Self-enclosed air vehicle

• US 10,259,579 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2018
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Original Assignee: GoPro, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Ryan Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Benedik, Justin M
• Application Number:
  US16/014,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20180297704A1
• Time in Patent Office: 299 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/60 by wearable objects, e.g. garments or helmets

Abstract

Vehicles such as unmanned air vehicles that are capable of movement from an open, flight configuration to an enclosed configuration in which all major flight components can be protected by an outer shell are disclosed. In the enclosed configuration, the vehicles can take on standard geometric shapes such as a rectangular prism, sphere, cylinder, or another shape, so as to not be recognizable as an unmanned air vehicle. Embodiments of vehicles can also include interchangeable and/or wireless motor arms, motor arms which are electrically connected to the remainder of the vehicle only when in an open configuration, remote controllers removably attached to the remainder of the vehicle, and clip or other attachment mechanisms for attachment to objects such as backpacks.

Claims

1. An unmanned air vehicle repositionable between a transport configuration and a flight configuration, the unmanned air vehicle comprising:

a body supporting a camera;

a cap configured to protect the camera, the cap being configured for releasable connection to the body such that the cap can be removed from the body before flight of the unmanned air vehicle;

at least one arm attached to the body and supporting a propeller, the at least one arm being movable between a first position, in which the unmanned air vehicle is in the transport configuration and an outer surface of the at least one arm is substantially flush with an outer surface of the body, and a second position, in which the unmanned air vehicle is in the flight configuration and the at least one arm extends outwardly from the body; and

landing gear movable between an undeployed configuration, wherein the landing gear is in a first position, and a deployed configuration, wherein the landing gear is in a second position to support the unmanned air vehicle during landing, wherein the landing gear is included on the at least one arm.

2. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cap includes a contour corresponding to a contour defined by the body.

3. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cap and the body include corresponding contact surfaces such that the cap can be flush-mounted to the body.

4. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the camera protrudes from the body.

5. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the camera is movably connected to the body.

6. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the propeller is movable between inactive and active positions, the propeller being configured for flight in the active position.

7. An unmanned air vehicle repositionable between a transport configuration and a flight configuration, the unmanned air vehicle comprising:

a body supporting a camera;

at least one arm attached to the body configured and dimensioned to support a propeller, the at least one arm being reconfigurable between a first configuration, wherein an outer surface of the at least one arm is substantially flush with an outer surface of the body, and a second configuration, wherein the at least one arm extends outwardly from the body; and

landing gear transitional between an inactive configuration when the unmanned air vehicle is in the transport configuration and an active configuration when the unmanned air vehicle is in the flight configuration, wherein the landing gear is included on the at least one arm.

8. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 7, wherein the at least one arm includes a first arm and a second arm, the first arm being movable towards the body in a first direction during movement from the second configuration to the first configuration, and the second arm being movable towards the body in a second direction opposite the first direction during movement from the second configuration to the first configuration.

9. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 7 further including a cap configured to protect the camera.

10. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cap includes a contour corresponding to a contour defined by the body.

11. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 9, wherein the cap is configured for releasable connection to the body such that the cap can be removed from the body before flight of the unmanned air vehicle.

12. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 11, wherein the cap and the body include corresponding contact surfaces such that the cap can be flush-mounted to the body.

13. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 7, wherein the camera protrudes from the body.

14. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 7, wherein the camera is movably connected to the body.

15. The unmanned air vehicle of claim 7, wherein the propeller is movable between inactive and active positions, the propeller being configured to facilitate flight of the unmanned air vehicle in the active position.