Patent Description:
Heat productivity is large during the working period of a lift motor and an electronic speed controller of an existing vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle, but an arm structure of the existing unmanned aerial vehicle is mostly a closed cavity structure which is not conducive to diffusion of hot air. There is generally no heat dissipation for equipment in the arm during the working period of the lift motor and the electronic speed controller of the existing vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle, which causes a certain influence on the equipment in the arm. <CIT> relates to a rotor mounting boom assembly for a personal aircraft. <CIT> solely addresses the cooling of the motor controller and of the controller's sub-components as, advantageously, the motor shall be placed within the hub of the rotor - thus, outside of the rotor mounting boom. <CIT> relates to a flying platform with a canard configuration, however, it does not teach any convective cooling of any component, neither of the motor nor of the motor controller, and it does not teach any cooling air inlet, let alone its specific layout, nor any means to enhance convective cooling. <CIT> relates to an array of rotors for vertical flight positioned on top of support booms featuring a modular water-cooled variable pitch lift powertrain system with an individual coolant pump and heat exchanger for each set of motors and motor controllers used on the aircraft.

The invention relates to a vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle and a cooling system for the unmanned aerial vehicle, which are used for solving the problem that an arm of the unmanned aerial vehicle is poor in heat dissipation.

In particular, it is provided a cooling system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, having the features defined in claim <NUM>. Further, it is provided a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle, having the features defined in claim <NUM>.

According to the vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle provided by the invention, heat dissipation in an arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle is achieved by installing a fan in a hollow interior of each of a left linear support and a right linear support of the unmanned aerial vehicle, thereby achieving the purposes of lowering temperature in the arm and protecting equipment in the arm.

Many implementations have been described. However, it should be understood that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

The details of one or more implementations of a subject matter described in the invention are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent in accordance with the specification, the accompanying drawings, and the claims.

It should be noted that the accompanying drawings may be in simplified form and may not be precise in scale. With reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directional terms such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, upper side, above, beneath, below, rear portion, front portion, distal end, and proximal end are used with reference to the accompanying drawings. These directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the embodiments in any way.

Where reference is made to components with reference numerals, like parts are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the accompanying drawings of the specification:
<NUM>-unmanned aerial vehicle; <NUM>-flight platform; <NUM>-main body; 103A-left linear support; 103B-right linear support; 104A-left main wing; 104B-right main wing; 105A-left front wing; 105B-right front wing; 106A-left vertical stabilizer; 106B-right vertical stabilizer; <NUM>-propulsion propeller; 107A-left propulsion propeller; 107B-right propulsion propeller; 108A-first lift propeller; 108B-second lift propeller; 108C-third lift propeller; 108D-fourth lift propeller; 108E-fifth lift propeller; 108F-sixth lift propeller; 109A-left wingtip propeller; 109B-right wingtip propeller; 110A-left wingtip vertical stabilizer; 110B-right wingtip vertical stabilizer; 111A-left folding leg; 111B-right folding leg; 112A-first leaf spring; 112B-second leaf spring; 112C-third leaf spring; 112D-fourth leaf spring; <NUM>-vertical expander; <NUM>-central propulsion propeller; <NUM>-cargo pod; 135A-first pod leaf spring; 135B-second pod leaf spring; 135C-third pod leaf spring; 135D-fourth pod leaf spring; <NUM>-passenger pod; 145A-pod leg; 145B-pod leg; 145C-pod leg; 145D-pod leg; <NUM>-pod-attaching latch; <NUM>-electric wheel; <NUM>-shell; <NUM>-energy storage unit in flight platform; <NUM>-energy storage unit in pod; <NUM>-flotation device; <NUM>-fan; <NUM>-motor; <NUM>-air inlet; <NUM>-air outlet; <NUM>-aileron; A-airflow direction; B-air inlet direction; C-air outlet direction.

Different aspects of various embodiments may now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, which are presented as illustrative examples of the embodiments defined in the technical solutions. It is expressly understood that the embodiments defined by the technical solutions may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.

The words used in the specification to describe the various embodiments should be understood to not only have commonly defined meanings thereof, but, in structures, materials, or actions in the specification, to include special definitions beyond the scope of the generally defined meanings. Hence, if a component may be understood in the context of the specification to include more than one meaning, its use in the technical solution must be understood to be general for all possible meanings supported by the specification and the words themselves.

The term "unmanned aerial vehicle" is defined as a flight transportation system with at least one propeller as one propulsion source. The term "unmanned aerial vehicle" may comprise both "manned" and "unmanned" flight transportation systems. The "manned" unmanned aerial vehicle may refer to a flight transportation system that carries human passengers, none of which has right of control over the unmanned aerial vehicle. The "manned" unmanned aerial vehicle may also refer to a flight transportation system that carries human passengers, with some or one of the human passengers having a certain right of control over the unmanned aerial vehicle.

