Patent Publication Number: US-2016236777-A1

Title: Aerial vehicle

Description:
FIELD 
     The subject matter herein generally relates to aerial vehicles, particularly relates to a helicopter rotor type aerial vehicle. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Unmanned aerial vehicles are wildly used to aerial photographies, atmospheric observations, military reconnaissances, danger detections and other fields. The aerial vehicle controls its flight attitude by controlling rotation speed of a plurality of rotors thereof. The aerial vehicle can be a quad-rotor aerial vehicle, a six-rotor aerial vehicle, an eight-rotor aerial vehicle, or others. The rotors are mounted on a vertical mechanism to provide vertical lift to the aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle generally includes a landing gear for supporting the aerial vehicle during takeoff and landing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Implementations of the present technology will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the attached figures. 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of an aerial vehicle in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a diagrammatic view of the aerial vehicle in  FIG. 1  in level flight. 
         FIG. 3  is a diagrammatic view of the aerial vehicle in  FIG. 1  landing at a horizontal plane. 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of an aerial vehicle in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a diagrammatic view of the aerial vehicle in  FIG. 4  in level flight. 
         FIG. 6  is a diagrammatic view of the aerial vehicle in  FIG. 4  landing at a horizontal plane. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals have been repeated among the different figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements. In addition, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. Also, the description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts have been exaggerated to better illustrate details and features of the present disclosure. 
     Several definitions that apply throughout this disclosure will now be presented. 
     The term “coupled” is defined as connected, whether directly or indirectly through intervening components, and is not necessarily limited to physical connections. The connection can be such that the objects are permanently connected or releasably connected. The term “comprising,” when utilized, means “including, but not necessarily limited to”; it specifically indicates open-ended inclusion or membership in the so-described combination, group, series and the like. 
     The present disclosure is described in relation to an aerial vehicle. The aerial vehicle can include a body including a bottom portion, a plurality of rotors coupled to the body for driving the aerial vehicle to fly, and a landing gear coupled to the bottom portion of the body. The landing gear can include a first touchdown bar and a second touchdown bar. The first touchdown bar has a distal end for contacting a horizontal plane. The second touchdown bar has a distal end for contacting the horizontal plane. The distal end of the first touchdown bar and the distal end of the second touchdown bar cooperatively define a plane. When the aerial vehicle is in flight, the plane defined by the distal end of the first touchdown bar and the distal end of the second touchdown bar is at an angle relative to the horizontal plane. When the aerial vehicle is landing at the horizontal plane, the plane defined by the distal end of the first touchdown bar and the distal end of the second touchdown bar is parallel to the horizontal plane, the body is angled relative to the horizontal plane. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an aerial vehicle  10  of an embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerial vehicle  10  can include a body  100 , a plurality of arms  110  coupled to the body  100 , a plurality of rotors  130  coupled to the arms  110 , a plurality of driving devices  120  coupled to the rotors  130 , a control module coupled to the body  100 , and a landing gear  140  coupled to the body  100 . 
     In this embodiment, the aerial vehicle  10  is shown as a quad-rotor aerial vehicle, just for taking an example for illustrating a configuration of the aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle also can be a six-rotor aerial vehicle, an eight-rotor aerial vehicle, or others. In this embodiment, the aerial vehicle includes four arms  110 , four rotors  130  and four driving devices  120 . The four arms  110  extend outwardly from the body  100 . The four arms  110  can be symmetrical to each other about the body  100 . The four rotors  130  and the four driving devices  120  are mounted to the four arms  110 . The controlling module is mounted in the body  100 , the controlling module can include a controller and a balance control system. The landing gear  140  is mounted below the body  100  and configured to support the aerial vehicle  10  when the aerial vehicle  10  is takeoff and landing. 
     The body  100  can include a ceiling portion  101 , a bottom portion  102  opposite to the ceiling portion  101  and a lateral portion  103  connecting the ceiling portion  101  and the bottom portion  102 . The four arms  110  extend outwards from the lateral portion  103 . The four driving devices  120  are mounted at distal ends of the arms  110 , respectively. The four rotors  130  are located above and connecting the four driving devices  120 , respectively. Each rotor  130  can be independently controlled by a corresponding driving device  120 . The driving device  120  is configured to provide power to drive the corresponding rotor  130  to rotate to produce vertical lift to drive the aerial vehicle  10  to fly. By adjusting rotation speeds of the rotors  130 , the aerial vehicle  10  can realize flight attitudes of lifting, landing, level flight, level rotation, heeling, hovering and others. 
     In other embodiment, the number of the arms  110  can be six, eight or others, correspondingly, the number of the rotors  130  at the distal ends of the arms  110  can be six, eight or others. The aerial vehicles with these numbers of arms  110  and rotors  130  have working principle substantially same as that of the aerial vehicle  10  with four arms  110  and four rotors  130 . 
