CN109987222A - Unmanned aerial vehicle, power train and method of reducing air resistance in unmanned aerial vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

A kind of unmanned plane, powertrain and the method for reducing the air drag in unmanned plane, wherein motor arrangement is in support arm or in wing, so that motor drive shaft is parallel to the longitudinal axis of support arm or wing.It is arranged to for torque to be transmitted to the propeller of UAV from motor drive shaft with connector.Solve the problems, such as that air mechanics contour and the air drag of existing aircraft are big, provide the lightweight motor for UAV with and usage thereof.

Description

Unmanned aerial vehicle, power train and method of reducing air resistance in unmanned aerial vehicle

technical field

The present invention relates to the structure of a lightweight motor, and more particularly, to a lightweight motor for an unmanned aerial vehicle (unmanned aerial vehicle, ie, UAV) and an unmanned aerial vehicle having the same. man piloted aircraft. While the present invention is applicable to any drone or aircraft, it is particularly applicable to fixed-wing drones and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) multi-rotor drones because of their low profile and aerodynamics designed to minimize drag during flight.

Background technique

Typically, drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that are remotely piloted or autonomously flown by a user. Unmanned aerial vehicles are known to perform various functions in military applications and civilian use. In particular, drones can carry useful payloads, capture images or images, data collection, and environmental surveys. Some drones are considered fixed-wing drones and generally fly longer and faster. There are also drones that are considered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) multi-rotor drones, which generally fly at a slower speed when compared to fixed-wing drones.

The related art VTOL multi-rotor unmanned aircraft consists of a main body and a plurality of propellers, and the propellers are all driven by motors. The number of propellers is generally an even number such as four, six or eight. The motors are supported on radially extending support arms. VTOL multi-rotor drones have multiple propellers, each with a plane of rotation roughly parallel to the ground, allowing the VTOL drone to take off and land vertically.

The fixed-wing unmanned aircraft of the related art generally has a fuselage, a pair of wings, and a pair of horizontal stabilizers. Traditional fixed-wing drones use runways for takeoff and landing. However, fixed-wing drones are also known to have propellers, each with a plane of rotation generally parallel to the ground, allowing the fixed-wing drone to take off and land vertically similar to a VTOL multi-rotor drone.

Whether it is a VTOL multi-rotor drone or a fixed-wing drone with vertical take-off and landing capability, the propellers in these drones are driven by motors. Each motor is configured to drive a propeller. Each motor is placed in a motor housing.

Recently, VTOL multi-rotor drones designed for civilian use equipped with four, six or eight propellers are widely used. In these drones, the motor that drives each propeller is located directly below each propeller in a prominent motor housing.

There is a constant need for new methods of designing the aerodynamics of VTOL multi-rotor drones and fixed-wing drones.

All referenced patents, applications, and documents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Further, in the event that the definition or use of a term in a reference incorporated by reference is inconsistent with or contrary to the definition of the term provided herein, the definition of the term provided herein applies and the definition of the term in the reference does not apply . The disclosed embodiments may attempt to meet one or more of the above-mentioned desires. While the present embodiments may circumvent one or more of the above requirements, it should be understood that some aspects of these embodiments may not necessarily require circumventing them.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In order to solve the problems of high aerodynamic profile and air resistance of existing aircraft, the present invention provides a lightweight motor for unmanned aircraft and the use thereof.

An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) having at least one motor, each motor having a motor shaft; at least one propeller, each propeller having a propeller shaft, wherein each propeller is driven by a motor. The propeller shaft may be positioned at an angle of 90 degrees to 135 degrees relative to the motor shaft.

Preferably, there may be a motor shaft gear connected with the motor shaft, and a propeller gear connected with the propeller shaft, wherein the motor shaft gear can be in meshing contact with the propeller gear.

Preferably, there may be a connector having a first end connected to the motor shaft and a second end connected to the propeller shaft. The link transmits torque from the first motor to the first propeller.

Preferably, the link is a gear system.

Preferably, the drone is a fixed-wing drone with wings, wherein the motor is arranged in the wing and the propeller is arranged on the top side of the wing.

Preferably, the motor is an inner rotor motor.

Preferably, the unmanned aerial vehicle is a multi-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle having a body and at least one support arm connecting the body to the at least one propeller, and wherein the motors are each arranged on the support inside the arm.

A powertrain of a drone, wherein the drone has at least one hoisting propeller driven by the powertrain, the powertrain comprising a motor having a motor shaft, and wherein the motor is arranged on a wing of the drone or inside the support arm. There may be a connector to physically connect the motor shaft to the propeller, thereby transferring torque from the motor shaft to the propeller.

Preferably, the motor shaft may be substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the wing or support arm on which the motor is located.

