JP7744471B2 - Drone Port System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a drone port system and its operating method, which allows drones to take off and land, store cargo delivered by drones inside, and retrieve it outside at any time.

A "drone" is a type of small unmanned helicopter. In recent years, there have been plans to use drones to transport small packages unmanned, inspect structures such as bridges, and spray pesticides. Such drones are called "industrial drones."

As industrial drones become more common, there is a demand for drone ports where drones can take off and land and where cargo delivered by drones can be stored inside. To meet this demand, for example, Patent Document 1 has been disclosed.

The "drone port system" described in Patent Document 1 comprises a baggage receiving box and a security box. A drone delivers baggage by air, lands on a landing board on the top of the receiving box, and takes off, leaving the baggage on the board. The landing board then slides along a slide guide, opening the top of the receiving box and dropping the baggage into the box.

Also, "downwash" refers to the downward current of air generated by the drone's rotors.
Conventionally, drone ports have mainly used flat surfaces with few openings for their landing and takeoff surfaces. However, in this case, the downwash generated by the drone bounces off the landing and takeoff surface, creating a mixture of downward and upward currents around the drone's rotors. This makes it difficult to control the drone's attitude during takeoff and landing, reducing landing accuracy and potentially compromising safety.

As a means of reducing downwash rebound, for example, Patent Document 2 is disclosed.

The "unmanned aerial vehicle takeoff and landing pad" of Patent Document 2 is equipped with a ground effect reduction device on the surface of the takeoff and landing pad from which an unmanned aerial vehicle can take off and land, which reduces the ground effect during landing. The ground effect reduction device includes a through-hole formed on the surface of the takeoff and landing pad that connects the upper and lower surfaces, an open/close switch, and an air suction device. The open/close switch switches the open/close state of the through-hole to reduce the ground effect. When the through-hole is open, the air suction device actively reduces the ground effect by directing air from the upper surface of the pad to the lower surface.

JP 2019-89461 A Patent No. 6228706

In order for drone port systems to become more widespread, they must meet the following requirements:
(1) Multiple units can be installed adjacent to parking spaces, for example, on the roof of a self-driving parking lot.
(2) Even if the drone's landing accuracy decreases due to weather or other factors, and the position of the cargo transported by the drone fluctuates, the cargo can be reliably transported inside and safely stored.
(3) It can reduce the impact of downwash generated by drones.
(4) The landing surface of the drone must be flat and free of obstructions.
(5) The stored luggage can be protected from wind and rain, and third parties cannot access the luggage from outside, so that the luggage can be stored safely.

However, the method of Patent Document 1 has the following problems.
(1) When the landing board at the top of the receiving box is slid open, the board juts out to the outside of the receiving box. This makes it impossible to install receiving boxes next to each other.
Furthermore, removing this overhang would halve the size of the landing board, making it difficult for drones to land accurately, or requiring a larger receiving box.
(2) The luggage on the landing board moves with the sliding landing board and falls into random positions in the receiving box, making it impossible to store the luggage in an orderly manner.
(3) There are slide guides and cargo drop guards around the landing board, which interfere with the drone's landing surface and make it impossible to make it completely flat.
(4) If the top of the receiving box is opened during rainy weather, rainwater will flow directly into the box, making it impossible to protect stored packages from wind and rain.

Furthermore, the method of Patent Document 2 has the following problems.
(1) Because through-holes and opening/closing switches are provided on the surface of the landing and takeoff pad, the opening rate of the landing and takeoff pad is low and the rebound of downwash is large.
(2) The downwash flows at high speeds, and a large air suction unit (e.g., a large fan motor) is required to suck in the high-speed downward flow, which requires a large amount of energy (e.g., electricity).
(3) Downwash (downward flow of air) has a high-speed region, and even if an air suction section is used, suction tends to be insufficient, resulting in little effect in reducing splashback.

The present invention has been devised to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, a first object of the present invention is to provide a drone port system and an operating method thereof that can be installed adjacent to each other without interfering with each other, and that can reliably transport and safely store cargo delivered by drones even if the cargo's position changes.
The second objective is to significantly reduce the rebound of downwash, to make the landing surface of the drone flat and free of obstructions, and to store cargo safely away from wind, rain, and third parties.

According to the present invention, there is provided a drone port system in which a drone lands on an upper surface and cargo carried by the drone is stored inside,
A hollow structure having a hollow interior and an upper surface opening large enough for the drone to land on;
a landing unit having a landing surface on which the drone lands and capable of ascending and descending the landing surface between an ascending height for landing and a descending height below the ascending height;
a centering device that horizontally moves the luggage placed on the landing surface to a reference line on the landing surface;
a conveying device that conveys the luggage on the reference line,
the landing unit, the centering device, and the transport device are installed in the hollow interior;
The landing unit comprises:
an elevation support platform having the landing surface and only the ears at the four corners positioned in the outer space of the upper opening;
An elevation guide that holds the landing surface horizontal and guides the elevation support platform so that it can be elevated and lowered;
a lifting drive unit that lifts and lowers the lifting support platform ,
the centering device has a pair of luggage-collecting members that are close to the landing surface, extend horizontally and parallel to a reference line on the landing surface, and move horizontally symmetrically with respect to the reference line between the outside of the landing surface and the vicinity of the reference line;
A pair of the luggage collectors can be positioned on the outer side of the landing surface so that the landing surface can be raised to the raised height without interfering with the luggage collectors;
The rising height is the height of the top surface of the hollow structure,
A drone port system is provided , wherein the landing surface has a flat shape without any obstructions .

