US 9,663,236 B1Granted

Selectively thrusting propulsion units for aerial vehicles

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsDominic Timothy Shiosaki, Ricky Dean Welsh

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Abstract

Aerial vehicles may include propulsion units having motors with drive shafts that may be aligned at a variety of orientations, propellers with variable pitch blades, and common operators for aligning the drive shafts at one or more orientations and for varying the pitch angles of the blades. The common operators may include plate elements to which a propeller hub is rotatably joined, and which may be supported by one or more linear actuators that may extend or retract to vary both the orientations of the drive shafts and the pitch angles of the blades. Operating the motors and propellers at varying speeds, gimbal angles or pitch angles enables the motors to generate forces in any number of directions and at any magnitudes. Attributes of the propulsion units may be selected in order to shape or control the noise generated thereby.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a propulsion unit comprising:
a housing having a base comprising a gimbaling mechanism;
a plate element comprising a necked bore extending substantially perpendicular to a plane of the plate element;
a motor assembly pivotably joined to the gimbaling mechanism, wherein the motor assembly comprises a motor coupled to a first end of a drive shaft slidably extending through the necked bore, wherein the drive shaft defines an axis substantially perpendicular to the plate element, and wherein the motor is configured to rotate a second end of the drive shaft at a predetermined speed;
a first plate support comprising a first linear actuator and a first shaft, wherein the first plate support has a first proximal end joined to the base and a first distal end joined to a first portion of the plate element, and wherein the first linear actuator is configured to adjust a length of the first plate support;
a second plate support comprising a second linear actuator and a second shaft, wherein the second plate support has a second proximal end joined to the base and a second distal end joined to a second portion of the plate element, and wherein the second linear actuator is configured to adjust a second length of the second plate support;
a third plate support, wherein the third plate support has a third proximal end joined to the base and a third distal end joined to a third portion of the plate element;
and
a propeller rotatably coupled to the second end of the drive shaft, wherein the propeller comprises a variable pitch hub having a plurality of rotatable linkages and a plurality of blades, wherein each of the plurality of blades is pivotably mounted to one of the rotatable linkages, and wherein a pitch angle of each of the plurality of blades is determined based at least in part on a relative distance between the variable pitch hub and the plate element.

6 more elements

A method to operate a propulsion unit of an aerial vehicle, wherein the propulsion unit comprises:

a base having a gimbaling mechanism;
a plate element having a bore, wherein the plate element defines a plane;
at least one plate support extending between the base and the plate element, wherein the at least one plate support comprises at least one actuator to adjust a length of the at least one plate support;
a motor pivotably joined to the gimbaling mechanism, wherein the motor is configured to rotate a drive shaft extending through the bore of the plate element substantially perpendicular to the plane of the plate element, and wherein the gimbaling mechanism enables an angular orientation of the drive shaft to vary within a predetermined angular range;
and
a propeller comprising a variable pitch hub and a plurality of blades pivotably joined to the variable pitch hub, wherein a pitch angle of each of the plurality of blades is determined based at least in part on a relative position of the variable pitch hub with respect to the plate element, and wherein the propeller is coupled to the motor by the drive shaft, and
wherein the method comprises:
determining a first desired force to be generated by the propulsion unit by at least one computer processor, wherein the first desired force comprises a first magnitude and a first direction;
determining at least a first motor speed and at least a first pitch angle to generate the first magnitude of the first desired force;
determining a first angular orientation of the drive shaft associated with the first direction of the first desired force;
determining a first relative position of the plate element with respect to the variable pitch hub for placing each of the plurality of blades of the propeller at the first pitch angle and to place the drive shaft at the first angular orientation;
causing the motor to operate at the first motor speed;
and
causing the at least one actuator to place at least a portion of the plate element at the first relative position with respect to at least a portion of the base.

11 more elements

An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:

a frame;
a first propulsion unit mounted to the frame, wherein the first propulsion unit has a first motor and a first propeller with a first plurality of blades pivotably joined to a first hub at variable pitch angles, wherein the first motor is rotatably coupled to the first propeller by a first drive shaft at a variable angular orientation, and wherein the first propulsion unit comprises a first common operator to adjust the pitch angles of the first plurality of blades and the angular orientation of the first drive shaft;
and
a computing device having a memory and one or more computer processors,
wherein the computing device is configured to at least:
determine a desired velocity of the unmanned aerial vehicle within at least one area;
identify at least one noise restriction associated with the area;
define a first force to be supplied to the unmanned aerial vehicle by the first propulsion unit to cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to travel at the desired velocity within the area, wherein the first force comprises a first magnitude and a first direction;
select a first pitch angle for the first plurality of blades of the first propeller based at least in part on the first magnitude of the first force and the at least one noise restriction associated with the area;
select a first rotational speed for the first motor based at least in part on the first magnitude of the first force and the at least one noise restriction associated with the area;
select a first angular orientation for the first drive shaft based at least in part on the first direction of the first force and the at least one noise restriction associated with the area;
cause, by the first common operator, the first plurality of blades to be aligned at the first pitch angle and the first drive shaft to be aligned at the first angular orientation;
and
cause the first motor to operate at the first rotational speed.

11 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.