SYSTEM COMPRISING AT LEAST ONE FIRST DEVICE MOVABLE IN A CONTROLLED MANNER AND AT LEAST ONE SECOND DEVICE, WHICH IS ARRANGED ON SAID AT LEAST ONE FIRST DEVICE, FOR APPLYING MATERIAL

Abstract

The invention relates to a system (10) comprising at least one first device (20) movable in a controlled manner and at least one second device (27), which is arranged on said at least one first device, for applying material. In order to produce complex structures in a simple manner, according to the invention, the at least one first device (20) movable in a controlled manner is formed by an aircraft (20) provided with at least one rotor (21), which aircraft comprises at least one container (231; 232) for storing the material.

Claims

1. A system comprising at least one first device movable in a controlled manner and at least one second device, which is arranged on said at least one first device, for applying material, characterized in that the at least one first device movable in a controlled manner is formed by an aircraft provided with at least one rotor, which aircraft comprises at least one container for storing the material.

2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second device comprises at least a nozzle or a print head.

3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the at least one container is connected to the second device by means of at least one pump.

4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft has at least two containers.

5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that the two containers are suitable for receiving different components of the material, which are mixable by way of the second device.

6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the second device and/or the at least one container are connected to at least one storage container via at least one material supply line.

7. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the at least one material supply line is held at a level above the altitude of the aircraft by means of at least one support device.

8. The system according to claim 6, characterized in that the storage container is arranged at a level above the altitude of the aircraft.

9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft is provided with at least one lifting container.

10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft is provided with a receiver, which is in radio connection with a transmitter connected to a control apparatus.

11. The system according to claim 10, characterized in that the control apparatus has at least one program memory for storing at least one operating program comprising position data for the at least one aircraft and comprising material metering data for the device and/or the pump.

12. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft is formed by a drone.

13. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft is useable for erecting a wall of a building and/or for applying concrete.

14. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the aircraft is provided with at least one device for applying attachment parts or for transporting materials or tools.

15. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a conveying line, in particular formed by or mounted on a telescopically extendable or three-dimensionally movable handling assistant, is provided between the at least one container and the second device for applying material.

16. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one container is connected to the second device by means of at least one pump.

17. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the aircraft has at least two containers.

18. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the second device and/or the at least one container are connected to at least one storage container via at least one material supply line.

19. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that the at least one material supply line is held at a level above the altitude of the aircraft by means of at least one support device.

20. The system according to claim 7, characterized in that the storage container is arranged at a level above the altitude of the aircraft.

Description

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the system according to the invention are described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an aircraft comprising an integrated material container and a nozzle for applying the material,

[0027] FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an aircraft comprising an integrated material container and a nozzle for applying the material, comprising an additional external lifting body,

[0028] FIG. 3 is a schematic drawing of a system according to the invention comprising a material supply line, which connects an aircraft to a ground-level storage container, and

[0029] FIG. 4 is a schematic drawing of a system according to the invention comprising a material supply line, which connects an aircraft to a storage container arranged in an elevated position.

[0030] FIGS. 3 and 4 show two different embodiments of a system 10 according to the invention. The system 10 according to the invention comprises a first device 20, which is formed by an aircraft 20 provided with at least one rotor 21.

[0031] Two different embodiments of an aircraft 20 of this type, preferably formed by a drone comprising a plurality of rotors 21, are shown schematically by way of example in FIGS. 1 and 2.

[0032] As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the system 10 according to the invention further comprises at least one second device 27 for applying material. The at least one second device 27 is formed in the manner of a nozzle or in the manner of a print head, and is connected to a pump 24 via a conveying line 26. The conveying line 26 is preferably formed by or mounted on a handling assistant, which—as indicated by the double-headed arrow in FIGS. 1 and 2—is telescopically extendable or displaceable three-dimensionally, in such a way that the nozzle or print head 27 is displaceable within a particular region even when the aircraft 20 is temporarily floating in a stationary manner. The placement of material in difficult-to-access gaps between reinforcements or armoring is much more easily possible as a result of the displaceability of the nozzle 27, independently of a displacement of the aircraft 20, by way of the displaceable handling assistant 26.

[0033] The pump 24 is connected at the input, via at least one supply line 25, to at least one container 23 or a plurality of containers 231 and 232, which serve to store or buffer an in particular liquid or paste material.

[0034] The material in at least one of the containers 231, 232 may also be formed powdered or solid and be mixed with a liquid, which is supplied directly from the other container 232, 231 in the second device 27 or via the supply line 25, to form a paste compound. In another variant, a plastics material stored in one of the containers 231, 232 may also for example be melted in or upstream from the device 27 by heating, before application. If a plurality of containers 231, 232 are provided, they may accommodate either the same material or else differing components for producing a material mix that is formed in the second device 27—for example a concrete as the first component and a curing agent for more rapid curing of the concrete as the second component.

[0035] The containers 23; 231, 232 are preferably arranged within a housing 22 of the aircraft 20. Alternatively or in addition, however, it is also possible to arrange external containers (not shown) on the housing 22.

