Durable modular unmanned aerial vehicle

• US 10,967,970 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 04/06/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vantage Robotics, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vantage Robotics, LLC
• Inventors: Van Niekerk, Johannes Becker, Fisher, Tobin, Janik, Craig
• Primary Examiner(s): Badawi, Medhat
• Application Number:
  US15/424,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20170225783A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• 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: B64D 27/40 Arrangements for mounting power plants in aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/14 with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/87 Mounting of imaging devices, e.g. mounting of gimbals
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/299 Rotor guards ducted or shrouded rotors B64U30/26; guards used as ground propulsion B64U60/60
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage that supports breakaway components that are attached using magnets. One component is a battery pack which powers the vehicle. Another component is a rotor set including two identical pod pairs that each support a motor and a propeller. Each motor is attached to a hub assembly that includes a plurality of spokes captured in a motor hub and sandwiched by a rigid motor printed circuit board on top and a rigid hub plate. The hub assembly construction is rigid in plane and functions to keep the motor firmly stable during operation. The hub assembly is compliant and resilient when impacted parallel to the plane. Other features of the pod pairs encage the otherwise dangerous spinning propeller. This allows the vehicle to operate with a higher level of safety than conventional UAVs.

Claims

1. A motor hub assembly, comprising:

a motor supported by a motor mount;

an outer protective structure circumscribing and spaced apart from the motor mount;

a plurality of spokes extending radially outward from the mount and extending at least between the mount and the protective structure, the plurality of spokes having a cross-sectional shape which is greater in a dimension parallel to a rotational axis of the motor than in a dimension perpendicular to the rotational axis of the motor such that the plurality of spokes are substantially more resistant to flexure out of a plane normal to the rotational axis of the motor than to flexure parallel to the plane normal to the rotational axis of the motor.

2. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes have a rectangular cross-section within a plane normal to a line between the motor mount and the protective structure along which the spokes extend.

3. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the assembly includes at least one propeller blade coupled to the motor, and configured to rotate within a plane normal to the rotational axis of the motor.

4. The motor hub of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of spokes has a cross-sectional shape which tapers to a narrower width on the side of the spokes proximate the at least one propeller blade.

5. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the motor mount comprises a rubber material.

6. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes extend along lines which do not intersect the rotational axis of the motor.

7. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the motor mount comprises:

a hub, the hub configured to receive radially inward ends of the plurality of spokes;

an upper plate overlying at least a portion of the radially inward ends of the plurality of spokes received within the plurality of inwardly extending slots; and

a lower plate underlying at least a portion of the radially inward ends of the plurality of spokes received within the plurality of inwardly extending slots.

8. The motor hub of claim 7, wherein the central hub comprises a deformable material and is compressed between the upper plate and the lower plate to frictionally retain the radially inward ends of the plurality of spokes.

9. The motor hub of claim 8, wherein the upper plate comprises a circuit board configured to carry power to the motor.

10. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the protective structure is concentric with the motor mount.

11. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the protective structure is concentric with an axis of rotation of the motor.

12. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes comprise a carbon fiber material.

13. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes comprise a pultruded carbon fiber material.

14. The motor hub of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spokes inhibit displacement of the motor along an axis of rotation of the motor to a greater degree than displacement of the motor within a plane normal to the axis of rotation of the motor.

15. The motor hub of claim 14, wherein the plurality of spokes further inhibit rotation of the motor mount out of the plane normal to the axis of rotation of the motor.

16. A thrust pod assembly comprising:

a protective structure, the protective structure comprising;

a pod top comprising;

an inner hoop;

an outer hoop; and

a plurality of protective ribs connecting the inner hoop to the outer hoop;

a pod bottom comprising an outer hoop; and

a rim fastened to the outer hoop of the pod top and the outer hoop of the pod bottom;

a motor mount; and

a plurality of carbon fiber spokes, each spoke fastened at one end to the outer hoop of the pod bottom of the protective structure, the plurality of spokes constrained compressively substantially in plane by a top rigid hub plate and a bottom rigid hub plate.