Safety systems for unmanned vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11046443-B2
Application number	US-201715805475-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 7, 2017
Priority date	Nov 7, 2017
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

Safety systems for unmanned vehicles are disclosed. An example vehicle includes a housing and a propulsion system supported by the housing. The propulsion system to generate lift. An anti-crash module is coupled to the housing. The anti-crash module has a compressible foam that is to deploy to protect the propulsion system from an impact.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned vehicle comprising:
a housing;
a propulsion system supported by the housing, the propulsion system to generate lift; and
an anti-crash apparatus coupled to the housing, the anti-crash apparatus having a base defining a cavity to receive a bladder-less compressible foam, the base having a cover and a lock, the cover having an opening to receive the lock, the lock being movable through the opening between a latched position to retain the bladder-less compressible foam in the base and an unlatched position to enable the bladder-less compressible foam to deploy from the cavity to protect the propulsion system from an impact, the lock engaging the cover in the latched position when the cover is in a closed position, the bladder-less compressible foam to expand to move the cover from the closed position to an open position in response to the lock moving to the unlatched position and the compressible foam projecting from the cavity of the base.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the cover is over the cavity when the cover is in a closed position relative to the base.

3. The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the compressible foam is in a compressed state when stored in the cavity and the cover is over the cavity.

4. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the lock includes a solenoid having a spring-loaded shaft.

5. The vehicle of claim 4 , wherein the cover is pivotally coupled to the base via a hinge.

6. The vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the solenoid is to couple to a front surface of the base opposite the hinge.

7. The vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the opening is to receive the solenoid when the cover is in the closed position to enable the shaft of the solenoid to extend from the solenoid and engage the cover when the lock is in the latched position.

8. The vehicle of claim 7 , wherein the solenoid moves the shaft away from the front surface of the cover to move the cover to the open position and deploy the compressible foam from the base.

9. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compressible foam has at least one of: a density of between approximately 1.8 pounds and 3.5 pounds of chemical used per cubic feet of the compressible foam; an indentation load deflection of between approximately 18 and 45, or a recovery time of between approximately 5 seconds and 1 minute.

10. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compressible foam includes a urethane material.

11. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compressible foam has a dimensional profile to extend at least partially across at least one of a housing, a propeller, or a motor of the vehicle.

12. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the compressible foam has a dimensional profile to provide an air brake during a free fall condition.

13. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the bladder-less compressible foam has an indentation load deflection of between approximately 18 and 45.

14. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the bladder-less compressible foam has a polyhedron shape.

15. An anti-crash apparatus comprising:
a housing having a base defining a cavity;
a cover pivotally coupled to the base via a hinge along a first side of the base, the cover to move between a closed position and an open position, the cover to cover the cavity in the closed position and to uncover the cavity in the open position;
a bladder-less compressible foam configurable between a non-compressed state and a compressed state, the bladder-less compressible foam being in the compressed state when positioned in the cavity of the base and the cover is in the closed position; and
a lock coupled to the cover and the base on a second side of the cover opposite the hinge, the lock movable between a latched position and an unlatched position, the lock in the latched position to maintain the cover in the closed position relative to the base and prevent expansion of the bladder-less compressible foam, the lock in the unlatched position to allow the bladder-less compressible foam to discharge from the base, the bladder-less compressible foam to cause the cover to pivot relative to the base in response to the lock moving to the unlatched position and the bladder-less compressible foam discharging from the base.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the lock includes a solenoid having a movable shaft, the solenoid coupled to the base, the movable shaft to engage a retainer located on the cover when the lock is in the latched position, and the movable shaft to disengage the retainer of the cover when the lock is in the unlatched position.

17. An unmanned vehicle comprising:
means for generating lift;
means for supporting the lift generating means; and
means for housing a bladder-less compressible foam and means for covering the bladder-less compressible foam, the means for housing to couple to the means for supporting the lift generating means, the means for covering being pivotally coupled to the means for housing between a closed position and an open position, the means for housing having means for locking, the locking means being movable between a latched position to retain the means for covering in the closed position and prevent the bladder-less compressible foam from deploying from the means for housing during normal operation and an unlatched position to allow the means for covering to move to the open position to enable the bladder-less compressible foam to expand from the means for housing to protect the lift generating means from damage during a crash event.

18. The vehicle of claim 17 , further including means for moving the locking means from the latched position to the unlatched position.

19. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the bladder-less compressible foam has an impact surface having a dimensional envelope that is greater than a dimensional envelope of a base surface of the bladder-less compressible foam that attaches to the base, the bladder-less compressible foam to provide an air brake effect during a free-fall event.

20. The vehicle of claim 17 , further including means for pivotally attaching the means for covering and the means for housing.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Tanriover Cagri

Classifications

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U10/14

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

• B64U20/30

  for safety, e.g. with frangible components (rotor guards B64U30/299) · CPC title