JP2018020734A - Unmanned flight device and method of supporting rotor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an unmanned flight device which, while having a simple structure, can reduce the weight and component costs and can easily change a flight direction.SOLUTION: An unmanned flight device comprises: a rotor with rotor blades fixed to an output shaft; a first holder holding the rotor and moving rotationally around one axis of two axes as a rotation center, which are orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft; a second holder supporting rotatably the first holder via the one axis and moving rotationally around the other axis of the two axes as a rotation center; and a support supporting rotatably the second holder via the other axis.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an unmanned flying apparatus and a method for supporting a rotor, and more particularly to an unmanned flying apparatus and a method for supporting a rotor that fly by rotating a rotor blade at a high speed by driving a rotor.

  In recent years, so-called drones have attracted attention as small and low-noise unmanned flying devices, and are used in a wide range of fields, such as when monitoring places where people are difficult to enter, and when shooting television and movies.

  In addition, since such an unmanned flight device can fly including vertical lift (hereinafter simply referred to as “vertical flight”), the rotor blades can be used in the vertical flight state and the other flight states. It is necessary to change the direction (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

JP 2008-094277 A JP 2006-051892 A

  However, in the unmanned flight apparatus disclosed in such prior art documents, from the vertical flight state in which the rotation axis is vertical and the rotor blades are rotated in a horizontal plane, the other flight state in which the rotation axis is inclined, for example, In order to achieve a level flight, it was necessary to tilt the entire aircraft in consideration of weight balance. For this reason, for example, when a camera or the like is mounted, a mechanism for controlling the movement of the camera or the like independently of the tilt of the aircraft or a mechanism for maintaining a vertical (or horizontal) state by its own weight or the like is required, and the parts cost is reduced. There was a problem of soaring.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides an unmanned flying apparatus and a rotor supporting method capable of easily switching the flight direction while reducing the weight and the cost of parts while having a simple configuration. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to achieve the above object, an unmanned aerial vehicle according to the present invention includes a rotor having a rotor blade fixed to an output shaft, and one of two shafts that hold the rotor and are orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft. A first holder that rotates about the axis of the first holder, and a second holder that supports the first holder so as to be rotatable via one axis and rotates about the other axis of the two axes. And a support body that rotatably supports the second holder via the other shaft.

  According to such a configuration, one rotary wing can be independently rotated in two axial directions, and the flight direction can be easily changed.

  According to the present invention, while having a simple configuration, it is possible to reduce the weight and the cost of parts, and to easily switch the flight direction.

It is a perspective view of the state which removed the rotor which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a perspective view of the state where the rotor which shows an unmanned flight apparatus was attached. It is a front view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a rear view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a right view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a left view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a top view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a bottom view of the principal part which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a perspective view of the 1st holder which shows an unmanned flight apparatus. It is a perspective view of the 2nd holder which shows an unmanned flight apparatus.

  Next, an embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 (for example, a drone) includes a rotor 10 in which a rotary wing 11 is fixed to an output shaft 12 and a plane that holds the rotor 10 and is orthogonal to the axis P of the output shaft 12. A first holder 21 that rotates about one axis P1 of two axes P1 and P2 orthogonal to each other, and a first holder 21 that supports the first holder 21 so as to be rotatable about one axis P1 and two A second holder 22 that rotates about the other axis P2 of the two axes P1, P2, and a support 23 that supports the second holder 22 so as to be rotatable about the other axis P2. Prepare. In addition, one axis line P1 and the other axis line P2 shown in FIG. 1 are shown for convenience of explanation, and do not indicate an actual rotation center position.

  The rotor 10 includes a motor unit 13 configured to have a cylindrical shape that is coaxial with the axis P and rotates the output shaft 12, and a fixed portion 14 that protrudes from the motor unit 13 in a bowl shape. The rotor 10 means an electric motor (for example, a brushless motor, a coreless motor, a stepping motor, etc.) instead of a rotor (mainly a wing) in the field of flying equipment.

