Sealed float with batteries

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10940943-B2
Application number	US-201816033036-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Mar 9, 2021
Grant date	Mar 9, 2021

Abstract

A float has a front-to-back length, a width, and a height where the front-to-back length of the float is strictly greater than the height of the float which in turn is strictly greater than the width of the float. At least a bottom portion of the float is watertight. The float includes an access panel to access the inside of the float. A battery is inside the float and is accessible via the access panel.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A float for an aircraft, comprising:
at least two walls defining a space inside the float, wherein a front-to-back length of the float is strictly greater than a height of the float, which in turn is strictly greater than a width of the float;
an access panel to access the space inside of the float, wherein the space is adapted to hold batteries;
a plurality of vents adapted to permit dissipation of heat and fumes generated by the batteries and water vapor from an interior of the float, wherein each vent in the plurality of vents is aligned with and above a respective battery of the batteries;
a heat sink, wherein a view of the heat sink is at least partially obstructed by a blocking object when viewed from above;
a hygrometer adapted to measure an amount of water vapor in the interior of the float and display information on an exterior of the float; and
a watertight bottom portion.

2. The float recited in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft includes a plurality of rotors which are attached to the aircraft at a fixed roll angle and a fixed pitch angle.

3. The float recited in claim 1 further including a drain.

4. The float recited in claim 1 , wherein the blocking object includes one or more of the following: a boom or a rotor.

5. The float recited in claim 1 , wherein the float further includes a sidewall with sandwich-structure composite.

6. The float recited in claim 1 further including a crush structure inside the float which supports the batteries.

7. The float of claim 1 , wherein the front-to-back length is based at least in part on a diameter of a plurality of rotors of the aircraft and an amount of overlap between the plurality of rotors.

8. The float of claim 1 , wherein the float is filled with air.

9. The float of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion is made of a material adapted for water and land.

10. The float of claim 1 , wherein the at least two walls of the float are carbon fiber.

11. The float of claim 1 , wherein the at least two walls of the float are carbon fiber and adapt to dissipate heat generated by the batteries held by the float.

12. The float of claim 1 further including a partition wall inside the space defined by the at least two walls, wherein the partition wall is adapted to confine water in the space to a respective interior section of the float.

13. The float of claim 1 further including a partition wall inside the space defined by the at least two walls, wherein the partition wall is adapted to isolate the batteries from a rest of the space.

14. The float of claim 1 further including a partition wall inside the space defined by the at least two walls, wherein the partition wall is made of at least one of: a heat resistant material, a waterproofing material, and an energy absorbing material.

15. The float of claim 1 further including a partition wall inside the space defined by the at least two walls, wherein the partition wall is adapted to distribute loads on the float.

16. An aircraft comprising:
a parachute; and
a fuselage, wherein the parachute is attached to an anchor point in a back half of the fuselage; and
a float comprising:
at least two walls defining a space inside the float, wherein a front-to-back length of the float is strictly greater than a height of the float, which in turn is strictly greater than a width of the float;
an access panel to access the space inside of the float, wherein the space is adapted to hold a battery;
a plurality of vents adapted to permit dissipation of heat and fumes generated by the batteries and water vapor from an interior of the float, wherein each vent in the plurality of vents is aligned with and above a respective battery of the batteries;
a heat sink, wherein a view of the heat sink is at least partially obstructed by a blocking object when viewed from above;
a hygrometer adapted to measure an amount of water vapor in the interior of the float and display information on an exterior of the float;
a watertight bottom portion; and
energy absorbing material inside the float at a front portion.

17. The float of claim 1 , wherein the hygrometer is an analog hygrometer that can be read including when the batteries are off.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Robertson Cameron
• Reichert Todd

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/31

  within, or attached to, wings · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64C25/54 Primary

  Floats · CPC title

• B64C27/08 Primary

  with two or more rotors · CPC title