Aerial system including foldable frame architecture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11267568-B2
Application number	US-201816156125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 10, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2017
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A frame assembly for an aerial system including a fuselage body and first and second rotor assemblies is described herein. The first and second rotor assemblies are coupled to the fuselage body by respective positioning assemblies. Each positioning assembly including a hinge assembly to enable the first and second rotor assemblies to pivot between a deployed position and a stowed position. A first positioning assembly including tapered positioning shaft. A second positioning assembly including a positioning sleeve having a tapered inner surface defining a cavity that is configure to receive the positioning shaft therein. The first positioning assembly being coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the first positioning assembly is rotatable about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the second rotor assembly.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial system, comprising:
a fuselage body including a pair of opposing sidewalls extending between a first endwall and an opposite second endwall along a longitudinal axis, the pair of opposing sidewalls being spaced apart a distance measured along a lateral axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis; and
a lift assembly including:
a first rotor assembly extending outwardly from a first sidewall of the pair of opposing sidewalls;
a first positioning assembly coupled to the first rotor assembly, the first positioning assembly configured to rotate the first rotor assembly about a rotor assembly rotational axis that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, wherein the first positioning assembly includes a positioning shaft having a tapered outer surface;
a second rotor assembly extending outwardly from a second sidewall of the pair of opposing sidewalls; and
a second positioning assembly coupled to the second rotor assembly and to the fuselage body, the second positioning assembly configured to rotate the second rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis, the first positioning assembly being coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the first positioning assembly is rotatable about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the second rotor assembly, wherein the second positioning assembly includes a positioning sleeve having a tapered inner surface that defines a positioning cavity configured to receive the positioning shaft therein.

2. The aerial system of claim 1 , wherein the lift assembly includes a first servo motor assembly coupled to the positioning shaft for rotating the first rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis, and a second servo motor assembly coupled to the positioning sleeve for rotating the second rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the first rotor assembly.

3. The aerial system of claim 1 , wherein the first rotor assembly includes a first lift mechanism coupled to a first rotor support assembly, the first rotor support assembly being pivotably coupled to the first positioning assembly such that the first rotor assembly is pivotable about a first pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
the second rotor assembly includes a second lift mechanism coupled to a second rotor support assembly, the second rotor support assembly being pivotably coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the second rotor assembly is pivotable about a second pivot axis that is parallel to the first pivot axis.

4. The aerial system of claim 3 , wherein the lift assembly includes a first outer protective frame extending about a perimeter of the first lift mechanism and a second outer protective frame extending about a perimeter of the second lift mechanism;
wherein the first outer protective frame is pivotably coupled to the fuselage body and is pivotable about the first pivot axis; and
wherein the second outer protective frame is pivotably coupled to the fuselage body and is pivotable about the second pivot axis.

5. The aerial system of claim 3 , wherein the lift assembly is positionable between a deployed position and a stowed position, the first lift mechanism is spaced a first distance from the second lift mechanism in the deployed position, and the first lift mechanism is spaced a second distance from the second lift mechanism in the stowed position that is less than the first distance.

6. The aerial system of claim 5 , wherein the first lift mechanism includes a first propeller assembly that is rotatable about a first propeller rotational axis and the second lift mechanism includes a second propeller assembly that is rotatable about a second propeller rotational axis, the first propeller assembly is orientated coaxially with the second propeller assembly with the lift assembly in the stowed position.

7. The aerial system of claim 1 , wherein the fuselage body includes an inner surface and a positioning groove defined along the inner surface, the positioning groove is configured to receive the positioning sleeve therein to facilitate coupling the positioning sleeve to the fuselage body.

8. The aerial system of claim 7 , wherein the second positioning assembly includes at least one bearing coupled to an outer surface of the positioning sleeve to facilitate rotating the positioning sleeve with respect to the fuselage body, the at least one bearing being positioned within a recessed portion defined within the positioning groove.

9. The aerial system of claim 1 , wherein the first positioning assembly includes a hinge assembly coupled to the positioning shaft, the first rotor assembly is pivotably coupled to the hinge assembly and is pivotable about a pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis.

10. The aerial system of claim 9 , wherein the hinge assembly is positioned within a recessed portion defined along an outer surface of the fuselage body.

11. A lift assembly comprising:
a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly;
a first positioning assembly coupled to the first rotor assembly, the first positioning assembly configured to rotate the first rotor assembly about a rotor assembly rotational axis, wherein the first positioning assembly includes a positioning shaft having a tapered outer surface; and
a second positioning assembly coupled to the second rotor assembly, the second positioning assembly configured to rotate the second rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis, the first positioning assembly being coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the first positioning assembly is rotatable about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the second rotor assembly, wherein the second positioning assembly includes a positioning sleeve having a tapered inner surface that defines a positioning cavity configured to receive the positioning shaft therein.

12. The lift assembly of claim 11 , wherein the lift assembly includes a first servo motor assembly coupled to the positioning shaft for rotating the first rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis, and a second servo motor assembly coupled to the positioning sleeve for rotating the second rotor assembly about the rotor assembly rotational axis independent of the first rotor assembly.

13. The lift assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first positioning assembly includes a hinge assembly coupled to the positioning shaft, the first rotor assembly is pivotably coupled to the hinge assembly and is pivotable about a pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis, the hinge assembly is positioned within a recessed portion.

14. The lift assembly of claim 11 , wherein the first rotor assembly includes a first lift mechanism coupled to a first rotor support assembly, the first rotor support assembly being pivotably coupled to the first positioning assembly such that the first rotor assembly is pivotable about a first pivot axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis; and
the second rotor assembly includes a second lift mechanism coupled to a second rotor support assembly, the second rotor support assembly being pivotably coupled to the second positioning assembly such that the second rotor assembly is pivotable about a second pivot axis that is parallel to the first pivot axis.

15. The lift assembly of claim 14 , wherein the lift assembly includes a first outer protective frame extending about a perimeter of the first lift mechanism and a second outer protective frame extending about a perimeter of the second lift mechanism;
wherein the first outer protective frame is pivot

Assignees

• Hangzhou Zero Zero Tech Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sun Wei
• Qu Zheng
• Zhang Tong

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64U30/297

  Tilting rotors · CPC title

• B64U50/30

  Supply or distribution of electrical power · CPC title

• B64U20/65

  Composite materials · CPC title