Aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system, aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus, and aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11905037-B2
Application number	US-202017632115-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2020
Priority date	Aug 9, 2019
Publication date	Feb 20, 2024
Grant date	Feb 20, 2024

Abstract

An aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system, an aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus, and an aerial vehicle capable of reducing the influence of the ground effect and capable of taking off and landing smoothly even in a comparatively small and limited space. A pair of rails are arranged side by side with a gap therebetween, and are arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side. An aerial vehicle has a suspension portion provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side. With the suspension portion is inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system comprising:
a pair of rails arranged side by side with a gap therebetween and arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side; and
an aerial vehicle having a suspension portion provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side, wherein
with the suspension portion inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.

2. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position is configured to be able to take off from the one end side.

3. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the rails are also arranged with a space in the extension direction on the other end side, and
the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position is configured to be able to take off from the other end side.

4. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the rails are arranged at intervals in a left-right direction.

5. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the rails are provided so that a distance between the rails increases from the landing position toward the one end side.

6. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the suspension portion has an arm provided so as to extend upward from the aerial vehicle and an engagement portion provided at a distal end of the arm so as to be movable in a state of being inserted between the rails and be able to engage between the rails at the landing position.

7. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 6 , wherein
the arm is provided so as to be deformable between a protruding state of extending toward an upper side of the aerial vehicle and a retracted state in which an amount of protrusion toward the upper side from the aerial vehicle is smaller than that of the protruding state.

8. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing system according to claim 1 , wherein
the aerial vehicle is provided so as to be able to fly by remote control or automatic control.

9. An aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus for landing an aerial vehicle, comprising:
a pair of rails arranged side by side with a gap therebetween and arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side,
the aerial vehicle having a suspension portion provided at an upper portion thereof so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side, wherein
with the suspension portion inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.

10. The aerial vehicle aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position is configured to be able to take off from the one end side.

11. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the rails are also arranged with a space in the extension direction on the other end side, and
the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position is configured to be able to take off from the other end side.

12. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the rails are arranged at intervals in a left-right direction.

13. The aerial vehicle takeoff and landing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the rails are provided so that a distance between the rails increases from the landing position toward the one end side.

14. An aerial vehicle that takes off and lands using a pair of rails, comprising:
a suspension portion at an upper portion thereof,
the rails being arranged side by side with a gap therebetween and arranged with a space in an extension direction on at least an under side and one end side,
the suspension portion being provided so as to be inserted between the rails from the one end side, wherein
with the suspension portion inserted between the rails, the aerial vehicle can be suspended at a predetermined landing position of the rails, and the aerial vehicle suspended at the landing position can take off.

15. The aerial vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
the suspension portion has an arm provided so as to extend upward and an engagement portion provided at a distal end of the arm so as to be movable in a state of being inserted between the rails and be able to engage between the rails at the landing position.

16. The aerial vehicle according to claim 15 , wherein
the arm is provided so as to be deformable between a protruding state of extending toward an upper side of the aerial vehicle and a retracted state in which an amount of protrusion toward the upper side from the aerial vehicle is smaller than that of the protruding state.

17. The aerial vehicle according to claim 14 , wherein
the aerial vehicle is provided so as to be able to fly by remote control or automatic control.

Assignees

• Univ Tohoku
• Npo Int Rescue System Institute

Inventors

• Tadakuma Kenjiro
• Tadokoro Satoshi
• Ohno Kazunori
• Okada Yoshito
• Watanabe Masahiro
• FUJIKURA Daiki
• Takamori Toshi

Classifications

• B64U30/20 Primary

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64U70/70

  Launching or landing using catapults, tracks or rails (launching from storage containers B64U70/50) · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64F1/22 Primary

  for handling aircraft · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title