HANDHELD AIRCRAFT WITH ADJUSTABLE COMPONENTS

• US 20170158328A1
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Published: 06/08/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mark Bradford Foley
• Original Assignee: Mark Bradford Foley
• Inventors: FOLEY, Mark Bradford
• Granted Patent: US 10,494,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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: B64C 39/028 Micro-sized aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/80 UAVs characterised by their small size, e.g. micro air vehicles [MAV]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/50 Foldable or collapsible UAVs with frangible components B64U20/30
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/75 the body formed by joined shells or by a shell overlaying a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• 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 30/296 Rotors with variable spatial positions relative to the UAV body foldable or collapsible rotors B64U30/293
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/13 using external fans or propellers
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/60 by wearable objects, e.g. garments or helmets

Abstract

The present technology is directed to a remotely controlled aircraft that can be transported without the risk of damaging certain components, such as the arms and/or propellers. In one non-limiting example, the remotely controlled aircraft technology described herein provides a housing that allows the arms of the remotely controlled aircraft to extend and/or retract through openings in the housing. When retracted, the arms and propellers are protected within an area of the structure of the housing, and when extended, the arms and propellers are operable to make the remotely controlled aircraft fly.

Claims

1. A handheld aircraft, comprising:

a housing configured for aeronautical navigation, the housing comprising;

a frame assembly having one or more openings,

a gear that is positioned within one of the one or more openings of the frame assembly,

at least four arms operatively coupled to the frame assembly and the gear, the at least four arms configured to be extendable and retractable from one or more openings in the housing by operation of the gear,

a button that is operatively coupled to the gear and operates the gear to rotate when the button is pressed, and

at least four propellers operatively coupled to the at least four arms, respectively, the at least four propellers configured to enable the housing to perform aeronautical navigation; and

a control system operatively coupled to the housing and configured to control the aeronautical navigation of the housing.

2. The handheld aircraft of claim 1, wherein the control system includes electronic circuitry for powering the at least four propellers and for communicating with another device for receiving instructions from the device related to operation of the aircraft.

3. The handheld aircraft of claim 1, wherein

the button is configured so that depression of the button enables movement of the gear to extend the at least four arms from the opening of the housing, and

the button is configured to be rotated enabling movement of the gear to retract the at least four arms into the opening of the housing.

4. The handheld aircraft of claim 1, wherein each of the at least four arms are formed at an angle.

5. The handheld aircraft of claim 1, wherein the at least four arms are operatively coupled to the control system to provide power to the at least four propellers.

6. The handheld aircraft of claim 5, wherein the at least four arms including electrical contacts on each arm that, when the at least four arms are fully extended, switch the propellers to an on state by providing power to the propellers via the electrical contacts.

7. The handheld aircraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one audiovisual capture device configured to capture audio and/or video.

8. An aircraft, comprising:

a housing having one or more openings and configured to allow the aircraft to fly, the housing comprising;

a frame assembly,

a mechanical device, and

at least one arm operatively coupled to the frame assembly and the mechanical device, the at least one arm configured to be extended and/or retracted from an opening in the housing by operation of the mechanical device; and

a control system operatively coupled to the housing and configured to control movement of the aircraft.

9. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the control system further comprising electronic circuitry that is operatively coupled to the frame assembly and the at least one arm, the electronic circuitry configured to power and control the movement of the aircraft.

10. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprising at least one propeller that is operatively coupled to the at least one arm and configured to allow the aircraft to fly.

11. The aircraft of claim 10, wherein the at least one arm including an electrical contact on the arm that, when the arm is fully extended, switches the at least one propeller to an on state by providing power to the propeller via the electrical contact.

12. The aircraft of claim 8, wherein the housing further comprising an operation device that is operatively coupled to the mechanical device, wherein operation of the operation device provides movement of the mechanical device for extending and/or retracting the at least one arm from the opening of the housing.

13. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the mechanical device is a gear.

14. The aircraft of claim 12, wherein the operation device is a button configured to be pressed and/or rotated.

15. The aircraft of claim 8, further comprising at least one audiovisual capture device configured to capture audio and/or video.

16. A system, comprising:

an aircraft having a housing that includes one or more openings, the housing comprising;

a frame assembly,

a mechanical device, and

at least one arm operatively coupled to the frame assembly and the mechanical device, the at least one arm configured to be extended and/or retracted from an opening in the housing by operation of the mechanical device, and

a control system operatively coupled to the housing and configured to control movement of the aircraft; and

an electronic device configured to communicate with the aircraft via the control system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the electronic device provides signals to the control system of the aircraft for operating the aircraft.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the aircraft is configured to be attached to the electronic device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the housing further comprising at least one propeller that is operatively coupled to the at least one arm and configured to allow the aircraft to fly.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one arm including an electrical contact on the arm that, when the arm is fully extended, switches the at least one propeller to an on state by providing power to the propeller via the electrical contact.