  The rotor blade 11 is coaxially provided with a torque rotor 11A and an anti-torque rotor 11B that are fixed to the output shaft 12 of the electric motor unit 13 and separated along the axial direction. The torque rotor 11 </ b> A generates buoyancy in the entire unmanned flight apparatus 1. On the other hand, the anti-torque rotor 11B has a function of suppressing the main body of the unmanned flight apparatus 1 from rotating due to a reaction generated by the action of the torque rotor 11A. Therefore, the anti-torque rotor 11B has a function as a tail rotor in the helicopter.

  At this time, since the torque rotor 11A and the anti-torque rotor 11B share the output shaft 12 of one rotor 10, both rotate in the same direction. Therefore, for example, when the torque rotor 11A is provided with three blades extending radially from the equidistant point position, the anti-torque rotor 11B has three blades so as to be positioned between the three blades of the torque rotor 11A. Is preferred. Further, the inclination of each blade of the torque rotor 11A is opposite to the inclination of each blade of the anti-torque rotor 11B.

  The first holder 21 and the second holder 22 are vertically separated from each other along the axis P of the output shaft 12 and are substantially annular in a plan view, and the second holder 22 is larger than the outer diameter of the first holder 21. The inner diameter is larger. Thereby, when the 1st holder 21 rotates using one axis line P1 as a rotation axis line, the rotary blade 11 can be inclined while holding the rotor 10. The first holder 21 and the second holder 22 are configured to be rotatable (swingable) with two axes in the state where the rotor 10 is held on one side, that is, with the two axes P1 and P2 as rotation fulcrums. It is not limited to the size of the diameter or the shape (annular).

  As shown in FIG. 9, the first holder 21 includes an annular holder main body 21a and a mounting hole 21b that partially protrudes outward at a predetermined plurality of locations (in the illustrated example, the position of the four equal points). And a pair of bearing portions 21c, 21d that protrude downward so as to be opposed to each other between the mounting hole portions 21b. As long as the first holder 21 directly holds the rotor 10 and rotates the rotor 10 around one axis P1 as a rotation fulcrum, the first holder 21 may not be annular like a rectangle, It does not have to be continuous like a letter C shape.

  The holder main body 21a has an inner diameter that matches the outer diameter of the electric motor unit 13 so as to support a cylindrical electric motor unit 13 (see FIG. 1) containing the electric motor (not shown) of the rotor 10 inside. Yes.

  The mounting hole portion 21b matches the fixed portion 14 projecting laterally from the vicinity of the upper end of the electric motor unit 13 on the upper surface side or the bottom surface side, and connects the rotor 10 by, for example, connecting via bolts and nuts (not shown). Hold in a fixed state. Therefore, the number of mounting holes 21b is not limited to four, but it is preferable to provide the mounting holes 21b at equal positions in order to secure a support balance.

  One bearing portion 21c is supported by the second holder 22 via the support shaft 24 so as to be rotatable (swingable) about one axis P1. As shown in FIG. 1, the other bearing portion 21d is fitted with an output shaft (not shown) as a first motor shaft of the first motor M1, and rotates one axis P1 by driving the first motor M1. It rotates (swings) integrally with the rotor 10 as a moving center. Therefore, one axis line P1 is a first support shaft that connects the first motor shaft of the first motor M1 and the support shaft 24.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the second holder 22 has an annular holder body 22a. The holder main body 22a has a motor holder 22b of the first motor M1, a first bearing portion 22c that supports the support shaft 24 in a rotatable or non-rotatable manner, and a second motor M2 through the support shaft 25. A gear receiving portion 22e that is rotatably supported by the motor holder 22d and a second bearing portion 22f that supports the support shaft 26 rotatably or non-rotatably are integrally formed of resin. The second holder 22 may not be annular like a rectangle as long as the first holder 21 that directly holds the rotor 10 is rotated about the other axis P2 as a rotation fulcrum. It does not have to be continuous like a letter C in plan view. In addition, although the servomotor is used for the 1st motor M1 and the 2nd motor M2, a coreless motor and a brushless motor can also be applied. Since the first motor M1 and the second motor M2 are driving devices for tilting the rotor 10, in addition to a rotational driving mechanism such as these various motors, an expansion / contraction driving mechanism such as a solenoid may be used as the driving device. Is possible. Further, these various drive devices are not limited to the above as long as they allow rotation (swing) with the axes P1 and P2 as fulcrums, that is, forward movement and backward movement. At this time, it is preferable to detect the inclination of the rotor 10 directly from the drive device or using a separate sensor or the like.