Preferably, the drone may be a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone, and the motor may be an inner rotor motor.

Preferably, the drone may be a fixed-wing drone, and the motor may be an inner rotor motor.

A method of reducing air resistance in a drone, the method may include placing a motor within a wing or support arm of the drone, wherein the motor axis of the motor may be substantially parallel to the wing or support on which the motor is located longitudinal axis of the arm.

Preferably, the axis of rotation of the propeller may be perpendicular to the horizontal axis of the drone, and the axis of rotation may be at an angle between 90 degrees and 135 degrees relative to the motor shaft.

Preferably, the axis of rotation may be at an angle of 90 degrees relative to the motor shaft.

Preferably, the motor may be placed within the first portion of the wing, wherein the thickness of the second portion of the wing directly adjoining the first portion may be substantially similar to the thickness of the first portion.

Accordingly, the present disclosure is directed to an unmanned aerial vehicle having a powertrain having a novel arrangement, and a method of making an unmanned aerial vehicle with an enhanced aerodynamic profile. The present disclosure also relates to a method of minimizing air resistance on an aircraft, whether the aircraft is manned or unmanned, and regardless of the size of the aircraft.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller can be strategically placed where the motor shaft of the motor is not coaxial with the propeller shaft.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller can be strategically placed so that the motor shaft of the motor is at an angle of between 90 degrees and 135 degrees to the propeller shaft.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller may be strategically placed such that the motor shaft of the motor is at an angle of between 45 degrees and 135 degrees to the propeller shaft.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller may be strategically placed so that the motor shaft of the motor is at an angle of between 55 and 135 degrees to the propeller shaft.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller may be strategically placed at an angle at which the motor shaft of the motor may be substantially parallel to the ground during flight.

Preferably, the motor driving the hoisting propeller can be connected through a transmission so that the motor does not directly drive the hoisting propeller.

Preferably, the motor driving the hoisting propeller can be connected by a gear set, so that the motor drives the hoisting propeller indirectly.

Preferably, the motor driving the hoisting propeller can be sized to fit within the support arm or wing to which the propeller is coupled, without requiring a separate motor housing.

Preferably, the motor driving the lift propeller can be discreetly placed within the support arm or wing to which the propeller is coupled, without substantially altering the external aerodynamic profile of the support arm or wing.

Additionally, it is contemplated that the aerodynamic profile of the drone could be improved by eliminating the use of motor housings that house the motors. Alternatively, the motor may be an inner rotor motor sized to fit within the support arm or wing.

Preferably, wherein the transmission mechanism can be used to transmit the torque produced by the motor to the propeller, wherein the motor is not placed directly below the propeller shaft.

In many possible implementations of an embodiment, the drone may have a support arm with more than one propeller on the same support arm. This one support arm may have more than one motor arranged within the same support arm in any of the methods disclosed. For example, a motor at one end of the support arm may indirectly drive the first propeller. Another motor at the opposite end of the support arm can drive the other propeller indirectly. Optionally, a third motor may be provided in the middle portion of the support arm (or anywhere between the two ends of the support arm) to indirectly drive the third propeller.

Another aspect of this embodiment is directed to a method of driving more than one propeller coupled to a single support arm, wherein each motor driving each propeller is carefully placed within the single support arm such that the motor shaft of each motor is substantially Parallel to the longitudinal axis of the single support arm. In this embodiment, the single support arm may have substantially the same outer profile over the entire length of the support arm.

While this specification contains many specific implementation details, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment or what may be claimed, but as descriptions of features of a particular implementation specific to a particular embodiment. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate implementations can also be implemented in combination in a single implementation. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single implementation can also be implemented in multiple partial implementations separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be contextually described as functioning in certain combinations, and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination may in some cases be deleted from that combination, and all Claimed combinations may be directed to subcombinations or variations of subcombinations.

A number of implementations have been described. It should be understood, however, that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. For example, operations, methods, or processes described herein may include more or fewer steps than those described. Furthermore, steps in these example operations, methods or processes may be performed in an order other than that shown or described in the figures. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.

The details of one or more implementations of the subject matter described in this disclosure are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, drawings and claims.

Description of drawings

It should be noted that the drawings may be in simplified form and may not be to precise scale. With reference to the disclosure herein, for purposes of convenience and clarity only, directions such as top, bottom, left, right, up, down, over, over, under, under, back, front, far and near are used with reference to the drawings. the term. Such directional terms should not be construed to limit the scope of the embodiments in any way.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a prior art fixed wing unmanned aircraft showing each wing with support arms and bulky motor housings located at the ends of each support arm.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of a prior art VTOL multi-rotor drone showing four support arms and a bulky motor housing at the end of each support arm.

