Unmanned aerial vehicle including mounting structure for propeller

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021231-B2
Application number	US-201816035493-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2018
Priority date	Aug 3, 2017
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a housing, a wireless communication circuit, a navigation circuit, a plurality of propulsion systems, and a propeller. At least one of the plurality of propulsion systems includes a motor, and a construction disposed to the motor. The construction includes a first side, a second side facing the motor in a direction opposite to the first side, a shaft inserting hole disposed to the second side, and a latching protrusion and a latching groove that are extended sequentially inside the shaft inserting hole. The propeller is fastened to the construction, and includes a hub coupled to the first side of the construction, a fixing shaft that protrudes in a direction of the construction that is inserted to the shaft inserting hole of the construction, and at least one protrusion on an outer circumferential surface of the fixing shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
a housing;
a wireless communication circuit disposed inside the housing or coupled to the housing, and configured to be coupled with an external controller through wireless communication;
a processor configured to control a plurality of propulsion systems; and
the plurality of propulsion systems are coupled to or at least partially inserted into the housing, wherein at least one of the plurality of propulsion systems comprises:
a motor controlled by the processor,
a construction disposed to the motor and comprising a first side, a second side facing the motor in a direction opposite to the first side, a shaft inserting hole disposed to the second side, and a latching protrusion and a latching groove disposed inside the shaft inserting hole, and
a propeller fastened to the construction, wherein the propeller comprises:
a hub coupled to the first side of the construction,
a fixing shaft that protrudes from the hub in a direction towards the construction and is received within the shaft inserting hole of the construction, and
at least one protrusion that protrudes from an outer circumferential surface of the fixing shaft towards an external perimeter of the hub and is mounted to the latching groove by rotational movement of the latching protrusion,

wherein the construction comprises:
at least one tension rib extended in a radial direction from the shaft inserting hole of the construction in an elastically deformable manner by a plurality of slits, and
a tension protrusion extended from the at least one tension rib in a direction opposite to the motor, wherein the tension protrusion presses a surface of the hub in the direction opposite to the motor to prevent detachment.

2. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein:
the shaft inserting hole includes at least one protrusion guiding groove extending in the radial direction, and
a first protrusion, of the at least one protrusion of the fixing shaft, is received within a first protrusion guiding groove of the at least one protrusion guiding groove during coupling of the hub to the construction.

3. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the latching protrusion extends in a circumferential direction within the first protrusion guiding groove.

4. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one protrusion guiding groove corresponds to one of the at least one protrusion, respectively.

5. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the construction is fixed to an upper side of a motor can of the motor and is rotatably mounted to the motor, or disposed integrally with respect to the motor can.

6. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the shaft inserting hole is disposed in a penetration manner from the first side to the second side of the construction.

7. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising at least one second protrusion that protrudes on the surface of the hub, and presses the at least one tension rib in the direction opposite to the motor by being in contact with the tension protrusion.

8. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein when the at least one tension rib is pressed in a direction of the motor while the hub of the propeller rotates in a direction of being fastened to the construction, the at least one tension rib is elastically deformed, from a first state to a second state, in the direction of the motor due to the at least one second protrusion.

9. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the at least one tension rib is restored to the first state by being supported by the at least one second protrusion when the hub of the propeller is affixed to the construction.

10. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the tension protrusion further comprises an inclined portion.

11. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 7 , wherein each of the at least one tension rib corresponds to one of the at least one second protrusion, respectively.

12. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a protrusion length of the fixing shaft is based on an elastic deformation of the at least one tension rib.

13. The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a camera.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Baek Seung-Chul
• Kang Jaeho
• Yoon Yeonggyu
• YOO Min-Woo
• Lee Min-Sung

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C11/02 Primary

  Hub construction · CPC title

• B64U50/13

  using external fans or propellers · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title