  The motor holder 22b fixes the first motor M1 so that the output shaft of the first motor M1 is positioned coaxially with the one axis P1. The size and shape of the motor holder 22b are arbitrary depending on the standard of the first motor M1 to be used.

  The first bearing portion 22c supports the support shaft 24 coaxially with the one axis P1. Since the support shaft 24 only needs to support the first holder 21 so as to be rotatable (swingable) on the inner side, the support shaft 24 may be either rotatable or non-rotatable with respect to the first bearing portion 22c. That is, it is preferable that the support shaft 24 is rotatable with respect to one of the bearing portion 21c of the first holder 21 and the first bearing portion 22c of the second holder 22 and is not rotatable with respect to the other. However, since the support shaft 24 is a simple driven shaft having the first motor M1 as a driving side, the support shaft 24 rotates with respect to both the bearing portion 21c of the first holder 21 and the first bearing portion 22c of the second holder 22. It may be possible.

  The motor holder 22d is not formed integrally with the holder main body 22a, but is supported by the support 23 as shown in FIGS. The motor holder 22d fixes the second motor M2 and connects the gear receiving portion 22e via the support shaft 25. Therefore, the motor holder 22d supports the support shaft 25 so that the position displaced upward from the output shaft of the second motor M2 is the other axis P2. The support shaft 25 can be turned (swinged) inside the first holder 21 by the second holder 22 so that the support shaft 25 can be turned around one axis P1 via the first motor M1 and the support shaft 24. It only has to support. Therefore, the support shaft 25 may be either rotatable or non-rotatable with respect to the motor holder 22d. That is, it is preferable that the support shaft 25 is rotatable with respect to any one of the motor holder 22d and the gear receiving portion 22e of the second holder 22 and is not rotatable with respect to the other. However, since the support shaft 25 does not have a function on the drive side for directly transmitting the drive of the second motor M2, but is merely a driven side, both the motor holder 22d and the gear receiving portion 22e of the second holder 22 are provided. May be rotatable.

  The gear receiving portion 22e has a support shaft 25, that is, a substantially semicircular arc driven gear 27 having a center coaxially with the other axis P2 fixed thereto. The driven gear 27 meshes with a fixed drive gear 28 on an output shaft (not shown) as a second motor shaft of the second motor M2 supported by the motor holder 22d. Therefore, when the second motor M2 is driven, the drive gear 28 rotates, and the holder body 22a rotates (swings) about the other axis P2 by the rotation of the driven gear 27 meshing with the drive gear 28. be able to. Therefore, the other axis P2 is moved upward from the output shaft of the second motor M2 by the engagement of the drive gear 28 fixed to the output shaft of the second motor M2 and the driven gear 27 fixed to the gear receiving portion 22e of the second holder 22. The holder main body 22a is a second support shaft that rotates (swings) with the support shafts 25 and 26 as fulcrums at the position displaced to the position.

  For example, when the rotor 10 is inclined, the driven gear 27 and the drive gear 28 do not unexpectedly change the meshing position of the driven gear 27 and the drive gear 28 due to the weight of the rotor 10 that is a relatively heavy object, and It is preferable to use an angle gear with less backlash. The driven gear 27 and the drive gear 18 can lower the position of the second motor M2 downward from the one axis P1 by positioning the output shaft of the second motor M2 below the other axis P2. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the blades of the anti-torque rotor 11 </ b> B from being caught by the second motor M <b> 2 when the rotor 10 is tilted about the one axis P <b> 1 as the rotation center.

