Flying apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11745873-B2
Application number	US-201916960200-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 10, 2019
Priority date	Jan 11, 2018
Publication date	Sep 5, 2023
Grant date	Sep 5, 2023

Abstract

To improve safety during a fall of a flying apparatus, a flying apparatus (1) according to a representative embodiment of the present application includes a body unit (2), a lift-force generating part (3) that is connected to the body unit and generates a lift force, a flight control part (14) that controls the lift-force generating part, an abnormality detecting part (15) that detects an abnormality during flight, a parachute device (4) including a parachute (41, 41A) and a parachute accommodating part (42) that accommodates the parachute, and a fall control part (16) that ejects the parachute from the parachute accommodating part according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A flying apparatus comprising:
a body unit;
a lift-force generating part that is connected to the body unit and generates a lift force;
a flight control part that controls the lift-force generating part;
an abnormality detecting part that detects an abnormality during flight;
a plurality of parachute devices each including a parachute, a small flying object coupled to the parachute, and a parachute accommodating part that accommodates the parachute; and
a fall control part that ejects the parachutes from the respective parachute accommodating parts according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part,
the fall control part ejects each small flying object from the respective parachute accommodating part and ejects the respective parachute,
wherein the fall control part ejects, from among the plurality of parachute devices, a first small flying object of a first parachute device disposed in a farthest position of the body unit from a ground,
further comprising an informing device radiating light or sound, wherein the fall control part controls the informing device according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part and informs, with light or sounds, an environment outside of the flying apparatus that the flying apparatus is in a dangerous state;
wherein the small flying object includes:
a gas generating device that generates gas;
a housing that accommodates the gas generating device and includes, on an inside, a gas emission chamber in which a plurality of gas emission holes for emitting the gas generated from the gas generating device are formed; and
a plurality of nozzles respectively coupled to the gas emission holes of the housing, and each nozzle provided to be inclined at a respective angle with respect to an axis of the housing, so that the emitted gas from each respective nozzle is jetted obliquely to the axis of the housing and the small flying object rotates when ejected.

2. The flying apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein further comprising an openable and closable resistance wing, wherein
the fall control part opens the resistance wing according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part.

3. The flying apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the resistance wing is openable and closable according to control from the fall control part.

4. The flying apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fall control part ejects a plurality of the small flying objects of the respective plurality of parachute devices while staggering the ejections in time.

5. The flying apparatus according to claim 4 ,
further comprising a sensor part that detects a tilt of the body unit, wherein
the fall control part selects, based on a detection result of the sensor part, the first parachute device disposed in the farthest position of the body unit from said ground among the respective plurality of parachute devices from which the plurality of small flying objects are not ejected.

6. The flying apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the fall control part ejects the plurality of small flying objects in one direction, in order from an adjacent parachute device adjacent to the first selected parachute device that ejected the first small flying object first.

7. The flying apparatus according to claim 5 ,
wherein the fall control part ejects, following the first small flying object ejected first, a second small flying object of an opposite parachute device disposed opposite to the first selected parachute device, which ejected the first small flying object, across a center part of the body unit.

8. The flying apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the fall control part ejects the plurality of small flying objects in one direction in order from an adjacent parachute device adjacent to the parachute device that ejected the second small flying object second.

9. A flying apparatus comprising:
a body unit;
a lift-force generating part that is connected to the body unit and generates a lift force;
a flight control part that controls the lift-force generating part;
an abnormality detecting part that detects an abnormality during flight;
a parachute device including a parachute and a parachute accommodating part that accommodates the parachute; and
a fall control part that ejects the parachute from the parachute accommodating part according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part,
wherein the parachute device further comprises a small flying object coupled to the parachute, and
the fall control part ejects the small flying object from the parachute accommodating part and ejects the parachute,
wherein the small flying object includes:
a gas generating device that generates gas;
a housing that accommodates the gas generating device and includes, on an inside, a gas emission chamber in which a plurality of gas emission holes for emitting the gas generated from the gas generating device are formed; and
a plurality of nozzles respectively coupled to the gas emission holes of the housing, and each nozzle provided to be inclined at a respective angle with respect to an axis of the housing, so that the emitted gas from each respective nozzle is jetted obliquely to the axis of the housing and the small flying object rotates when ejected.

10. The flying apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the parachute includes:
a parachute body;
a suspension cord that couples the parachute body and the body unit; and
a bar-like elastic member that extends between a top part of the parachute body and an edge part of the parachute body.

11. The flying apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein
the parachute device further includes:
a wire that couples the small flying object and the parachute body; and
a parachute opening control device that controls unfolding of the parachute body, and
the parachute opening control device applies a compression load to the elastic member to deform the elastic member in a state in which a tensile force of the wire is lower than a predetermined level and, when the tensile force of the wire exceeds the predetermined level, releases the compression load of the elastic member.

12. The flying apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising an informing device radiating light or sound, wherein
the fall control part controls the informing device according to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detecting part and informs, with light or sound, an environment outside of the flying apparatus that the flying apparatus is in a dangerous state.

Assignees

• Minebea Mitsumi Inc

Inventors

• Mochida Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B64U30/299

  Rotor guards (ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60) · CPC title

• B64U50/30

  Supply or distribution of electrical power · CPC title

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64U30/12

  Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title