Amphibious aerial vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11440654-B2
Application number	US-202117396733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 8, 2021
Priority date	Feb 20, 2019
Publication date	Sep 13, 2022
Grant date	Sep 13, 2022

Abstract

A UAV with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) function having a plurality of lift propellers; a cabin engaged with a plurality of lift propellers; a water propulsion system engaged with the cabin to push the cabin in a forward direction when the cabin is at least partially immersed in water; at least one water inlet engaged with the water propulsion system; the cabin is a cargo hold or a passenger cabin. The UAV provided by the disclosure can realize vertical takeoff and landing in the water area, and fly, drive and navigate freely in the whole area.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), which is characterized by comprising:
a plurality of lift propellers;
a cabin engaged with said plurality of lift propellers;
a water propulsion system engaged with the cabin to push the cabin in a forward direction when the cabin is at least partially immersed in water;
at least one water inlet engaged with the water propulsion system;
wherein the water propulsion system includes a motor, a water propeller and a cylinder;
wherein the cylinder is fixedly connected to the cabin; the cylinder is provided with an open end and a blocking end; the cylinder has an axis and said axis is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the cabin; and the open end of the cylinder faces a rear end of the UAV; the water inlet is positioned on a side wall of the cylinder;
wherein the motor is positioned inside the cylinder, and a body of the motor is fixedly connected with an inner wall of the cylinder; and
wherein the water propeller is positioned inside the cylinder and close to the open end of the cylinder, and the water propeller is connected with an output shaft of the motor.

2. The UAV according to claim 1 , which is characterized in that the motor is an electric motor.

3. The UAV according to claim 1 , which is characterized in that it also includes a rudder engaged with the water propulsion system, said rudder enables the travel direction to be changed when the cabin is partially immersed in water.

4. The UAV according to claim 3 , which is characterized in that the rudder has a vertically arranged sheet structure, and a top end and a bottom end of the sheet structure are hinged to the inner wall of the cylinder; wherein the rudder is positioned downstream of the water propeller and can rotate around a hinge point with the cylinder.

5. The UAV according to claim 1 , which is characterized in that the cabin is a cargo hold or a passenger cabin.

Assignees

• Shanghai Autoflight Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tian Yu

Classifications

• B64C37/02 Primary

  Flying units formed by separate aircraft (towing B64D3/00; aircraft transported by aircraft B64D5/00; air-refuelling B64D39/00) · CPC title

• B64C37/00 Primary

  Convertible aircraft · CPC title

• B64C29/0025

  the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B64D25/18

  Flotation gear · CPC title

• B60F5/02

  convertible into aircraft (convertible aircraft B64C37/00; convertible unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]-type aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles, B64U10/70) · CPC title