As the background, during the working period of a lift motor and an electronic speed controller of an existing vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle, there is no special equipment for heat dissipation of equipment in an arm, thus causing a certain influence on the equipment in the arm. To solve the problem that an arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle is poor in heat dissipation, the invention provides a vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle, which comprises: a left main ring and a right main wing; a left front wing and a right front wing; a main body which is engaged with the left main wing and the right main wing; a left linear support for connecting the left main wing with the left front wing; a right linear support for connecting the right main wing with the right front wing; the left linear support having a first group of multiple lift propellers arranged thereon, the right linear support having a second group of multiple lift propellers arranged thereon, and the left linear support and the right linear support each have a hollow interior; at least one air inlet which is provided on each of the left linear support and the right linear support; at least one air outlet which is provided on each of the left linear support and the right linear support; and a fan which is arranged in the hollow interior of each of the left linear support and the right linear support.

The technical solutions of the invention will be described below in detail in conjunction with specific accompanying drawings.

<FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a fan in accordance with one aspect of an embodiment; <FIG> is a sectional view of a side portion of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG>; <FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a fan in accordance with still another aspect of an embodiment; <FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a fan in accordance with still another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of air inlets and air outlets of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with one aspect of an embodiment; <FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with still another aspect of an embodiment; <FIG> is a top rear perspective view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG>; <FIG> is a side view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG>; <FIG> is a top perspective view of another embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a detachably attached pod in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a top view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a front view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a detachably attached passenger pod in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a front view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a rear perspective view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side perspective view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment, wherein a passenger pod is detached from the flight platform and parked on the ground; <FIG> is a rear perspective view of the embodiment of <FIG> in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a rear perspective view of another embodiment in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side bottom perspective view of still another embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with one aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a perspective view of one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a close-up view of an encircled region in <FIG> in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a front view of one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a rear view of one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is an upward view of one embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a perspective view of another embodiment of a flight platform in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of another embodiment of a flight platform in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a front view of another embodiment of a flight platform in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a rear view of another embodiment of a flight platform in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is an upward view of another embodiment of a flight platform in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of another embodiment of a passenger pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a bottom perspective view of another embodiment of a passenger pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a front view of another embodiment of a passenger pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a rear view of another embodiment of a passenger pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is an upward view of another embodiment of a passenger pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of another embodiment of a flight platform attached to a cargo pod in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a perspective view of another embodiment of a flight platform without a propulsion propeller in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a side view of another embodiment of a passenger pod with a propulsion propeller in accordance with another aspect of the embodiment; <FIG> is a perspective view of still another embodiment of an unmanned aircraft system, wherein six flotation devices are inflated; <FIG> is a side view of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG>. <FIG> is a side sectional view of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a cooling system in accordance with one aspect of an embodiment of the invention; and <FIG> is a view illustrating a configuration of ailerons of an unmanned aerial vehicle.

<FIG> is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aircraft system with a flight platform and a fan in accordance with one aspect of an embodiment. <FIG> is a sectional view of a side portion of the unmanned aircraft system of <FIG>. An unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> at least comprises: a left main wing 104A and a right main wing 104B; a left front wing 105A and a right front wing 105B; a main body <NUM> which is engaged with the left main wing 104A and the right main wing 104B; a left linear support 103A for connecting the left main wing 104A with the left front wing 105A; a right linear support 103B for connecting the right main wing 104B with the right front wing 105B; the left linear support 103A having a first group of multiple lift propellers 108A, 108B and 108C arranged thereon; the right linear support 103B having a second group of multiple lift propellers 108D, 108E and 108F arranged thereon; wherein the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B each have a hollow interior; at least one air inlet <NUM> which is provided on each of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B; at least one air outlet <NUM> which is provided on each of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B; and a fan <NUM> which is arranged in the hollow interior of each of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B.

By adopting the unmanned aerial vehicle provided by the invention, heat dissipation in an arm of the unmanned aerial vehicle is achieved by installing a fan in the hollow interior of each of a left linear support and a right linear support of the unmanned aerial vehicle, thereby achieving the purposes of lowering the temperature in the arm and protecting equipment in the arm.

<FIG> depicts an embodiment of a VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> with a front wing configuration in general.

The unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> in <FIG> may have two main wings 104A, 104B as a left main wing and a right main wing, and two front wings as a left front wing 105A and a right front wing 105B. The two main wings 104A, 104B and the two front wings 105A, 105B may be attached to a main body <NUM>, wherein the main body may be positioned along a central longitudinal line of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>. The unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may also have a left linear support 103A arranged parallel to the main body <NUM>, which may connect the left main wing 104A to the left front wing 105A. Similarly, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may also have a right linear support 103B arranged parallel to the main body <NUM>, which may connect the right main wing 104B to the right front wing 105B. Wherein the front wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle mainly control a flight attitude of the unmanned aerial vehicle during the flight period, such as controlling the pitch of the unmanned aerial vehicle. The main wings of the unmanned aerial vehicle, acting as the largest wings at the two sides of a fuselage, are usually used for generating lift to support the unmanned aerial vehicle to fly in the air, and meanwhile, certain stabilization and manipulation effects are achieved.

In one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may also not have the front wing configuration. Illustratively, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may have two main wings as a left main wing and a right main wing, and two ailerons as a left aileron and a right aileron, all of which are engaged together to form a flight platform.

In one embodiment, as shown in <FIG>, the aileron <NUM> of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be arranged at the rear side of the main wing 104B, there may be at least one aileron, preferably two, which is in a sheet-like configuration, and capable of moving up and down to control the roll of the aircraft.

The left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B are expected to improve the structural integrity of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>. In other embodiments, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B may accommodate driving motors (not shown) for driving each lift propeller 108A, 108B, 108C, 108D, 108E, and 108F. Thus, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B may be used for fixing the lift propellers to reduce usage of the parts of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and while simplifying structural parts of the unmanned aerial vehicle, the overall strength of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be improved due to the engagement of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B with the two front wings and the two main wings. As will be disclosed later, the left linear support <NUM> A and the right linear support 103B may also accommodate folding legs <NUM>, each of which may be retracted into the left linear support <NUM> A and the right linear support 103B.

In one possible embodiment, two ends of each of the left linear support <NUM> A and the right linear support 103B are formed as a tapered structure. Preferably, the apex of the tapered structure at each end part of the left linear support 103A is located on the axis of the left linear support 103A, and the apex of the tapered structure at each end part of the right linear support 103B is located on the axis of the right linear support 103B. It is easy to understand that resistance of air to the linear supports in the flight process of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may be reduced by forming two ends of each of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B as the tapered structure, and thus the cruising ability of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> is improved. The embodiment is not intended to limit an included angle between a generatrix and the axis of the tapered structure, and those skilled in the art may set the included angle according to actual needs.

In one embodiment, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B are attached to the distal ends of the left front wing 105A and the right front wing 105B respectively. In still another embodiment, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B extend beyond the front wings 105A, 105B.

In one embodiment, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B are attached to positions near the middle portions of the left main wing 104A and the right main wing 104B respectively. In still another embodiment, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B extend beyond the main wings 104A, 104B along a backwards direction.

The left linear support 103A is expected to be relative narrow in diameter, and may have a first group of multiple lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C arranged at the top side, the bottom side, or both, of the left linear support 103A. In one feasible embodiment, these lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C may be driven by low profile motors arranged in the hollow interior of the left linear support 103A. In an embodiment shown in <FIG>, the lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C are only arranged at the top side of the left linear support 103A. It should be noted that the number of the lift propeller shown in the figure is for illustrative purpose only, the invention is not intended to limit the number of the lift propeller, and the lift propeller may be increased or decreased according to the demand in actual. Likewise, the right linear support 103B is expected to be relative narrow in diameter, and may have a second group of multiple lift propellers 108D, 108E, and 108F arranged on the top side, the bottom side, or both, of the right linear support 103B. In one feasible embodiment, these lift propellers 108D, 108E, 108F may be driven by low profile motors arranged in the hollow interior of the right linear support. In an embodiment shown in <FIG>, the lift propellers 108D, 108E, 108F are only arranged at the top side of the right linear support 103B. It should be noted that the number of the lift propeller shown in the figure is for illustrative purpose only, the invention is not intended to limit the number of the lift propeller, and the lift propeller may be increased or decreased according to the demand in actual.

In one embodiment, the left linear support 103A has at least one air inlet and at least one air outlet which are provided thereon. Illustratively, referring to <FIG>, at least one air inlet <NUM> and at least one air outlet <NUM> may be provided at the front end and the rear end of the left linear support 103A respectively, thereby allowing air to enter the hollow interior of the left linear support 103A from an external environment. The at least one air inlet and the at least one air outlet may be flexibly provided, for example, in addition to that the air inlet may be provided at a position near the front end of the left linear support 103A and the air outlet may be provided at a position near the rear end of the left linear support 103A, the air inlet and the air outlet may also be provided at the side faces (the top face, the bottom face, the left side face and the right side face) of the left linear support 103A, and the invention is not intended to limit the providing of the air inlet and the air outlet. In one embodiment, a diameter or width of each air inlet in the at least one air inlet is less than a radius of the left linear support 103A. It should be noted that the air inlets and the air outlets shown in <FIG> are for illustrative purpose only, the invention is not intended to limit the shape and number of the air inlet and the air outlet, and the air inlet and the air outlet may be flexibly provided according to the demand in actual.