  The second bearing portion 22f is supported by the support member 23 via a support shaft 26 coaxial with the other axis P2 so as to be rotatable (swingable). The support shaft 26 can rotate (swing) the first holder 21 on the inner side by the second holder 22 so that it can be rotated about one axis P1 via the first motor M1 and the support shaft 24. It only has to support. Therefore, the support shaft 26 may be either rotatable or non-rotatable with respect to the second bearing portion 22f. That is, the support shaft 26 is preferably rotatable with respect to any one of the shaft support leg 23c of the support body 23 and the second bearing portion 22f of the second holder 22 and not rotatable with respect to the other. However, since the support shaft 26 is a driven shaft, it may be rotatable with respect to both the shaft support leg 23 c of the support 23 and the second bearing portion 22 f of the second holder 22.

  The support 23 includes a substantially cylindrical base 23a, a holder support leg 23b projecting from one outer periphery of a portion facing the base 23a, and a shaft support leg projecting upward from the other outer periphery of the portion facing the base 23a. 23c, four base support legs 23d projecting diagonally up, down, left, and right from the vicinity of the shaft support legs 23c of the base 23a, and a pair of battery support legs 23e projecting downward from the inner periphery of the opposing portion of the base 23a A stand supporting leg 23f that protrudes obliquely downward so as to avoid the battery supporting leg 23e from the position of the outer peripheral equal dividing point of the base 23a is integrally formed of resin. In addition, although the support body 23 is integrally provided with these legs 23b, 23c, 23d, 23e, and 23f on the base 23a, for example, the degree of freedom such as omission or change of the arrangement or the like can be provided as necessary. It is not limited.

    The base 23a is constituted by an integrally molded product of resin. Under the present circumstances, from a viewpoint of weight reduction, you may form many holes (shape unquestioned) or slit in a surrounding wall part.

  The holder support leg 23b fixes the motor holder 22d that supports the second motor M2 by protruding obliquely upward after protruding horizontally from the base 23a. For this fixing, a resin bolt or nut, a known clip, or the like can be used. Further, in order to support the motor holder 22d including the second motor M2 in a cantilever manner, a pair of holder support legs 23b are arranged. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, only one is shown for convenience of explanation. Further, a configuration may be adopted in which the holder support leg 23b and the motor holder 22d are integrally formed of resin and the holder support leg 23b is fixed to the base 23a.

  The shaft support leg 23c has a height and strength by projecting in a horizontal direction from the base 23a, branching into an arch shape, and then joining again. That is, the shaft support leg 23c has a shape that maintains a balance between the height and strength of the motor holder 22d facing each other.

  The base support leg 23d protrudes in four directions and protrudes so that its tip is located on the same plane, and fixes the control panel 29 that realizes control related to driving of the rotor 10 and the motors M1 and M2.

  For example, when the unmanned flight apparatus 1 artificially controls the flight direction by the remote control method or the radio control method, the control panel 29 analyzes the control signal received by the wireless reception unit and analyzes the rotor 10 and each of the control boards 29. A function of controlling driving of the motors M1 and M2 is provided. For example, in the case of an autonomous flight system, the control panel 29 is equipped with various sensors and cameras (not shown), and can fly independently according to a predetermined program while analyzing images from these sensors and cameras. Therefore, the control panel 29 includes a computer that includes a storage unit that stores applications and the like for realizing these controls, and a control circuit (CPU) that executes flight control (drive control) in accordance with the applications stored in the storage unit. It is composed.

  The battery support leg 23 e supports the rotor 10, the motors M <b> 1 and M <b> 2, and the battery 30 that supplies driving power to the control panel 29. The battery support leg 23e has a plate shape in consideration of the size of the battery 30.

  The stand support legs 23f protrude obliquely downward so as to be separated from the five equal positions of the base 23a so that a stand (not shown) is detachably mounted. Note that the stand support leg 23f can be mounted with a stand having a length and a thickness corresponding to the size and capacity of the battery 30, for example. At this time, the stand is not particularly limited as long as the stand projects downward from the lower end of the battery 30 and maintains the entire landing state of the unmanned flight apparatus 1. Note that the stand 30 may be abolished, for example, by using the bottom surface of the battery 30 as the landing surface. Moreover, you may comprise so that the stability of the landing state on an uneven surface may be ensured by using the bottom face of the battery 30 depending on the place of the landing state, or making the stand 30 bendable.

