HOVERING UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE

• US 20150259066A1
• Filed: 10/17/2013
• Published: 09/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Unmanned Aerial Systems ULC (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Aeryon Labs, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johannesson, Glen, Peasgood, Michael, Kroetsch, David, Marchetti, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,783,294 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/30 Parts of fuselage relatively movable to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• 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 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• 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 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/291 Detachable rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/30 detachable from the body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 60/40 foldable or retractable
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/00 Transport or storage specially adapted for UAVs

Abstract

In an aspect, an apparatus includes a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle (HUAV). The HUAV includes an arm assembly configured to support a propeller in such a way that propeller drag of the propeller is decoupled from yaw torque requirements associated with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle. In another aspect, an apparatus includes an HUAV that has an arm assembly that is field-foldable relative to the HUAV between a flight-ready state and a folded state. In another aspect, an apparatus includes an HUAV having an arm assembly that is keyed in such a way as to facilitate field-assembly relative to the HUAV.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle, including;

an arm assembly being configured to support a propeller in such a way that propeller drag of the propeller is decoupled from yaw torque requirements associated with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the arm assembly is field-foldable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle between a flight-ready state and a folded state.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle further includes;

instances of the arm assembly being keyed to facilitate field-assembly of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle in such a way that the instances of the arm assembly are configured to support a respective instance of the propeller at predetermined positions that facilitate decoupling of the propeller drag of the instances of the propeller from the yaw torque requirements associated with the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the arm assembly includes;

a twisted propeller arm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the arm assembly is configured to support the propeller at an alpha angle relative to normal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the arm assembly is configured to support the propeller at an alpha angle, and the alpha angle is a rotation about an axis extending through the arm assembly toward a propeller shaft, the propeller shaft is supported by the arm assembly, and the propeller shaft is coupled to the propeller.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the propeller is supported at the alpha angle relative to normal in such a way that the propeller generates a body torque sufficient to allow improved yaw control of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the alpha angle allows the propeller to be made as low-drag as possible without regard for yaw control within the propeller to decouple drag characteristics of the propeller from generation of yaw torque.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the arm assembly includes;

an arm base coupled to the arm assembly;

an arm midsection coupled to the arm assembly; and

an arm motor head coupled to the arm assembly, and

a twist is formed in the arm midsection of the arm assembly, and the twist formed in the arm midsection causes the arm motor head to be at the alpha angle relative to the arm base of the arm assembly.

10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the arm assembly includes;

an arm base coupled to the arm assembly;

an arm midsection coupled to the arm assembly; and

an arm motor head coupled to the arm assembly, and

the arm motor head is mounted at the alpha angle relative to the arm midsection, and

the arm midsection is mounted straight on the arm base.

11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the arm assembly includes;

an arm base coupled to the arm assembly;

an arm midsection coupled to the arm assembly; and

an arm motor head coupled to the arm assembly, and

the arm base, the arm midsection and the arm motor head are formed in one piece, and

the arm motor head is positioned at an end of the arm assembly, and

the arm motor head is at the alpha angle relative to the arm base of the arm assembly.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

instances of the arm assembly have propellers mounted at the alpha angle oriented in a first direction; and

instances of the arm assembly have propellers mounted at the alpha angle oriented in a second direction.

13. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the alpha angle is a function of;

the inertia of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle about a vertical axis, and

a desired response time in a yaw control of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the alpha angle is of a magnitude that results in a propeller thrust (T) generated by the propeller that has;

a first thrust component along a Z axis of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle being [(T)*cos(the alpha angle)]; and

a second thrust component along a horizontal axis of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle being [(T)*sin(the alpha angle)], and

where the second thrust component along the horizontal axis causes a torque about a yaw axis being [(T)*sine of the alpha angle*(L)], and

where (L) is a horizontal distance from a center of the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle to a center of the propeller.

15. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein:

the alpha angle is in a range from about one to about ten degrees.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle, including;

an arm assembly being field-foldable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle between a flight-ready state and a folded state.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the arm assembly is also field-removable and is also field-re-attachable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle between the folded state and a removed state.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body, and

the arm assembly is field-foldable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a leg assembly being field-foldable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle between the folded state and a removed state.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

the arm assembly and the leg assembly are simultaneously field-foldable relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle between the flight-ready state and the folded state.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein:

the leg assembly is field-removable, field-re-attachable and field-foldable relative to a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body between the folded state and the removed state.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising:

a socket assembly, including;

a socket body being configured to affix into a socket cavity formed on a first side of a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein:

the socket assembly further includes;

an arm mounting shaft spanning across the socket body, and the arm mounting shaft is configured to interface with the arm assembly; and

a leg-mount assembly mounted rotatably onto the arm mounting shaft, and the leg-mount assembly is configured to interface with a leg assembly.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, further comprising:

a latch assembly configured to latchably connect and latchably disconnect the arm mounting shaft with the arm assembly.

25. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein:

the arm assembly is keyed in such a way as to facilitate field-assembly relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

26. An apparatus, comprising:

a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle, including;

an arm assembly being keyed in such a way as to facilitate field-assembly relative to the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein

the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle further includes:

a socket assembly, including;

a socket body being configured to affix into a socket cavity formed on a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein

the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle further includes:

a hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body; and

a socket assembly, the hovering unmanned aerial vehicle body and the socket assembly forming a unitary unit formed from a piece of material.

29. The apparatus of any one of claim 27, wherein:

the socket assembly further includes;

an arm mounting shaft spanning across the socket body, and the arm mounting shaft is configured to interface with the arm assembly; and

a leg-mount assembly mounted rotatably onto the arm mounting shaft, and the leg-mount assembly is configured to interface with a leg assembly.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein:

the arm assembly is keyed and prevents the arm assembly from being installed in an incorrect instance of the socket assembly.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein:

the arm assembly has an arm keying screw boss; and

the socket assembly includes a socket keying screw boss;

the arm keying screw boss is designed and aligned such that the arm assembly may normally be inserted into the socket assembly, and for a case where a keying screw is inserted into both the arm keying screw boss and the socket keying screw boss on the same side, the keying screw does not allow sufficient clearance for the arm assembly to be installed.