compared with the case where it is cantilevered at the end. it can.
Therefore, unlike the case where the holding structure of the artificial satellite is applied, the unmanned aerial vehicle can be appropriately transported and started in flight while being safely protected.

It is a figure which shows the flying object for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle in an embodiment, (a) is a side sectional view, and (b) is a rear view in a state where a lid member is removed. It is a figure which shows the flying object for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle in a state where the unmanned aerial vehicle is pushed out from the containment chamber of a canister. It is a figure for demonstrating the holding structure of an artificial satellite.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Structure of flying object for unmanned aerial vehicle transportation]
First, the configuration of the unmanned aerial vehicle transport flying object (hereinafter, simply referred to as “transporting flying object”) 1 in the present embodiment will be described.
1A and 1B are views showing a transport flying object 1, in which FIG. 1A is a side sectional view and FIG. 1B is a rear view showing a state in which a lid member 3 described later is removed. Further, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a transport flying object 1 in a state where the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is extruded from the canister 2 described later. In addition, in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, only the canister 2 is shown in cross section.

As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the transport flying object 1 is for transporting the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV at high speed. More specifically, the transport projectile 1 flies (flys) at high speed by being put into a predetermined flight trajectory by, for example, an aircraft (not shown) flying at high speed, and after reaching the target airspace, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is launched. It is intended to separate itself and start autonomous flight. The unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is an unmanned aerial vehicle capable of autonomous flight, and is not particularly limited, but is an aircraft capable of flying at low speed for a certain period of time.
Specifically, the transport flying body 1 includes a canister 2, a lid member 3, a plurality of (eight in this embodiment) cushioning members 5, and an extrusion mechanism 6.

The canister 2 is a housing member formed in a substantially conical shape, and the inside thereof is a storage chamber 2a for accommodating the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV. In the accommodation chamber 2a, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is accommodated with its wings folded and the rear of the aircraft facing the tip side of the canister 2. The canister 2 has wings corresponding to the flight direction with the tip side as the front side in the flight direction, and has sufficient strength to withstand high-speed flight.
Further, at the bottom (rear end) of the canister 2, a rearward-facing opening 21 for mainly accommodating and taking out the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV in the accommodation chamber 2a is formed over substantially the entire surface of the bottom. However, the opening 21 may be at least large enough to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV to be inserted.
In the following explanation, the direction of the transport flying object 1 (canister 2) is made to correspond to the flight direction, and the tip side of the canister 2 is "front (front side)" and the bottom side is "rear (rear side)". ) ”.

The lid member 3 is for closing the opening 21 at the rear end of the canister 2 and for rectifying the air flow after the canister 2 during flight. The lid member 3 is coupled to the canister 2 so as to be separable from the canister 2 by a separation mechanism (not shown) such as explosives. Then, after the transport flying object 1 reaches the target airspace, the lid member 3 is separated from the canister 2 to open the opening 21.

The plurality of buffer members 5 are for protecting the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV in the accommodation chamber 2a. In the present embodiment, these plurality of cushioning members 5 include four front cushioning members 51 arranged at the front end of the accommodation chamber 2a and four rear portions arranged slightly rearward from the middle of the accommodation chamber 2a. It is composed of a cushioning member 52.
Of these, the four front shock absorbers 51 protect the upper, lower, left, and right four parts of the rear end of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV at the front end of the accommodation chamber 2a (in FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper and lower two parts are protected). Only two are shown). More specifically, each front cushioning member 51 is formed in a substantially wedge shape and is arranged in a direction that narrows toward the rear (opening direction of the opening 21), and is arranged on the inner side surface (upper, lower, left, and right side surfaces) of the accommodation chamber 2a. ) And the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.
On the other hand, the four rear cushioning members 52 protect four places on the upper, lower, left, and right sides of the front side of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV slightly behind the middle of the accommodation chamber 2a. More specifically, each rear cushioning member 52 is formed in a substantially wedge shape, is arranged in a direction that narrows toward the front (direction opposite to the opening direction of the opening 21), and is arranged on the inner surface (up / down / left / right) of the accommodation chamber 2a. It is packed between each side) and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.

The extrusion mechanism 6 is for extruding the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV from the accommodation chamber 2a of the canister 2. The extrusion mechanism 6 includes an extrusion member 61 that can move in the front-rear direction and a spring member 62 that moves the extrusion member 61 rearward. The extrusion mechanism 6 is provided at the front end of the accommodation chamber 2a of the canister 2 in a state where the spring member 62 is contracted and the extrusion member 61 is held in front of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.

