TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a current breaker for an aerial vehicle that blocks a current supply to an electric device provided in an aerial vehicle.

BACKGROUND ART

An aerial vehicle such as a drone that has been widespread in recent years is provided with an electric device that operates a plurality of propellers and an electric circuit having a storage battery (current supply source) that supplies a current to the electric device. Supplying a current from the storage battery to the electric device allows the propellers to operate.

Flights of such an aerial vehicle are controlled by the plurality of propellers, but the aerial vehicle may crash if the propellers partially stop operating, for example, due to a gust of wind. Thus, there is a risk of a minor collision of the crashed aerial vehicle with a person, causing injury to the person.

Although not for an aerial vehicle, there has been proposed to provide an electric circuit breaker that blocks a power supply to an electric device if an accident occurs in an electric vehicle in order to prevent an electric leakage and an electric shock due to the accident (see, for example, Patent Literature 1).

Patent Literature 1 discloses an electric circuit breaker that is applied to a vehicle provided with an electric circuit having a converter and a storage battery and that blocks a power supply from the storage battery to the converter upon detection of a collision to the vehicle. This electric circuit breaker is provided with a power supply circuit breaker driven by an explosive actuator that operates upon detection of a vehicle collision. The operation of the power supply circuit breaker disconnects a power supply path electrically connecting the storage battery and the converter.

CITATION LIST

Patent Literature

Patent Literature 1: JP 2011-25912 A

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Technical Problems

As described above, if the aerial vehicle crashes, a minor collision of the aerial vehicle with a person may occur. If such a minor collision of the aerial vehicle with a person unfortunately occurs, it is necessary to avoid at least a minor collision of the propellers in operation with the person. However, no effective means has been actually proposed for preventing the occurrence of a minor collision of various parts such as propellers in operation with a person at a crash of the aerial vehicle. Further, there has been a risk that the propellers in operation may be entangled with a string member connected to a lift generating member (parachute, paraglider, or the like), and the lift generating member may not be deployed properly.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a current breaker for an aerial vehicle that can prevent occurrence of a minor collision of a propeller or other components in operation with a person and can prevent occurrence of a deployment failure of a lift generating member at a crash of the aerial vehicle.

Solutions to Problems

(1) A current breaker for an aerial vehicle is used for an aerial vehicle provided with an electric device and an electric circuit having a current supply source that supplies a current to the electric device, and blocks a current supply from the current supply source to the electric device upon detection of an abnormality of the aerial vehicle, the current breaker for an aerial vehicle including a rupture plate that disconnects a current supply path that electrically connects the electric device and the electric circuit, a rupture force source that damages the rupture plate by directly or indirectly applying a rupture force to the rupture plate in a direction toward the current supply path, and disconnects the current supply path by the rupture plate that has been damaged, and a controller that drives the rupture force source upon detection of the abnormality.

In a configuration of (1), the controller drives a destructive force source upon detection of the abnormality of the aerial vehicle. The destructive force source directly or indirectly applies the rupture force (physical force such as heat or pressure) toward the current supply path to the rupture plate. Thus, the rupture plate can be damaged, and the current supply path can be disconnected by the rupture plate that has been damaged and cleaved. The current supply to the electric device of the aerial vehicle can be therefore blocked. This can prevent occurrence of a minor collision of propellers or other components in operation with a person, a fire, an electric shock, and a deployment failure of a lift generating member at a crash of the aerial vehicle. Further, if a part of the propellers is stopped, a flight is usually maintained by controlling a rotation speed of other propellers, but this causes a failure with an excessive load applied to a motor. However, the current supply can be forcibly blocked as described above, and a failure of the motor can be avoided. An igniter, a gas cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like can be used as the destructive force source. When the igniter is operated as a destructive force source upon detection of the abnormality, heat and pressure due to combustion of explosive are applied to the rupture plate.

(2) In the current breaker for an aerial vehicle of (1), the rupture plate is preferably provided with one or more fragile parts.

In a configuration of (2), the rupture plate is easily damaged by the pressure from the destructive force source. Then, the rupture plate that has been damaged easily disconnects the current supply path.

(3) In the current breaker for an aerial vehicle of (2), the rupture plate is preferably provided such that a central position of the rupture plate substantially coincides with a central axis of the rupture force source, and has a width larger than a width of the rupture force source in a length direction of the current supply path, and the fragile parts of the rupture plate are preferably disposed at an eccentric position of the rupture plate.

In a configuration of (3), a destructive force generated by the destructive force source (for example, heat and pressure generated by the igniter) can damage the rupture plate in a wider range and the cleaved part can be larger than in a mode in which the one or more fragile parts substantially coincide with the central axis of the rupture force source. As a result, the current supply path can be disconnected, and each end of the disconnected current supply path can be wound with a damaged rupture plate. Thus, a clearance of the disconnected part of the current supply path can be increased. This can prevent arc discharge from occurring between one part and the other part of the disconnected current supply path.

(4) The current breaker for an aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (3), further including a cup provided between the rupture force source and the rupture plate, disposed so as to cover at least a part of the rupture force source that applies the rupture force, and having a bottom, in which the bottom of the cup is preferably formed into a conical shape so as to be recessed inside, and is preferably displaced toward the rupture plate by receiving the rupture force to transmit the rupture force to the rupture plate.