  In such a basic configuration, the unmanned flight apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a rotor 10 having a rotary wing 11 fixed to an output shaft 12, an in-plane that holds the rotor 10 and is orthogonal to the axis P of the output shaft 12. The first holder 21 that rotates about one axis P1 of the two axes P1, P2 orthogonal to each other, and the first holder 21 that supports the first holder 21 so as to be rotatable via one axis P1 and the other. A second holder 22 that pivots about the axis P2 of the rotation axis, and a support body 23 that rotatably supports the second holder 22 via the other axis P2, and the rotor 10 is moved to one axis P1. Alternatively, by changing the flight direction by inclining the other axis P2 as a pivot, the weight can be reduced and the parts cost can be reduced while the flight direction is easily cut. It is to replace way.

  Next, the operation of the unmanned flight apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment will be described. In the above-described configuration, the unmanned flight apparatus 1 has the second holder 22 on the support 23 in a state where the motors M1 and M2, the control panel 29, and the battery 30 are attached to the support 23 (which may be the last). Wear.

  At this time, the support 23 fixes the motor holder 22d to the holder support leg 23b, and after the drive gear 28 is fitted to the output shaft of the second motor M2, the gear 23 is connected to the motor holder 22d via the support shaft 25. The receiving portion 22e is supported, and the second bearing portion 22f is supported by the shaft support leg 23c via the support shaft 26.

  From this state, the motor unit 13 of the rotor 10 is inserted from the lower side of the first holder 21 so that the fixed portion 14 is aligned with the mounting hole 21b, and the motor unit 13 is fixed to the first holder 21 with bolts and nuts. Thereafter, the bearing portion 21d is rotatably supported on the output shaft of the first motor M1, the bearing portion 21c is supported on the motor holder 22d via the support shaft 24, and the first bearing portion 22c is supported via the support shaft 26. The bearing portion 21c is supported.

  Finally, the unmanned flight apparatus 1 can be assembled by attaching the rotary wing 11 to the output shaft 12.

  In such a configuration, for example, when the unmanned flight apparatus 1 is levitated in the vertical direction, the output shaft 12 is set in the vertical direction. That is, if the output shaft 12 is orthogonal to the one axis P1 and the other axis P2, and the rotor 10 is driven, the unmanned flight apparatus 1 can be levitated in the vertical direction.

  And when making the unmanned flight apparatus 1 fly forward or backward, the first motor M1 is driven and the first holder 21 and the rotor 10 are tilted together with the one axis P1 as a rotation fulcrum, thereby moving forward. Fly or retreat. Under the present circumstances, if the inclination is naturally small, the unmanned flight apparatus 1 can be levitated diagonally forward or diagonally backward. Further, in this state, since the battery 30 is oriented in the vertical direction by its own weight, the weight balance (center of gravity balance) of the battery 30 is not changed and does not hinder the flight. Accordingly, when a camera or the like is installed on the support 23, the single support 23 is always oriented in the vertical direction. Therefore, if the orientation of the camera is simply changed, an image can be taken at a desired angle of view. . For this reason, it is preferable that the gravity center position of the unmanned flight apparatus 1 be based on the battery 30.

  For example, when the unmanned flight apparatus 1 is caused to fly in the right direction or the left direction, the second motor M2 is driven, and the second holder 22, the first holder 21, and the rotor 10 are set with the other axis P2 as a rotation fulcrum. Can be moved forward or backward. Needless to say, one axis P1 and the other axis P2 can be inclined in a compound manner.

