Smart cargo bay door(s) for a UAV

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12179902-B2
Application number	US-202217864975-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 14, 2022
Priority date	Jul 14, 2022
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a fuselage body having a cavity that forms a cargo bay for transporting a payload, and a lower access opening for lowering the payload from the cargo bay, the lower access opening including a cargo bay door; a winch system positioned in the cargo bay configured to suspend a payload within the cargo bay; and a cargo bay door monitor which is configured to detect when the payload is applying a weight to the cargo bay door.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a fuselage body including:
a cavity that forms a cargo bay for transporting a payload, and
a lower access opening for lowering the payload from the cargo bay, the lower access opening including a cargo bay door;

a winch system positioned in the cargo bay configured to suspend a payload within the cargo bay;
a motor operable to open and close the cargo bay door; and
a cargo bay door monitor which is configured to detect a current of the motor to determine whether the payload is exerting a force on the cargo bay door to provide an indication that the payload has been detached from the winch system and/or the payload has been lowered by the tether onto the cargo bay door such that the payload is applying a weight to the cargo bay door.

2. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to a first side of a bottom surface of the fuselage body on a first edge of the first door with a longitudinally extending first hinge, and a second door rotatably attached to a second side of the bottom surface of the fuselage body on a first edge of the second door with a longitudinally extending second hinge; and
wherein the cargo door may be opened by rotating the first door about the first hinge such that a second edge of the first door extends downwardly, and by rotating the second door about the second hinge such that a second edge of the second door extends downwardly.

3. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to a first side of the fuselage body on a first edge of the first door with a longitudinally extending first hinge, and a second door rotatably attached to a second side of the fuselage body on a first edge of the second door with a longitudinally extending second hinge; and
wherein the cargo door may be opened by rotating the first door about the first hinge such that a second edge of the first door extends downwardly, and by rotating the second door about the second hinge such that a second edge of the second door extends downwardly.

4. The UAV of claim 3 , wherein the first door comprises a first section hingedly attached to a second section of the first door with a longitudinally extending third hinge, and the second door comprises a first section hingedly attached to a second section of the second door with a longitudinally extending fourth hinge.

5. The UAV of claim 4 , wherein the third hinge and the fourth hinge comprise a living hinge.

6. The UAV of claim 4 , wherein the third hinge on the first door extends along an intersection of the first side of the fuselage body and a bottom surface of the fuselage body, and the fourth hinge on the second door extends along an intersection of the second side of the fuselage body and the bottom surface of the fuselage body.

7. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to a first side of a bottom surface of the fuselage body on a first edge of the first door with a laterally extending first hinge, and a second door rotatably attached to a second side of the bottom surface of the fuselage body on a first edge of the second door with a laterally extending second hinge; and
wherein the cargo bay door may be opened by rotating the first door about the first hinge such that a second edge of the first door extends downwardly, and by rotating the second door about the second hinge such that a second edge of the second door extends downwardly.

8. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to a first side of a bottom surface of the fuselage on a first edge of the first door with a longitudinally extending first hinge; and
wherein the cargo door may be opened by rotating the first door about the first hinge such that a second edge of the first door extends downwardly.

9. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to a first side of a bottom surface of the fuselage on a first edge of the first door with a laterally extending first hinge; and
wherein the cargo door may be opened by rotating the first door about the first hinge such that a second edge of the first door extends downwardly.

10. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a plurality of longitudinally extending slats flexibly connected to each other such that the cargo bay door may be retracted into the cavity of the cargo bay to open access to the lower access opening of the cargo bay.

11. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a plurality of longitudinally extending slats flexibly connected to each other such that the cargo bay door may be retracted to an edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay in an accordion-like manner to open access to the lower access opening of the cargo bay.

12. The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay is a longitudinally extending edge.

13. The UAV of claim 11 , wherein the edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay is a laterally extending edge.

14. The UAV of claim 1 wherein the cargo bay door is adapted to be rolled up to an edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay.

15. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay is a longitudinally extending edge.

16. The UAV of claim 14 , wherein the edge of the lower access opening of the cargo bay is a laterally extending edge.

17. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a servo motor.

18. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a latch which can be monitored to ensure that the cargo bay door is in a closed position.

19. The UAV of claim 1 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to the fuselage body on a first edge of the first door with a first hinge, and includes a second door rotatably to the fuselage body with a second hinge; wherein first and second doors of the cargo bay door may be retracted inwardly into the cavity of the cargo bay.

20. The UAV of claim 19 , wherein when the first and second doors of the cargo bay door are retracted inwardly into the cargo bay, a current of the motor is be used to determine whether a payload is present in the cavity of the cargo bay, as when the first door and second doors of the cargo bay door contact the payload there is a rise in the current of the motor indicating that the payload is present in the cargo bay.

21. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising:
a fuselage body including:
a cavity that forms a cargo bay for transporting a payload; and
a lower access opening for lowering the payload from the cargo bay, the lower access opening including a cargo bay door;

a winch system positioned in the cargo bay configured to suspend a payload within the cargo bay;
a motor operable to open and close the cargo bay door; and
a cargo bay door monitor which is configured to detect a current of the motor to determine whether the payload is exerting a force on the cargo bay door to provide an indication that the payload has been detached from the winch system and/or the payload has been lowered by the tether onto the cargo bay door such that the payload is in contact with the cargo bay door.

22. The UAV of claim 21 , wherein the cargo bay door includes a first door rotatably attached to the fuselage body on a first edge of the first door with a first hinge, and includes a second door rotatabl

Assignees

• Wing Aviation Llc

Inventors

• Blake Jesse
• Prager Andre
• Twyford Evan
• Qiu Ivan
• Lewin Jasper

Classifications

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title

• B64U2101/60

  for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• B64D1/22

  Taking-up articles from earth's surface · CPC title