In a configuration of (4), the pressure generated by the destructive force source can be smaller than when there is no cup. That is, when the destructive force source is, for example, an igniter or a gas cylinder, a used amount of the explosive can be smaller than the case where when there is no cup. Specifically, in this configuration, the bottom of the cup, which is formed in a conical shape, produces the so-called Neumann effect and increases the pressure. This pressure is received by the displaceable bottom of the cup, and the bottom can increase the pressure to a force capable of damaging the rupture plate and can transmit the pressure to the rupture plate. As a result, cost reduction can be achieved when the destructive force source is an igniter or a gas cylinder type.

(5) As another aspect, the current breaker for an aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (3), further including a cylinder provided between the rupture force source and the rupture plate, disposed so as to cover at least a part of the rupture force source that applies the rupture force, and having a bottom, in which the one or more fragile parts are preferably provided on the bottom of the cylinder.

In a configuration of (5), a target of the destructive force generated by the destructive force source can be restrained by the cylinder, and thus the destructive force is easily applied to the rupture plate while suppressing a destructive force loss.

(6) As another aspect, the current breaker for an aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (3), further including a cylinder provided between the rupture force source and the rupture plate, disposed so as to cover at least a part of the rupture force source that applies the rupture force, and having an opening at a tip of the cylinder, in which the one or more fragile parts are preferably provided on the bottom of the cylinder.

In the configuration of (5), a direction of the destructive force generated by the destructive force source can be regulated by the cylinder, and thus the destructive force is easily applied to the rupture plate while suppressing the destructive force loss.

(7) In the current breaker for an aerial vehicle according to any one of (1) to (6), an insulating material is preferably provided between the rupture plate and the current supply path.

In a configuration of (7), the insulating material is supplied onto the current supply path by receiving the destructive force together with or from the rupture plate. This ensures an insulation property of the current supply path. The reliability of the current breaking is thus improved.

(8) In the current breaker for an aerial vehicle of (7), the insulating material is preferably held on a lower surface of the rupture plate.

A configuration of (8) eliminates the need for providing another member that holds the insulating material.

(9) The current breaker for an aerial vehicle of the present invention is used for an aerial vehicle provided with an electric device and an electric circuit having a current supply source that supplies a current to the electric device, and blocks a current supply from the current supply source to the electric device upon detection of an abnormality of the aerial vehicle, the current breaker for an aerial vehicle including an insulating material, a destructive force source that disconnects a current supply path that electrically connects the electric device and the electric circuit by applying a pressure to the current supply path, and releases the insulating material toward the current supply path that has been disconnected by applying the pressure to the insulating material, and a controller that drives the destructive force source upon detection of the abnormality.

In a configuration of (9), the controller drives a destructive force source upon detection of the abnormality of the aerial vehicle. This destructive force source can disconnect the current supply path by applying the destructive force (physical force such as heat or pressure) to the current supply path. The current supply to the electric circuit can be therefore blocked. This can prevent occurrence of a minor collision of propellers or other components in operation with a person, a fire, an electric shock, and a deployment failure of a lift generating member at a crash of the aerial vehicle. Further, if a part of the propellers is stopped, a flight is usually maintained by controlling a rotation speed of other propellers, but this causes a failure with an excessive load applied to a motor. However, the current supply can be forcibly blocked as described above, and a failure of the motor can be avoided. Further, the destructive force source can release the insulating material toward the current supply path by applying the pressure to the insulating material. This can improve the reliability of the current breaking. An igniter, for example, can be used as the destructive force source. The igniter is operated upon detection of the abnormality, and thus heat and pressure are generated by combustion of the explosive. The heat and pressure are applied to the current supply path and the insulating material.

(10) In the current breaker for an aerial vehicle according to (9), the destructive force source is preferably an igniter.

In a configuration of (10), the destructive force source can be activated instantly and a weight of the destructive force source can be reduced.

(11) The current breaker for an aerial vehicle of the present invention is used for an aerial vehicle provided with an electric device and an electric circuit having a current supply source that supplies a current to the electric device, and blocks a current supply from the current supply source to the electric device upon detection of an abnormality of the aerial vehicle, the current breaker for an aerial vehicle including a rupture force source that disconnects a current supply path including a copper plate that electrically connects the electric device and the electric circuit by applying a rupture force to the current supply path in a direction toward the current supply path, and a controller that drives the rupture force source upon detection of the abnormality.

In a configuration of (11), the controller drives a destructive force source upon detection of the abnormality of the aerial vehicle. This destructive force source can disconnect the current supply path by applying a destructive force (physical force such as heat or pressure) to the current supply path. The current supply to the electric circuit can be therefore blocked. This can prevent occurrence of a minor collision of propellers or other components in operation with a person, a fire, an electric shock, and a deployment failure of a lift generating member at a crash of the aerial vehicle. Further, if a part of the propellers is stopped, a flight is usually maintained by controlling a rotation speed of other propellers, but this causes a failure with an excessive load applied to a motor. However, the current supply can be forcibly blocked as described above, and a failure of the motor can be avoided. An igniter, for example, can be used as the destructive force source. The igniter is operated upon detection of the abnormality, and thus heat and pressure are generated by combustion of the explosive. The heat and pressure are applied to the current supply path.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

Provided in the present invention is a current breaker for an aerial vehicle that can prevent occurrence of a minor collision of propellers or other components in operation with a person, a fire, an electric shock, and a deployment failure of a lift generating member at a crash of an aerial vehicle.

