Unmanned aerial vehicle having buoyancy apparatus and attitude control method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11401020-B2
Application number	US-201816217746-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2018
Priority date	Sep 7, 2018
Publication date	Aug 2, 2022
Grant date	Aug 2, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed are an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having a buoyancy apparatus and an attitude control method thereof, in which the buoyancy apparatus is coupled to the UAV to reduce the energy consumption of rotors such that the time of staying in the air is extended, enabling a long flight, and in which the buoyancy apparatus absorbs the impact energy and reduces the falling speed to thereby ensure sufficient safety for the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:
a flight apparatus including a plurality of extending frames extending outward from a main body and rotors formed at respective end portions of the extending frames to be rotationally driven;
a buoyancy apparatus including buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other and configured to secure buoyancy through injection of gas; and
a connection frame which is connected between the buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other;
wherein
the flight apparatus is fixed to the connection frame such that the flight apparatus has a rotational degree of freedom; and
the buoyancy apparatus is fixed to the connection frame such that the buoyancy apparatus is capable of moving with six degrees of freedom by controlling a thrust of each of the multiple rotors differently.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the connection frame includes a first fixed connection member to which the flight apparatus is fixed, second fixed connection members each connected to a corresponding one of the buoyancy parts, and a rotational coupling part connected between the first fixed connection member and a second fixed connection member of the second fixed connection members.

3. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the connection frame further includes an auxiliary connection member which has a part extending substantially in parallel to a rotational axis of the main body of the flight apparatus and to hold a weight object affixed thereto; and
wherein the auxiliary connection member includes at least two auxiliary connection members and is connected to a second fixed connection member through a revolving joint.

4. The UAV of claim 2 , wherein the second fixed connection member is connected to a surface of the buoyancy apparatus, and an extension line of the second fixed connection member passes through a center of buoyancy existing inside the buoyancy apparatus or crosses a vertical axis passing through the center of buoyancy of the buoyancy apparatus when the buoyancy apparatus is arranged in a horizontal direction.

5. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a flight apparatus, equipped with multiple rotors formed at respective end portions of multiple extending frames extending outward from a main body, the flight apparatus being capable of moving with six-degrees-of-freedom by controlling a thrust of each of the multiple rotors differently;
a buoyancy apparatus including buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other and configured to secure buoyancy through injection of gas; and
a connection frame which is connected between the buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other and to which the flight apparatus is fixed such that the flight apparatus has a rotational degree of freedom;
wherein the connection frame includes a first fixed connection member to which the flight apparatus is fixed, second fixed connection members each connected to a corresponding one of the buoyancy parts, and a rotational coupling part connected between the first fixed connection member and a second fixed connection member of the second fixed connection members; and
wherein the second fixed connection member is connected to a surface of the buoyancy apparatus, the second fixed connection member and the first fixed connection member are disposed in one direction along one extension line, and the extension line crosses a vertical axis passing through a center of buoyancy of the buoyancy apparatus when the buoyancy apparatus is arranged in a horizontal direction.

6. The UAV of claim 5 , wherein the connection frame further includes an auxiliary connection member configured to connect to a rotational axis of the main body of the flight apparatus and to hold a weight object thereon.

7. The UAV of claim 6 , wherein the auxiliary connection member includes at least two auxiliary connection members and is connected to a second fixed connection member through a revolving joint.

8. The UAV of claim 5 , wherein the extension line of the second fixed connection member passes through a center of buoyancy existing inside the buoyancy apparatus.

9. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a flight apparatus equipped with multiple rotors;
a buoyancy apparatus including buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other and configured to secure buoyancy through injection of gas; and
a connection frame which is connected between the buoyancy parts disposed to be spaced apart from each other and to which the flight apparatus is fixed such that the flight apparatus has a rotational degree of freedom, the connection frame further comprising an auxiliary connection member configured to hold a weight object thereon,
wherein the connection frame includes a first fixed connection member to which the flight apparatus is fixed, second fixed connection members each connected to a corresponding one of the buoyancy parts, and a rotational coupling part connected between the first fixed connection member and a second fixed connection member of the second fixed connection members,
wherein the auxiliary connection member comprises at least two auxiliary connection members to form a lattice shape and is connected to the second fixed connection member through a revolving joint, and
wherein the second fixed connection member is connected to a surface of the buoyancy apparatus, the second fixed connection member and the first fixed connection member are disposed along a same, straight extension line, and the extension line passes through the buoyancy parts.

10. The UAV of claim 9 , wherein the first fixed connection member includes a pair of first fixed connection members spaced apart from each other and coupled to the flight apparatus while having the flight apparatus interposed therebetween.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Shim Jae Wan
• Ha Heon Phil

Classifications

• B64U10/30 Primary

  Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft · CPC title

• B64B1/58

  Arrangements or construction of gas-bags; Filling arrangements · CPC title

• B64B1/34 Primary

  of lifting propellers · CPC title

• B64D47/00

  Equipment not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C27/52

  Tilting of rotor bodily relative to fuselage (of see-saw type construction B64C27/43) · CPC title