According to the present invention, the landing unit, centering device, and transport device are installed inside the hollow structure, so there are no parts that protrude outside the hollow structure, and multiple hollow structures can be installed adjacent to each other without interfering with each other.

In addition, the landing unit is configured to be able to raise and lower the landing surface between a rising height for landing and a lowering height below that, so the drone can land on the landing surface by raising the landing surface to the rising height (for example, the height of the top surface of the hollow structure). This allows the drone's landing surface to be flat and free of obstructions.

In addition, it is equipped with a centering device that moves the cargo placed on the landing surface horizontally to a reference line on the landing surface, so even if the position of the cargo transported by the drone fluctuates randomly, the centering device can move the cargo horizontally to the reference line of the landing surface (for example, the center line).
Furthermore, since the drone is equipped with a transport device that transports cargo on the reference line below the landing surface, the cargo carried by the drone can be transported downward, and the transported cargo can be stored safely from wind, rain, and third parties.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a drone port system according to the present invention. FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of the drone port system showing the internal structure of the hollow structure. This is a view as seen from the arrows A-A in FIG. FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the landing pad. FIG. This is a diagram of the landing platform and lift support platform integrated together. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a centering device. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a centering device. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the centering device. 11A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 10, and FIG. 11B is a partial top view thereof. This is an explanatory diagram of how to operate the drone when landing. FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a hollow structure. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the drone port system. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration for prohibiting landing based on weather values.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that common parts in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a drone port system 100 in accordance with the present invention.
In this figure, the drone port system 100 comprises a hollow structure 10 on which a drone 1 lands and stores cargo 9 carried by the drone 1 inside the hollow structure 10.

(Hollow structure 10)
2A, 2B, and 2C are explanatory diagrams of the hollow structure 10, in which (A) is a front view, (B) is a top view, and (C) is a right side view.
The hollow structure 10 has a hollow interior 11 and an upper surface opening 12 large enough to allow the drone 1 to land on it.
In this example, the hollow interior 11 is a rectangular pillar, and the top opening 12 is a rectangular opening located at the center of the top surface of the hollow structure 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the opening may be a circular opening, or the top opening 12 may be off-center.
The hollow structure 10 also has an outer wall opening 14 on its side (the front in this example) that connects the hollow interior 11 to the outside.
The above-described configuration allows a plurality of hollow structures 10 to be installed adjacent to each other without interfering with each other.

Hereinafter, within the hollow interior 11, the space inside the top opening 12 in a plan view will be referred to as the "inner space 11a," and the space outside will be referred to as the "outer space 11b." In this example, the inner space 11a has a solid rectangular columnar shape, while the outer space 11b has a thick, hollow rectangular columnar shape.

The external dimensions of the hollow structure 10 are, for example, 2 m wide, 2 m deep, and 2.3 m high. The top opening 12 is, for example, a square with a width of 1.6 m and a depth of 1.6 m. The outer wall opening 14 is, for example, 660 mm wide and 570 mm high.
Hereinafter, in this figure, the width direction is referred to as the X direction, the depth direction as the Y direction, and the height direction as the Z direction. Furthermore, X-X is the central axis in the X direction, Y-Y is the central axis in the Y direction, and M is the center in a plan view, which is the intersection of the central axis X-X and the central axis Y-Y.

Figure 3 is a front view of the drone port system 100 showing the internal structure of the hollow structure 10, and Figure 4 is a view taken along the arrows A-A in Figure 3. Note that the main body frame has been omitted from the illustration to clarify the drawing.

3 and 4, the drone port system 100 of the present invention includes a sliding roof 20 and a landing unit 30.
The sliding roof 20, the landing unit 30, and the centering device 40 and the transport device 60, which will be described later, are installed inside the hollow structure 10 (i.e., the hollow interior 11).

The sliding roof 20 is configured so that the top opening 12 in the hollow interior 11 of the hollow structure 10 can be opened and closed symmetrically with respect to a reference line L. In this example, the reference line L is line YY in FIG.
The landing unit 30 also has a landing surface 33 on which the drone 1 lands, and is configured to be able to raise and lower the landing surface 33 between an ascending height H1 for landing and a descending height H3 below that.
In this example, an intermediate height H2 is set between the raised height H1 and the lowered height H3.

The rise height H1 is preferably the height of the upper surface of the hollow structure 10. With this configuration, when the drone 1 lands, the landing surface 33 of the drone 1 can be completely flat with no obstructions around it, and the upper surface (frame portion) of the hollow structure 10 can also be used for landing.
The rising height H1 may be above or below the upper surface of the hollow structure 10.

In this example, the intermediate height H2 is set to a height at which the sliding roof 20 can be opened and closed with the luggage 9 placed thereon.
For example, in this example, if the size of the luggage 9 is a box shape with a width of 200 mm, a depth of 200 mm, and a height of 200 mm, the intermediate height H2 should be 200 mm + α (for example, 10 mm or more) below the sliding roof 20 (the lower surface of the roof plate 22) located at the top opening 12.

In this example, the lowering height H3 is located below the intermediate height H2. Note that this configuration is not required, and the lowering height H3 may be set to the same height as the intermediate height H2.

