Foldable propeller blade with locking mechanism
AssigneeAnduril Industries, Inc.
InventorsNicholas Robert Alley, Joshua Lemming Steele, Jesse Owen Williams, Daniel Kuehme
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An unmanned aerial vehicle with deployable components (UAVDC) may comprise a foldable propeller blade with a locking mechanism. Foldable propeller blades may have a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration relative to the UAVDC, and the foldable propeller blades may pivot about a hinge to move between configurations. In the deployed configuration, the foldable propellor may experience forward folding forces acting upon it. The locking mechanism may lock the foldable propeller blade in the deployed configuration. The locking mechanism may keep the foldable propeller locked into place to prevent forward folding tendency.
Claims20
An aerial vehicle comprising:
- a fuselage;
- at least one propeller blade configured to transition between a folded position adjacent to the fuselage and a deployed position extending from the fuselage;
- and
- a locking mechanism operative to secure the at least one propeller blade in the deployed position to mitigate retraction forces during flight operations.
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
- a fuselage;
- at least one foldable propeller blade pivotally connected to the fuselage and movable between a stowed position proximate to the fuselage and a deployed position extending away from the fuselage to generate propulsion in a pusher configuration;
- and
- a locking mechanism operatively coupled to the at least one foldable propeller blade to restrict movement towards the stowed position when in the deployed position due to aerodynamic forces encountered during flight.
An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
- a fuselage;
- at least one foldable propellor blade pivotally connected to the fuselage and configured to transition between a stowed configuration and a deployed configuration for propulsion;
- a hinge mechanism facilitating the pivotal connection of the at least one foldable propellor blade to the fuselage;
- and
- a locking mechanism operatively associated with the at least one foldable propellor blade to maintain the at least one foldable propellor blade in the deployed configuration against forces tending to fold the blade forward towards the fuselage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.