ROTOR SHROUDING APPARATUS, SUPPORTING ASSEMBLY, AND UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE USING THE SAME

• US 20170144753A1
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Published: 05/25/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zerotech shenzhen Intelligence Robot Co Ltd
• Original Assignee: Zerotech shenzhen Intelligence Robot Co Ltd
• Inventors: Yu, Wei-Yong
• Granted Patent: US 9,914,538 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/001 Shrouded propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

A supporting assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle is disclosed. The supporting assembly includes a base, rotor arms, and rotor shrouds. The rotor arms extend from the base. Each of the rotor arms includes a proximal end secured to the base and a distal end opposite to the proximal end. Each of the rotor shrouds includes a converged end removably engaged with and secured to the distal end, an arc shaped end, and one or more connecting members extending from the arc shaped end to the converged end. An unmanned aerial vehicle and a rotor shroud apparatus are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A supporting assembly for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the supporting assembly comprising:

a base;

a plurality of rotor arms extending from the base, each of the plurality of rotor arms comprising a proximal end secured to the base and a distal end opposite to the proximal end; and

a plurality of rotor shrouds, each of the plurality of rotor shrouds comprising a converged end removably engaged with and secured to the distal end, an arc shaped end, and one or more connecting members extending from the arc shaped end to the converged end.

2. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the converged end is removably secured to the distal end by a snap-fit engagement, plug-in engagement, hooking engagement, socket-buckle engagement, or mating engagement.

3. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotor shrouds each comprise a protecting surface having a circular sector shape defined between the converged end and the arc shaped end, and the protecting surface is inclined with respect to the rotor arms.

4. The supporting assembly of claim 3, wherein a central angle of the circular sector shaped protecting surface is in a range from about 60°

to about 120°

.

5. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotor shrouds each comprise a locking member at the converged end.

6. The supporting assembly of claim 5, wherein the one or more connecting members are a plurality of protecting struts extending radially from the converged end to the arc shaped end.

7. The supporting assembly of claim 5, further comprising a plurality of motor seats and a plurality of shroud seats, wherein the plurality of rotor shrouds are removably engaged with and secured to the distal ends of the plurality of rotor arms through the plurality of motor seats and the plurality of shroud seats in a one-to-one manner.

8. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein the shroud seats each comprise a seat base and a buckle protruding from a surface of the seat base and shaped to engage a socket of the locking member.

9. The supporting assembly of claim 8, wherein the socket defines a preplace hole, a locking hole, and a sliding channel communicating with both the preplace hole and the locking hole;

the buckle comprises a sliding wall protruding from the surface of the seat base and a locking board connected to the sliding wall;

the preplace hole is capable of receiving the buckle;

the sliding wall is capable of being located in and engaged with the sliding channel; and

the locking board is capable of being located in and engaged with the locking hole.

10. The supporting assembly of claim 9, wherein the buckle comprises a blocking wall protruding from the surface of the seat base and connected to both the sliding wall and the locking board.

11. The supporting assembly of claim 9, wherein the seat base defines a through hole above the locking board.

12. The supporting assembly of claim 8, wherein the socket and the buckle are arc shaped, and are capable of engaging with each other through a relative rotation between the socket and the buckle.

13. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein the locking member comprises a plurality of sockets arranged around an axis;

the plurality of shroud seats each comprises a seat base and a plurality of buckles protruding from a surface of the seat base and arranged around the axis;

the plurality of sockets and the plurality of buckles are arc shaped and configured for engaging with each other in a one-to-one manner.

14. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein the locking member defines a lamp hole, the shroud seat comprises a lampshade, and the lampshade is received in the lamp hole.

15. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of shroud seats are mounted on the plurality of motor seats in a one-to-one manner, and each of the plurality of motor seats comprises a housing member defining a cavity to receive each of the plurality of shroud seats.

16. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of shroud seats comprises a plurality of column protrusions, and the plurality of column protrusions define screw holes to receive screws securing the plurality of shroud seats to the plurality of motor seats.

17. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotor arm comprises an arm body and at least one beam supporting the arm body, the at least one beam is substantially perpendicular to the arm body.

18. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a supporting assembly comprising;

a base;

a plurality of rotor arms extending from the base, and each of the plurality of rotor arms comprising a proximal end secured to the base and a distal end opposite to the proximal end; and

a plurality of rotor shrouds, each of the plurality of rotor shrouds comprising a converged end removably engaged with and secured to the distal end, an arc shaped end opposite to the converged end, and one or more connecting members extending from the arc shaped end to the converged end; and

a plurality of rotor assembles mounted on the distal ends of the plurality of rotor arms in a one-to-one manner, each of the plurality of rotor assembles comprising a rotor and an actuator.

19. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 18, wherein the supporting assembly further comprises a plurality of motor seats secured to the distal end of the plurality of rotor arms, and the plurality of rotor assembles are mounted on the plurality of motor seats in a one-to-one manner.

20. A rotor shroud apparatus comprising:

a rotor shroud comprising a converged end and an arc shaped end opposite to the converged end; and

a shroud seat coupled between a distal end of a rotor arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle and the rotor shroud.