公开(公告)号：US11731325B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-22

申请号：US15871521

申请日：2018-01-15

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Steven McGinnis ,  Prescott Gee Glynn ,  Kader Chellabi ,  Adrian Timothy Wallace ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B29C44/42 ,  B29C44/58 ,  B29C44/34 ,  B29C33/50 ,  B29D99/00 ,  B29C33/48 ,  B29L31/30 ,  B29C33/42

CPC classification number: B29C44/583 ,  B29C33/485 ,  B29C33/505 ,  B29C44/355 ,  B29C44/42 ,  B29D99/0025 ,  B29C33/424 ,  B29L2031/3085

Abstract: Lightweight and strong components may be manufactured using self-skinning foam material compositions by the processes described herein. One or more mandrels may be inserted into a molding tool, and a self-skinning foam material composition may be injected into the molding tool. After closing the molding tool, the self-skinning foam material composition may expand and cure to form a component, and one or more skins may be formed on exterior and/or interior surfaces of the component. For example, an external skin may be formed on an exterior surface of the component in contact with surfaces of the molding tool, and one or more internal skins may be formed on one or more interior surfaces of negative space spars of the component in contact with surfaces of the one or more mandrels.

公开(公告)号：US11565808B2

公开(公告)日：2023-01-31

申请号：US16397663

申请日：2019-04-29

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Robert Roy Champagne, Jr. ,  Gur Kimchi ,  Louis Leroi LeGrand, III ,  Nicholas Hampel Roberts ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C39/02 ,  G05D1/08

Abstract: This disclosure describes an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), which includes a plurality of maneuverability propulsion mechanisms that enable the aerial vehicle to move in any of the six degrees of freedom (surge, sway, heave, pitch, yaw, and roll). The aerial vehicle may also include a lifting propulsion mechanism that operates to generate a force sufficient to maintain the aerial vehicle at an altitude.

公开(公告)号：US11284056B2

公开(公告)日：2022-03-22

申请号：US17015997

申请日：2020-09-09

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Taylor David Grenier ,  Louis Leroi LeGrand, III ,  Barry James O'Brien ,  Joshua John Watson ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: H04N5/247 ,  H04N13/243 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D47/08 ,  H04N13/239 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C27/26 ,  B64C27/20

Abstract: Described is an aerial vehicle, such as an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”), that includes a plurality of sensors, such as stereo cameras, mounted along a perimeter frame of the aerial vehicle and arranged to generate a scene that surrounds the aerial vehicle. The sensors may be mounted in or on winglets of the perimeter frame. Each of the plurality of sensors has a field of view and the plurality of optical sensors are arranged and/or oriented such that their fields of view overlap with one another throughout a continuous space that surrounds the perimeter frame. The fields of view may also include a portion of the perimeter frame or space that is adjacent to the perimeter frame.

公开(公告)号：US11230371B2

公开(公告)日：2022-01-25

申请号：US16992074

申请日：2020-08-12

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Gur Kimchi ,  Dominic Timothy Shiosaki ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C25/26 ,  B64C17/02 ,  B64C25/10 ,  B64C25/52 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D31/06

Abstract: Aerial vehicles may be configured to control their attitudes by changing one or more physical attributes. For example, an aerial vehicle may be outfitted with propulsion motors having repositionable mounts by which the motors may be rotated about one or more axes, in order to redirect forces generated by the motors during operation. An aerial vehicle may also be outfitted with one or more other movable objects such as landing gear, antenna and/or engaged payloads, and one or more of such objects may be translated in one or more directions in order to adjust a center of gravity of the aerial vehicle. By varying angles by which forces are supplied to the aerial vehicle, or locations of the center of gravity of the aerial vehicle, a desired attitude of the aerial vehicle may be maintained irrespective of velocity, altitude and/or forces of thrust, lift, weight or drag acting upon the aerial vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US10745115B2

公开(公告)日：2020-08-18

申请号：US15435044

申请日：2017-02-16

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Gur Kimchi ,  Dominic Timothy Shiosaki ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C25/26 ,  B64C15/12 ,  B64C17/02 ,  B64C25/20 ,  B64C25/22 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/10 ,  B64D31/06 ,  B64D45/00 ,  B64C25/52 ,  B64C25/10

Abstract: Aerial vehicles may be configured to control their attitudes by changing one or more physical attributes. For example, an aerial vehicle may be outfitted with propulsion motors having repositionable mounts by which the motors may be rotated about one or more axes, in order to redirect forces generated by the motors during operation. An aerial vehicle may also be outfitted with one or more other movable objects such as landing gear, antenna and/or engaged payloads, and one or more of such objects may be translated in one or more directions in order to adjust a center of gravity of the aerial vehicle. By varying angles by which forces are supplied to the aerial vehicle, or locations of the center of gravity of the aerial vehicle, a desired attitude of the aerial vehicle may be maintained irrespective of velocity, altitude and/or forces of thrust, lift, weight or drag acting upon the aerial vehicle.

