Drone

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016122012-A1
Application number	US-201514805803-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 22, 2015
Priority date	Nov 4, 2014
Publication date	May 5, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is disclosed a drone including a main body comprising a motor, a shaft inserted in the main body vertically, a wing unit rotatable on the shaft by a power generated from the motor, the wing unit comprising a propeller unfolded horizontally and folded vertically, wherein the motor comprises a first motor and a second motor, and the shaft comprises an upper shaft inserted in the main body from a top vertically and a lower shaft inserted in the main body from a bottom vertically, and the wing unit comprises a first wing unit rotated on the upper shaft in a first direction by a power generated from the first motor, and a second wing unit rotated on the lower shaft in a second direction, which is the reverse of the first direction, by a power generated from the second motor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A drone comprising:
a main body that includes a motor, wherein the motor includes a first motor and a second motor; a shaft in the main body, the shaft includes a first shaft in the main body from a top and a second shaft in the main body from a bottom, and a wing unit rotatable on the shaft based on power from the motor, the wing unit including at least one propeller to be provided in an unfolded position and to be provided in a folded position, wherein the wing unit includes a first wing unit to rotate on the first shaft in a first direction based on power from the first motor, and a second wing unit to rotate on the second shaft in a second direction, reverse of the first direction, based on power from the second motor.

2 . The drone of claim 1 , wherein the wing unit includes:
a first rotating member, in a ring shape, to surround the shaft, the first rotating member including a gear to receive a rotation force from the motor; a first link having a first end connected to the first rotating member by a first joint, and the propeller coupled to the first link; a second link having a first end connected to a second end of the first link by a second joint; and a second rotating member having one end connected to a second end of the second link, the second rotating member having a ring shape to surround the shaft, and when the second rotating member is spaced apart from the first rotating member in a first position, an angle between the first link and the second link is increased and the propeller is in the unfolded position, and when the second rotating member is approaching the first rotating member in a second position, the angle between the first link and the second link is decreased and the propeller surrounds a portion of the main body.

3 . The drone of claim 2 , further comprising:
a spring between the first rotating member and the second rotating member to apply a tension and space the second rotating member from the first rotating member.

4 . The drone of claim 3 , further comprising:
a cap to couple to one end of the shaft, the cap having an external diameter that is larger than an internal diameter of the second rotating member, wherein when the cap is pressed to insert the shaft in the main body, the spring is pressed to fold the propeller.

5 . The drone of claim 4 , further comprising:
a ‘ ’-shaped slot and a ‘ ’-shaped slot at a lateral surface of the main body; a first hook to project from a lateral surface of the first shaft to move along the ‘ ’-shaped slot; and a second hook to project from a lateral surface of the second shaft to move along the ‘ ’-shaped slot, wherein the shaft is moved outwardly from the main body by tension of the spring, when the first hook and the second hook are in a portion extended in a vertical direction with respect to the ‘ ’-shaped slot and the ‘ ’-shaped slot.

6 . The drone of claim 2 , wherein when the propeller is in the folded position, a propeller of the first wing unit and a propeller of the second wing unit are alternately arranged.

7 . The drone of claim 6 , wherein the main body further includes a groove to partially accommodate the first link, when the propeller is in the folded position.

8 . The drone of claim 7 , wherein the wing unit further includes a projection to project from the second rotation member to the first rotating member or a center axis of the first rotating member, and
the shaft further includes a step that includes a recessed portion having a shape corresponding to a shape of the projection, and that is an inclined surface that is inclined to the recessed portion, and when the second rotating member is approaching the first rotating member, the wing unit is rotated on the shaft to move the projection along the inclined surface of the step.

9 . The drone of claim 7 , wherein two or more recessed portions are provided in the shaft and the two recessed portions are located at 180 degrees with respect to a vertical shaft, and
two recessed portions of the first shaft and two recessed portions of the second shaft are alternatively arranged at 90 degrees with respect to the vertical shaft.

10 . The drone of claim 2 , wherein a first distance from a center axis of the shaft to the propeller of the first wing unit is different from a second distance from a center axis of the shaft to the propeller of the second wing unit, and
each of the first distance and the second distance is larger than a maximum diameter of the main body with respect to the center axis of the shaft.

11 . The drone of claim 1 , wherein the motor further includes:
a third motor to provide a rotational force in a third direction with respect to a third shaft; a horizontal rotor to rotate based on the rotational force provided by the third motor, and a sub-body to attach to the second shaft.

12 . The drone of claim 11 , wherein the sub-body includes a camera to capture a video image, and the second shaft includes a hollow; and
a camera circuit unit having a first end connected to the camera and a second end connected to a circuit board through the hollow.

13 . A drone comprising:
a body; a first motor and a second motor; a first shaft and a second shaft in the body; a first wing device rotatable on the first shaft in a first direction based on power from the first motor, the first wing device including a first propeller to unfold and fold, and a second wing device rotatable on the second shaft in a second direction based on power from the second motor.

14 . The drone of claim 13 , wherein the first wing device includes:
a first rotating member in a ring shape about the first shaft, the first rotating member including a gear to receive a force from the first motor; a first link having a first end coupled to the first rotating member by a first joint, the first propeller coupled to the first link; a second link having a first end coupled to a second end of the first link by a second joint; and a second rotating member having a first end connected to a second end of the second link, the second rotating member having a ring shape about the first shaft, and when the second rotating member is spaced apart from the first rotating member in a first position, an angle between the first link and the second link is increased and the first propeller is in an unfolded state, and when the second rotating member is closer to the first rotating member in a second position, the angle between the first link and the second link is decreased and the first propeller is about an outer portion of the body.

15 . The drone of claim 14 , further comprising:
a spring between the first rotating member and the second rotating member to control a space between the second rotating member and the first rotating member.

16 . The drone of claim 15 , further comprising:
a cap to couple to a first end of the first shaft, the cap having an external diameter that is larger than an internal diameter of the second rotating member, wherein based on the movement of the cap to move the first shaft in the body, the spring is pressed to fold the first propeller.

17 . The drone of claim 16 , further comprising:
a ‘ ’-shaped slot and a ‘ ’-shaped slot at a surface of the body; a first hook at a surface of the first shaft to move along the ‘ ’-shaped slot; and a second hook at a surface of the second shaft to move along the ‘ ’-shaped slot, wherein the shaft is moved outwardly from the body by tension of the spring, when the first hook and the second hook are in a po

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Choo Zhimin
• Lee Chulbae

Classifications

• B64U2101/30

  for imaging, photography or videography · CPC title

• B64C2201/127

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64C27/50 Primary

  Blades foldable to facilitate stowage of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C27/10

  arranged coaxially · CPC title

• B64D47/08

  Arrangements of cameras · CPC title