Preferably, the air inlets <NUM> are located at the front ends of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B, and the air outlets <NUM> are located at the rear ends of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the air flows into the hollow interiors from the air inlets <NUM> at the front ends of the left and right linear supports 103A and 103B and flows out of the air outlets <NUM> at the rear ends of the left and right linear supports 103A and 103B, thereby dissipating heat from the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B as a whole to prevent the interiors of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B from excessive local temperatures.

One possible implementation is that, the two ends of each of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B are of a tapered structure, the air inlets <NUM> are located at the front ends of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B, and the air outlets <NUM> are located at the rear ends of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B. At the moment, the shapes of the air inlet <NUM> and the air outlet <NUM> may be provided in an oblong, a length direction of the oblong is arranged along a generatrix of the tapered structure, a spacing is provided between adjacent air inlets <NUM>, and a spacing is provided between adjacent air outlets <NUM>. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that providing the shapes of the air inlet <NUM> and the air outlet <NUM> to be the oblong may avoid the causing of large influence on the structural strength of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B on the basis of guaranteeing air intake and exhaust of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B.

Further, a fan is arranged in the hollow interior of the left linear support 103A to force the air from the air inlet to reach the air outlet through the hollow interior. In one embodiment, the fan may be arranged at a position near the front end of the left linear support 103A. In one embodiment, a rotating shaft of the fan is perpendicular to a rotating shaft of each of the lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C in the plurality of lift propellers.

Specifically, as shown in <FIG>, taking the left linear support 103A as an example, in the interior space of the left linear support 103A, a cooling fan <NUM> is arranged below a lift motor <NUM> of the lift propeller 108A and in front of the left linear support 103A, and a wind field of the cooling fan <NUM> blows towards the rear portion of the left linear support 103A to form an airflow flowing backwards in the left linear support 103A, thereby facilitating the utilization of the airflow in the flight process of the unmanned aerial vehicle and accelerating the heat dissipation. After the takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle is shifted to a level flight stage, the lift motor stops working, and the cooling fan stops working at the same time. In one embodiment, the right linear support 103B has at least one air inlet (not shown) and at least one air outlet (not shown) which are provided thereon, but may be similarly provided as shown in <FIG>, thereby allowing the air to enter the hollow interior of the right linear support 103B from the external environment; the at least one air inlet and the at least one air outlet may be flexibly provided, for example, the air inlet may be provided at a position near the front end of the right linear support 103B, while the air outlet may be provided at a position near the rear end of the right linear support 103B, or the air inlet and the air outlet may be provided at side faces (top face, bottom face, left and right side faces) of the right linear support 103B. Wherein a diameter or width of each air inlet in the at least one air inlet is less than a radius of the right linear support 103B. The air inlet and the air outlet of the right linear support 103B may be similarly provided with reference to <FIG>; and likewise, the shapes and the number of the air inlet and the air outlet are not limited thereto.

Further, a fan is arranged in the hollow interior of the right linear support 103B to force air from the air inlet to reach the air outlet through the hollow interior. In one embodiment, the fan is arranged at the position near the front end of the right linear support 103B. In one embodiment, a rotating shaft of the fan is perpendicular to a rotating shaft of each lift propeller 108D, 108E, 108F in the plurality of lift propellers. The fan may be correspondingly arranged in the right linear support 103B similarly as shown in <FIG>.

By installing the cooling fans in the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B of the unmanned aerial vehicle respectively, the cooling fans start to work while lift motors of the unmanned aerial vehicle work, the hot airflow in the arms (i.e., the left linear support and the right linear support) is exhausted through flow fields generated by the cooling fans, thereby achieving the purposes of lowering the temperature in the arms and protecting equipment in the arms.

In one embodiment, the diameter or width of each air inlet in the at least one air inlet is less than the radius of each of the left linear support and the right linear support. The providing of the diameter or width of the air inlet and the air outlet are beneficial to maintaining stability of the unmanned aerial vehicle in the flight process, and the situation that the normal flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle is affected due to unstable airflow in the unmanned aerial vehicle caused by overlarge openings is prevented.