(Sliding roof 20)
FIG. 5 is a top view of the sliding roof 20, and FIG. 6 is a front view of the sliding roof 20. As shown in FIG.
5 and 6, the sliding roof 20 has a plurality of rectangular roof plates 22 and a roof opening/closing device 26.
A plurality of roof plates 22 (four in this example) are adjacent to each other in the X direction and close the upper opening 12 horizontally.
The roof plates 22 horizontally close the top opening 12 in the fully closed position C. The roof plates 22 fully open the top opening 12 in the fully open position O. In the fully open position O, the multiple roof plates 22 are positioned vertically along the inner wall of the hollow structure 10, as shown by the thin lines in FIG.

5 and 6, the four roof plates 22 are made up of a roof plate 22a positioned on the inside in the width direction (X direction) and a roof plate 22b positioned on the outside.
Each roof plate 22 has a plurality of guide rollers 23. The guide rollers 23 are provided on the outer sides of both ends of the top opening 12 of the roof plate 22 in the depth direction, and are freely rotatable about horizontal axes in the depth direction Y.
In this example, two roof plates 22a, 22b are arranged on either side of the central axis Y-Y (reference line L) of the top opening 12. Three guide rollers 23 are attached to both ends of each pair of roof plates 22a, 22b in the Y direction. Of the three, the central guide roller 23 (23a) is attached to both pairs of roof plates 22a, 22b, connecting them so that they can rotate around a horizontal axis.

The roof opening/closing device 26 moves the plurality of roof plates 22 between a fully closed position C and a fully open position O.
5 and 6, the roof opening/closing device 26 has a guide plate 27 and a roof driving device 28.
The guide plates 27 are provided on the outer sides of both ends of the landing surface 33 in the depth direction, and guide the guide rollers 23 between the fully closed position C and the fully open position O.

The roof drive device 28 is provided outside the top opening 12 (i.e., in the outer space 11b) and drives the roof plate 22 between a fully closed position C and a fully open position O.
In this example, the roof drive device 28 has a plurality of sprockets 28a, a plurality of endless chains 28b, and a connecting shaft 28c.
The plurality of sprockets 28a are positioned outside the top opening 12 in the X direction and are configured to be rotatable around horizontal axes in the Y direction.
A plurality of endless chains 28b are provided on both sides in the Y direction outside the top opening 12 (i.e., the outer space 11b), and are guided by sprockets 28a to extend horizontally in the X direction.
The connecting shaft 28c is located in the outer space 11b and connects and synchronizes the sprockets 28a on both sides in the Y direction.

In this example, the roof drive device 28 further includes a plurality of sprockets 29a, a plurality of endless chains 29b, and a chain drive device 29c located in the outer space 11b.
The plurality of sprockets 29a are positioned at intervals above and below outside the top opening 12 in the X direction and are configured to be able to rotate a portion of the sprocket 28a (on the left side in FIG. 6).
The chain driving device 29c is located below and outside the top opening 12 in the X direction, and drives the endless chain 28b via the sprocket 29a and the sprocket 28a.

The above-described configuration of the roof drive device 28 allows the chain drive device 29c to horizontally move the endless chains 28b, which extend horizontally at intervals above and below, in opposite directions.

In Figures 5 and 6, the two roof plates 22a closest to the central axis Y-Y (i.e., reference line L) of the upper opening 12 have attachments 24 that connect the guide rollers 23b closest to the reference line L to the upper and lower endless chains 28b, respectively.
With this configuration, the chain drive device 29c can move the upper and lower endless chains 28b horizontally in opposite directions, and the two roof plates 22a closest to the reference line L can be moved horizontally in opposite directions in synchronization via the attachment 24.

The above-described configuration of the sliding roof 20 allows the top opening 12 to be opened and closed within the hollow interior 11, while maintaining the area below the top opening 12, which corresponds to the top opening 12 in a plan view, hollow.

In addition, the two roof panels 22a closest to the central axis Y-Y (reference line L) have elastic sealing material (not shown) attached to the side of the central axis Y-Y to prevent rainwater from flowing in between them when in the fully closed position C.
Sealing materials are also installed at other locations on the sliding roof 20 to prevent rainwater from entering.
This configuration makes it possible to prevent rainwater from entering the hollow structure 10 when the sliding roof 20 is in the fully closed position C.

3 and 4, the transport device 60 has the function of transporting the luggage 9 on the reference line below the landing surface 33.
In this example, the transport device 60 includes an opening/closing door device 53 , a door drive device 54 , a swing drive device 55 , a main conveyor device 62 , a storage device 64 , an auxiliary conveyor device 65 , and an exterior wall opening/closing device 70 .

In Figure 3, the landing unit 30 has a landing platform 32, an elevation support platform 34, an elevation guide 36, and an elevation drive unit 38.

(Landing Pad 32)
7 is a plan view of the landing platform 32. The landing platform 32 is made up of a horizontally arranged frame 32a and a landing board 32b attached horizontally to the upper surface of the frame 32a.
The landing pad 32 is located inside the top opening 12 (i.e., the inner space 11a) in a plan view, and has a landing surface 33 large enough for the drone 1 to take off and land on. The landing surface 33 is the upper surface of the landing board 32b.

In this figure, the conveying device 60 also has a baggage opening 32c and an opening/closing door device 53.
The luggage opening 32c is located on the reference line of the landing surface 33 and is large enough to allow luggage 9 to pass through in the vertical direction. The depth of the luggage opening 32c is preferably the depth of the landing platform 32 along the central axis Y-Y (reference line L) minus β (β is the width of the frame 32a, e.g., within 80 mm). For example, the size of the luggage opening 32c is 430 mm wide and 1,400 mm deep.
The luggage opening 32c is provided with an openable and closable luggage door 51. The upper surface of the luggage door 51 is set to be flush with the landing surface 33 when fully closed.
The opening and closing door device 53 is fixed to the landing platform 32 or the lift support platform 34 and is configured to be able to open and close the luggage opening 32c. The opening and closing structure of the luggage door 51 will be described later.

