US 10,115,555 B1Granted

Electrical switch for a load in a vehicle

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsTaylor David Grenier, Liam Stewart Cavanaugh Pingree, Walker Chamberlain Robb, Richard Philip Whitlock

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Abstract

A switch for switching power to a load of a vehicle may be described. In an example, the switch may include a number of members configured to move between switch positions in a predefined order such that a load and a power source are electrically coupled or electrically decoupled via the switch based on the predefined order. In particular, a first member may be configured to move to a first switch position and form a first electrically conductive path having a first electrical property. A second member may be configured to move to a second switch position and form a second electrically conductive path having a second electrical property different from the first electrical property. A third member may be configured to move the second member based on movement of the first member to the first switch position such that movement of the second member to the second switch position may occur based on the movement of the first member to the first switch position.

Claims18

Dependent claims

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a frame;
a power load;
a power source;
and
an electrical switch comprising a moving member and a plurality of electrically conductive members, the plurality of electrically conductive members configured to move between mechanical positions in a predefined order to electrically couple the power load and the power source, wherein:
a first electrically conductive member is configured to move to a first mechanical position and form a first electrically conductive path between the power load and the power source based at least in part on the first mechanical position, the first electrically conductive path having first electrical resistivity;
a second electrically conductive member is configured to move to a second mechanical position and form a second electrically conductive path between the power load and the power source based at least in part on the second mechanical position, the second electrically conductive path having second electrical resistivity different from the first electrical resistivity;
and
the moving member is configured to move the second electrically conductive member based at least in part on movement of the first electrically conductive member to the first mechanical position such that movement of the second electrically conductive member to the second mechanical position occurs based at least in part on the movement of the first electrically conductive member according to the predefined order.

6 more elements

A switch to selectively connect a power source of an unmanned aerial vehicle to a load of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the switch comprising:

a plurality of members configured to move between switch positions in a predefined order such that the load and the power source are electrically coupled or electrically decoupled via the switch based at least in part on the predefined order, wherein:
the power source comprises a direct current (DC) battery providing a current in a range of one to three hundred amperes and a voltage in a range of thirteen to one hundred volts;
a first member is configured to move to a first switch position and form a first electrically conductive path having a first electrical property;
a second member is configured to move to a second switch position and form a second electrically conductive path having a second electrical property different from the first electrical property;
and
a third member is configured to move the second member based at least in part on movement of the first member to the first switch position such that movement of the second member to the second switch position occurs based at least in part on the movement of the first member to the first switch position.

3 more elements

An aerial vehicle, comprising:

a load;
and
a switch that comprises a plurality of members configured to move between switch positions in a predefined order such that the load is and electrically coupled to a power source or electrically decoupled from the power source based at least in part on the predefined order, wherein:
the members are configured to switch on power to the load for a flight of the aerial vehicle based at least in part on movement of a key coupled to the switch,
the switch is configured to decouple the key based at least in part on the plurality of members being in the switch positions prior to the flight;
a first member is configured to move to a first switch position and form a first electrically conductive path having a first electrical property;
a second member is configured to move to a second switch position and form a second electrically conductive path having a second electrical property different from the first electrical property;
and
a third member is configured to move the second member based at least in part on movement of the first member to the first switch position such that movement of the second member to the second switch position occurs based at least in part on the movement of the first member to the first switch position.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.