# US 2022/0274686 A1 · Automated Variable Pitch Propeller Blade

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- Number: US 2022/0274686 A1
- Document ID: US20220274686A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/749,915
- Filed: 2022-05-20
- Published: 2022-09-01
- Earliest claimed: 2016-08-09
- Assignees: GoPro, Inc.
- Applicants: GoPro, Inc.
- Inventors: Scott Patrick Campbell; Leo Baldwin; Gary Fong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220274686A1

## CPC

- B64C 11/26: Fabricated blades
- B64C 11/20: Constructional features
- B64C 11/34: automatic
- B64C 39/024: {of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV}
- B64U 10/14: with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters
- B64U 30/20: Rotors; Rotor supports
- B64U 10/13: Flying platforms
- B64C: AEROPLANES; HELICOPTERS
- B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR

## Abstract

A propeller blade includes a first material and a second material. The first material includes fibers. The second material is different from the first material. The fibers are interspersed through the second material and the fibers are oriented in a same direction within the second material. The propeller blade is anisotropic and includes sections of the fibers.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A propeller blade comprising:
a first material comprising fibers; and
a second material different from the first material, wherein the fibers are interspersed through the second material and the fibers are oriented in a same direction within the second material,
wherein the propeller blade is anisotropic and includes sections of the fibers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The propeller blade of claim 1, wherein the fibers are oriented perpendicular to a chord line of the propeller blade.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The propeller blade of claim 2, wherein a volume fraction of the first material decreases from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the propeller blade.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The propeller blade of claim 3, wherein the leading edge comprises 66% carbon fiber and 34% polycarbonate and the trailing edge comprises 4% carbon fiber and 96% polycarbonate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The propeller blade of claim 1, wherein the sections of the fibers are three or more sections.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The propeller blade of claim 1, wherein the first material includes carbon fibers and the second material is a polycarbonate matrix.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The propeller blade of claim 6, wherein the carbon fibers are present in an amount of 4% by volume and the polycarbonate matrix are present in an amount of 96% by volume.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The propeller blade of claim 1, wherein the first material comprises any of carbon fibers and glass fibers and the second material comprises any of polycarbonate and nylon.

### Claim 9

A propeller blade comprising:
multiple sections, wherein the multiple sections comprise:
a first material comprising fibers; and
a second material different from the first material,
wherein the fibers of the first material are interspersed through the second material in a direction perpendicular to a chord line of the propeller blade, and
wherein a volume fraction of the first material varies in the multiple sections.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The propeller blade of claim 9, wherein the multiple sections of the propeller blade are located along a length of the blade and have substantially a same intrinsic parameter.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The propeller blade of claim 9, wherein the multiple sections include a first section and the fibers in the first section are substantially uniformly spaced apart between a leading edge and a trailing edge of the propeller blade.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The propeller blade of claim 11, wherein the multiple sections further comprise
a second section where a volume fraction of the first material decreases from the leading edge to the trailing edge.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The propeller blade of claim 12, wherein the multiple sections further comprise
a third section where a volume fraction of the first material decreases from the leading edge to the trailing edge and the volume fraction of the third section is less than the volume fraction of the second section.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The propeller blade of claim 13, wherein the first section includes a volume fraction that is substantially uniform from the leading edge to the trailing edge and the volume fraction of the first section is greater than that of the second section and that of the third section.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The propeller blade of claim 9, wherein the direction perpendicular to the chord line is a radius of the propeller blade and the multiple sections are spaced apart along the chord line.

### Claim 16

A propeller blade comprising:
a first material comprising fibers that extend along a radius of the propeller blade; and
a second material different from the first material, wherein the fibers of the first material are interspersed through the second material,
wherein the propeller blade is twisted along a length of the blade to generate different blade pitches.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The propeller blade of claim 16, wherein the propeller blade further comprises:
multiple sections along a length of the blade.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The propeller blade of claim 17, wherein the multiple sections along the length of the propeller blade comprise:
a first segment comprising a root of the propeller blade;
a second segment comprising a midsection of the propeller blade; and
a third segment comprising a tip of the propeller blade.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The propeller blade of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the first segment is between about 35 degrees and about 45 degrees.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The propeller blade of claim 18, wherein a pitch of the second segment is between about 20 degrees and about 30 degrees.