Patent Description:
In recent years, with the development of an autonomous control technology and a flight control technology, an industrial use of an aerial vehicle provided with a plurality of rotor blades called a drone, for example, has been accelerating. The drone flies, for example, by simultaneously rotating a plurality of rotor blades in a well-balanced manner, ascends and descends by increasing or decreasing a rotation speed of the rotor blades, and can advance and retreat by tilting an airframe by increasing and decreasing the rotation speed of the rotor blades. Such aerial vehicles are expected to spread worldwide in the future.

Meanwhile, the risk of fall accidents of the aerial vehicles as described above is considered to be dangerous and hinders spread of the aerial vehicles. In order to reduce the risk of such fall accidents, parachute apparatuses for aerial vehicles have been commercialized as safety apparatuses.

As a parachute deployment device of the parachute apparatus for an aerial vehicle, for example, Patent Literature <NUM> discloses a parachute deployment device in which a push-up part that pushes up and ejects a parachute is provided below the parachute provided in a container.

Patent Literature <NUM>: <CIT>
<CIT> discloses a rapid parachute opening device comprising a container having a bottomed cylindrical shape, inner wall of the container defining a compartment having an opened end in which is disposed the parachute, a lid having a projection configured to be in contact with the inner wall to close the opened end of the compartment, ejection means to eject the parachute and an engagement mechanism that performs engagement between the opened end of the compartment and the projection of the lid by a pin member configured to be inserted into a first through hole penetrating toward a center of the container in the wall of the opening end and a second through hole penetrating toward a center of the lid in the projection. <CIT> describes an ejection device for ejecting an object like a parachute and provided on a flying object. This ejection device is included in a bottomed cylindrical container which accommodates a piston member, a cylinder, a push-up member, for allowing the piston member to project outward of the container during operation. A lid is provided at an opened end of the container, with a portion of an end of the lid being pivotally supported by a lid opening/closing mechanism so as to be openable and closable. The lid opening/closing mechanism may automatically open the lid by a driving device such as a motor in accordance with the ejection operation. The lid may have a structure that snaps into the container, or may have a structure that is separated from the container after opening and closing.

When a lid is provided at an opening end of the container of the parachute as in Patent Literature <NUM>, the lid is usually considered to be fixed to the opening end of the container by press-fitting. However, even in a case where such press-fitting and fixing are performed, in some cases, the press-fitting and fixing are released due to an external environment such as aged deterioration of the lid and the container before operation, external force, and vibration, and the lid is detached from the opening end of the container.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety apparatus, in which an ejection speed of an ejected object during operation is not lower than in a conventional fixing method, and a lid and an opening end of a container are fixed before operation more firmly than in a conventional art to be less susceptible to an external environment.

A safety apparatus of the present invention comprises the features of independent claim <NUM>. Dependent claims define preferred embodiments of the invention. In an aspect, an aerial vehicle comprises the safety apparatus as mentioned above.

The present invention can provide a safety apparatus, in which an ejection speed of an ejected object during operation is not lower than in a conventional fixing method, and a lid and an opening end of a container are fixed before operation more firmly than in a conventional art to be less susceptible to an external environment.

Hereinafter, a safety apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a safety apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment includes at least a piston member <NUM> as a sliding member, a cylinder <NUM> that accommodates the piston member <NUM> and is provided with a bore <NUM> through which the piston member <NUM> protrudes to the outside (upward in <FIG>) during operation, a push-up member <NUM> that is pushed up in one direction (upward in <FIG>) by the piston member <NUM>, an ejected object <NUM> that is pushed up while being supported by the push-up member <NUM>, a gas generator (micro gas generator or the like) <NUM> as a power source that moves the piston member <NUM> in the cylinder <NUM>, a bottomed cylindrical container <NUM> that accommodates the piston member <NUM>, the cylinder <NUM>, the push-up member <NUM>, the ejected object <NUM>, and the gas generator <NUM>, and a lid <NUM> that closes an opening end of the container <NUM>.

In the present embodiment, the ejected object <NUM> is a parachute or a paraglider. The gas generator <NUM> is disposed below a body <NUM> (described later) of the piston member <NUM> in a state of being press-fitted into an opening end below the cylinder <NUM>. A lower part of the cylinder <NUM> is fixed to a bottom of the container <NUM>.

