Aerial vehicle with deployable components

• US 9,902,487 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anduril Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Area-I, Inc. (Anduril Industries, Inc.)
• Inventors: Alley, Nicholas Robert, Steele, Joshua Lemming, Williams, Jesse Owen, Kuehme, Daniel, Phillips, Jonathan Caleb
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/388,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20170291684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 1/36 adapted to receive antennas or radomes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/28 Collapsible or foldable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/24 Transmitting means
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 13/30 using cable, chain, or rod mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 2211/00 Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/40 Varying angle of sweep
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/54 Varying in area
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 3/546 by foldable elements
• 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: B64C 5/02 Tailplanes
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/12 for retraction against or within fuselage or nacelle
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 5/16 about spanwise axes
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/25 Fixed-wing aircraft VTOL aircraft B64U10/20
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/40 Modular UAVs
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/60 UAVs characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/00 UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/30 for imaging, photography or videography
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/31 for surveillance
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/40 : Weight reduction

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle with deployable components (UAVDC) is disclosed. The UAVDC may comprise a fuselage, at least one wing, and at least one control surface. In some embodiments, the UAVDC may further comprise a propulsion means and/or a modular payload. The UAVDC may be configured in a plurality of arrangements. For example, in a compact arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing stowed against the fuselage and the at least one control surface stowed against the fuselage. In a deployed arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing deployed from the fuselage and the least one control surface deployed from the fuselage. In an expanded arrangement, the UAVDC may comprise the at least one wing telescoped to increase a wingspan of the deployed arrangement.

Claims

1. An unmanned air-vehicle with deployable components (UAVDC) comprising:

a fuselage;

a wing arrangement segmented in a left wing section and a right wing section to enable variable sweep at approximately a lateral plane of symmetry between the left wing section and the right wing section, the wing arrangement being configurable in a first arrangement, a second arrangement, and third arrangement,

wherein the first arrangement comprises the left wing section and the right wing section stowed against the fuselage at a first sweep deployment angle,

wherein the second arrangement comprises the wing arrangement fully deployed for flight at a second sweep deployment angle, and

wherein the third arrangement comprises the wing arrangement deployed in any sweep deployment angle between the first sweep deployment angle and the second sweep deployment angle; and

a sweeping means configured to pivot the left wing section and the right wing section to enable the wing arrangement to sweep from the first arrangement to the second arrangement at any sweep deployment angle, said sweeping means being covered by a flexible fairing positioned relatively at a base of the left wing section and the right wing section.

2. The UAVDC of claim 1, wherein the wing arrangement is further configured to telescope to increase the wingspan of the second arrangement.

3. The UAVDC of claim 1, wherein the left wing section and the right wing section are stacked against the fuselage, in the first arrangement, with the left wing section vertically offset from the right wing section.

4. The UAVDC of claim 3, wherein said fairing comprises at least one slit and at least one cutout, the fairing being configured to:

open by flexing to allow the left wing section and the right wing section to be stowed under the fairing in the first arrangement, and

close to provide aerodynamic advantage in the second arrangement.

5. The UAVDC of claim 4, wherein the cutouts of the fairing are configured to accommodate a profile of the base of the left wing section and the right wing section in the second wing arrangement.

6. The UAVDC of claim 4, wherein the fairing creates a first amount of tension in an open configuration corresponding to the first arrangement of the left wing section and the right wing section, wherein the first amount of tension causes the fairing to close when the left wing section and the right wing section reach the second arrangement.

7. The UAVDC of claim 6, wherein the fairing in the open arrangement buckles at a location of the at least one slit to accommodate the first arrangement.

8. The UAVDC of claim 7, wherein fairing does not buckle at the location of the at least one slit to accommodate the second arrangement.

9. The UAVDC of claim 4, further comprising magnets configured to secure the fairing in to the fuselage in a closed configuration corresponding to the second arrangement of the left wing section and the right wing section.

10. The UAVDC of claim 4, wherein the fairing is configured in an orientation to facilitate buckling and flexibility in a composite laminate by using +/−

45 degree composite plies.

11. The UAVDC of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one stabilizer configured to deploy from a first stabilizer configuration stowed against the fuselage at a first deployment angle to a second stabilizer configuration deployed for flight at a second deployment angle, wherein the at least one stabilizer can be deflected/rotated about its spanwise axis to provide positive flight control while in the second stabilizer configuration.

12. The UAVDC of claim 11, further comprising at least one spring, wherein the at least one spring is configured to force the at least one stabilizer from the first stabilizer configuration to the second stabilizer configuration.

13. The UAVDC of claim 11, further comprising:

a servo configured to move a control horn coupled to the at least one stabilizer for rotating the at least one stabilizer about its spanwise axis, and

wherein the control horn is configured to remain in a relatively fixed position as the at least one stabilizer deploys from the first stabilizer configuration to the second stabilizer configuration.

14. The UAVDC of claim 1, further comprising a propeller, wherein the propeller comprises at least one blade configured to fold into a first propeller arrangement and expand in a second propeller arrangement.

15. The UAVDC of claim 14, wherein the fuselage comprises at least one groove configured to receive at least one blade of the propeller in the first propeller arrangement.

16. The UAVDC of claim 14, wherein the propeller is configured to unfold to the second propeller arrangement by means of at least one of the following:

propeller blade springs, aerodynamic forces, or a centripetal force from a rotation of the propeller.

17. The UAVDC of claim 14, wherein the at least one blade is configured to unfold in the second propeller arrangement such that the at least one blade is within a free stream of air when the UAVDC is in flight.

18. The UAVDC of claim 1, further comprising a modular payload fuselage section.

19. The UAVDC of claim 1, wherein a payload comprises at least one protrusion configured to travel within at least one slot within the fuselage.

20. The UAVDC of claim 19, wherein the payload is configured to attach to a boom, wherein the boom is configured to travel from a first payload arrangement to a second payload arrangement.

21. The UAVDC of claim 20, further comprising a controller configured to trigger the deployment of the payload from the first payload arrangement to the second payload arrangement.