US 9,868,524 B2Granted

Unmanned aerial vehicle configuration for extended flight

AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.

InventorsRicky Dean Welsh, Daniel Buchmueller, Fabian Hensel, Gur Kimchi, Louis LeRoi LeGrand, III, Brandon William Porter, Walker Chamberlain Robb, Joshua White Traube

Life of this patent

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Abstract

This disclosure describes a configuration of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that will facilitate extended flight duration. The UAV may have any number of lifting motors. For example, the UAV may include four lifting motors (also known as a quad-copter), eight lifting motors (octo-copter), etc. Likewise, to improve the efficiency of horizontal flight, the UAV also includes a pushing motor and propeller assembly that is oriented at approximately ninety degrees to one or more of the lifting motors. When the UAV is moving horizontally, the pushing motor may be engaged and the pushing propeller will aid in the horizontal propulsion of the UAV.

Claims21

Dependent claims

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a frame;
a first lifting motor coupled to the frame;
a second lifting motor coupled to the frame;
a pushing motor coupled to the frame;
a fuselage coupled to the frame and extending downward from the frame, wherein the fuselage encompasses a plurality of components of the UAV and is configured to reduce aerodynamic resistance of the UAV when the UAV is flown in a direction including a horizontal component;
a first power supply container coupled to the frame at a first position;
a second power supply container coupled to the frame at a second position;
and
an unmanned aerial vehicle control system configured to send control signals to the first lifting motor, the second lifting motor and the pushing motor in response to signals received from a remote location;
and
wherein:
the frame includes a payload receiving area between the first power supply container and the second power supply container that receives a payload;
the fuselage includes a downward-facing gap or opening within which the payload, when received, is at least partially contained;
and
the payload includes an item to be delivered to a user.

12 more elements

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), comprising:

a frame;
a first motor arm having a first end and a second end, the first motor arm coupled to the frame;
a second motor arm having a third end and a fourth end, the second motor arm coupled to the frame;
a first lifting motor coupled to the first end of the first motor arm;
a second lifting motor coupled to the second end of the first motor arm;
a third lifting motor coupled to the third end of the second motor arm;
a fourth lifting motor coupled to the fourth end of the second motor arm;
a pushing motor coupled to a fifth end of the frame and configured to provide horizontal propulsion to the UAV;
a first power supply container coupled to the frame at a first position;
a second power supply container coupled to the frame at a second position;
and
an unmanned aerial vehicle control system for controlling a rotational speed of at least one of the first lifting motor, the second lifting motor, the third lifting motor, the fourth lifting motor or the pushing motor, wherein:
the frame includes a payload receiving area including a downward-facing gap or opening within which a payload, when received, is at least partially contained, the payload receiving area being positioned between the first power supply container and the second power supply container;
and
the payload includes an item to be delivered to a user.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/538,570Filed 11 Nov 2014
Published: US 2016/0129998 A112 May 2016
Granted: 16 Jan 2018
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B64C 29/0025
The lift during taking-off being created by free or ducted propellers or by blowers: the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
B64U 10/10
Type of UAV: rotorcrafts
B64C 27/22
Rotorcraft; Rotors peculiar thereto: compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft
B64C 27/24
Compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft: with rotor blades fixed in flight to act as…