The piston member <NUM> includes the body <NUM> having a part with an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cylinder <NUM>, and includes a rod <NUM> connected to the body <NUM>, extending upward, and having a smaller diameter than the body <NUM>. An upper end of the rod <NUM> is fixed to an inner surface of an upper end of a bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> (described later) of the push-up member <NUM> through the bore <NUM> of the cylinder <NUM>. A stopper <NUM> disposed so as to surround a part of the rod <NUM> of the piston member <NUM> is provided in an upper inner part of the cylinder <NUM>. That is, the rod <NUM> is disposed in a state of being inserted through the stopper <NUM>. As a result, when the piston member <NUM> moves upward, the body <NUM> comes into contact with the stopper <NUM> and stops, and thus the body <NUM> is not released to the outside from the inside of the cylinder <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the push-up member <NUM> includes a bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> disposed so as to cover a part of the cylinder <NUM>, that is, an outer part of the cylinder <NUM> except for a vicinity of the opening end at which the gas generator <NUM> is disposed, and the push-up member <NUM> includes a support <NUM> having a disc shape, provided as a flange at an opening edge of the bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM>, and supporting the ejected object <NUM>. In such a configuration, a bottom of the support <NUM> is provided apart from an inner surface of the bottom of the container <NUM> in an initial state. The support <NUM> has a vent hole <NUM> for reducing an influence of a negative pressure generated between the bottom of the ejected object <NUM> and the support <NUM> during operation to facilitate ejection of the ejected object <NUM>. An outer periphery of the support <NUM> is formed so as not to be in contact with an inner side of the container <NUM>.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the lid <NUM> includes a cylindrical projection 21a extending from an edge toward the container <NUM>, a receiving member 21b provided so as to protrude toward the container <NUM> at a position facing the projection 21a and sandwiching the opening end of the container <NUM>, and a reinforcing member 21e reinforcing a top surface of the lid <NUM>.

The projection 21a has a second through hole 21c penetrating toward a center of the lid <NUM>. A pin member <NUM> is inserted into the second through hole 21c and a first through hole 18a (described later) to configure an engagement mechanism that engages the opening end of the container <NUM> and the projection 21a. Here, the projection 21a has a cylindrical shape, but may be any projection (such as a protrusion) provided so as to face the receiving member 21b and having the second through hole 21c, and need not have a cylindrical shape.

The receiving member 21b has a second through hole 21d penetrating toward the center of the lid <NUM>. When the pin member <NUM> is inserted into the second through hole 21c and the first through hole 18a, the second through hole 21d receives a distal end of the pin member <NUM> (the distal end of the pin member <NUM> is inserted), and the opening end of the container <NUM> and the lid <NUM> can be more firmly fixed.

The pin member <NUM> includes a head 22a having a diameter larger than a diameter of the second through hole 21c, and a rod 22b provided with the head 22a at one end and inserted into and fitted to the first through hole 18a, the second through hole 21c, and the second through hole 21d. The pin member <NUM> is provided with a locking portion that prevents the pin member from coming off after being inserted into the first through hole 18a, the second through hole 21c, and the second through hole 21d before operation. Specific examples of the pin member <NUM> include a brush clip pin, a trim clip pin, and the like, but are not limited thereto, and any pin member may be used as long as having a locking portion (including a locking portion having a relatively high frictional force on a surface of the rod 22b) that prevents the pin member from coming off after being inserted into the first through hole 18a, the second through hole 21c, and the second through hole 21d.

The reinforcing member 21e is provided inside the top surface of the lid <NUM> at a position not in contact with the upper end of the bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> of the push-up member <NUM>. Here, as a modification, the reinforcing member 21e may have any shape as long as being reinforceable without being in contact with the upper end of bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> of the push-up member <NUM>, and a plurality of reinforcing members may be provided radially outward from the center of the lid, may be in a spiral shape, or may be provided outside the top surface of the lid <NUM>.

The container <NUM> has the first through hole 18a and a breakable portion 18b near the opening end. The breakable portion 18b is a portion of the first through hole 18a that breaks when a predetermined force or more is applied toward a top of the drawing of <FIG>.

As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the bottom of the container <NUM> is provided with a plurality of vent holes <NUM> communicating an inside and an outside of the container <NUM>. A side wall of the container <NUM> is provided with a plurality of vent holes <NUM> communicating the inside and the outside of the container <NUM>. When the push-up member <NUM> rapidly moves in the container <NUM>, a negative pressure is generated in a region between the push-up member <NUM> and a bottom surface of the container <NUM>. The negative pressure makes it difficult to move the push-up member <NUM>. Therefore, by providing the vent holes <NUM> and <NUM>, the phenomenon of negative pressure can be reduced, and the push-up member <NUM> can be smoothly moved.

The ejected object <NUM> is accommodated in the container <NUM> between an inner surface of the container <NUM> and an outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> of the push-up member <NUM>, for example, so as to surround the outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM>. Note that the ejected object <NUM> is connected to, for example, one end of a string (not shown), and the other end of the string is connected to the inside of the container <NUM> or an airframe <NUM> of an aerial vehicle <NUM> (described later).

