FOLDABLE ROTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY AND AERIAL VEHICLE WITH A FOLDABLE ROTOR BLADE ASSEMBLY
First Claim
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a fuselage body; and
a lift mechanism coupled to the fuselage body, the lift mechanism including;
a motor assembly including a rotor and a stator operatively coupled to the rotor for rotating the rotor about a rotor centerline axis, the rotor including a blade assembly support member and a motor shaft extending outwardly from the blade assembly support member along the rotor centerline axis; and
a rotor blade assembly coupled to the rotor, the rotor blade assembly including;
a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade extending between a root portion and a tip portion, the root portion including a positioning aperture extending through the root portion; and
a rotor blade clamping mechanism including;
an upper paddle clamp including;
an upper support body including an upper outer surface and a lower outer surface; and
,a plurality of blade support protrusions extending outwardly from the lower outer surface, each of the blade support protrusions configured to be inserted through a corresponding positioning aperture of a corresponding rotor blade to facilitate pivotably coupling the corresponding rotor blade to the upper paddle clamp, each blade support protrusion having a length that is greater than a thickness of the root portion of the corresponding rotor blade, wherein each blade support protrusion includes a blade fastener positioning aperture configured to receive a blade fastener; and
a lower paddle clamp including;
a lower support body; and
a plurality of apertures defined along an outer surface of the lower support body, each aperture in the outer surface of the lower support body being aligned with a respective blade fastener positioning aperture for receiving the respective blade fastener, the upper and lower support bodies forming a gap configured to receive the root portion of a respective rotor blade, the gap having a predefined distance, the upper and lower paddle clamps forming a center shaft aperture configured to receive the motor shaft therethrough.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An aerial vehicle is described herein. The aerial vehicle includes a lift mechanism that includes a rotor blade assembly coupled to a motor assembly. The rotor blade assembly includes a plurality of rotor blades that are pivotably coupled to a rotor blade clamping mechanism. The rotor blade clamping mechanism includes an upper paddle clamp that is coupled to a lower paddle clamp. The upper paddle clamp includes a center protrusion and a plurality of blade support protrusions extending outwardly from the lower outer surface. The center protrusion includes a center shaft aperture sized and shaped to receive a motor shaft therein. Each blade support protrusion is sized and shaped to be inserted through a corresponding positioning aperture of a corresponding rotor blade. The lower paddle clamp includes a central recess to receive the center protrusion therein and a plurality of blade recesses to receive a corresponding blade support protrusion therein.
3 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
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a fuselage body; and a lift mechanism coupled to the fuselage body, the lift mechanism including; a motor assembly including a rotor and a stator operatively coupled to the rotor for rotating the rotor about a rotor centerline axis, the rotor including a blade assembly support member and a motor shaft extending outwardly from the blade assembly support member along the rotor centerline axis; and a rotor blade assembly coupled to the rotor, the rotor blade assembly including; a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade extending between a root portion and a tip portion, the root portion including a positioning aperture extending through the root portion; and a rotor blade clamping mechanism including; an upper paddle clamp including; an upper support body including an upper outer surface and a lower outer surface; and
,a plurality of blade support protrusions extending outwardly from the lower outer surface, each of the blade support protrusions configured to be inserted through a corresponding positioning aperture of a corresponding rotor blade to facilitate pivotably coupling the corresponding rotor blade to the upper paddle clamp, each blade support protrusion having a length that is greater than a thickness of the root portion of the corresponding rotor blade, wherein each blade support protrusion includes a blade fastener positioning aperture configured to receive a blade fastener; and a lower paddle clamp including; a lower support body; and a plurality of apertures defined along an outer surface of the lower support body, each aperture in the outer surface of the lower support body being aligned with a respective blade fastener positioning aperture for receiving the respective blade fastener, the upper and lower support bodies forming a gap configured to receive the root portion of a respective rotor blade, the gap having a predefined distance, the upper and lower paddle clamps forming a center shaft aperture configured to receive the motor shaft therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A rotor blade assembly for use with unmanned aerial vehicle including a fuselage body and a lift mechanism coupled to the fuselage body, the lift mechanism including a motor assembly including a motor shaft, the rotor blade assembly including:
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a plurality of rotor blades, each rotor blade extending between a root portion and a tip portion, the root portion including a positioning aperture extending through the root portion; and a rotor blade clamping mechanism including; an upper paddle clamp including; an upper support body including an upper outer surface and a lower outer surface; and
,a plurality of blade support protrusions extending outwardly from the lower outer surface, each of the blade support protrusions configured to be inserted through a corresponding positioning aperture of a corresponding rotor blade to facilitate pivotably coupling the corresponding rotor blade to the upper paddle clamp, each blade support protrusion having a length that is greater than a thickness of the root portion of the corresponding rotor blade, wherein each blade support protrusion includes a blade fastener positioning aperture configured to receive a blade fastener; and a lower paddle clamp including; a plurality of apertures defined along an outer surface of the lower support body, each aperture in the outer surface of the lower support body being aligned with a respective blade fastener positioning aperture for receiving the respective blade fastener, the upper and lower support bodies forming a gap configured to receive the root portion of a respective rotor blade, the gap having a predefined distance, the upper and lower paddle clamps forming a center shaft aperture configured to receive the motor shaft therethrough. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification