Foldable drone

• US 10,035,589 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2015
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beijing Zero Zero Infinity Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Zero Zero Infinite Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Beijing Zero Zero Infinity Technology Co., Ltd. (Shenzhen Zero Zero Infinite Technology Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Zhang, Tong, Wang, Mengqiu, Wang, Zhaozhe, Zhang, Xuyang, Zhang, Guanqun, Gong, Shuang, Zhang, Yalin, Wang, Jinglong, Liu, Lixin
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US15/035,934
• Publication Number:
  US 20160340021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 945 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/29 Constructional aspects of rotors or rotor supports; Arrangements thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/20 Transmission of mechanical power to rotors or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence

Abstract

A foldable drone is provided to improve the portability of the drone, which includes a drone body and a rotary wing part connected to the drone body. The rotary wing part includes a first rotary wing module and a second rotary wing module with each having at least one rotary wing, and the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are respectively articulated to two sides of the drone body, to allow the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module to rotate about their respective articulating shafts, so as to be folded or unfolded.

Claims

1. A foldable drone, comprising:

a drone body and

a rotary wing part connected to the drone body,

wherein;

the rotary wing part comprises a first rotary wing module and a second rotary wing module, the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module each comprising at least two rotary wings connected to each other and arranged linearly;

in each of the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module, two rotary wings, which are adjacent, are articulated, one of the rotary wings constitutes a basic rotary wing, and other rotary wings constitute folding rotary wings;

the folding rotary wings are operable to sequentially fold and unfold, thereby transitioning between a folded wing configuration and an unfolded wing configuration, wherein, in the folded wing configuration, the folding rotary wings are folded onto the basic rotary wing;

the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are respectively articulated to two sides of the drone body via the respective basic rotary wing, thereby enabling the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module to transition between a folded wing module configuration and an unfolded wing module configuration by rotating about respective articulating shafts; and

in the folded wing module configuration, outer side surfaces of the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are both not beyond outer side surfaces of the drone body.

2. The foldable drone according to claim 1, wherein first positioning members in cooperation with each other are provided on surfaces, facing towards each other, of the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module, wherein the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are fixed to each other by the first positioning members when the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are in the folded wing module configuration.

3. The foldable drone according to claim 1, wherein second positioning members in cooperation with each other are provided on surfaces, facing towards each other, of the drone body and at least one of:

the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module, respectively, wherein the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are fixed to the drone body by the second positioning members when the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are in the unfolded wing module configuration.

4. The foldable drone according to claim 1, wherein, in the unfolded wing module configuration, the first rotary wing module defines a first plane, and the second rotary wing module defines a second plane coplanar with the first plane.

5. The foldable drone according to claim 4, wherein:

a vertical cross section of the drone body is of a T shape comprising a first element and a second element, wherein;

the first element is substantially rectangular and defines a first element edge;

the second element is substantially rectangular and defines a second element central axis;

the second element extends outward from the first element edge; and

the second element central axis is substantially perpendicular to the first element edge;

the articulating shafts extend from two ends of a second element portion of the T shape to form connecting ends configured to respectively connect the first rotary wing module or the second rotary wing module, wherein the second element portion comprises the second element; and

in the unfolded wing module configuration, the first rotary wing module and the second rotary wing module are in parallel with and fit a transverse portion of the T shape.

6. The foldable drone according to claim 1, wherein the first rotary wing module is provided with a first gear, the second rotary wing module is provided with a second gear engaged with the first gear, and axes of the first gear and the second gear are respectively in parallel with the articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

7. The foldable drone according to claim 6, wherein the two articulating shafts are arranged on the drone body, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively sleeved on and articulated to the respective articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

8. The foldable drone according to claim 2, wherein the first rotary wing module is provided with a first gear, the second rotary wing module is provided with a second gear engaged with the first gear, and axes of the first gear and the second gear are respectively in parallel with the articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

9. The foldable drone according to claim 3, wherein the first rotary wing module is provided with a first gear, the second rotary wing module is provided with a second gear engaged with the first gear, and axes of the first gear and the second gear are respectively in parallel with the articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

10. The foldable drone according to claim 4, wherein the first rotary wing module is provided with a first gear, the second rotary wing module is provided with a second gear engaged with the first gear, and axes of the first gear and the second gear are respectively in parallel with the articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

11. The foldable drone according to claim 5, wherein the first rotary wing module is provided with a first gear, the second rotary wing module is provided with a second gear engaged with the first gear, and axes of the first gear and the second gear are respectively in parallel with the articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

12. The foldable drone according to claim 8, wherein the two articulating shafts are arranged on the drone body, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively sleeved on and articulated to the respective articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

13. The foldable drone according to claim 9, wherein the two articulating shafts are arranged on the drone body, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively sleeved on and articulated to the respective articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

14. The foldable drone according to claim 10, wherein the two articulating shafts are arranged on the drone body, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively sleeved on and articulated to the respective articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

15. The foldable drone according to claim 11, wherein the two articulating shafts are arranged on the drone body, and the first gear and the second gear are respectively sleeved on and articulated to the respective articulating shafts on the same sides as the first gear and the second gear.

16. The foldable drone according to claim 4, wherein, in the unfolded wing module configuration, the drone body defines a body plane coplanar with the first plane and the second plane.

17. The foldable drone according to claim 4, wherein, in the unfolded wing module configuration, a surface of the drone body is in parallel with the first plane and the second plane.