Unmanned aerial vehicle configuration
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorRicky Dean Welsh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (“UAV”) in which the fuselage of the UAV is center mounted and at least some of the motors are configured to encompass at least a portion of the fuselage. In such a configuration, the stator and rotor of the motor extend around a perimeter of the fuselage, the propellers are coupled to an outer perimeter of the rotor, and the propellers extend radially outward away from the fuselage. Likewise, a closed wing may be coupled to the fuselage and positioned to encompass the radially extending propellers and at least a portion of the fuselage.
Claims19
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a fuselage having an associated outer periphery;
- a motor including a stator and a rotor, the stator coupled to the outer periphery of the fuselage;
- a first one or more propellers coupled to the rotor and extending in a first radial pattern from the fuselage, the first one or more propellers rotated by the rotor of the motor in a first direction around the fuselage;
- a second one or more propellers extending in a second radial pattern from the fuselage, the second one or more propellers rotating in a second direction around the fuselage, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction;
- and
- a closed wing coupled to the fuselage and surrounding the first one or more propellers and the second one or more propellers;
- wherein the closed wing is coupled to the fuselage by at least one canard wing.
An aerial vehicle, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- a control system to control flight of the aerial vehicle, wherein the control system is encompassed within the fuselage;
- a motor in communication with the control system, the motor including:
- a stator coupled to an outer profile of the fuselage;
- and
- a rotor;
- a first plurality of propellers coupled to the rotor and configured to rotate in a first direction with a rotation of the rotor;
- a second plurality of propellers configured to rotate in a second direction that is opposite the first direction;
- and
- a closed wing coupled to the fuselage by at least one canard wing, the closed wing having a substantially cylindrical shape and surrounding the first plurality of propellers and the second plurality of propellers.
A computer-implemented method of controlling a flight of an aerial vehicle, the method comprising:
- causing a first motor to rotate a first one or more propellers in a first direction around a fuselage of the aerial vehicle, wherein the fuselage is within a closed wing, wherein the fuselage is coupled to the closed wing by at least one canard wing, and wherein the first motor includes a stator and a rotor, the stator coupled to an outer periphery of the fuselage, and the first one or more propellers coupled to the rotor of the first motor;
- and
- causing rotation of a second one or more propellers in a second direction around the fuselage, wherein the second direction is opposite the first direction, and
- wherein the first one or more propellers and the second one or more propellers are disposed within the closed wing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.