(Lifting support base 34)
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the lift support base 34. As shown in FIG.
The lift support platform 34 is fixed below the landing platform 32 at a fixed distance, with only the ears 34a at the four corners positioned outside the top opening 12 (i.e., in the outer space 11b).
The upper ends of guide bars 36a, which will be described later, are fixed to ears 34a at the four corners of the lift support base 34 outside the top opening 12 (outside space 11b).
Furthermore, the lifting support platform 34 does not have a frame at a location corresponding to the luggage opening 32c in plan view, so that luggage 9 dropping through the luggage opening 32c passes directly downward.

(Landing platform 32 and lifting support platform 34)
9A, 9B, and 9C are diagrams showing the landing platform 32 and the lift support platform 34 integrated together, with (A) being a plan view, (B) being a front view, and (C) being a right side view.

In this figure, the landing platform 32 and the lift support platform 34 are fixed at a fixed distance by a plurality of (eight) connecting fittings 35 on the outer periphery.
However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the landing platform 32 and the lift support platform 34 may be configured as a single, integrated member.

In FIG. 9, the ears 34a at the four corners of the lift support base 34 to which the upper end of the guide bar 36a is fixed are located outside the top opening 12 (outer space 11b) in a plan view.
Furthermore, the landing platform 32 and the lifting support platform 34 are located inside the top opening 12 (inner space 11a) in a plan view, separated by a gap from the inner edge of the top opening 12. This gap is preferably small as long as it does not interfere with the takeoff and landing of the drone 1, and is, for example, 5 to 20 mm.

(Lifting guide 36)
3, the lift guide 36 has a plurality of (e.g., four) guide bars 36a and a plurality of (e.g., four) guide plates 36b. The guide bars 36a extend vertically downward in the outer space 11b, with their upper ends fixed to the ears 34a at the four corners of the lift support base 34. The guide plates 36b are fixed to a main body frame (not shown) in the outer space 11b, and have vertical through holes into which the guide bars 36a fit.
This configuration of the lifting guide 36 allows the landing surface 33 to be guided to rise and fall between the raised height H1 and the lowered height H3 while maintaining the landing surface 33 horizontal.

(Lifting drive unit 38)
3, the lifting drive unit 38 is, for example, an electric lifter that rotates a ball screw using an electric motor and a reducer to lift and lower the mounting plate 38a along a linear guide. As a result, the lifting drive unit 38 lifts and lowers the lifting support base 34 while maintaining its horizontal position via a connecting fitting 38b fixed to the mounting plate 38a.

(Centering device 40)
3 and 4, the landing unit 30 further includes a centering device 40 that horizontally moves the cargo 9 placed on the landing surface 33 onto a reference line on the landing surface.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the centering device 40, and is a plan view similar to FIG. 9(A).
In this figure, the centering device 40 has a pair of luggage gathering members 42. The pair of luggage gathering members 42 are close to the landing surface 33 and extend horizontally and parallel to a reference line L on the landing surface, and move horizontally symmetrically with respect to the reference line L between the outside of the landing surface 33 and the vicinity of the reference line L.
The length of the pair of luggage gathering members 42 is preferably longer than the depth direction length of the landing platform 32. Furthermore, when the centering device 40 is in operation, the height of the luggage gathering members 42 from the landing surface 33 may be moved up and down within a range lower than the center of gravity of the luggage 9.
In this example, the luggage collecting member 42 is a cylindrical member. It is preferable that the cylindrical member be able to rotate freely around its axis, but it may also be fixed.

With this configuration, by positioning the pair of luggage pull-up members 42 on the outside of the landing surface 33 (on the left and right outer sides in the figure), the landing surface 33 can be raised and lowered without interfering with the luggage pull-up members 42.
In addition, by moving a pair of luggage guide members 42 horizontally symmetrically from the outside of the landing surface 33 toward the center near the reference line L, luggage 9 placed at any position on the landing surface can be moved horizontally (centered) above the reference line L.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the centering device 40, and is a front view similar to FIG.
In this figure, the centering device 40 further includes a plurality of hanging members 44 .

The multiple hanging members 44 have lower ends 44a fixed to both ends of the luggage gathering member 42 in the outer space 11b, extend upward, and upper ends 44b fixed to a part of the sliding roof 20 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the Y direction. In this example, this upper end 44b is fixed coaxially with the guide roller 23 closest to the central axis Y-Y (reference line L).
In this example, the luggage collection member 42 is a cylindrical member (hollow tube) having a diameter of, for example, 20 to 40 mm, and the suspending member 44 is a flat metal plate, for example. With this configuration, the luggage collection member 42 suspended by the suspending member 44 functions as a weight and can freely swing like a pendulum in the X direction around the upper end 44b.

The upper end 44b of the hanging member 44 described above moves horizontally in the X direction as the sliding roof 20 opens and closes.
Therefore, the upper end 44b of the hanging member 44 is located in the outer space 11b outside the top opening 12 when the sliding roof 20 is fully open, and is located in a symmetrical position with respect to the reference line L in the inner space 11a inside the top opening 12 when viewed from above when the sliding roof 20 is fully closed.
When the centering device 40 is activated, the landing surface 33 is located at an intermediate height H2 between the raised height H1 and the lowered height H3.

