公开(公告)号：US12071228B1

公开(公告)日：2024-08-27

申请号：US16814117

申请日：2020-03-10

Applicant: Snap Inc.

Inventor： Simon Saito Haagen Nielsen

IPC: B64C27/20 ,  B64C11/00 ,  B64C11/18 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64U30/20

CPC classification number: B64C27/20 ,  B64C11/001 ,  B64C11/18 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64U30/20

Abstract: A flight-capable drone that can optionally comprise: a body; a plurality of propellers each coupled to and having a fixed rotational axis relative to the body, and a plurality of propeller guards. The plurality of propellers operably configured to enable flight along a flight path. During the flight path the plurality of propellers are pitched forward at an angle relative to the flight path. The plurality of propeller guards are fixedly coupled to the body and have a least a part-annular extent. Each one of the plurality of propeller guards positioned radially adjacent a tip of a corresponding one of the plurality of propellers to protect the corresponding propeller from contact. The plurality of propeller guards are configured as an airfoil along at least a portion of the part-annular extent thereof to generate lift during flight along the flight path.

公开(公告)号：US20240166336A1

公开(公告)日：2024-05-23

申请号：US18421169

申请日：2024-01-24

Applicant: Kitty Hawk Corporation

Inventor： Alexander David Selwa ,  Todd Reichert ,  Mark Johnson Cutler

IPC: B64C13/04 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/20 ,  G05G9/047

CPC classification number: B64C13/0421 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/20 ,  G05G9/047

Abstract: A forward velocity associated with an aircraft is received. The aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors which rotate in a substantially horizontal plane. A pitch offset is determined based at least in part on the forward velocity, where the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity. A desired pitch is determined based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via a hand control. A plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors is determined based at least in part on the desired pitch.

公开(公告)号：US11815911B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-14

申请号：US17385296

申请日：2021-07-26

Applicant: Kitty Hawk Corporation

Inventor： Sebastian Thrun ,  Benjamin Otto Berry

IPC: G05D1/04 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64D1/00 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/48 ,  B64C27/32 ,  B64F1/02 ,  B64U30/10 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/14

CPC classification number: G05D1/046 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/32 ,  B64C27/48 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C29/0033 ,  B64D1/00 ,  B64F1/0295 ,  B64U30/10 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/14

Abstract: A vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) vehicle that includes a flight controller and a rotor. During a vertical landing state, during which the VTOL vehicle is performing a vertical landing, the flight controller decides whether to switch from the vertical landing state to a self adjusting state and in the event it is decided to do so, the flight controller switches from the vertical landing state to the self adjusting state. During the self adjusting state, the flight controller generates a control signal for a rotor where the control signal causes: (1) the rotor to rotate during the self adjusting state and (2) the VTOL vehicle to stay in place during the self adjusting state, such that an occupant is able to enter or exit the VTOL vehicle during the self adjusting state.

公开(公告)号：US11807356B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-07

申请号：US15999532

申请日：2016-02-17

Applicant: ARDN Technology Limited

Inventor： Dmitry Aleksandrovich Arsentyev ,  Marat Ildusovich Sabirov ,  Nail Ramilevech Zinnurov ,  Ilya Yurevich Rodin ,  Aleksanders Timofejevs

IPC: B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/11 ,  B64U50/14 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U101/60

CPC classification number: B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20 ,  B64U50/11 ,  B64U50/14 ,  B64U50/19 ,  B64U2101/60 ,  B64U2201/20

Abstract: Described here are multicopter systems and methods of operating multicopter systems, including those with a chassis with at least two mounted lift motors and at least four mounted control motors mounted within the chassis, wherein, the at least two mounted lift motors each having a lift propeller, the at least four mounted control motors each having a control propeller, wherein the lift propellers and the control propellers are in parallel planes or coplanar, a computer mounted on the chassis, the computer in communication with the control motors, an electric power source mounted on the chassis, the electric power source connected to the control motors, and an antennae mounted on the chassis, in communication with the computer. In some examples, the control systems are encrypted.

公开(公告)号：US11787534B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-17

申请号：US17723274

申请日：2022-04-18

Applicant: AERONEXT INC.

Inventor： Youichi Suzuki

IPC: B64C27/52 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/54 ,  B64C29/00 ,  B64D9/00 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U70/00 ,  B64U101/60

CPC classification number: B64C27/52 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/54 ,  B64C29/0033 ,  B64D9/00 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U70/00 ,  B64U2101/60 ,  B64U2201/10

Abstract: A delivery rotary-wing aircraft has a plurality of rotary wings, a central portion to which a plurality of arms for supporting the rotary wings are connected, a first mounting portion for loading a package, a second mounting portion which is located on the opposite side to the first mounting portion as viewed from the central portion, a first supporting member for coupling the first mounting portion with the central portion, and a connection portion between the central portion and the first supporting member. The center point of lift occurring in the rotary-wing aircraft with the rotation of the plurality of rotary wings and the center point of gravity of the rotary-wing aircraft coincide with the center point of the connection portion. The first supporting member is equipped with an adjustment mechanism for vertically downwardly extending the length of the first supporting member.

