Unmanned flying device

• US 10,093,417 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2015
• Issued: 10/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ascent AeroSystems, Inc
• Original Assignee: Ascent AeroSystems, Inc
• Inventors: Meringer, Jonathan R., Meringer, Nathaniel R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sanderson, Joseph W
• Application Number:
  US14/936,822
• Publication Number:
  US 20160167778A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,064 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/006 Safety devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/10 arranged coaxially
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/50 Blades foldable to facilitate stowage of aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/65 Composite materials
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/75 the body formed by joined shells or by a shell overlaying a chassis
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/24 Coaxial rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/00 Launching, take-off or landing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 70/10 for releasing or capturing UAVs by hand
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 80/60 by wearable objects, e.g. garments or helmets

Abstract

An unmanned flying device including a body, a first blade and at least a second blade, and a coupling assembly for coupling the first blade and the at least second blade to the body. Both the first blade and the at least second blade are rotateable about the body and are deployable away from the body via rotation of the first and the at least second blades about the body. The coupling assembly urges the collapsing of the first blade and the at least second blade towards the body.

Claims

1. A method of landing an unmanned flying device, wherein the device comprises a body, a first blade and at least a second blade, a coupling assembly for coupling the first blade and the at least second blade to the body, wherein the coupling assembly urges the collapsing of the first blade and the at least second blade towards the body, wherein both the first blade and the at least second blade are rotateable about the body, and wherein the first blade and the at least second blade are deployable away from the body via rotation of the first and the at least second blades about the body;

wherein the method comprises the steps of;

decreasing a rotational speed of the first blade and the at least second blade; and

causing the first blade and the at least second blade to collapse toward the body;

wherein;

the collapsing of the first blade and the at least second blade toward the body takes place prior to the landing of the device on a surface.

2. The method of landing an unmanned flying device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the coupling assembly comprises at least a first spring for urging the collapse of the first blade towards the body and at least a second spring for urging the collapse of the at least second blade towards the body, wherein the method comprises the step of:

collapsing the first blade and the at least second blade toward the body based on the biasing force of the first and second springs of the respective first blade and the at least second blade.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2, comprising a rotor bracket and wherein the coupling assembly comprises a rotor arm, wherein the rotor arm couples the first blade to the rotor bracket, and wherein the rotor arm is hingedly coupled to the rotor bracket, wherein the first spring is positioned at the hinge, and wherein the first spring biases the first blade towards the body to thereby urge the first blade towards the body, wherein the method comprises the steps of:

causing at least the first blade to position itself at least 90% parallel to the body based only on the force applied by the at least first spring.