  Thus, the rotor 10 is held by the first holder 21 having one axis P1 of the two axes P1 and P2 orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the axis P of the output shaft 12, and the first holder 21 is Is supported by a second holder 22 having an axis P2 coaxially with one axis P1 so as to be rotatable through a first motor M1 and a support shaft 24, and the second holder 22 is coaxially supported with the other axis P2. , 26 so that the rotor 10 is pivotally supported by the support body 23 and the rotor 10 can be indirectly pivoted via one axis P1 and the other axis P2 orthogonal to each other. In combination with the adoption of two rotor blades (torque rotor 11A, anti-torque rotor 11B), the weight can be reduced and the parts cost can be reduced while the structure is simple, and the flight direction can be easily switched. It is possible.

  Incidentally, the unmanned aerial vehicle 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various technical changes can be made to the technical scope described in the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Included.

  For example, the shape of the support body 23 is arbitrary, and is not particularly limited as long as it can hold the control panel 29 and the battery 30 and can support the second holder 22. . Further, the shape and size of the motor holders 22b and 22d are arbitrary depending on the size and shape of the motors M1 and M2 to be used. Moreover, it is arbitrary to form a hollow or a hole or a slit for each member in order to reduce the weight. It is also possible to ensure design properties by the shape of the holes and slits.

  The unmanned aerial vehicle 1 can be equipped with various attachments. For example, by mounting a tubular frame having a large number of LED light sources on the support 23 and turning on and blinking during flight, the position during night flight can be easily recognized.

  As described above, the unmanned flight apparatus according to the present invention has the effect of being able to easily switch the flight direction by reducing the weight and reducing the cost of parts while having a simple configuration. Useful for all devices.

  Specifically, the unmanned flight device can include all flight devices that fly in a state where no person is carried. In addition, as described above, the unmanned flight device can include all devices that operate the flight state by an artificial operation using a remote control device. Further, the unmanned flight device can include all devices that fly a preset flight route without human manipulation. In particular, the unmanned flight apparatus is optimal in a drone in which two rotor blades are arranged on the same axis.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Unmanned flight apparatus 10 Rotor 21 1st holder 22 2nd holder 23 Support body P axis P1 axis (1st support axis)
P2 axis (second support shaft)

Claims (7)

A rotor with rotating blades fixed to the output shaft;
A first holder for holding the rotor and rotating about one of two axes orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft;
A second holder for pivotally supporting the first holder via the one axis and rotating about the other axis of the two axes;
A support that rotatably supports the second holder via the other shaft;
An unmanned flying device comprising:   The first holder and the second holder are separated along the axial direction of the output shaft and are annular in plan view, and the diameter of the second holder is larger than the diameter of the first holder. The unmanned flight apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the unmanned flight apparatus has a large diameter. The first holder rotates integrally with the rotor around the one axis by driving a first motor fixed to a motor holder fixed to the second holder,
The said 2nd holder rotates integrally with the said 1st holder centering | focusing on the said other axis | shaft by the drive of the 2nd motor fixed to the motor holder fixed to the said support body. The unmanned aerial vehicle described. The one shaft is a first support shaft coaxial with the first motor shaft of the first motor,
The other shaft rotates at a position displaced from the second motor shaft of the second motor by meshing with a drive gear fixed to the second motor shaft of the second motor and a driven gear fixed to the second holder. The unmanned flight apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the unmanned flight apparatus is a second support shaft.   The unmanned flight apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the driving gear and the driven gear are angle gears, and the driven gear is arcuate. The support is
A control panel for realizing control related to driving of the rotor and the motors;
A battery for supplying driving power to the rotor and the motors;
A plurality of stands extending downward;
The unmanned flight apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 5, further comprising: A method of supporting a rotor in an unmanned aerial vehicle having a rotor blade fixed to an output shaft,
The rotor is held by a first holder having one of two axes orthogonal to each other in a plane orthogonal to the axis of the output shaft;
The first holder is rotatably supported by the second holder having the other of the two axes via the one axis,
The second holder is supported via the other shaft;
A method of supporting a rotor in an unmanned flight apparatus, wherein the rotor can be rotated indirectly through the one axis and the other axis orthogonal to each other.

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