With the above-described configuration of the centering device 40, when the sliding roof 20 is fully opened, a pair of luggage guide members 42 suspended from the suspension members 44 can be positioned outside the landing surface 33, allowing the landing surface 33 to be raised and lowered without interfering with the luggage guide members 42.
Furthermore, by fully closing the sliding roof 20, the pair of luggage pushing members 42 suspended from the suspension members 44 are moved horizontally symmetrically from the outside of the landing surface 33 toward the center to near the reference line L. This allows luggage 9 placed at any position on the landing surface to be moved horizontally to above the reference line L.

12 is a front view similar to that of FIG. 11, illustrating the operation of the centering device 40. In this figure, (A) shows the landing surface 33 at the lowered height H3, and (B) shows the landing surface 33 at the intermediate height H2.
In this figure, the centering device 40 has a control arm 46 that extends downward and has its upper end fixed to the luggage guiding member 42 outside the top opening 12 (outer space 11b). The control arm 46 is, for example, a flat metal plate, and preferably has a roller at its lower end 46a that rotates freely around a horizontal axis in the Y direction.
The landing unit 30 also has guide members 39a and 39b fixed to the outside of the landing surface 33 and below the landing surface 33. The guide members 39a and 39b also have control surfaces that come into contact with the lower ends 46a of the control arms 46 when the landing surface 33 is raised or lowered.

In this example, the outer guide member 39a is fixed so as to contact the lower end 46a of the control arm 46 outside the landing surface 33 (outer space 11b), and the inner guide member 39b is fixed so as to contact the lower end 46a of the control arm 46 near the reference line L.

As shown in Figures 12(A) and (B), the control surface of the outer guide member 39a is configured to contact the lower end 46a of the control arm 46 and guide the luggage guide member 42 to the outside of the landing surface 33 (outer space 11b) when the landing surface 33 rises from the lowered height H3 to the intermediate height H2.
This configuration reliably prevents the luggage collecting member 42 from entering inside the landing surface 33 (inside the inner space 11a) and interfering with the landing surface 33 as it rises.

12A and 12B, the control surface of the inner guide member 39b is set to limit the minimum horizontal distance XM from the reference line L to the luggage collector 42 at the mid-height H2 of the landing surface 33. The minimum horizontal distance XM is preferably set in accordance with the size of the luggage 9.
With this configuration, the pair of luggage gathering members 42 can be positioned symmetrically with respect to the reference line L in the vicinity of the reference line L, and the luggage 9 sandwiched between the luggage gathering members 42 can be accurately positioned on the reference line.

Furthermore, the control surface of the inner guide member 39b is set so as to spread the luggage collectors 42 outward beyond the minimum horizontal distance XM when the landing surface 33 descends from the intermediate height H2 to the descending height H3.
With this configuration, when the landing surface 33 descends from the intermediate height H2 to the descending height H3, the luggage attracting member 42 can be moved outward from the luggage 9, eliminating the resistance of the luggage attracting member 42 acting on the luggage 9.

(Opening and closing door device 53)
13A is a cross-sectional view taken along the line CC in FIG. 10, and FIG. 13B is a partial top view thereof.
In this figure, the conveying device 60 has an opening/closing door device 53 that can open and close the baggage opening 32c.
The door opening/closing device 53 has a pair of luggage doors 51 and a door drive device 54 .
The pair of luggage doors 51 are positioned horizontally adjacent to each other and fully close the luggage opening 32c. The outer ends of the pair of luggage doors 51 in the X direction are supported rotatably around a rotation shaft 51a in the Y direction.
The door drive device 54 swings (rotates) the pair of luggage doors 51 downward about the rotation shaft 51a. The door drive device 54 is made up of a pair of swing drive devices 55 in this example.

With the configuration of the opening and closing door device 53 described above, the pair of luggage doors 51 can be swung (rotated) downward while the luggage opening 32c is fully closed, thereby opening the luggage opening 32c downward and allowing luggage 9 placed on the luggage doors 51 to fall downward.
The pair of luggage doors 51 may swing synchronously, or one may swing ahead and the other may lag behind. By swinging one door ahead, one side of the luggage 9 can be aligned in the Y-Y direction along the leading luggage door 51.

(Main conveyor device 62 and storage device 64)
3 and 4, the conveying device 60 further includes a main conveyor device 62 located below the luggage opening 32c, which conveys the luggage 9 horizontally in the Y direction, and a storage device 64 which conveys the luggage 9 in the X direction and stores it.

3, the transport device 60 includes an elevation drive unit 68 that raises and lowers the conveyor device 62. The elevation drive unit 68 is, for example, an electric lifter that rotates a ball screw using an electric motor and a reducer to raise and lower a mounting plate 68a along a linear guide, and raises and lowers the conveyor device 62 via a connecting fitting 63 fixed to the mounting plate 68a.
With this configuration, the conveyor device 62 can be raised to a position close to directly below the luggage opening 32 c, thereby preventing damage to luggage 9 that falls through the luggage opening 32 c. In addition, the conveyor device 62 can be positioned at a height that matches the storage device 64 and the outer wall opening 14.

The transport device 60 also has an auxiliary conveyor device 65 fixed to the intermediate portion between the main conveyor device 62 and the exterior wall door 72. The auxiliary conveyor device 65 receives the luggage 9 from the main conveyor device 62 and transports the luggage 9 to just inside the exterior wall door 72.
With this configuration, when the exterior wall door 72 is fully opened, the luggage 9 can be easily accessed and removed to the outside.

