COMPACT UNMANNED ROTARY AIRCRAFT

• US 20140339355A1
• Filed: 05/14/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Autel Robotics USA LLC (Autel Intelligent Technology Corp., Ltd. (f/k/a Autel Intelligent Technology Company Limited))
• Original Assignee: Draganfly Innovations Inc. (Frontier Energy Corp.)
• Inventors: OLM, Orville, WOOD, Greg, DRAGAN, Zenon
• Granted Patent: US 9,260,184 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/17.23
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• 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 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/291 Detachable rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/40 foldable or retractable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/50 with landing legs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/50 the UAVs being disassembled

Abstract

A rotary wing aircraft apparatus has arms extending from a body, and a rotor assembly attached to an end of each arm. Each rotor assembly has a rotor blade releasably attached by a lock mechanism. A clockwise rotor blade is releasably attached to a first rotor assembly by engagement in a clockwise lock mechanism, and a counterclockwise rotor blade is releasably attached to a second rotor assembly by engagement in a counterclockwise lock mechanism. The clockwise rotor blade is engageable only with the clockwise lock mechanism and the counterclockwise rotor blade is engageable only with the counterclockwise lock mechanism and cannot be engaged in the clockwise lock mechanism. A leg extends down from each rotor assembly to support the apparatus on the ground.

Claims

1. A rotary wing aircraft apparatus comprising:

a body;

a plurality of arms extending laterally from the body, and a rotor assembly attached to an outside end of each arm;

each rotor assembly comprising a rotor blade releasably attached to a driveshaft by a lock mechanism, and a drive rotating the driveshaft;

wherein a first driveshaft rotates in a clockwise direction and a second driveshaft rotates in a counterclockwise direction;

wherein a clockwise rotor blade is releasably attached to the first driveshaft by engagement in a clockwise lock mechanism and generates a vertical lift force when rotated in the clockwise direction, and a counterclockwise rotor blade is releasably attached to the second driveshaft by engagement in a counterclockwise lock mechanism and generates a vertical lift force when rotated in the counterclockwise direction; and

wherein the clockwise rotor blade is engageable only with the clockwise lock mechanism and cannot be engaged in the counterclockwise lock mechanism, and the counterclockwise rotor blade is engageable only with the counterclockwise lock mechanism and cannot be engaged in the clockwise lock mechanism.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the clockwise lock mechanism comprises a shaft lock portion attached to the first driveshaft and a blade lock portion attached to the clockwise rotor blade, the shaft lock portion defining notches configured to engage corresponding lugs on the blade lock portion.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the counterclockwise lock mechanism comprises a shaft lock portion attached to the second driveshaft and a blade lock portion attached to the counterclockwise rotor blade, the blade lock portion comprising lugs with a configuration that is different than a configuration of the lugs on the blade lock portion of the clockwise lock mechanism.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the blade lock portion of the clockwise lock mechanism is rotated counterclockwise with respect to the shaft lock portion thereof to releasably attach the clockwise rotor blade to the first driveshaft.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the blade lock portion of the counterclockwise lock mechanism is rotated clockwise with respect to the shaft lock portion thereof to releasably attach the counterclockwise rotor blade to the second driveshaft.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each rotor assembly comprises a leg extending downward from a bottom portion of the rotor assembly to support the apparatus on a ground surface.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the leg slopes downward and away from the body.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein each leg is pivotally attached to the bottom portion of the rotor assembly such that the leg is movable from a stored position, where the leg extends laterally from the rotor assembly along the arm supporting the rotor assembly, to an operating position where the leg extends downward from the rotor assembly.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 comprising a bias element urging the leg toward the stored position, and a latch operative to lock the leg in the operating position.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the leg slopes downward and away from the body when in the operating position.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein a bottom end of the leg engages the arm when in the stored position.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the arms are movably attached to the body such that the arms can be moved from a flying position, where the arms extend forward and rearward laterally outward from the body such that the arms are substantially equally spaced, to a folded stored position where at least one arm is substantially aligned with and adjacent to another arm.

13. A rotary wing aircraft apparatus comprising:

a body;

a plurality of arms extending laterally from the body, and a rotor assembly attached to an outside end of each arm;

each rotor assembly comprising a rotor blade and a drive operative to rotate the rotor blade; and

each rotor assembly comprising a leg extending downward from a bottom portion of the rotor assembly to support the apparatus on a ground surface.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the leg slopes downward and away from the body.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein each leg is pivotally attached to the bottom portion of the rotor assembly such that the leg is movable from a stored position, where the leg extends laterally from the rotor assembly along the arm supporting the rotor assembly, to an operating position where the leg extends downward from the rotor assembly.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 comprising a bias element urging the leg toward the stored position, and a latch operative to lock the leg in the operating position.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the leg slopes downward and away from the body when in the operating position.

18. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein a bottom end of the leg engages the arm when in the stored position.

19. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the rotor blades are releasably attached to the rotor assemblies.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the arms are movably attached to the body such that the arms can be moved from a flying position, where the arms extend forward and rearward laterally outward from the body such that the arms are substantially equally spaced, to a folded stored position where at least one arm is substantially aligned with and adjacent to another arm.