Patent ID: 12252259

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT

Hereinafter, a safety apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference toFIGS.1to4.

As illustrated inFIG.1, a safety apparatus100according to the present embodiment includes at least a piston member10as a sliding member, a cylinder14that accommodates the piston member10and is provided with a bore13through which the piston member10protrudes to the outside (upward inFIG.1) during operation, a push-up member15that is pushed up in one direction (upward inFIG.1) by the piston member10, an ejected object16that is pushed up while being supported by the push-up member15, a gas generator (micro gas generator or the like)17as a power source that moves the piston member10in the cylinder14, a bottomed cylindrical container18that accommodates the piston member10, the cylinder14, the push-up member15, the ejected object16, and the gas generator17, and a lid21that closes an opening end of the container18.

In the present embodiment, the ejected object16is a parachute or a paraglider. The gas generator17is disposed below a body11(described later) of the piston member10in a state of being press-fitted into an opening end below the cylinder14. A lower part of the cylinder14is fixed to a bottom of the container18.

The piston member10includes the body11having a part with an outer diameter substantially equal to an inner diameter of the cylinder14, and includes a rod12connected to the body11, extending upward, and having a smaller diameter than the body11. An upper end of the rod12is fixed to an inner surface of an upper end of a bottomed cylindrical portion19(described later) of the push-up member15through the bore13of the cylinder14. A stopper23disposed so as to surround a part of the rod12of the piston member10is provided in an upper inner part of the cylinder14. That is, the rod12is disposed in a state of being inserted through the stopper23. As a result, when the piston member10moves upward, the body11comes into contact with the stopper23and stops, and thus the body11is not released to the outside from the inside of the cylinder14.

As illustrated inFIG.1, the push-up member15includes a bottomed cylindrical portion19disposed so as to cover a part of the cylinder14, that is, an outer part of the cylinder14except for a vicinity of the opening end at which the gas generator17is disposed, and the push-up member15includes a support20having a disc shape, provided as a flange at an opening edge of the bottomed cylindrical portion19, and supporting the ejected object16. In such a configuration, a bottom of the support20is provided apart from an inner surface of the bottom of the container18in an initial state. The support20has a vent hole26for reducing an influence of a negative pressure generated between the bottom of the ejected object16and the support20during operation to facilitate ejection of the ejected object16. An outer periphery of the support20is formed so as not to be in contact with an inner side of the container18.

As illustrated inFIGS.2(a)and3, the lid21includes a cylindrical projection21aextending from an edge toward the container18, a receiving member21bprovided so as to protrude toward the container18at a position facing the projection21aand sandwiching the opening end of the container18, and a reinforcing member21ereinforcing a top surface of the lid21.

The projection21ahas a second through hole21cpenetrating toward a center of the lid21. A pin member22is inserted into the second through hole21cand a first through hole18a(described later) to configure an engagement mechanism that engages the opening end of the container18and the projection21a. Here, the projection21ahas a cylindrical shape, but may be any projection (such as a protrusion) provided so as to face the receiving member21band having the second through hole21c, and need not have a cylindrical shape.

The receiving member21bhas a second through hole21dpenetrating toward the center of the lid21. When the pin member22is inserted into the second through hole21cand the first through hole18a, the second through hole21dreceives a distal end of the pin member22(the distal end of the pin member22is inserted), and the opening end of the container18and the lid21can be more firmly fixed.

The pin member22includes a head22ahaving a diameter larger than a diameter of the second through hole21c, and a rod22bprovided with the head22aat one end and inserted into and fitted to the first through hole18a, the second through hole21c, and the second through hole21d. The pin member22is provided with a locking portion that prevents the pin member from coming off after being inserted into the first through hole18a, the second through hole21c, and the second through hole21dbefore operation. Specific examples of the pin member22include 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 rod22b) that prevents the pin member from coming off after being inserted into the first through hole18a, the second through hole21c, and the second through hole21d.

The reinforcing member21eis provided inside the top surface of the lid21at a position not in contact with the upper end of the bottomed cylindrical portion19of the push-up member15. Here, as a modification, the reinforcing member21emay have any shape as long as being reinforceable without being in contact with the upper end of bottomed cylindrical portion19of the push-up member15, 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 lid21.

The container18has the first through hole18aand a breakable portion18bnear the opening end. The breakable portion18bis a portion of the first through hole18athat breaks when a predetermined force or more is applied toward a top of the drawing ofFIG.2.

As illustrated inFIGS.1and2(b), the bottom of the container18is provided with a plurality of vent holes24communicating an inside and an outside of the container18. A side wall of the container18is provided with a plurality of vent holes25communicating the inside and the outside of the container18. When the push-up member15rapidly moves in the container18, a negative pressure is generated in a region between the push-up member15and a bottom surface of the container18. The negative pressure makes it difficult to move the push-up member15. Therefore, by providing the vent holes24and25, the phenomenon of negative pressure can be reduced, and the push-up member15can be smoothly moved.