     The balance control system is configured to collecting balance information of the body  100  and transmits the balance information to the controller. According to the balance information, the controller calculates driving power for maintaining stationary state of the body  100 , and transmits the value of the calculated driving power to the driving device  120 , the driving device  120  outputs appropriate drive power to adjust rotation speed of the corresponding rotor  130 . The balance control system can include a gyroscope, accelerator and a magnetic compass. The gyroscope is configured to measure angular velocity of the body  100 , for control the rotation speed of the body  100  in flight. The accelerator is configured to measure accelerated velocity of the body  100  in flight for stabling balance of the body  100 . The magnetic compass is configured to measure geomagnetic angle for marking nose direction of the aerial vehicle  10 . 
     The landing gear  140  can include a support configuration  141  and a touchdown configuration  142  coupled to the support configuration  141 . The support configuration  141  can include a first support pole  1411  extending from the bottom portion  102  and a second support pole  1412  extending from the bottom portion  102 . The touchdown configuration  142  can include a first touchdown bar  1421  coupled to the first support pole  1411 , and a second touchdown bar  1422  coupled to the second support pole  1412 . 
     In at least an embodiment, the first support pole  1411  and the second support pole  1412  slantly extend outwards and downwards from two sides of the bottom portion  102 . The first support pole  1411  and the second support pole  1412  are spaced to each other. The first support pole  1411  connects between the first touchdown bar  1421  and the bottom portion  102  of the body  100 . The second support pole  1412  connects between the second touchdown bar  1421  and the bottom portion  102  of the body  100 . The first support pole  1411  is longer than the second support pole  1412 . The first touchdown bar  1421  has a distal end for contacting a horizontal plane A or other faces. The second touchdown bar  1422  has a distal end for contacting the horizontal plane A or other faces. The distal ends of the first touchdown bar  1421  and the second touchdown bar  1422  cooperatively define a plane B (shown in  FIG. 2 ). A height of the first support pole  1411  between the distal end of the first touchdown bar  1421  and the bottom portion  102  of the body  100  is larger than that of the second support pole  1412  between the distal end of the second touchdown bar  1422  and the bottom portion  102  of the body  100 . In at least an embodiment, the first touchdown bar  1421  is parallel to the second touchdown bar  1422 . The first touchdown bar  1421  and the second touchdown bar  1422  can be integral with the first support pole  1411  and the second support pole  1412  respectively. 
       FIG. 2  illustrates that the aerial vehicle  10  is in level flight. In level flight, the body  100  is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane A. The bottom portion  102  of the body  100  is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane A. The plane B defined by the distal ends of the first and second touchdown bars  1421 ,  1422  is at an angle relative to the horizontal plane A, the angle between the plane B and the horizontal plane A is θ. That is to say, the bottom portion  102  and the plane B defined by the distal ends of the first and second touchdown bars  1421 ,  1422  define an angle θ therebetween. The lift provided by the rotors  130  is in the vertical direction. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates that the aerial vehicle  10  is landing at a plane. The plane can be the horizontal plane A. The first and second touchdown bars  1421 ,  1422  contact the horizontal plane A. The plane B defined by the distal ends of the first and second touchdown bars  1421 ,  1422  is at the horizontal plane A. The body  100  is angled relative to the horizontal plane A to define an angle substantially equal to the angle θ between the bottom portion  102  and the horizontal plane A. The lift provided by the rotors  130  is not in the vertical direction, the lift provided by the rotors  130  is angled relative to the vertical direction, the lift provided by the rotors  130  produces a component force in the horizontal direction and a component force in the vertical direction. When the component force in the vertical direction is less than the gravity of the aerial vehicle  10 , the aerial vehicle  10  slides on the horizontal plane A under the component force in the horizontal direction. 
     In at least an embodiment, the angle θ is less than 15° to ensure the aerial vehicle  10  stably stand on the horizontal plane A. Perfectly, the angle θ is in a range from 10° to 15°, so that the body  100  is angled relative to the horizontal plane A with the angle therebeween in a range from 10° to 15°. 
     In at least an embodiment, the first touchdown bar  1421  is not limited to parallel to the second touchdown bar  1422 , the first touchdown bar  1421  can be slant to the second touchdown bar  1422 , so long as the first and second touchdown bars  1421 ,  1422  firmly stand on the horizontal plane A when the aerial vehicle  10  landing at the horizontal plane A. 
       FIG. 4  illustrates an aerial vehicle  20  of another embodiment of the present disclosure. The aerial vehicle  20  can include a body  200 , a plurality of arms  210  coupled to the body  200 , a plurality of rotors  230  coupled to the arms  210 , a plurality of driving devices  220  coupled to the rotors  230 , a control module coupled to the body  200 , a landing gear  240  coupled to the body  200 , and a load case  250  configured to couple the landing gear  240 . 