In one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a detachable pod attached to the bottom face of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the pod is a passenger pod or a cargo pod. By means of the arrangement mode as above, a structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be flexibly adjusted; in accordance with the actual conditions, the pod may be installed when needed, and may be detached when not needed, and therefore the unmanned aerial vehicle may be flexibly used in response to different requirements, and the adaptability of the unmanned aerial vehicle is improved.

In one embodiment, the rotating shaft of the fan is perpendicular to the rotating shaft of each lift propeller of the plurality of lift propellers, such arrangement makes cooling fan blades of the fan be perpendicular to propeller blades of the unmanned aerial vehicle, as shown in <FIG>, airflow A generated by rotation of the fan horizontally flows backwards in the linear support; the situation that, due to the fact that the fan is not arranged in such a way, the airflow A in the hollow interior is influenced by the inner surface of the arm and cannot flow through the hollow interior as quickly as possible to take away the heat is avoided.

In one embodiment, the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B may both be in a straight configuration which is in favor of improving the overall strength of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In one embodiment, the main wing and the aileron of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may be configured as a front wing configuration. As shown in <FIG> and the rest accompanying drawings showing the front wing configuration, the main wing and aileron may be a plate-like configuration of the main wing.

In one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may have at least one propulsion propeller <NUM> to propel the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> in a forward direction. In various embodiments as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, there may be two propulsion propellers 107A, 107B. The two propulsion propellers 107A, 107B may be arranged at the distal ends at the rear portions of the linear supports 103A, 103B.

In still another embodiment, such as an embodiment shown in <FIG>, a flight platform <NUM> may not have a propulsion propeller. In such embodiment, the flight platform <NUM> may be attached to a passenger pod or a cargo pod which is provided with the propulsion propeller. <FIG> illustrates an embodiment of a passenger pod having a propulsion propeller arranged at the rear end thereof. When the passenger pod is attached to the flight platform <NUM> of <FIG>, the propulsion propeller propels the flight platform <NUM> forwards.

In one embodiment, two vertical stabilizers 106A, 106B may be arranged at positions near the rear ends of the linear supports 103A, 103B respectively. Although the vertical stabilizers are shown pointing downward, there may have embodiments in which the vertical stabilizers point upward.

In another embodiment, as shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the main wings 104A, 104B may be respectively provided with wingtip lift propellers 109A, 109B arranged at the distal ends thereof. This may be achieved by providing the wingtip vertical stabilizers 110A, 110B at the distal ends of the main wings 104A, 104B, respectively, and having the lift propellers <NUM> A, 109B arranged at the upper tips of the wingtip vertical stabilizers 110A, 110B. These wingtip lift propellers 109A, 109B may be relatively smaller than the lift propellers arranged on the linear supports 103A, 103B.

These wingtip lift propellers 109A, 109B may be used for efficiently and effectively controlling the roll of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>. These wingtip lift propellers 109A, 109B are located at the most distal positions away from the center axis of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> and are effective in regulating the roll of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>, and may do so with a diameter less than those of the other lift propellers.

As further shown in <FIG>, there is a pod <NUM> normally attached beneath the main body <NUM> of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>.

Now referring to details in <FIG>, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> is expected to use any type of landing gear. In one embodiment, the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM> may have four single leaf springs 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D as the landing gears. The front two single leaf springs 112A, 112C are respectively arranged at the distal ends of folding legs 111A, 111B. During the flight, the folding legs 111A, 111B may be respectively retracted into interior spaces of the left linear support 103A and the right linear support 103B.

In one embodiment, the tail ends of the landing gears of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be provided with leaf springs as shown in <FIG>, or the tail ends of the landing gears of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be provided with electric wheels as shown in <FIG>.

The two single leaf left springs 112B, 112D at the rear side are expected to be respectively arranged at the distal ends of the bottoms of the vertical stabilizers 106A, 106B.

The expected single leaf springs 112A, 112B, 112C, 112D may be made of appropriate materials to provide enough elasticity and integrity, the materials comprise natural and synthetic polymers, various metals and metallic alloy, natural materials, textile fibers, and all reasonable combination thereof. In one embodiment, carbon fibers are used.

Now turning to <FIG>, a pod used as a cargo pod <NUM> is illustrated. The cargo pod <NUM> may have single leaf springs 135A, 135B, 135C, 135D as landing gears thereof. Or, the cargo pod <NUM> may have other type of landing gear, for example, sliding rails, legs, and wheels.

In an expected embodiment, the cargo pod <NUM> may be detached from the other portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle <NUM>. The other portion of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be called as a flight platform <NUM>. The flight platform <NUM> may fly without carrying the pod, and may interchangeably carry different pods. As will be described later, the flight platform <NUM> may carry a passenger pod.