[0036] As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the aircraft 20 is additionally provided with at least one device 28 for applying attachment parts. These attachment parts may for example be formed by slabs and/or smoothing tools, which delimit the introduced material on both sides of the deice 27 during application and/or smooth it during or after the application. As a further benefit, the device 28 can for example be used, by way of a gripper or mounting provided therein, for transporting material and/or tools on a building site, and can thus support and simplify the logistics. If there are a plurality of aircraft 20 cooperating in a system according to the invention, dedicated special tasks may also be assigned to them. Thus, for example, a first aircraft 20 may “weave” a reinforcing web from a plastics material, a second aircraft 20 may be provided with a nozzle 27 for applying concrete, a third aircraft 20 may be equipped with smoothing tools for smoothing the applied concrete, a fourth aircraft 20 may serve to position window frames in the openings provided therefor, and a fifth aircraft 20 may be provided for applying an insulating outer layer.

[0037] To reduce the power required for operating the rotors 21 to produce a floating state of the aircraft 20, lifting containers 29 or 291 are preferably arranged in or on the housing 22. The lifting containers 29 arranged internally in the housing 22 as separate chambers or the lifting containers 291 arranged externally on the housing 22, for example in the form of a peripheral tube, accommodate a gas that has a lower specific weight than air, for example helium or hydrogen.

[0038] Either the aircraft 20 are each flown to a loading station to fill the containers 23; 231, 232, or, particularly preferably, as is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, they are connected to at least one storage container 40 via material supply lines 30. Preferably, a further pump 42, by means of which the material is conveyed from the storage container 40 via the material supply line 30 to the containers 23; 231, 232 or directly to the second device 27, is arranged in or on these storage containers 40.

[0039] In this context, the material supply line 30 may comprise a plurality of separate lines that are combined into a line bundle and through which different materials are supplied. The material supply line 30 may also be used for transmitting electrical energy and/or fuels for driving the aircraft 20 or for signal transmission.

[0040] The material supply line 30 is connected to the storage container 40 via a connector 34 and to the aircraft 20 via a connector 32.

[0041] So as to relieve the aircraft 20 of the weight of the material supply line 30 and the material located therein, support devices 50 are preferably provided, which have at least one substantially horizontal boom 51 and at least one vertical support column 53 or at least one support bearing 52. The material supply line 30 is mounted on these support columns 53 and booms 51 by means of mountings 54 and 56.

[0042] In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the storage container 40 is arranged at ground level, in such a way that the material has to be conveyed to the aircraft 20 floating in the air from below via the material supply line 30.

[0043] In the alternative embodiment of FIG. 4, the storage container 40 is arranged on a building 70 already present in the neighborhood. In this case, the required power of the pump 42 for conveying the material to the aircraft 20 via the material supply line 30 is much lower.

[0044] The system according to the invention preferably serves to erect at least one wall 60 of a building 70.

[0045] The system according to the invention is preferably controlled using a control apparatus 80 shown in FIG. 4, which has at least one program memory 82 and at least one transmitter 84. The transmitter 84 is in a preferably wireless data transmission connection with a receiver 86 arranged on the aircraft 20.

[0046] The program memory 82 contains a building plan for the building 70, in which all positions and dimensions, including the required clearances for doors and windows, are stored as CAD data for the individual walls 60. The program memory 82 also contains the required amount data of the material that are to be outputted by the second devices 27 at the positions respectively flown to by the aircraft 20 and that are controlled by corresponding actuation of the pumps 24 and 42 or of valves (not shown). Using a processor, the control apparatus 80 converts these CAD data into position coordinates, such as GPS data and/or laser mapping data, which are transmitted to the receiver 86 using the transmitter 84 and by means of which the at least one aircraft 20 approaches the corresponding positions in succession to apply the material.

[0047] Conversely, GPS signals or laser mapping data of the aircraft 20 may also be transmitted from a transmitter on the aircraft 20 to a receiver (not shown) on the control apparatus 80, and data for a building plan of a building work to be erected may be determined therefrom.

[0048] The system according to the invention comprising the at least one aircraft 20 may also be used in the same manner for calibrating finished building works 70, making it possible to determine the exact current state of a building work. This is used both for quality control during inspection and for periodic monitoring of changes in a building, for example sinking caused by the foundations yielding as a result of land subsidences, earthquakes or earth tremors. This is very useful in particular in regions that are particularly threatened by earthquakes, for an early warning and for exact temporal documentation of different damage states.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0049] 10 System [0050] 20 Aircraft (first device, for example drone) [0051] 21 Rotor [0052] 22 Housing [0053] 23 Container (for material) [0054] 231 Container (for material component 1) [0055] 232 Container (for material component 2) [0056] 24 Pump [0057] 25 Supply line [0058] 26 Conveying line or handling assistant [0059] 27 (Second) device (for applying material) [0060] 271 Nozzle or print head [0061] 28 Device (for mounting attachment parts) [0062] 29 Lifting container (internal to 22) [0063] 291 Lifting container (external to 20) [0064] 30 Material supply line [0065] 32 Connector (from 30 to 23) [0066] 34 Connector (from 30 to 40) [0067] 40 Storage container [0068] 42 Pump [0069] 50 Supply device [0070] 51 Boom [0071] 52 Support bearing [0072] 53 Support column [0073] 54 Mounting [0074] 56 Mounting [0075] 60 Building part (wall) [0076] 70 Building [0077] 80 Control apparatus [0078] 82 Program memory [0079] 84 Transmitter [0080] 86 Receiver