Rotor shrouding apparatus, supporting assembly, and unmanned aerial vehicle using the same

• US 9,914,538 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Green, Richard R
• Application Number:
  US15/356,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20170144753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 480 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: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• 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
• 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;

a plurality of motor seats secured to the distal ends of the plurality of rotor arms in a one-to-one manner;

a plurality of rotor shrouds, each of the plurality of rotor shrouds comprising a converged end, an arc shaped end, and a locking member at the converged end, the converged end being removably engaged with and secured to the distal end of the rotor arm by rotating the each of the plurality of rotor shrouds with respect to the rotor arm around a vertical axis;

a plurality of shroud seats being configured to be mounted to the plurality of motor seats in a one-to-one manner;

wherein the locking members of the plurality of rotor shrouds are configured to secure the plurality of rotor shrouds to the plurality of shroud seats in a one-to-one manner through a removable engagement.

2. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the removable engagement is 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 comprises a protecting surface having a circular sector shape defined between the converged end and the arc shaped end, and the protecting surface is inclined upward 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 each of the plurality of rotor shrouds comprises one or more connecting members extending from the arc shaped end to the converged end, the one or more connecting members are a plurality of protecting struts extending radially from the converged end to the arc shaped end.

6. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the shroud seats each comprises a seat base and one or more buckles protruding from a surface of the seat base, the locking member of the rotor shroud further comprises one or more sockets, the one or more buckles engaging a corresponding socket to removably secure the rotor shroud to the shroud seat.

7. The supporting assembly of claim 6, 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.

8. The supporting assembly of claim 7, 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.

9. The supporting assembly of claim 7, wherein the seat base defines a through hole above the locking board.

10. The supporting assembly of claim 6, 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 around the vertical axis.

11. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking member comprises a plurality of sockets arranged around the vertical 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 vertical 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.

12. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the locking member defines a lamp hole, the shroud seat comprises a lampshade, and the lampshade is received in the lamp hole.

13. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of motor seats comprises a housing member defining a cavity to receive each of the plurality of shroud seats.

14. The supporting assembly of claim 1, 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.

15. 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.

16. The supporting assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of motor seats is configured to have both the plurality of shroud seats and a plurality of rotor assemblies mounted thereon in a one-to-one manner.

17. 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 of the rotor arm by rotating the each of the plurality of rotor shrouds with respect to the rotor arm around a vertical axis, 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 assemblies mounted on the distal ends of the plurality of rotor arms in a one-to-one manner, each of the plurality of rotor assemblies comprising a rotor and an actuator.

18. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 17, wherein the supporting assembly further comprises a plurality of shroud seats and a plurality of motor seats, the plurality of motor seats are secured to the distal end of the plurality of rotor arms, and both the plurality of shroud seats and the plurality of rotor assemblies are mounted on the plurality of motor seats in a one-to-one manner, the plurality of rotor shrouds are removably mounted on the plurality of motor seats through the plurality of shroud seats in a one-to-one manner.

19. A rotor shroud apparatus comprising:

a rotor shroud comprising a locking member and a shroud body, the shroud body having a converged end and an arc shaped end opposite to the converged end, the locking member being connected to the shroud body at the converged end, and the shroud body and the locking member are integrated with each other as one piece; and

a shroud seat being configured to be mounted to a motor seat secured to a distal end of a rotor arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle and the rotor shroud

wherein the locking member of the rotor shroud is removably engaged with and secured to the distal end of the rotor arm through the shroud seat by rotating the rotor shroud with respect to the rotor arm around a vertical axis.