In an illustrated example, all pods <NUM>, <NUM> may be carried beneath the flight platform <NUM>. The pods <NUM>, <NUM> are expected to be loaded on the ground, and the loading process may be completed before or after attaching the flight platform <NUM> to the pods <NUM>, <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates a top view of a flight platform <NUM>. The flight platform <NUM> may have a generally flat configuration, and capable of carrying a load therebelow or thereabove. During high-speed flight, all six lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C, 108D, 108E, 108F may be locked in place, and thus each blade is parallel to the main body <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrates one embodiment of the flight platform <NUM>, wherein the length of each of the front wings 105A, 105B is not longer than a half of that of each of the main wings 104A, 104B.

<FIG> depicts a front view of a flight platform <NUM> with a detachably attached cargo pod <NUM> in general. Whether the cargo pod <NUM>, the passenger pod <NUM>, or any other type of load, it is specifically expected that there may be an energy storage unit <NUM> arranged in the main body <NUM> of the flight platform. Stored energy may be used to power the other parts of the flight platform, such as the lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C, 108D, and the propulsion propellers 107A, 107B. The stored energy may be electric power, and the storage unit is a battery. In another embodiment, the energy storage unit <NUM> may be used to power accessories in the pods <NUM>, <NUM>.

These batteries <NUM> may also be arranged in the other portions of the flight platform <NUM>, such as in the linear supports 103A, 103B.

Alternatively or preferably, there may be energy storage units <NUM> arranged in the pods <NUM>, <NUM>. Energy stored in the storage units <NUM> may be used to power the lift propellers 108A, 108B, 108C, 108D, and propulsion propellers 107A, 107B. The stored energy may be electric power, and the storage unit is a battery. By arranging the energy storage units <NUM> in the pods <NUM>, <NUM>, whenever the flight platform <NUM> is attached to new pods <NUM>, <NUM>, the flight platform <NUM> will have a supplemental energy source. The flight platform <NUM> itself may be an emergency energy store or a battery <NUM> with smaller capacity to supply power to the flight platform <NUM> for a relatively short period of time when the flight platform <NUM> is in flight without the pods <NUM>, <NUM>. In one embodiment, the main power supply of the flight platform <NUM> is from the batteries <NUM> located in the pods <NUM>, <NUM>. In this way, the flight platform <NUM> or the entire VTOL unmanned aircraft system <NUM> will have a fully charged energy source when the flight platform <NUM> replaces the old pods <NUM>, <NUM> with the new pods <NUM>, <NUM>. This is a beneficial method without requiring the VTOL unmanned aerial vehicle to charge itself. In a preferred embodiment, the flight platform <NUM> may work/fly continuously for hours or even days to attach the cargo pod/passenger pod and detach the cargo pod/passenger pod without stopping to charge batteries thereof.

Now referring to the details of <FIG>, a passenger pod <NUM> is provided. The passenger pod <NUM> may use any type of landing gear, such as rigid legs 145A, 145B, 145C, 145D as shown in the figure.

<FIG> depicts one aspect of the invention in general, wherein a pod (whether a cargo pod or a passenger pod) is detachable. Here, the passenger pod <NUM> may be selectively detached from the flight platform <NUM>. The engagement and disengagement between the flight platform <NUM> and the pod <NUM> may be autonomously executed (without simultaneous user intervention) by a computer and/or other sensors and a calculation device. Alternatively or preferably, a user may actively control and guide the engagement and disengagement between the flight platform <NUM> and the pod <NUM>.

As will be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art, various types of engagement mechanisms <NUM> may be used to fix the pod <NUM> to the flight platform <NUM>. For example, the engagement mechanism may be a mechanical latch, a magnetic latch, a track and groove, or a combination of any known engagement ways.

It is important to understand that, in addition to having two propulsion propellers 107A and 107B (as shown in <FIG>), alternatively or alternatively, there may be a central propulsion propeller <NUM> which is connected to the rear end of the main body <NUM> (as shown in <FIG>). As shown in <FIG>, the central propulsion propeller <NUM> is engaged to the rear end of the main body <NUM> through a vertical expander <NUM>. The vertical expander <NUM> may be any structure in any shape to physically engage with the propulsion propeller <NUM>, thereby making a rotating center of the propulsion propeller <NUM> perpendicularly deviate from the main body <NUM>. In still another embodiment, the propulsion propeller <NUM> perpendicularly deviates from the main body <NUM>, thereby making the rotating center of the propulsion propeller <NUM> be perpendicularly located at a position at the rear portion of the pod <NUM> or be perpendicularly flushed with the pod <NUM>. In another embodiment, the propulsion propeller <NUM> is perpendicularly flushed with the top of the pod <NUM>. In another embodiment, the propulsion propeller <NUM> is perpendicularly flushed with the middle portion of the pod <NUM>. In a further embodiment, the propulsion propeller <NUM> is perpendicularly flushed with the bottom of the pod <NUM>.