As shown in Figure 4, it is preferable to provide a vertically extending blind plate 66 at the left end of the main conveyor device 62, and raise the main conveyor device 62 so that the inside of the device cannot be seen through the blind plate 66 when the exterior wall door 72 is fully opened.

In FIG. 4, the storage device 64 stores the baggage 9 on the opposite side of the outer wall opening 14 via the main conveyor device 62 .
The storage device 64 comprises, for example, a right-angle direction changer (not shown) that changes the direction of the luggage 9 between the Y direction and the X direction, and a conveyor device (not shown) that is installed in succession thereto and transports the luggage 9 in the X direction.
This configuration allows a plurality of packages 9 to be stored in an aligned manner in the storage device 64.
A roof may be attached to the top of the storage device 64. This configuration can prevent the luggage 9 from getting wet when the drone 1 lands in rainy weather.

(Exterior wall opening and closing device 70)
In FIG. 4, the transport device 60 further includes an outer wall opening/closing device 70 for opening and closing the outer wall opening 14 .
The exterior wall opening and closing device 70 includes an exterior wall door 72 that fully closes the exterior wall opening 14 from inside the hollow structure 10, and an opening and closing drive device 74 that drives the exterior wall door 72 to open and close from inside the hollow structure 10.
The opening/closing drive device 74 comprises a slide guide 75 that moves the exterior wall door 72 backward from the front and slides it upward, and a vertical drive device 76 that moves the exterior wall door 72 up and down.
With this configuration, the exterior wall door 72 can be driven to open and close from inside the hollow structure 10 to open and close the exterior wall opening 14 .
The exterior wall opening and closing device 70 may be configured so that the exterior wall door 72 can be opened and closed manually.

The operating method of the present invention using the drone port system 100 described above is described below.

(standby state)
In the standby state, the top opening 12 on the top surface of the hollow structure 10 shown in FIG. 2 is fully closed by the roof plate 22 , and the outer wall opening 14 on the front surface is fully closed by the outer wall door 72 .
Therefore, in the standby state, third parties cannot access the luggage 9 stored inside the hollow structure 10 from the outside, and the luggage 9 can be stored safely.
In addition, in the standby state, the sealing material provided on the sliding roof 20 can prevent rainwater from entering the inside of the hollow structure 10.

(When the drone lands)
14 is an explanatory diagram of a method of operating a drone when it lands. In this diagram, (A) shows the standby state, and (B) shows the time of landing.
14A, when the drone 1 approaches to land, the sliding roof 20 is fully opened, and then the landing surface 33 is raised to the raised height H1. In this state, the drone 1 lands on the landing surface 33 at the raised height H1.
14(B), only the landing surface 33 is exposed inside the top opening 12, and the height of the landing surface 33 is located at the rising height H1 (preferably the height of the top surface of the hollow structure 10). Therefore, there are no obstructions around the landing surface 33 on which the drone 1 lands, making it completely flat, and the top surface (frame portion) of the hollow structure 10 can also be used for landing.
Therefore, even if the landing accuracy of the drone 1 decreases due to weather conditions (e.g., wind), it can easily land on the top surface of the hollow structure 10.

Next, after the drone 1 takes off, leaving the cargo 9 it carried on the landing surface 33, the landing surface 33 is lowered into the hollow structure, and the centering device 40 moves the cargo 9 horizontally to the reference line of the landing surface 33. In addition, before or simultaneously with this horizontal movement, the sliding roof 20 is fully closed.
In addition, with the above-mentioned configuration, it is preferable that the luggage 9 is moved horizontally to the reference line of the landing surface 33 at the same time as the sliding roof 20 is fully closed.

Next, the transport device 60 transports the luggage 9 on the reference line below the landing surface 33, and the luggage 9 is transferred to the main conveyor device 62 for storage, so that the luggage 9 transported by the drone 1 can be safely stored inside.
Furthermore, the administrator (or user) of the drone port system 100 can operate the main conveyor device 62, storage device 64, and exterior wall opening and closing device 70, for example, using a remote control switch or the drone port's operation panel, to remove luggage 9 stored inside at any time.

Figure 15 is a view showing another embodiment of the hollow structure 10, and is a view similar to Figure 14. In this figure, (A) shows the standby state, and (B) shows the time of landing.
As shown in this figure, the top opening 12 may be circular.
In this case, this can be achieved by making the landing platform 32 and landing surface 33 of the landing unit 30 circular.
The sliding roof 20, the centering device 40, and the transport device 60 can be configured as described above.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the drone port system 100.
In this figure, the landing surface 33 has a plurality of exhaust openings 33a that allow air from the upper surface to flow downward.
The hollow structure 10 also has an external exhaust port 15 that exhausts the airflow that flows downward from the exhaust opening 33a to the outside. The landing surface 33 is, for example, the upper surface of a wire mesh, a punched metal, a lattice plate, or a lattice board.
The height H of the hollow structure 10 is, for example, about 2.3 m, and a plurality of external exhaust ports 15 are provided at the bottom end of the hollow structure 10, with the gap height being, for example, 20 to 100 mm.
The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

According to the above-described configuration, the landing surface 33 has a plurality of exhaust openings 33a that allow air from the upper surface to flow downward, and since there are no components (e.g., conventional opening/closing switches) that limit the size and position of the exhaust openings 33a, the opening ratio of the landing surface 33 can be set to a large value.
Therefore, most of the downwash (downward flow of air) generated by the rotors of the drone 1 can be made to flow out (pass) below the landing surface 33.

