UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE WITH A TRI-WING CONFIGURATION

• US 20160375997A1
• Filed: 03/03/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Welsh, Ricky Dean, LeGrand, Louis LeRoi III
• Granted Patent: US 10,640,204 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 23/069 using one or more wing tip airfoil devices, e.g. winglets, splines, wing tip fences or raked wingtips
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/22 Compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/04 having multiple fuselages or tail booms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 9/26 by multiple flaps
• 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 30/10 Wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/10 Drag reduction

Abstract

This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that includes a substantially polygonal perimeter frame and a central frame. The perimeter frame includes a front wing, a lower rear wing, and an upper rear wing. The wings provide lift to the UAV when the UAV is moving in a direction that includes a horizontal component. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV may also include one or more thrusting motors and corresponding thrusting propellers. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the thrusting motor(s) may be engaged and the thrusting propeller(s) will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

) frame, comprising;

a central frame, including;

a hub;

a first motor arm extending from the hub in a first direction;

a second motor arm extending from the hub in a second direction;

a third motor arm extending from the hub in a third direction; and

a fourth motor arm extending from the hub in a fourth direction;

a perimeter frame, including;

a front wing having a first end and a second end;

a first side rail coupled to the first end of the front wing;

a second side rail coupled to the second end of the front wing;

a lower rear wing coupled to the first side rail and the second side rail; and

an upper rear wing coupled to the first side rail and the second side rail; and

wherein the first motor arm, the second motor arm, the third motor arm, and the fourth motor arm are coupled to the perimeter frame.

2. The UAV frame of claim 1, wherein the first end of the front wing and the first side rail are coupled using a corner junction.

3. The UAV frame of claim 2, wherein the corner junction includes an input/output mounting component configured to house at least one input/output component.

4. The UAV frame of claim 1, wherein the first side rail includes a cavity configured to house one or more power modules.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a perimeter frame, including;

a front portion including a front wing configured to provide lift to the UAV when the UAV is moving in a direction that includes a horizontal component;

a rear portion including a first rear wing configured to provide lift to the UAV when the UAV is moving in the direction that includes the horizontal component;

a first side rail joining the front portion and the rear portion;

a second side rail joining the front portion and the rear portion; and

wherein the perimeter frame is substantially polygonal in shape;

a central frame positioned within the substantially polygonal shape of the perimeter frame and coupled to an interior of the perimeter frame;

a plurality of lifting motors coupled to the central frame; and

a plurality of lifting propellers, each propeller coupled to a motor of the plurality of lifting motors, wherein each of the plurality of lifting propellers are within the substantially polygonal shape of the perimeter frame.

6. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the rear portion of the perimeter frame further includes a second rear wing positioned vertically above the first rear wing.

7. The UAV of claim 5, wherein:

the front wing includes a plurality of flaps;

each of the plurality of flaps may be rotated together with respect to the front wing; and

each of the plurality of flaps may be extended in opposite directions to increase a height of the wing and provide a perimeter protection around at least a portion of the plurality of lifting propellers.

8. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising an antenna element embedded in a surface of at least one of the front wing or the first rear wing.

9. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising:

a thrusting motor coupled one of the front wing or the first rear wing.

10. The UAV of claim 9, further comprising:

a thrusting propeller coupled to the thrusting motor and oriented to generate a substantially horizontal thrust.

11. The UAV of claim 10, wherein the thrusting motor and thrusting propeller are oriented so that at least a portion of the thrusting propeller is within the substantially polygonal shape of the perimeter frame.

12. The UAV of claim 9, further comprising:

a second thrusting motor coupled to the other of the first rear wing and the front wing.

13. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the front portion of the perimeter frame further includes:

a first winglet extending in a downward direction and substantially perpendicular to the front wing; and

a second winglet extending in a downward direction and substantially perpendicular to the front wing, wherein the first winglet and the second winglet are configured to provide stability and control to the UAV when the UAV is moving in the direction that includes the horizontal component.

14. The UAV of claim 5, further comprising:

a payload engagement mechanism coupled to an underneath side of the UAV and configured to selectively engage and disengage a payload.

15. The UAV of claim 5, wherein the substantially polygonal shape of the perimeter frame is substantially rectangular.

16. An unmanned aerial vehicle (“

UAV”

), comprising;

a perimeter frame having a substantially rectangular shape, wherein at least a portion of the perimeter frame is configured to provide lift to the UAV when the UAV is moving in a direction that includes a horizontal component;

a plurality of lifting motors positioned within the perimeter frame;

a thrusting motor coupled to the perimeter frame; and

a thrusting propeller coupled to the thrusting motor and oriented such that at least a portion of the thrusting propeller is positioned within the substantially rectangular shape of the perimeter frame.

17. The UAV of claim 16, further comprising:

a central frame positioned within the substantially rectangular shape of the perimeter frame and coupled to the perimeter frame; and

wherein the plurality of lifting motors are coupled to the central frame.

18. The UAV of claim 17, further comprising:

a permeable material extending around at least a portion of the perimeter frame and enclosing at least a portion of the central frame.

19. The UAV of claim 17, wherein the central frame includes a hub and a plurality of motor arms extending between the hub and the perimeter frame.

20. The UAV of claim 16, wherein the perimeter frame includes:

a front wing;

a lower rear wing; and

an upper rear wing, wherein each of the front wing, the lower rear wing, and the upper rear wing are configured to provide lift to the UAV when the UAV is moving in the direction that includes the horizontal component.

21. The UAV of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of winglets extending from the perimeter frame and positioned to provide stability to the UAV when the UAV is moving in the direction that includes the horizontal component.

22. The UAV of claim 16, further comprising:

at least one of an antenna, a camera, a time of flight sensor, a distance-determining element, a gimbal, a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver/transmitter, a radar, an illumination element, or a speaker.