Energy dispersion plug for UAV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10625843-B2
Application number	US-201715815428-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2017
Priority date	Nov 16, 2017
Publication date	Apr 21, 2020
Grant date	Apr 21, 2020

Abstract

An energy dispersion plug for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) includes a blunt head section, a wedge section, and a rim section. The blunt head section has an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side. The wedge section has a base end and a distal end opposite the base end. The wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end and the distal end has a smaller cross-sectional area than the base end. The wedge section is shaped and sized to fit into an open end of a hollow structural member of the UAV and to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into the hollow structural member to shatter the hollow structural member into fragments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the apparatus comprising:
an energy dispersion plug including:
a blunt head section having an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side;
a wedge section having a base end and a distal end opposite the base end, wherein the wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end, wherein the outer side of the blunt head section is softer than the wedge section; and
a rim disposed around a perimeter of the inner side of the blunt head section forming a recess around the base end of the wedge section,

wherein the wedge section is shaped and sized to fit into an open end of a hollow structural member of the UAV and to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into the hollow structural member to shatter the hollow structural member into fragments,
wherein the recess is shaped to catch or block at least some of the fragments in an event the impact force shatters the hollow structural member.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the distal end of the wedge section has a smaller cross-sectional area than the base end of the wedge section.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the distal end of wedge section is blunt.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blunt head section and the wedge section have oval or circular cross-sectional shapes.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the outer side of the blunt head section is convex.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the energy dispersion plug has a mushroom-like profile shape.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the energy dispersion plug further comprises:
pressure focusing elements disposed along sides of the wedge section, the pressure focusing elements shaped to focus the impact energy for shattering the hollow structural member.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the pressure focusing elements comprise a carbide insert disposed in or on a side of the wedge section.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the blunt head section or the wedge section of the energy dispersion plug is fabricated of glass filled nylon.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
the hollow structural member, wherein first and second instances of the energy absorbing plug are disposed in first and second open ends of the hollow structural member,
wherein the hollow structural member comprises a wing spar for the UAV or a boom carrier that supports propulsion units for the UAV.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein end sections of the hollow structural member in which the first and second instances of the energy absorbing plug are disposed are structurally weakened relative to a middle section of the hollow structural member.

12. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a wing assembly to provide lift;
a plurality of boom assemblies that secure to the wing assembly, each of the boom assemblies including a plurality of rotors mounted to a boom carrier to provide vertical propulsion;
a fuselage mounted to the wing assembly; and
energy dispersion plugs inserted into ends of the boom carrier of each of the boom assemblies, each of the energy dispersion plugs including:
a blunt head section having an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side; and
a wedge section having a base end and a distal end opposite the base end, wherein the wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end and the distal end has a smaller cross-sectional area than the base end;

wherein the wedge section is shaped to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into the boom carrier to shatter the boom carrier into fragments.

13. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein each of the energy dispersion plugs further includes:
a rim disposed around a perimeter of the inner side of the blunt head section forming a recess around the base end of the wedge section, wherein the recess is shaped to catch or block at least some of the fragments in an event the impact force shatters the boom carrier.

14. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the wing assembly includes a wing foil structurally supported by a wing spar that mounts to the fuselage and wherein additional instances of the energy dispersion plugs are inserted into ends of the wing spar.

15. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the energy dispersion plugs have a mushroom-like profile shape.

16. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein each of the energy dispersion plugs further comprises:
pressure focusing elements disposed along sides of the wedge section, the pressure focusing elements shaped to focus the impact energy for shattering the boom carrier.

17. The UAV of claim 16 , wherein the pressure focusing elements comprise at least one of ribs, bumps, or carbide inserts disposed in or on the sides of the wedge section.

18. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein end sections of the boom carrier in which the energy absorbing plugs are disposed are structurally weakened relative to a middle section of the boom carrier.

19. The UAV of claim 12 , wherein the boom carrier comprises a hollow structural member.

20. An apparatus for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the apparatus comprising:
an energy dispersion plug including:
a blunt head section having an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side;
a wedge section having a base end and a distal end opposite the base end, wherein the wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end; and
a rim disposed around a perimeter of the inner side of the blunt head section forming a recess around the base end of the wedge section; and

a hollow structural member of the UAV comprising a wing spar for the UAV or a boom carrier that supports one or more propulsion units for the UAV,
wherein the energy absorbing plug is disposed in an open end of the hollow structural member,
wherein the wedge section is shaped and sized to fit into the open end of the hollow structural member and to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into the hollow structural member to shatter the hollow structural member into fragments,
wherein the recess is shaped to catch or block at least some of the fragments in an event the impact force shatters the hollow structural member.

21. An apparatus for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), the apparatus comprising:
an energy dispersion plug including:
a blunt head section having an outer side for receiving an impact force and an inner side opposite the outer side;
a wedge section having a base end and a distal end opposite the base end, wherein the wedge section extends at the base end from the inner side of the blunt head section towards the distal end;
a rim disposed around a perimeter of the inner side of the blunt head section forming a recess around the base end of the wedge section; and
a pressure focusing element disposed along a side of the wedge section, the pressure focusing element shaped to focus the impact energy for shattering a hollow structural member, wherein the pressure focusing element is fabricated of a different harder material than that of the wedge section,

wherein the wedge section is shaped and sized to fit into an open end of the hollow structural member of the UAV and to transfer impact energy incident upon the blunt head section into

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Benson Stephen
• Woodworth Adam
• Nowakowski Michael
• Schmalzried James
• Rudin Adem

Classifications

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64C27/26

  characterised by provision of fixed wings · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64C2201/104

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C1/062 Primary

  specially adapted to absorb crash loads · CPC title