In addition, inside the hollow structure 10, the air flow that flows out (passes through) downward from the exhaust opening 33a is deflected horizontally outward from the external exhaust port 15, preventing it from bouncing upward off the landing surface 33.

The drone port system 100 of the present invention further includes a control device 80. The control device 80 controls the landing unit 30, the centering device 40, and the transport device 60.
When the drone 1 places the luggage 9 on the landing surface 33, the control device 80 receives authentication information from the drone 1 and operates the centering device 40 to move the luggage 9 horizontally to a reference line on the landing surface.
Next, the control device 80 controls the transport device 60 to transport the luggage 9 to a plurality of storage spaces in the hollow interior 11, and stores the location information indicating the locations of the storage spaces and the authentication information in association with each other.
Thereafter, when the authentication information is input, the control device 80 controls the conveying device 60 to convey the luggage 9 in the storage space at the location indicated by the location information associated with the authentication information to the outer wall opening 14 when the authentication information matches the authentication information held by the control device 80.

In addition, when transporting luggage 9 from the storage space to the exterior wall opening 14, the control device 80 operates the exterior wall door 72 to a position that opens the exterior wall opening 14, or unlocks the exterior wall door 72 that is closing the exterior wall opening 14.

As described above, in the present invention, when authentication information is input by the recipient to the control device 80, if the authentication information matches the authentication information held by the control device 80, the following is carried out.
First, the control device 80 controls the conveying device 60 to convey the luggage 9 in the storage space at the position indicated by the position information associated with the authentication information to the exterior wall opening 14. Second, the control device 80 controls a drive device (not shown) of the exterior wall door 72 to operate the exterior wall door 72 to a position where the exterior wall opening 14 is opened.

The input of such authentication information and the control of the control device 80 based on this input may be performed, for example, as follows: The recipient of the stored luggage 9 inputs authentication information such as a PIN number into the control device 80 installed in the drone port system 100. The authentication information is notified to the recipient by an appropriate method. For example, the authentication information is notified to the recipient of the luggage 9 by the company that transports the luggage 9 using the drone 1. The recipient inputs the authentication information into the control device 80 wirelessly by operating a mobile terminal, by operating an appropriate input device installed outside the drone port system 100, or by other methods.

If the control device 80 holds authentication information that matches the input authentication information, it moves the luggage 9 in the storage space associated with the authentication information to the removal position. Next, the control device 80 controls the drive device of the exterior wall door 72, which is closing the exterior wall opening 14, to move it to a position that opens the exterior wall opening 14.

The recipient then retrieves the parcel 9 from the pickup location.

The control device 80 may operate the exterior wall door 72 to a position that opens the exterior wall opening 14, and transport the package 9 to the outside through the exterior wall opening 14. In this case, the conveyor device may also be arranged outside the exterior wall opening 14, and the recipient receives the package 9 that has come out from the exterior wall opening 14.
Alternatively, the recipient may manually move the exterior wall door 72 from a position where it closes the exterior wall opening 14 to a position where it opens the exterior wall opening 14. In this case, the control device 80 unlocks the exterior wall door 72 from the position where it closes the exterior wall opening 14.

[Configuration for prohibiting landing based on weather values]
Figure 17 (A) shows a first example configuration of a system in which a control device 80 communicates with a drone 1 or a control device 85 of the drone 1 based on weather values.

The control device 80 further includes a weather value acquisition device 81 and a determination device 83. The weather value acquisition device 81 measures weather values related to the location of the hollow structure 10. These weather values may be weather values for a local area including the location of the hollow structure 10.

The weather value acquisition device 81 is, for example, an anemometer. The anemometer 81 may be provided on the top surface (corner of the top surface) of the hollow structure 10, or may be provided in another location. The anemometer 81 repeatedly measures wind speed as a weather value.

The determination device 83 determines whether the weather values (e.g., the wind speed mentioned above) acquired by measurement by the weather value acquisition device 81 are within an acceptable range. This determination may be made each time a weather value is measured. If the result of this determination is negative, the determination device 83 transmits a prohibition signal prohibiting the drone 1 from landing on the landing surface 33. At this time, the determination device 83 transmits the prohibition signal to the drone 1 or to the control device 85 of the drone 1, for example, via wireless communication.

For example, in order to place the cargo 9 on the landing surface 33, or while flying, the drone 1 transmits a signal to that effect to the determination device 83, for example, via wireless communication. When the determination device 83 receives this signal, if the result of the most recent determination is negative (for example, if the wind speed exceeds 10 m/s), it transmits a prohibition signal to the drone 1 in response to this signal. This causes the drone 1 to abort its flight toward the landing surface 33.

In another example, if the result of the above determination is negative, the determination device 83 sends a prohibition signal to the control device 85. When the control device 85 receives the prohibition signal, it wirelessly transmits a signal to the corresponding drone 1 to suspend flight toward the landing surface 33. This causes the drone 1 to suspend flight toward the landing surface 33.

Note that the above-mentioned weather values are not limited to wind speed, and may be other weather values (for example, rainfall amount, snowfall amount, etc.). In this case, a weather value acquisition device 81 is provided to measure the other weather values, and other aspects may be the same as those described above.

Figure 17 (B) shows a second configuration example of a system in which the control device 80 communicates with the drone 1 or the drone 1's control device 85 based on weather values. In this second configuration example, the weather value acquisition device 81 repeatedly receives the latest weather values from a weather data source 87 (e.g., a meteorological observation agency or a weather data management agency), for example, via wireless communication. The determination device 83 determines whether the weather values received by the weather value acquisition device 81 are within the acceptable range. This determination may be made each time weather values are received. If the result of this determination is negative, the determination device 83 transmits the prohibition signal described above. Other aspects are the same as in the first configuration example described above, and therefore will not be described further.

