Unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 9,452,820 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wirth Research Limited
• Original Assignee: Wirth Research Limited
• Inventors: Wirth, Nicholas J. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): McFall, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US14/924,304
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/16 Frontal aspect
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/56 Folding or collapsing to reduce overall dimensions of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/70 in containers B64U80/60 takes precedence

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle 2 comprising: a fuselage 4; and a wing 6 comprising a central wing section 12 pivotably mounted to the fuselage 4 and a pair of outer wing sections 14a, 14b pivotably mounted to the central wing section 12; wherein the wing 6 has a folded configuration in which the central wing section 12 and the outer wing sections 14a, 14b are stacked on top of one another and are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the fuselage 4; and a deployed configuration in which the central wing section 12 is substantially perpendicular to the fuselage 4 and the outer wing sections 14a, 14b extend from the central wing section 12 away from the fuselage 4.

Claims

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a fuselage; and

a wing comprising a single central wing section pivotably mounted to the fuselage and a pair of outer wing sections pivotably mounted to the central wing section;

wherein the wing has a folded configuration in which the central wing section and the outer wing sections are stacked on top of one another and are aligned with a longitudinal axis of the fuselage, and a deployed configuration in which the central wing section is substantially perpendicular to the fuselage and the outer wing sections extend from the central wing section away from the fuselage.

2. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the outer wing sections moves vertically during a transition from the folded configuration to the deployed configuration such that the outer wing sections are aligned with one another when in the deployed configuration.

3. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the outer wing sections move vertically during a transition from the folded configuration to the deployed configuration such that the outer wing sections are aligned with one another and the central wing section when in the deployed configuration.

4. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the wing is biased towards the deployed configuration.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central wing section is biased by means of a torsion spring.

6. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 5, wherein the fuselage comprises a stop which limits rotation of the central wing section relative to the fuselage.

7. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 4, wherein each of the outer wing sections is biased by means of a tension spring.

8. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 7, wherein the tension spring is connected at one end to the central wing section and at the other end to the outer wing section via a pulley such that rotation of the outer wing section relative to the central wing section extends the tension spring.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vehicle is housed within a tube which retains the wing in the folded configuration.

10. An unmanned aerial vehicle as claimed in claim 9, wherein the wing is unfolded into the deployed configuration when released from within the tube.