The ejected object16is accommodated in the container18between an inner surface of the container18and an outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion19of the push-up member15, for example, so as to surround the outer surface of the bottomed cylindrical portion19. Note that the ejected object16is 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 container18or an airframe31of an aerial vehicle30(described later).

As the gas generator17, 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 member10, the cylinder14, the push-up member15, the gas generator17, and the like mainly constitute an ejector that ejects the ejected object16.

In the above configuration, when the gas generator17is operated, for example, at time of a fall of the aerial vehicle or the like equipped with the safety apparatus100, the piston member10is propelled upward in the cylinder14by pressure of gas generated by the operation. Thus, the push-up member15having the bottomed cylindrical portion19connected to the rod12of the piston member10is propelled upward in the container18. As a result, the lid21is pushed up by an upper part of the push-up member15, and the pin member22breaks the breakable portion18bof the container18. Then, the lid21is easily and quickly detached, the opening end of the container18is opened, and the ejected object16is ejected to the outside (toward a top of the drawing ofFIG.1) from the inside of the container18. In a case where the ejected object16is a parachute or a paraglider, the ejected object16is ejected from the container18and then deployed.

As illustrated inFIG.4, the safety apparatus100is coupled and fixed to the airframe31of the aerial vehicle30via a coupling member40. At this time, as illustrated inFIG.1, the coupling member40couples the container18and the airframe31at a position not to close the vent holes24. Therefore, the aerial vehicle30includes the airframe31, the safety apparatus100joined to the airframe31, one or more propulsion mechanisms (for example, propellers)32joined to the airframe31to propel the airframe31, and a plurality of legs33provided in a lower part of the airframe31. Here, in practice, a socket for energization is fitted to an electrode in a lower part of the gas generator17, but for convenience of description, the socket is omitted inFIG.1.

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is possible to obtain the safety apparatus100and the aerial vehicle30including the safety apparatus100, in which an ejection speed of the ejected object during operation is not lower than in a conventional fixing method, and the lid21and the opening end of the container18are 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 the equivalents in the meaning of the claims and 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 container18according to the embodiment has the first through hole18aand the breakable portion18bas illustrated inFIG.2(b), but alternatively, as illustrated inFIG.5, a container118provided with a second through hole118ahaving a notch at an opening end and a breakable portion118bformed 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 portion118b) 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.

Instead of the engagement mechanism according to the embodiment, a snap-fit locking mechanism may be used. Specifically, any locking mechanism may be used in which (a) as illustrated inFIG.6, a recess218aprovided on an inner wall of an opening end of a container218and a protrusion221bprovided on an outer wall of a projection221aprotruding from a lid221inside the container118are 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 hole21cis 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 hole21cis 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.

In the embodiment, the container18has a cylindrical shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the container18may have another shape such as a quadrangular cylinder.

The piston member10in 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 inFIG.7(a), a cylindrical protrusion321fcommunicating with a first through hole318aoutside a projection321aof a lid321and including a peripheral wall surrounding an outer periphery of a head322aon an inner side may be formed. This configuration can prevent a pin member322from being pulled out and the lid321from being opened by inserting a nail puller, a flathead screwdriver, or the like.

In a state illustrated inFIG.7(a), an inner wall (peripheral wall) of the cylindrical protrusion321fcan be brought into contact with the head322aby pressurizing the cylindrical protrusion321ffrom outside to inside, and caulked and fixed. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the head322afrom coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

In the state illustrated inFIG.7(a), resin functioning as an adhesive may be filled between the head322aand the inner wall (peripheral wall) of the cylindrical protrusion321fand solidified to fix the head322aand the cylindrical protrusion321f. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the head322afrom coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

The head322aand the cylindrical protrusion321fthat have been caulked and fixed may be further bonded and fixed with resin. Accordingly, it is possible to further prevent the head322afrom coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

As illustrated inFIG.7(b), a recess421fcommunicating with a first through hole418aoutside a projection421aof a lid421may be formed. This configuration can prevent a pin member422from being pulled out and the lid421from being opened by inserting a nail puller, a flathead screwdriver, or the like.

In the state illustrated inFIG.7(b), resin functioning as an adhesive may be filled between the head422aand an inner wall (peripheral wall) of the recess421fand solidified to fix the head422aand the recess421fAccordingly, it is possible to prevent the head422afrom coming off and scattering to the outside during operation.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

10piston member11body12,22b,322b,422brod13bore14cylinder15push-up member16ejected object17gas generator18,118,218container18a,118a,318a,418afirst through hole18b,118b,318b,418bbreakable portion19bottomed cylindrical portion20support21,221,321,421lid21a,221a,321a,421aprojection21b,321b,421breceiving member21c,21d,321c,321d,421c,421dsecond through hole21e,321e,421ereinforcing member22,322,422pin member22a,322a,422ahead23stopper24,25,26vent hole30aerial vehicle31airframe33leg40coupling member100safety apparatus218arecess221bprotrusion321fcylindrical protrusion421frecess