In the above-described embodiment, the drone port system 100 may be equipped with a temperature control device (not shown) that controls the temperature of the interior space S in which the cargo 9 is stored. The temperature control device may be of the widely used compression type, or may be of another type. The temperature control device may have one or both of a cooling function and a heating function.

If the luggage 9 is luggage that requires refrigeration (e.g., perishable food), the temperature adjustment device uses its cooling function to adjust the temperature of the internal space S to within a temperature range suitable for refrigeration. If the luggage 9 is luggage that requires freezing (e.g., food), the temperature adjustment device uses its cooling function to adjust the temperature of the internal space S to within a temperature range suitable for freezing.

In cold regions or during winter, the temperature control device uses its heating function to warm the interior space S (for example, by heating the temperature of the interior space S to a temperature of 20°C or higher), thereby warming the drone's battery as well as the cargo 9. This prevents the battery's performance from decreasing due to low-temperature environments.

According to the embodiment of the present invention described above, the sliding roof 20, landing unit 30, centering device 40, and transport device 60 are installed in the hollow interior 11. With this configuration, there are no parts that protrude outside the hollow structure 10, and multiple hollow structures 10 can be installed adjacent to each other without interfering with each other.

In addition, the landing unit 30 is configured to be able to raise and lower the landing surface 33 between the ascent height H1 and descent height H3, so the drone 1 can land on the landing surface 33 by raising the landing surface 33 to the ascent height H1 (e.g., the height of the top surface of the hollow structure 10). This allows the landing surface 33 for the drone 1 to be flat and free of obstructions.

In addition, since the drone 1 is equipped with a centering device 40, even if the position of the luggage 9 transported by the drone 1 fluctuates randomly, the centering device 40 can move the luggage 9 horizontally to the reference line (e.g., the center line) of the landing surface 33.
Furthermore, the drone is equipped with a transport device 60 that transports and stores the luggage 9 on the reference line below the landing surface 33, so that the luggage 9 transported by the drone 1 can be transported to a fixed position and stored, and the stored luggage 9 can be stored safely from wind, rain, and third parties.
In addition, by providing the above-mentioned exhaust opening 33a and external exhaust port 15, the splashback of downwash by the landing surface 33 can be significantly reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can of course be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

C: Fully closed position, H1: Rise height, H2: Intermediate height, H3: Fall height,
L reference line, M center, O fully open position, X width direction, XM minimum horizontal distance,
Y depth direction, Z height direction, 1 drone, 9 luggage,
10 hollow structure, 11 hollow interior, 11a inner space,
11b outer space, 12 upper surface opening, 14 outer wall opening,
20 sliding roof, 22, 22a, 22b roof plate,
23, 23a, 23b guide rollers, 24 attachment,
26 roof opening/closing device, 27 guide plate,
28 roof drive device, 28a sprocket,
28b endless chain, 28c connecting shaft,
29a sprocket, 29b endless chain,
29c chain drive device, 30 landing unit,
32 landing platform, 32a frame, 32b landing board,
32c luggage opening, 33 landing surface, 33a exhaust opening,
34 Lifting support base, 34a Ear portion, 35 Connecting metal fitting,
36 lift guide, 36a guide bar, 36b guide plate,
38 lifting drive unit, 38a mounting plate, 38b connecting metal fitting,
40 Centering device, 42 Luggage gathering member, 44 Suspension member,
46 control arm, 46a lower end, 48 horizontal drive device
48a linear guide, 48b ball screw drive device,
51 luggage door, 51a rotating shaft, 53 opening and closing door device,
54 Door drive device, 55 Swing drive device, 60 Conveying device,
62 conveyor device, 63 connecting fitting, 64 storage device,
65 Auxiliary conveyor device, 66 Blind plate,
68 lifting drive unit, 68a mounting plate,
70 Exterior wall opening and closing device, 72 Exterior wall door, 74 Opening and closing drive device,
80 control device, 81 weather value acquisition device (anemometer),
83 Determination device, 85 Control device, 87 Weather data source,
100 Drone Port System

Claims (1)

A drone port system in which a drone lands on the top surface and stores the cargo carried by the drone inside.
A hollow structure having a hollow interior and an upper surface opening large enough for the drone to land on;
a landing unit having a landing surface on which the drone lands and capable of ascending and descending the landing surface between an ascending height for landing and a descending height below the ascending height;
a centering device that horizontally moves the luggage placed on the landing surface to a reference line on the landing surface;
a conveying device that conveys the luggage on the reference line,
the landing unit, the centering device, and the transport device are installed in the hollow interior;
The landing unit comprises:
an elevation support platform having the landing surface and only the ears at the four corners positioned in the outer space of the upper opening;
An elevation guide that holds the landing surface horizontal and guides the elevation support platform so that it can be elevated and lowered;
a lifting drive unit that lifts and lowers the lifting support platform ,
the centering device has a pair of luggage-collecting members that are close to the landing surface, extend horizontally and parallel to a reference line on the landing surface, and move horizontally symmetrically with respect to the reference line between the outside of the landing surface and the vicinity of the reference line;
A pair of the luggage collectors can be positioned on the outer side of the landing surface so that the landing surface can be raised to the raised height without interfering with the luggage collectors;
The rising height is the height of the top surface of the hollow structure,
A drone port system, wherein the landing surface has a flat shape with no obstructions .