Wing structure and attachment to frame for unmanned aerial vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034445-B2
Application number	US-201715823129-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2017
Priority date	Nov 27, 2017
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

Systems for wing structure and attachment to frame for Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a UAV includes an H-frame having a wing spar secured to two or more boom carriers. The wing spar includes two or more mounting locations, where each of the two or more mounting locations of the wing spar secures a horizontal propulsion unit. The boom carriers include a plurality of mounting locations, each of the plurality of mounting locations of the boom carriers securing a vertical propulsion unit. The UAV also includes a pre-formed wing shell attached to the H-frame.

First claim

We claim:

1. An Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV), comprising:
an H-frame having a wing spar secured to boom carriers, wherein the wing spar includes two or more spar mounting locations each configured to secure a horizontal propulsion unit, and wherein each of the boom carriers includes a plurality of boom mounting locations each configured to secure a vertical propulsion unit, wherein each of the boom carriers includes a first one of the boom mounting locations disposed fore of the wing spar and a second one of the boom mounting locations disposed aft of the wing spar;
a pre-formed wing shell attached to the H-frame, wherein the pre-formed wing shell includes a wing body shaped to provide aerodynamic lift and having a first groove and two or more second grooves recessed into an underside of the wing body, wherein the first groove aligns with the wing spar and is shaped to mate with and accept the wing spar into the first groove, wherein the second grooves align with the boom carriers and are shaped to mate with and accept the boom carriers into the second grooves, and wherein the first groove crosses the second grooves where the wing spar is secured to the boom carriers; and
pre-formed boom shells each attached to a corresponding one of the boom carriers.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the wing shell further comprises:
an upper wing skin; and
a lower wing skin separate from the upper wing skin.

3. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the wing body comprises closed cell foam and the wing skins comprise hard plastic.

4. The UAV of claim 3 , wherein a motor mount of a horizontal propulsion unit comprises:
a 2-piece C-shell in contact with the hard plastic of the wing shell, and
a fastener protruding through the C-shell and through the wing spar.

5. The UAV of claim 2 , further comprising:
a wing skin clip connecting the upper wing skin and the lower wing skin.

6. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the wing body includes wing tips pointing away from the H-frame.

7. The UAV of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first plurality of motor mounts, each of the first plurality of motor mounts configured to couple to a horizontal propulsion unit, wherein the first plurality of motor mounts are secured at the spar mounting locations;
a plurality of horizontal propulsion units, wherein each horizontal propulsion unit is attached to one of the first plurality of motor mounts;
a second plurality of motor mounts, each of the second plurality of motor mounts configured to couple to a vertical propulsion unit, wherein the second plurality of motor mounts are secured at the boom mounting locations of the boom carriers; and
a plurality of vertical propulsion units, wherein each vertical propulsion unit is attached to one of the second plurality of motor mounts.

8. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the wing body includes ailerons at a trailing edge of the wing body, and wherein the ailerons are connected to the wing body through a flexible connection formed as a groove in a material of the wing body.

9. The UAV of claim 1 , further comprising:
a clamp configured to clamp around the wing spar; and
a fuselage body attached with the clamp for mounting the fuselage body to the wing spar, wherein the fuselage body is a modular fuselage body comprising:
a battery compartment;
an avionics compartment; and
a delivery unit configured to handle a payload,
wherein the battery compartment, the avionics compartment, and the delivery unit are detachable from each other and collectively form the fuselage body when secured together, wherein the delivery unit is disposed between the battery compartment and the avionics compartment when the fuselage body is assembled.

10. The UAV of claim 9 , further comprising:
a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) fastened to inside edges of the boom carriers, wherein the inside edges face the fuselage body, and wherein a side of the PCBs that faces the fuselage is at least partially exposed; and
a plurality of electrical cables attaching the PCBs to the fuselage body.

11. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the wing spar is a carbon fiber tube with pre-drilled holes, and wherein the boom carriers are carbon fiber tubes with pre-drilled holes.

12. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein half of the boom mounting locations along each of the boom carriers are disposed fore of the wing spar and half are disposed aft of the wing spar.

13. An Unmanned Autonomous Vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a structural frame formed by a wing spar secured to boom carriers, wherein the boom carriers are connected with boom clamps to the wing spar, and wherein each of the boom carriers includes a first boom mounting location for mounting a first vertical propulsion unit disposed fore of the wing spar and a second boom mounting location for mounting a second vertical propulsion unit disposed aft of the wing spar;
pre-formed boom shells each attached to a corresponding one of the boom carriers;
a fuselage body attached to the wing spar;
a plurality of printed circuit boards (PCBs) fastened to inside edges of the boom carriers and at least partially exposed while facing an opposing boom carrier and the fuselage body;
one or more electrical cables attaching the PCBs to the fuselage body; and
a pre-formed wing shell attached to the structural frame, wherein the pre-formed wing shell includes a wing body having a first groove and two or more second grooves recessed into an underside of the wing body, wherein the first groove aligns with the wing spar and is shaped to mate with and accept the wing spar, wherein the second grooves align with the boom carriers and are shaped to mate with and accept the boom carriers, and wherein the first groove crosses the second grooves where the boom carriers are connected to the wing spar.

14. The UAV of claim 13 , further comprising:
a spar clamp configured to clamp around the wing spar; and
the fuselage body attached with the spar clamp for mounting the fuselage body to the wing spar, wherein the fuselage body is a modular fuselage body comprising:
a battery compartment;
an avionics compartment; and
a delivery unit configured to handle a payload,
wherein the battery compartment, the avionics compartment, and the delivery unit are detachable from each other and collectively form the fuselage body when secured together.

15. The UAV of claim 13 , wherein sides of the PCBs that face the fuselage are at least partially exposed.

16. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the wing spar is a carbon fiber tube with pre-drilled holes configured to carry motor mounts of horizontal propulsion units, and wherein the boom carriers are carbon fiber tubes with pre-drilled holes configured to carry motor mounts for the first and second vertical propulsion units.

17. The UAV of claim 16 , further comprising:
a plurality of horizontal propulsion units, wherein each horizontal propulsion unit is attached to a corresponding motor mount,
wherein the PCBs are electrically connected to the first and second vertical propulsion units and the horizontal propulsion units.

18. The UAV of claim 17 , wherein the PCBs carry power converters and controllers.

19. The UAV of claim 16 , wherein the boom carriers include a first boom carrier and a second boom carrier, the UAV further comprising:
a first rudder attached to the first boom carrier; and
a second rudder attached to the second boom carrier.

20. The UAV of claim 15 , wherein the boom shell comprises a groove configured to mate with the boom carrier, and wherein the boom shel

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Woodworth Adam
• Rudin Adem
• Benson Stephen

Classifications

• B64U20/92

  of avionics · CPC title

• B64U50/13

  using external fans or propellers · CPC title

• B64U30/10

  Wings · CPC title

• B64U10/25 Primary

  Fixed-wing aircraft (VTOL aircraft B64U10/20) · CPC title

• B64C2211/00

  Modular constructions of airplanes or helicopters · CPC title