What is not shown in any figure of the embodiment is the absence of the propulsion propellers 107A, 107B at the end parts of the linear supports 103A, 103B respectively. Instead, there may only be one propulsion propeller <NUM> engaged with the rear end of the main body <NUM>.

It may also be contemplated that each of the linear supports 103A, 103B may comprise more than three lift propellers, which may be achieved by providing a longer linear support to accommodate more lift propellers, by using a lift propeller with smaller diameter, or by placing lift propellers on both the top and bottom sides of the linear support. One embodiment is illustrated in <FIG>, wherein two additional lift propellers <NUM>, <NUM> are arranged at the front ends of the bottoms of the linear supports 103A, 103B.

Although the propulsion propellers 107A, 107B have been illustrated in the foregoing figures to be positioned at the distal ends of the rear portions of the linear supports 103A, 103B, it is particularly expected that these propulsion propellers 107A, 107B may be arranged at a horizontal plane lower than the main wings 104A, 104B, as those shown in <FIG>. In one aspect, these propulsion propellers 107A, 107B may be arranged at a horizontal plane which is basically equal to pods <NUM>, <NUM> carried by the flight platform. In another aspect, these propulsion propellers 107A, 107B may be arranged at the middles of the vertical stabilizers 106A, 106B. One expected reason for lowering the arrangement of the propulsion propellers 107A, 107B is to minimize head dipping effect during the flight, which may be caused by aerodynamic effects caused by the pods <NUM>, <NUM>.

<FIG> illustrate an embodiment in which a flight platform <NUM> or pods <NUM>, <NUM>, or both, may each have electric wheels <NUM> attached thereto. In an embodiment of <FIG>, the flight platform <NUM> is provided with the electric wheels <NUM>; and each of the pods <NUM>, <NUM> is also provided with the electric wheels. Now referring to an embodiment of the <FIG>, single electric wheel <NUM> unit may have a motor enclosed in a shell <NUM>, and the motor may be driven the power supplied by the energy storage unit <NUM> arranged in each of the pods <NUM>, <NUM>.

It is contemplated that the electric wheels <NUM> may enable the flight platform <NUM> or the pod <NUM> to move on the ground when the flight platform and the pod are parked on the ground. This allows the one of pods <NUM>, <NUM> to move away from the flight platform <NUM> and allows another of the pods <NUM>, <NUM> to move itself to the flight platform <NUM> for engagement.

Or, this may allow the flight platform <NUM> to be away from the pod <NUM> and to move towards another pod for engagement. In one embodiment, each of the pods <NUM>, <NUM> may have an energy storage unit <NUM>, and therefore, an energy source of the flight platform <NUM> is substantially supplemented when the flight platform <NUM> is engaged with the new and fully charged pods <NUM>, <NUM>.

In certain embodiments of the disclosed unmanned aircraft system, at least one flotation device <NUM> may be provided, which is engaged with at least one of the cargo pod <NUM>, the passenger pod <NUM>, and the flight platform <NUM>. The flotation device may be of the type that requires actuation, that is, active inflation with gas or through material when needed. In other words, in this particular embodiment, the flotation device <NUM> may remain in a deflated state and may expand only when the inflation is triggered at certain conditions. For example, the flotation device <NUM> may automatically inflate during emergency landing, may automatically inflate when landing on water, and may inflate when any landing gear fails in certain aspects.

Many known types of inflation mechanisms or airbag mechanisms may be implemented to achieve the needs and configuration of the disclosed flotation device <NUM>. The expected flotation device <NUM> may be of a type that can be repeatedly reused, re-inflated, and re-deflated. The expected flotation device <NUM> may be merely disposable.

Alternatively or preferably, an inflation behavior may be activated by a user. For example, when an operator of the unmanned aircraft system determines that the flotation device <NUM> needs to be inflated, he or she may send a signal to start the inflation.

It should be particularly noted in certain embodiments that the flotation device <NUM> does not need the electric wheel <NUM>. In other embodiments, the flotation device <NUM> is a part of a shell of the electric wheel <NUM>.

Referring to <FIG> as one example, a passenger pod <NUM> may have a lengthened type flotation device <NUM> arranged on any side of the pod <NUM>, which may be used as a water landing gear. In <FIG>, these flotation devices <NUM> are shown deflated. <FIG> illustrates a side view of a deflated flotation device <NUM>. As shown in <FIG> and <FIG>, the flotation device <NUM> engaged with the passenger pod <NUM> is shown inflated.

