Payload module for stratospheric drone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11079568-B2
Application number	US-201816764604-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2018
Priority date	Nov 20, 2017
Publication date	Aug 3, 2021
Grant date	Aug 3, 2021

Abstract

A payload module (1) of a stratospheric drone including: a casing (10), and a piece of optical equipment (20) comprising an optical axis, mounted in the casing, wherein the module being includes a mirror (40) positioned on the optical axis facing the optical equipment, the mirror being swivelable about at least one axis, within an angular range, wherein the casing has a through-opening (11) shaped so that any light ray received or emitted by the optical equipment parallel to the optical axis and reflected by the mirror passes through the through-opening, over the entire angular range of the mirror.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A payload module of a stratospheric drone comprising:
a casing;
optical equipment having an optical axis, wherein the optical equipment is mounted in the casing;
a mirror positioned on the optical axis and facing the optical equipment, the mirror being swivelable about at least one axis within an angular range, and
the casing has a through-opening shaped so that any light ray accepted or emitted by the optical equipment parallel to the optical axis and reflected by the mirror passes through the through-opening, over the entire angular range of the mirror, the through-opening being without any means of closing off the opening.

2. The payload module according to claim 1 , wherein the mirror swivels about a first axis parallel to the optical axis, and the angular range is at least 50° and the mirror swivels about a second axis orthogonal to the optical axis within a second angular range of at least 10°.

3. A payload module of a stratospheric drone comprising:
a casing;
optical equipment having an optical axis, wherein the optical equipment is mounted in the casing;
a mirror positioned on the optical axis and facing the optical equipment, the mirror being swivelable about at least one axis within an angular range, and
the casing has a through-opening shaped so that any light ray accepted or emitted by the optical equipment parallel to the optical axis and reflected by the mirror passes through the through-opening, over the entire angular range of the mirror, the through-opening being without any means of closing off the opening,
wherein the casing comprises a support structure configured to be mounted on the drone, the support structure comprising:
a support arm comprising a first end configured to be mounted on the drone, and a free end, the optical equipment mounted on the support arm, and
at least one secondary arm added to the free end of the support arm, and on which the swivelable mirror is mounted.

4. The payload module according to claim 3 , wherein the free end of the support arm extends in a direction forming an angle in a range of 5 to 10° relative to a direction in which the first end of said support arm extends.

5. The payload module according to claim 1 , wherein the casing comprises a support structure and a cover removably mounted on the support structure, the cover comprising a rear part configured to protect the optical equipment and a front part configured to protect the mirror, the front part comprising a through-hole which at least partially forms the through opening of the casing.

6. The payload module according to claim 5 , further comprising a thermally protective separating partition extending within a cross-section of the module between the optical equipment and the cover, at an interface between front and rear parts of the cover.

7. The payload module according to claim 5 , wherein the front part of the cover comprises an inner face covered with a light-absorbing black coating.

8. The payload module according to claim 5 , wherein the rear part of the cover comprises an outer face covered with a heat-reflective coating.

9. The payload module according to claim 3 , wherein the support arm is hollow and has two parallel internal walls extending along the main direction of the arm, and the support arm includes a housing defined by said two parallel internal walls.

10. The payload module according to claim 9 , wherein the support arm comprises a bottom wall having at least one through-hole opening into the housing, and the module comprises secondary optical equipment positioned in the housing and comprising an optical axis passing through the through-hole.

11. The payload module according to claim 1 , further comprising a thermally insulating covering positioned around the optical equipment.

12. The payload module according claim 1 , wherein the optical equipment comprises a first portion containing a set of optical elements, and a second portion containing an electronic capture or emission unit, an insulating covering positioned around each portion, and
the module further comprises a heating element arranged between the first portion and the insulating covering, and at least one thermally conductive strip extending from the second to the first portion, between the optical equipment and the insulating covering.

13. The payload module according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one control and processing circuit board housed inside the casing.

14. The payload module according to claim 13 , wherein the control and processing circuit board comprises a radiator comprising a plurality of parallel plates, and the control and processing circuit board is positioned so that each plate of the plurality of parallel plates extends perpendicularly to a main direction of the module.

15. The payload module according to claim 13 , further comprising a radiative plate fixed to the control and processing circuit board.

16. A stratospheric drone comprising:
a wing, and
a payload module including:
a casing;
optical equipment having an optical axis, wherein the optical equipment is mounted in the casing; and
a mirror positioned on the optical axis and facing the optical equipment, the mirror being swivelable about at least one axis within an angular range, and
the casing has a through-opening shaped so that any light ray accepted or emitted by the optical equipment parallel to the optical axis and reflected by the mirror passes through the through-opening, over the entire angular range of the mirror, the through-opening being without any means of closing off the opening.

Assignees

• Airbus Defence & Space Sas

Inventors

• Georgy Pierre-Luc
• Roca Pere

Classifications

• B64G1/1021

  Earth observation satellites · CPC title

• B64G1/226

  Special coatings for spacecraft · CPC title

• G02B5/003

  Light absorbing elements · CPC title

• G02B7/1821 Primary

  for rotating or oscillating mirrors · CPC title

• G02B27/0006

  with means to keep optical surfaces clean, e.g. by preventing or removing dirt, stains, contamination, condensation (G02B1/18 takes precedence; cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title