The extrusion mechanism 6 is operated and controlled by a control means (or a control unit of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV) (not shown).
Specifically, in the extrusion mechanism 6, the lid member 3 is separated from the transport flying body 1 flying at high speed, the opening 21 of the canister 2 is opened, and further, a deceleration mechanism (for example, a drag chute; not shown) is used. After the canister 2 has sufficiently decelerated, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is pushed out of the accommodation chamber 2a.
More specifically, in the extrusion mechanism 6, the holding state of the extrusion member 61 is released by the control means, and as shown in FIG. 2, the extrusion member 61 urged by the spring member 62 moves the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV backward. It is moved to push the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV out of the containment chamber 2a through the opening 21.
At this time, since the cushioning member 5 that protects the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is formed in a wedge shape and arranged in a direction that narrows along the opening direction of the opening 21 or the opposite direction, the extrusion mechanism 6 does not have a large resistance. It is pushed out of the containment chamber 2a together with the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.
More specifically, the front cushioning member 51 arranged at the front end of the containment chamber 2a supports the rear end of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV (that is, the end of the opening 21 opposite to the opening direction). , The opening 21 is arranged in a direction of narrowing toward the opening direction. Therefore, the front cushioning member 51 does not significantly hinder the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV pushed out in the opening direction.
Further, the rear cushioning member 52 supports the front side portion (that is, the portion of the opening portion 21 on the opening direction side) of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV, and narrows in the direction opposite to the opening direction of the opening portion 21. It is arranged in the orientation. Therefore, the rear cushioning member 52 is easily pushed and moved by the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV pushed out in the opening direction, and is formed between the inner surface of the accommodation chamber 2a and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV, for example, in a simple rectangular shape. Compared to the case where it is packed, it does not significantly hinder the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.
As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV separates from the canister 2 and becomes able to fly independently, deploys the folded wings, and starts autonomous flight.

[effect]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV in the canister 2 is protected by the cushioning member 5 arranged between the inner surface of the accommodation chamber 2a and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV. As a result, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV receives the acting load as a compressive load on the outer skin surface via the cushioning member 5, so that the bending load acting on the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is smaller than when it is cantilevered at the end. can do.
Further, when the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is separated from the canister 2, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is moved in the opening direction of the opening 21 by the extrusion mechanism 6 and is taken out from the accommodation chamber 2a. At this time, the cushioning member 5 arranged between the inner surface of the accommodation chamber 2a and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is formed in a wedge shape and is arranged in a direction of narrowing along the opening direction of the opening 21 or the opposite direction. Therefore, it does not become a great resistance to the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.
Therefore, unlike the case where the holding structure of the artificial satellite is applied, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV can be suitably transported and started in flight while being safely protected. As a result, it is not necessary to increase the strength of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV that can withstand the lateral load during high-speed transportation, and the weight of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV can be reduced.

[Modification example]
The embodiment to which the present invention can be applied is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, the quantity and position of the shock absorber 5 that protects the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is not particularly limited to that of the above embodiment. The cushioning member 5 is formed in a wedge shape and is arranged in a direction of narrowing along the opening direction of the opening 21 or the opposite direction, so that the movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV in the opening direction is not significantly hindered. It should be. However, it is preferable that the cushioning member 5 is arranged so as to come into contact with a relatively strong frame portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.

Further, it is preferable that the plurality of cushioning members 5 are connected to the canister 2 via a string-shaped member such as a rope. As a result, it is possible to prevent the plurality of buffer members 5 from being scattered around even after being pushed out of the accommodation chamber 2a together with the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV.

Further, in the above embodiment, the extrusion mechanism 6 pushes the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV out of the accommodation chamber 2a, but the moving means according to the present invention moves the unmanned aerial vehicle housed in the accommodation chamber in the opening direction of the opening. It does not have to push the unmanned aerial vehicle from the inside of the containment chamber as long as it allows it.
For example, the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV may be pulled out from the accommodation chamber 2a by a drag chute (parachute) opened rearward from the opening 21.
Alternatively, after opening the opening 21, the canister 2 is suspended by a drag chute (parachute) or the like to descend with the opening 21 facing downward, and the unmanned aerial vehicle UAV is freed from the lower opening 21. You may drop it.

1 Flying body for transporting unmanned aerial vehicles 2 Canisters (accommodation members)
2a Storage chamber 21 Opening 3 Lid member 5 Cushioning member 51 Front cushioning member (first cushioning member)
52 Rear cushioning member (second cushioning member)
6 Extrusion mechanism (means of transportation)
UAV drone

Claims (5)

An unmanned aerial vehicle transport vehicle that transports unmanned aerial vehicles
A containment member having a containment chamber for accommodating the unmanned aerial vehicle and having an opening for allowing the unmanned aerial vehicle to be taken in and out of the containment chamber.
A moving means provided in the accommodating member to move the unmanned aerial vehicle accommodated in the accommodating chamber in the opening direction of the opening.
A cushioning member formed in a wedge shape and arranged between the inner surface of the containment chamber and the unmanned aerial vehicle in a direction constricting along the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle transport vehicle or the opposite direction.
Equipped with a,
An unmanned aerial vehicle transport vehicle, characterized in that the opening is opened in a direction opposite to the flight direction of the unmanned aerial vehicle transport vehicle. The flying object for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cushioning member is connected to the accommodating member via a string-shaped member. The cushioning member is
The unmanned aerial vehicle includes a first cushioning member that supports an end portion on the flight direction side and a second cushioning member that supports a portion on the side opposite to the flight direction .
A claim characterized in that the first cushioning member is arranged in a direction constricting in a direction opposite to the flight direction, and the second cushioning member is arranged in a direction constricting in the flight direction. The flying object for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to item 1 or 2. The transportation means according to claim 1 to 3, wherein the moving means is a pushing mechanism arranged in the accommodation chamber on the side opposite to the unmanned aerial vehicle in the opening direction and pushing the unmanned aerial vehicle in the opening direction. The flying object for unmanned aerial vehicle transportation described in any one of the items. The unmanned aerial vehicle has a stronger frame part than the other parts and
The flying object for transporting an unmanned aerial vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the cushioning member is arranged so as to be in contact with the frame portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

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