Referring <FIG> as another example, the flight platform <NUM> may have four flotation devices <NUM> arranged on the tops of four electric wheels <NUM> respectively. These flotation devices <NUM> may be alternatively attached to the electric wheels <NUM> or close to the electric wheels <NUM> at the other positions. In <FIG>, these flotation devices <NUM> engaged with the electric wheels <NUM> are shown deflated. <FIG> and <FIG> illustrate inflated flotation devices <NUM> of the flight platform <NUM>.

As above, a cooling fan is installed in an arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle, the cooling fan starts to work during the working period of a lift motor of the unmanned aerial vehicle, and hot airflow in the arm is exhausted through a flow field generate by the cooling fan, thereby achieving the purposes of lowering temperature in the arm and protecting equipment in the arm. Illustratively, one cooling fan is arranged below and in front of the lift motor, a wind field of the cooling fan blows towards the rear portion of the arm to form an airflow flowing backwards in the arm, and when the vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicle is shifted to a level flight stage, the lift motor stops working, and the cooling fan stops working at the same time.

According to the technical solutions of the invention, heat dissipation in an arm of an unmanned aerial vehicle is achieved by installing a fan in a hollow interior of each of a left linear support and a right linear support of the unmanned aerial vehicle, thereby achieving the purposes of lowering temperature in the arm and protecting equipment in the arm.

<FIG> is a side sectional view of an unmanned aerial vehicle with a cooling system in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Please referring to <FIG>, a cooling system for an unmanned aerial vehicle provided by the invention comprises a hollow linear support 103A; a plurality of lift propellers 108A, 108B, and 108C which are arranged on the hollow linear support 103A; a plurality of motors <NUM> for driving the lift propellers 108A, 108B, and 108C, wherein the motors <NUM> are arranged in the hollow linear support 103A, and illustratively, each motor <NUM> is used for driving one lift propeller; at least one air inlet and air outlet (not shown), wherein air enters from the air inlet near the front end of the linear support 103A and flows out from the air outlet near the rear end thereof; and a fan <NUM> which is arranged in the linear support 103A to supply the air from an external environment to the interior of the hollow linear support.

In one embodiment, the fan is arranged at a position close to the front end of the linear support, and thus airflow A in the linear support may flow through the linear support more quickly to take away all heat in the hollow interior more quickly.

In one embodiment, the linear support is in a straight configuration which is in favor of improving the overall strength of the unmanned aerial vehicle.

In one embodiment, at least one air inlet is provided at a position close to the front end of the linear support, which is in favor of enabling the air caused by the flight movement during the flight of the unmanned aerial vehicle to enter the linear support more quickly.

In one embodiment, at least one air outlet is provided at a position close to the rear end of the linear support, and thus the airflow in the linear support may cover the entire interior of the linear support, and the heat dissipation of the entire interior of the linear support is achieved.

In an example helpful for understanding the invention, the cooling system further comprises a pod which is detachably attached to the bottom face of the unmanned aerial vehicle, wherein the pod is a passenger pod or a cargo pod. By means of the arrangement mode as above, a structure of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be flexibly adjusted; in accordance with the actual conditions, the pod may be installed when needed, and may be detached when not needed, and therefore the unmanned aerial vehicle may be flexibly used in response to different requirements, and the adaptability of the unmanned aerial vehicle is improved.

The heat dissipation in the arm of the unmanned aerial vehicle may be achieved by adopting the cooling system for the unmanned aerial vehicle provided by the invention.

Many variations and modifications may be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the appended claims. Thus, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments are presented for the purpose of example only and should not be taken as limiting the embodiments defined by the appended claims.

Claim 1:
A cooling system for an unmanned aerial vehicle, comprising:
a hollow linear support (103A; 103B);
a plurality of lift propellers (108A; 108B; 108C; 108D; 108E; 108F) which are arranged on the linear support (103A; 103B);
a plurality of motors (<NUM>) for driving the lift propellers, wherein each motor (<NUM>) is used for driving one lift propeller, and the plurality of motors (<NUM>) are arranged in the linear support (103A; 103B);
at least one air inlet (<NUM>) which is provided on the linear support (103A; 103B);
at least one air outlet (<NUM>) which is provided on the linear support (103A; 103B);
a fan (<NUM>) which is arranged in the linear support (103A; 103B) to supply air from an external environment to an interior of the hollow linear support (103A; 103B); and
wherein a diameter or width of each air inlet (<NUM>) in the at least one air inlet (<NUM>) is less than a radius of the linear support (103A; 103B).