     In this embodiment, the aerial vehicle  20  is shown as a quad-rotor aerial vehicle, just for taking an example for illustrating a configuration of the aerial vehicle, the aerial vehicle also can be a six-rotor aerial vehicle, an eight-rotor aerial vehicle, or others. In this embodiment, the aerial vehicle  20  includes four arms  210 , four rotors  230  and four driving devices  220 . The four arms  210  extend outwardly from the body  200 . The four arms  210  can be symmetrical to each other about the body  200 . The four rotors  230  and the four driving devices  220  are mounted to the four arms  210 . The controlling module is mounted in the body  200 , the controlling module can include a controller and a balance control system. The landing gear  240  is mounted below the body  200  and configured to support the aerial vehicle  20  when the aerial vehicle  20  is takeoff and landing. 
     The body  200  can include a ceiling portion  201 , a bottom portion  202  opposite to the ceiling portion  201  and a lateral portion  203  connecting the ceiling portion  201  and the bottom portion  202 . The four arms  210  extend outwards from the lateral portion  203 . The four driving devices  220  are mounted at distal ends of the arms  210 , respectively. The four rotors  230  is located above and connecting the four driving devices  220 , respectively. Each rotor  230  can be independently controlled by a corresponding driving device  220 . The driving device  220  is configured to provide power to drive the corresponding rotor  230  to rotate to produce vertical lift to drive the aerial vehicle  20  to fly. By adjusting rotation speeds of the rotors  230 , the aerial vehicle  20  can realize flight attitudes of lifting, landing, level flight, level rotation, heeling, hovering and others. 
     In other embodiment, the number of the arms  210  can be six, eight or others, correspondingly, the number of the rotors  230  at the distal ends of the arms  210  can be six, eight or others. The aerial vehicles with these numbers of arms  210  and rotors  230  have working principle substantially same as that of the aerial vehicle  20  with four arms  210  and four rotors  230 . 
     The balance control system is configured to collecting balance information of the body  220  and transmits the balance information to the controller. According to the balance information, the controller calculates driving power for maintaining stationary state of the body  200 , and transmits the value of the calculated driving power to the driving device  220 , the driving device  220  outputs appropriate drive power to adjust rotation speed of the corresponding rotor  230 . The balance control system can include a gyroscope, accelerator and a magnetic compass. The gyroscope is configured to measure angular velocity of the body  200 , for control the rotation speed of the body  200  in flight. The accelerator is configured to measure accelerated velocity of the body  200  in flight for stabling balance of the body  200 . The magnetic compass is configured to measure geomagnetic angle for marking nose direction of the aerial vehicle  20 . 
     The landing gear  240  can include a support configuration  241  and a touchdown configuration  242  coupled to the support configuration  241 . The support configuration  241  can include two first support poles  2411  extending from a side of the bottom portion  202  and two second support poles  2412  extending from another side of the bottom portion  202 . The touchdown configuration  242  can include a first touchdown bar  2421  connecting the two first support poles  2411 , and a second touchdown bar  2422  connecting the two second support poles  2412 . 
     In at least an embodiment, the first support poles  2411  and the second support poles  2412  slantly extend outwards and downwards from the two opposite sides of the bottom portion  202 . The first support poles  2411  and the second supports pole  2412  are spaced to each other. The two first support poles  2411  connects between the first touchdown bar  2421  and the bottom portion  202  of the body  200 . The second support pole  2412  connects between the second touchdown bar  2422  and the bottom portion  202  of the body  200 . The two first support poles  2411  are parallel to each other. The two first support poles  2411  have the same length and the same height between the bottom portion  202  of the body  200  and the first touchdown bar  2421 . The two second support poles  2412  are parallel to each other. The two second support poles  2412  have the same length and the same height between the bottom portion  202  of the body  200  and the second touchdown bar  2422 . The first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422  are parallel to each other. The first touchdown bar  2421  has a distal end for contacting a horizontal plane A or other faces. The second touchdown bar  2422  has a distal end for contacting the horizontal plane A or other faces. The distal ends of the first touchdown bar  2421  and the second touchdown bar  2422  cooperatively define a plane B (shown in  FIG. 5 ). A height of each first support pole  2411  between the bottom portion  202  of the body  200  and the distal end of the first touchdown bar  2421  is larger than a height of each second support pole  2412  between the distal end of the second touchdown bar  2421  and the bottom portion  202  of the body  200 . 
