Vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle

• US 9,611,032 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2014
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Original Assignee: Ecole polytechnique fãdãrale de lausanne epfl (Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft)
• Inventors: Kornatowski, Przemyslaw Mariusz, Briod, Adrien, Klaptocz, Adam, Zufferey, Jean-Christophe, Floreano, Dario
• Primary Examiner(s): BENEDIK, JUSTIN M
• Application Number:
  US14/301,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20150360776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/00 Aircraft stabilisation not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms

Abstract

A VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aerial flying vehicle comprising an inner frame, a gimbal system and an outer frame, the inner frame comprising a propulsion system and a control system. The propulsion system being able to generate a lift force. The control system being able to control the orientation of the inner frame. The gimbal system connecting the inner frame to the outer frame with at least two rotation axis allowing rotation freedom between the outer frame to rotate independently from the inner frame.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle comprising:

an inner frame;

a gimbal system; and

an outer frame, wherein

the inner frame includes a propulsion system and a control system, the propulsion system configured to generate a lift force, the control system configured to control the orientation of the inner frame,

the gimbal system connecting the inner frame to the outer frame with at least two rotation axis allowing rotation freedom between the outer frame, such that the outer frame is configured to rotate independently and passively relative to the inner frame, and

the inner frame having a center of mass that is substantially in alignment with each rotation axis.

2. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least two rotation axes comprise a first rotation axis and a second rotation axis and the second rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the first rotation axis.

3. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the at least two rotation axes comprise a first rotation axis, a second rotation axis and a third rotation axis and wherein the second rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the first rotation axis and the third rotation axis is substantially perpendicular to the second rotation axis.

4. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the rotation axes are crossing.

5. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the gimbal system comprises three rotation axes, three pairs of rotation joints and two gimbals, said first rotation axis created by said first pair of rotation joints, each of said first pair of rotation joints aligned with each other and fixed on opposite sides of the inner frame and on opposite sides of the first gimbal, said second rotation axis created by said second pair of rotation joints, each of said second pair of rotation joints aligned and fixed on opposite sides of the first gimbal and on opposite sides of the second gimbal so said second rotation axis is perpendicular to said first rotation axis, said third rotation axis created by said third pair of rotation joints, each of said third pair of rotation joints aligned and fixed on opposite sides of the second gimbal and on opposite sides of the outer frame so said third rotation axis is perpendicular to said second rotation axis, each of said first pair of rotation joints and said second pair of rotation joints and said third pair of rotation joints allowing for full rotation of parts attached to said first pair of rotation joints and said second pair of rotation joints.

6. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame is made of beams connected to each other and arranged so that each beam defines an edge of a spherical polyhedron or a truncated icosahedron.

7. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame is made of a stiff structure, and elastic bumpers, said elastic bumpers comprising at least three flexible beams fixed to at least three different points of the stiff structure, each flexible beam being fixed to the stiff structure with a pivot joint on one end and connected to the other flexible beams with pivot joints on the other end, such that the flexible beams describe a pyramid shape.

8. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame is configured with an orientation sensor.

9. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein, in addition to rotating independently and passively relative to the inner frame, the outer frame is further configured to actively rotate to a desired orientation with respect to the inner frame using one or more actuators.

10. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the orientation sensor is used to control the orientation of the outer frame in any desired orientation.

11. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 9, wherein the one or more actuators are configured to control the orientation of the outer frame in any desired orientation.

12. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, further comprising magnets and wherein the outer frame'"'"'s orientation with respect to the inner frame is affected by said magnets, said magnets positioned on the outer frame and inner frame to attract or reject each other when getting close to each other.

13. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the outer frame is configured with active control that keeps at least one rotation axis of the gimbal system from becoming aligned with another.

14. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame is made of triangle structures and clips and individual triangle structures are pre-assembled into subassemblies that are configured to be assembled to form the outer frame.

21. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame includes a plurality of beams configured to protect the inner frame against impacts during flight of the VTOL aerial vehicle, the outer frame configured to rotate freely around the inner frame.

22. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 1, wherein the outer frame does not generate a lift force.

15. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle comprising

an inner frame, said inner frame comprising a propulsion system and a control system, said propulsion system configured to generate a lift force, said control system configured to control the orientation of the inner frame,

a gimbal system, said gimbal system connecting the inner frame to the outer frame with at least two rotation axis allowing rotation freedom between the outer frame to rotate independently from the inner frame, the inner frame having a center of mass that is substantially in alignment with each rotation axis, the gimbal system having rotation joints;

an outer frame made of a stiff structure and a plurality of beams configured to protect the inner frame and gimbal system during flight of the vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle, and the outer frame configured with fixation points aligned and engaged with the rotation joints of the gimbal system so the outer frame rotates passively and freely around the inner frame and gimbal system.

16. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 15, wherein the gimbal system comprises three rotation axes, three pairs of rotation joints and two gimbals, said first rotation axis created by said first pair of rotation joints, each of said first pair of rotation joints aligned with each other and fixed on opposite sides of the inner frame and on opposite sides of the first gimbal, said second rotation axis created by said second pair of rotation joints, each of said second pair of rotation joints aligned and fixed on opposite sides of the first gimbal and on opposite sides of the second gimbal so said second rotation axis is perpendicular to said first rotation axis, said third rotation axis created by said third pair of rotation joints, each of said third pair of rotation joints aligned and fixed on opposite sides of the second gimbal and on opposite sides of the outer frame so said third rotation axis is perpendicular to said second rotation axis, each of said first pair of rotation joints, said second pair of rotation joints and said third pair of rotation joints allowing for full rotation of parts attached to said first pair of rotation joints, said second pair of rotation joints and said third pair of rotation joints.

17. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 15, wherein one or more actuators are used to control the orientation of the outer frame in any desired orientation.

18. A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aerial vehicle comprising

an inner frame, said inner frame comprising a propulsion system and a control system, said propulsion system configured to generate a lift force, said control system configured to control the orientation of the inner frame;

an outer frame made of a stiff structure and a plurality of beams configured to protect the inner frame during flight of the vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicle, the outer frame configured to rotate passively and freely around the inner frame;

a gimbal system interior to the outer frame and being protected by the outer frame, said gimbal system connecting the inner frame to the outer frame, said gimbal system comprising a first gimbal and a first rotation axis created by a first pair of rotation joints, each of said first pair of rotation joints aligned with each other and fixed on opposite sides of the inner frame and on opposite sides of the first gimbal, a second gimbal and a second rotation axis created by a second pair of rotation joints, each of said second pair of rotation joints aligned and fixed on opposite sides of the first gimbal and on opposite sides of the second gimbal so said second rotation axis is perpendicular to said first rotation axis, each of said first pair of rotation joints and said second pair of rotation joints allowing for full rotation of parts attached to said first pair of rotation joints and said second pair of rotation joints.

19. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 18 wherein the inner frame has a center of mass that is substantially in alignment with each rotation axis, and orientation of the outer frame is actively controlled so no rotation axis of the gimbal system is aligned with another .

20. The VTOL aerial vehicle of claim 18 wherein the outer frame is made of triangle structures individual triangle structures are pre-assembled into subassemblies that are configured to be assembled to form the outer frame.