公开(公告)号：US11780570B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-10

申请号：US18105551

申请日：2023-02-03

Applicant: Simon Nielsen ,  Russell Douglas Patton

Inventor： Simon Nielsen ,  Russell Douglas Patton

IPC: B64C27/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D47/02 ,  G01V8/12 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20

CPC classification number: B64C27/006 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64D47/02 ,  G01V8/12 ,  B64U10/13 ,  B64U30/20

Abstract: Systems, devices, and methods for stopping the rotation of propellers used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) such as drones are disclosed. The propellers are stopped in response to detecting when beams of light adjacent the propellers are blocked.

公开(公告)号：US11767097B2

公开(公告)日：2023-09-26

申请号：US17047779

申请日：2019-04-16

Applicant: University of Kansas

Inventor： Ronald Martin Barrett ,  Lauren Nicole Schumacher ,  Patrick Ian McNamee ,  John Austin Haug ,  Joshua Donald Mudd ,  Dalton Bastiaan Prins ,  Nicholas Donald Werner

IPC: B64C11/00 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C33/00 ,  F01D25/04

CPC classification number: B64C11/008 ,  B64C11/001 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C33/00 ,  F01D25/04 ,  F05D2260/96

Abstract: A general mounting method for ducted fan propulsors is disclosed. This mounting method uses extremely slender stators that connect the duct ring to the propulsor which is mounted in the middle and drives the rotor, fan or propeller. The slender stators take the form of spokes and as such are so slender that the midspan stresses within the spokes are dominated by axial tension loads rather than the shear loads experienced by conventional stators. The spokes may have an aerodynamic shape and damping methods may be used to retard spoke vibrations and transmission of engine vibrations to the duct and force. The duct itself is also stiffened by the spoke arrangement, thereby reducing low frequency vibration modes.

公开(公告)号：US20230182894A1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-15

申请号：US17942678

申请日：2022-09-12

Applicant: ROTOR SHIELD, LLC

Inventor： Robert Stanely Cooper

IPC: B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C39/00 ,  A63H27/00

CPC classification number: B64C27/20 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C39/001 ,  A63H27/12 ,  B64C1/062

Abstract: The Multi-Rotor Safety Shield (MRSS) provides a complete and substantial encasement system which can be secured about a Drone, protecting a multitude of aircraft components from contact with any outside disturbance and which can protect the sensitive components from dust, water, wind, rain, snow, fingers, toes, appendages of any kind, and atmospheric changes as example, from disabling the Drone and can protect people, places or things from high velocity spinning exposed rotor/propellers. The MRSS provides rigid non-permeable platform for attaching or incorporating additional safety devices as found in the Drone industry (or other industries) resulting in a safety device that completely prevents the loss a Drone due to the catastrophic failure of any Drone system or combination of systems which would typically result in rapid decent, and/or uncontrolled flight. The MRSS makes Drones safe near humans and safe to use around public gatherings, stadium events, accident scenes, disaster search and rescue and disaster relief, and indoors for the security and communications markets among others expanding the availability of Drones to further assist humanity.

公开(公告)号：US20190243385A1

公开(公告)日：2019-08-08

申请号：US16341978

申请日：2017-10-18

Applicant: DEAKIN UNIVERSITY

Inventor： Sui Yang Khoo ,  Michael John Norton ,  Abbas Zahedi Kouzani

IPC: G05D1/08 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64C27/20 ,  G05B13/04 ,  G05D1/00

CPC classification number: G05D1/0858 ,  B64C27/08 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/027 ,  B64C2201/162 ,  G05B13/04 ,  G05D1/0088

Abstract: A method of operating a multicopter comprising a body and n thrusters, each thruster independently actuated to vector thrust angularly relative to the body about at least a first axis, the method comprising modelling dynamics of the multicopter with a mathematical model comprising coupled, non-linear combinations of thruster variables, decoupling the mathematical model into linear combinations of thruster control variables, sensing at least one characteristic of multicopter dynamics, comparing the sensed data with corresponding target characteristic(s), computing adjustments in thruster control variables for reducing the difference between the sensed data and the target characteristic(s) according to a control algorithm, and actuating each thruster according to the computed thruster control variables to converge the multicopter towards the target characteristic(s), wherein the control algorithm is based on the decoupled mathematical model such that each thruster control variable can be adjusted independently.

公开(公告)号：US20180305008A1

公开(公告)日：2018-10-25

申请号：US16021800

申请日：2018-06-28

Applicant: Coriolis Games Corporation

Inventor： Jacob Apkarian

IPC: B64C29/00 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64F5/10 ,  B64C27/20

CPC classification number: B64C29/0033 ,  B64C27/20 ,  B64C27/52 ,  B64C39/024 ,  B64C2201/104 ,  B64C2201/108 ,  B64C2201/146 ,  B64C2201/162 ,  B64C2211/00 ,  B64F5/10

Abstract: An aerial vehicle is includes a wing, first and second rotors, and a movement sensor. The first and second multicopter rotors are rotatably coupled to the wing, the first multicopter rotor is rotatable relative to the wing about a first lateral axis, and the second multicopter rotor is rotatable relative to the wing about a second lateral axis. Each multicopter rotor is coupled to each other multicopter rotor, wherein the multicopter rotors are restricted to collective synchronous rotation relative to the wing between a multicopter configuration and a fixed-wing configuration. The movement sensor is coupled to the multicopter rotors, wherein the movement sensor is positioned to rotate relative to the wing when the multicopter rotors rotate relative to the wing between the multicopter and fixed-wing configurations.