公开(公告)号：US10723440B2

公开(公告)日：2020-07-28

申请号：US15194484

申请日：2016-06-27

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Brian C. Beckman ,  John Raymond Brodie ,  Vedran Coralic ,  Taylor David Grenier ,  Gur Kimchi ,  Dominic Timothy Shiosaki ,  Ricky Dean Welsh ,  Richard Philip Whitlock

IPC: B64C11/48 ,  B64C11/50 ,  B64C27/80 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64C11/30 ,  B64C11/00 ,  B64C3/14 ,  B64C3/54 ,  B64C11/28

Abstract: Sounds are generated by an aerial vehicle during operation. For example, the motors and propellers of an aerial vehicle generate sounds during operation. Systems, methods, and apparatus may actively adjust the position and/or configuration of one or more propeller blades of a propulsion mechanism to generate different sounds and/or lifting forces from the propulsion mechanism.

公开(公告)号：US10669869B1

公开(公告)日：2020-06-02

申请号：US15600252

申请日：2017-05-19

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Bradley David Urban ,  Dominic Timothy Shiosaki ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C27/08 ,  F01D7/02 ,  B64C11/28 ,  F01D5/00 ,  B64C39/02

Abstract: Aerial vehicles may be equipped with propellers having pivotable blades that are configured to rotate or fold when the propellers are not rotating under power. A pivotable blade may rotate about an axis of a propeller with respect to a hub in the presence of wind flow until the pivotable blade is coaligned with a fixed blade, in a direction opposite to the wind flow. A pivotable blade may also fold over a hub of a propeller in the presence of wind flow, with the pivotable blade and a fixed blade being oriented in directions opposite to the wind flow. A center of mass of the pivotable blade may be caused to be on the same side of an axis as a center of mass of a fixed blade, even where the axis is not normal to the wind flow, thereby reducing an amount of drag generated by the propeller.

公开(公告)号：US10435146B2

公开(公告)日：2019-10-08

申请号：US15381743

申请日：2016-12-16

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C27/52 ,  B64C11/46 ,  B64C27/28 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B62D63/04 ,  B63B1/32 ,  B63H25/00 ,  B64G1/10 ,  B64G1/22 ,  B63B35/00

Abstract: This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) that will facilitate extended flight duration. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (also known as an octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV also includes a pivot assembly that may rotate about an axis from a lifting position to a thrusting position. The pivot assembly may include two or more offset motors that generate a differential force that will cause the pivot assembly to rotate between the lifting position and the thrusting position without the need for any additional motors or gears.

公开(公告)号：US10370168B1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-06

申请号：US15193882

申请日：2016-06-27

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Gur Kimchi ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B65B31/00 ,  B65D81/05

Abstract: A multi-chamber device is described. The device can include a first chamber and a second chamber disposed within the first chamber. Each chamber may be formed from a flexible material. A first tube may extend between the first chamber and outside the first chamber to enable addition of gas to the first chamber. A second tube may extend between the second chamber and outside the first chamber to enable removal of gas from the second chamber.

公开(公告)号：US20190161168A1

公开(公告)日：2019-05-30

申请号：US16264153

申请日：2019-01-31

Applicant: Amazon Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Nicholas Hampel Roberts ,  Dominic Timothy Shiosaki ,  Ricky Dean Welsh

IPC: B64C11/48 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C27/14 ,  B64C11/18 ,  B64C27/10 ,  B64C27/473 ,  B64C27/46 ,  B64C11/30

Abstract: Multiple propeller blades may be joined by tip connectors to form a closed propeller apparatus. The tip connectors may create continuous structure between adjacent tips of a first propeller and a second propeller. Use of the tip connectors may reduce vortices created near the tips of the propeller blades, which cause drag and slow the rotation of the propeller blades. The tip connectors may also reduce noise caused by rotation of propeller blades. Further, the tip connectors reduce or eliminate deflection of the propeller blades by creating a support structure to counteract forces that would otherwise cause deflection of the propeller blades, thereby improving propeller blade loading. In some embodiments, the tip connectors may be formed of a malleable material and/or include one or more joints that enable at least one of the propellers to modify a pitch of blades of the propeller.