As the gas generator <NUM>, only an igniter may be used, or a gas generator including an igniter and a gas generating agent may be used. Alternatively, a hybrid or a stored gas generator that cleaves a sealing plate in a small gas cylinder by a gunpowder igniter and discharges internal gas to the outside may be used. In this case, as a pressurized gas in the gas cylinder, a non-flammable gas such as argon, helium, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide, or a mixture thereof can be used. In order to reliably propel a piston when the pressurized gas is released, the gas generator may be provided with a heating element including a gas generating agent composition, a thermite composition, or the like.

The piston member <NUM>, the cylinder <NUM>, the push-up member <NUM>, the gas generator <NUM>, and the like mainly constitute an ejector that ejects the ejected object <NUM>.

In the above configuration, when the gas generator <NUM> is operated, for example, at time of a fall of the aerial vehicle or the like equipped with the safety apparatus <NUM>, the piston member <NUM> is propelled upward in the cylinder <NUM> by pressure of gas generated by the operation. Thus, the push-up member <NUM> having the bottomed cylindrical portion <NUM> connected to the rod <NUM> of the piston member <NUM> is propelled upward in the container <NUM>. As a result, the lid <NUM> is pushed up by an upper part of the push-up member <NUM>, and the pin member <NUM> breaks the breakable portion 18b of the container <NUM>. Then, the lid <NUM> is easily and quickly detached, the opening end of the container <NUM> is opened, and the ejected object <NUM> is ejected to the outside (toward a top of the drawing of <FIG>) from the inside of the container <NUM>. In a case where the ejected object <NUM> is a parachute or a paraglider, the ejected object <NUM> is ejected from the container <NUM> and then deployed.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the safety apparatus <NUM> is coupled and fixed to the airframe <NUM> of the aerial vehicle <NUM> via a coupling member <NUM>. At this time, as illustrated in <FIG>, the coupling member <NUM> couples the container <NUM> and the airframe <NUM> at a position not to close the vent holes <NUM>. Therefore, the aerial vehicle <NUM> includes the airframe <NUM>, the safety apparatus <NUM> joined to the airframe <NUM>, one or more propulsion mechanisms (for example, propellers) <NUM> joined to the airframe <NUM> to propel the airframe <NUM>, and a plurality of legs <NUM> provided in a lower part of the airframe <NUM>. Here, in practice, a socket for energization is fitted to an electrode in a lower part of the gas generator <NUM>, but for convenience of description, the socket is omitted in <FIG>.

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the safety apparatus <NUM> and the aerial vehicle <NUM> including the safety apparatus <NUM>, in which an ejection speed of the ejected object during operation is not lower than in a conventional fixing method, and the lid <NUM> and the opening end of the container <NUM> are fixed before operation more firmly than in a conventional art to be less susceptible to an external environment.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration of the present invention should not be interpreted as to be limited to the embodiment. The scope of the present invention is defined not by the above embodiment but by claims set forth below, and shall encompass every modification within the scope of the claims.

For example, the present invention includes the following modifications. In the following modifications, parts denoted by the reference signs having the same last two digits as those in the embodiment are similar to those described in the embodiment, unless otherwise described, and a description thereof will be omitted. Further, components that are not particularly described are similar to those in the embodiment, and thus description and illustration thereof may be omitted. In each of the following modifications, differences from the embodiment will be mainly described in principle. The same applies to the following modifications.

The container <NUM> according to the embodiment has the first through hole 18a and the breakable portion 18b as illustrated in <FIG>, but alternatively, as illustrated in <FIG>, a container <NUM> provided with a second through hole 118a having a notch at an opening end and a breakable portion 118b formed at a position sandwiching the notch may be used. The breakable portion may be provided at the through hole formed in the projection of the lid, close to the bottom surface of the container. In a case where the breakable portion is provided at a distal end of the through hole of the projection of the lid, a notch similar to the notch and a breakable portion (similar to the breakable portion 118b) may be formed at the distal end of the through hole.

In the embodiment and the above modification, the first through hole or the second through hole is broken by the pin member to release engagement of the engagement mechanism, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. That is, the pin member may be broken by the first through hole or the second through hole to release the engagement.

In an exemplary implementation which is not covered by the appended claims, a snap-fit locking mechanism may be used. Specifically, any locking mechanism may be used in which (a) as illustrated in <FIG>, a recess 218a provided on an inner wall of an opening end of a container <NUM> and a protrusion 221b provided on an outer wall of a projection 221a protruding from a lid <NUM> inside the container <NUM> are locked with each other, (b) a protrusion provided on the inner wall of the opening end of the container and a recess provided on the outer wall of the projection protruding from the lid inside the container are locked with each other (not shown), and (c) a protrusion provided on an inner wall of a projection (which is the same as the projection in the embodiment except that the second through hole 21c is not provided) of the lid larger than a diameter of the container and a recess provided on an outer wall of the opening end of the container are locked with each other, or (d) a recess provided on the inner wall of the projection (which the same as the projection in the embodiment except that the second through hole 21c is not provided) of the lid larger than the diameter of the container and a protrusion provided on the outer wall of the opening end of the container are locked with each other (not shown). Note that the protrusion here may be a continuous annular protrusion or may be an independent rod-shaped protrusion. The recess here is an annular groove in a case where the recess is an annular protrusion, and may be an annular groove or an independent recess in a case where the protrusion is an independent rod-shaped protrusion.

In each embodiment, the gas generator is adopted as the power source, but the configuration is not limited as long as the sliding member can apply a driving force for propelling the inside of the cylinder to the sliding member. For example, an elastic body such as a spring may be adopted.

The container <NUM> has a cylindrical shape.

The piston member <NUM> in the embodiment may be configured as a telescopic structure.

In each embodiment, when a parachute or a paraglider is adopted as the ejected object, the parachute or the paraglider may be packed. The packing is configured to be broken or peeled off during operation.

In each embodiment, the parachute or paraglider have been described as the ejected object, but the present invention is not limited thereto. An ejected object including a lift generation member may be ejected as the ejected object. Examples of the lift generation member include a parafoil, a Rogallo parachute, a single surface parachute, an airplane wing, a propeller, and a balloon. When the lift generation member has a control line, the safety apparatus desirably includes a steering mechanism capable of changing an inclination angle of the ejected lift generation member using the control line. This steering mechanism includes a plurality of reels for winding up a plurality of control lines coupled to the lift generation member and includes a motor serving as power of the reels, for example. By winding up or pulling out the control lines by driving the motor, it is possible to appropriately pull the lift generation member or loosen a tension.

The cylinder, the power source, and the container are preferably coupled or fixed to the airframe by a rubber band, a belt, a string, or other means (mechanical joint, bolt, fastener, or adhesive) in the embodiment.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a cylindrical protrusion 321f communicating with a first through hole 318a outside a projection 321a of a lid <NUM> and including a peripheral wall surrounding an outer periphery of a head 322a on an inner side may be formed. This configuration can prevent a pin member <NUM> from being pulled out and the lid <NUM> from being opened by inserting a nail puller, a flathead screwdriver, or the like.

In a state illustrated in <FIG>, an inner wall (peripheral wall) of the cylindrical protrusion 321f can be brought into contact with the head 322a by pressurizing the cylindrical protrusion 321f from outside to inside, and caulked and fixed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the head 322a from coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

In the state illustrated in <FIG>, resin functioning as an adhesive may be filled between the head 322a and the inner wall (peripheral wall) of the cylindrical protrusion 321f and solidified to fix the head 322a and the cylindrical protrusion 321f. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the head 322a from coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

The head 322a and the cylindrical protrusion 321f that have been caulked and fixed may be further bonded and fixed with resin. Accordingly, it is possible to further prevent the head 322a from coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a recess 421f communicating with a first through hole 418a outside a projection 421a of a lid <NUM> may be formed. This configuration can prevent a pin member <NUM> from being pulled out and the lid <NUM> from being opened by inserting a nail puller, a flathead screwdriver, or the like.

Claim 1:
A safety apparatus (<NUM>) comprising:
a container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) having a bottomed cylindrical shape and including an opening end at one end in the axial direction and including a bottom at the other end in the said axial direction,
a lid (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) including, at an edge, a projection (21a, 221a, 321a, 421a) in contact with a side wall of the container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>), and configured to close the opening end before operation and open the opening end of the container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) after operation;
an ejector that is installed inside the container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and ejects an ejected object (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) accommodated in the container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) ; and
an engagement mechanism that performs engagement between a side wall of the opening end and the projection (21a, 221a, 321a, 421a) by a pin member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) configured to be inserted into a first through hole (18a, 118a, 318a, 418a) penetrating toward a center of the container (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the side wall of the opening end and a second through hole (21c, 21d, 321c, 321d, 421c, 421d) penetrating toward a center of the lid (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) in the projection (21a, 221a, 321a, 421a),
the pin member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) being provided with a locking portion that prevents the pin member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) from coming off after the pin member (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is inserted into the first through hole (18a, 118a, 318a, 418a) and the second through hole (21c, 21d, 321c, 321d, 421c, 421d) before operation.