       FIG. 5  illustrates that the aerial vehicle  20  is in level flight. In level flight, the body  200  is substantially parallel to a horizontal plane A. The bottom portion  202  of the body  200  is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane A. The plane B defined by the distal ends of the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422  is at an angle relative to the horizontal plane A, the angle between the plane B and plane A is θ. That is to say, the bottom portion  202  and the plane B defined by the distal ends of the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2421  define an angle θ therebetween. The lift provided by the rotors  230  is in the vertical direction. 
       FIG. 6  illustrates that the aerial vehicle  20  is landing at a plane. The plane can be the horizontal plane A. The first and second touchdown bar  2421 ,  2422  contact the horizontal plane A. The body  200  is angled relative to the horizontal plane A to define an angle substantially equal to the angle θ between the bottom portion  202  and the horizontal plane A. The lift provided by the rotors  230  is not in the vertical direction, the lift provided by the rotors  230  is angled relative to the vertical direction, the lift provided by the rotors  230  produces a component force in the horizontal direction and a component force in the vertical direction. When the component force in the vertical direction is less than the gravity of the aerial vehicle  20 , the aerial vehicle  20  slides on the horizontal plane A under the component force in the horizontal direction. 
     In at least an embodiment, the angle θ is less than 15° to ensure the aerial vehicle  20  stably stand on the horizontal plane A. Perfectly, the angle θ is in a range from 10° to 15°, so that the body  200  is angled relative to the horizontal plane A with the angle therebetween in a range from 10° to 15°. 
     In at least an embodiment, the first touchdown bar  2421  is not limited to parallel to the second touchdown bar  2422 , the first touchdown bar  2421  can be slant to the second touchdown bar  2422 , so long as the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422  firmly stand on the horizontal plane A when the aerial vehicle  20  landing at the horizontal plane A. 
     In at least an embodiment, each of the first and the second support poles  2411 ,  2412  is arched outwardly. The landing gear  240  further include two positioning members  2413  connecting between the two first support poles  2411 , the two second support poles  2412 . Each of the positioning members  2413  is a bar. The two positioning members  2413  are adjacent to corresponding first touchdown bar  2421  and second touchdown bar  2422 . The two positioning members  2413  are parallel to the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422 . The two positioning members  2413  cooperatively define a plane parallel to the horizontal plane A. In at least an embodiment, the two positioning members  2413  can be replaced by four spaced positioning members respectively positioned to the first and second support poles  2411 ,  2412 . 
     The load case  250  includes two clasps  251  opposite to each other and corresponding to the two positioning members  2413 . Two opposite sidewalls of the load case  250  have upper portions thereof extending outwardly to form two top walls  2511 , the two top walls  2511  extend downwards to form two blocking walls  2512 . Corresponding top walls  2511 , blocking walls  2512  and the sidewalls cooperatively form the two clasps  251 . 
     When the aerial vehicle  20  is sliding on the horizontal plane A and moves to the load case  250 , the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422  slide to opposite sides of the load case  250 , the two clasps  251  of the load case  250  clasp the two positioning members  2413 , thereby the load case  250  being coupled to the landing gear  240 . The aerial vehicle  20  can takeoff and carry the load case  250  to destination. Therefore, the aerial vehicle  20  realizes automatically loading goods. 
     When the aerial vehicle  20  carrying the load case  250  is landing at the horizontal plane A, the load case  250  contacts the horizontal plane A, the control module adjusts flight height of the aerial vehicle  20  to detach the two clasps  251  from the two positioning members  2413 , the aerial vehicle  20  slides away from the load case  250 . Therefore, the aerial vehicle  20  realizes automatically offloading goods. 
     In this embodiment, the first touchdown bar  2421  and the second touchdown bar  2422  define a first distance L 1  therebetween. The first support pole  2411  and a corresponding second support pole  2412  have portions below the positing members  2413  define a second distance L 2  therebetween, L 2  can be variables. The two clasps  251  define a third distance L 3  therebetween. The two opposite sidewalls of the load case  250  define a fourth distance L 4  therebetween. The two positioning members  2413  define a fifth distance L 5  therebetween. In at least an embodiment, a relationship between the first distance L 1 , the second distance L 2 , the third distance L 3 , the fourth distance L 4  and the fifth distance L 5  is L 3 &gt;L 5 &gt;L 1 &gt;L 4 , L 2  has part values larger than L 3 , so that, the first and second touchdown bars  2421 ,  2422  of the landing gear  240  can slide to opposite sides of the load case  250 , and the two clasps  251  of the load case  250  can clasp the two positioning members  2413  of the landing gear  240 . 
     The embodiments shown and described above are only examples. Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present technology have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the present disclosure, the disclosure is illustrative only, and changes may be made in the detail, including in matters of shape, size and arrangement of the parts within the principles of the present disclosure up to, and including, the full extent established by the broad general meaning of the terms used in the claims.