3 is a bottom perspective view of one embodiment of a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft, showing each wing having a support arm and the end of each support arm having a low profile profile.

Figure 4 is a side perspective view of one embodiment of a support arm with a motor at its end using gears to drive a propeller shaft which in turn drives the propeller.

5 is a side perspective view of an exemplary support arm having three propellers, each propeller driven by a discreetly placed motor.

6 is a side perspective view of another exemplary support arm having three propellers, each driven by a discreetly placed motor. The intermediate propeller is arranged on the underside of the support arm.

7 is a side perspective view of yet another exemplary support arm having three propellers, each propelled by a discreetly placed motor. One of the three propellers is on the opposite side of the other two.

8 is a top perspective view of an embodiment of a VTOL multi-rotor drone in which the motors driving each propeller are discreetly positioned in each support arm.

FIG. 9 is a side perspective view of the embodiment of FIG. 8 .

Figure 10 is an illustration of a considered VTOL multi-rotor drone where the motors driving each propeller are discreetly placed within each support arm and each support arm is at an angle of inclination when the propellers are parallel to the ground .

Figure 11 is an illustration of another considered VTOL multi-rotor drone where the motors driving each propeller are discreetly placed within each support arm and each support arm is not parallel to the ground when the propellers are not parallel to the ground. at an inclined angle.

Figure 12 is a perspective side view of the end of the support arm of Figure 10 showing gears meshing at an oblique angle when the propeller is parallel to the ground.

Figure 13 is a perspective side view of the end of the support arm of Figure 11 showing gears meshing at right angles when the plane of rotation of the propeller is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm.

14 is a top perspective view of one embodiment of a fixed wing unmanned aircraft in which the propeller is positioned on the wing and the motor driving the propeller is discreetly positioned within the wing without substantially altering the outer profile of the wing.

Figure 15 is a front view of one embodiment of a fixed wing unmanned aircraft with propellers positioned on the ends of each of the two wings. The motors that drive each propeller are shown in this perspective view positioned in the wing without substantially altering the aerodynamic profile of the wing, as the motors are carefully placed.

Figure 16 is a front view of one embodiment of a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft with two propellers positioned on each of the two wings, respectively. The electric motors that drive each propeller are shown in this perspective view as being located in the wing without substantially altering the aerodynamic profile of the wing because the motors are carefully placed.

Figure 17 is a front view of one embodiment of a fixed wing unmanned aircraft with propellers disposed on the mid-section of each of the two wings. The motors that drive each propeller are shown in this perspective view as being located in the wing without substantially altering the aerodynamic profile of the wing because the motors are carefully placed.

18 is a cross-sectional view of the airfoil of FIG. 16 showing the meshing of two gears to transfer torque from the motor to the propeller, according to an aspect of the disclosed embodiments.

Detailed ways

Various aspects of the various embodiments may now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description of the embodiments, given as exemplary embodiments of the embodiments defined in the claims. It is expressly understood that the embodiments defined by the claims may be broader than the illustrated embodiments described below.

As used herein, the term "unmanned aircraft" refers to a drone, whether unmanned (ie, UAV) or designed to carry passengers. For example, it could be a fixed-wing aircraft light enough to carry in the hands of a small child, it could be a fixed-wing aircraft large enough to carry more than a few passengers, or it could be any such example of weight and size that falls between these two extremes between planes. In one example, it could be a multi-rotor small enough to fit in the palm of a user, it could be a multi-rotor large enough to carry more than a few passengers, or it could be a size that falls in between these two extremes multi-rotor aircraft.

The inventors have found that the aerodynamic profile of an unmanned aircraft is generally negatively affected by the size and shape of the motor driving the lift propeller. Lifting propellers for drones are generally found in multi-rotor drones. Some fixed-wing drones may also have lifting propellers to enable the fixed-wing drone to take off and land vertically.

Referring first to FIG. 1 , a basic model of a fixed-wing unmanned aircraft 100 is generally depicted. In this prior art fixed wing drone 100 , the fixed wing drone 100 has a fuselage 2 and two main wings 30 extending from the front of the fuselage 2 . A support arm 20 is provided on each main wing 30 . The support arm 20 has a generally elongated tubular structure, and one end extends beyond the leading edge of the main wing 30 and the opposite end extends to the trailing edge of the main wing 30 . The main purpose of the support arm 20 in the prior art drone 100 is to hold and support the motor housing at the end of the support arm 20 . The support arm 20 is generally elongated to keep the motor housing 41 away from the main wing 30 . The motor housing 41 in these prior art generally has a very bulky short cylindrical outer profile with a central axis substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the support arm 20 . To some extent, the prior art motor housing 41 and support arm 20 are similar in structure to a hammer head and hammer handle. Some drone manufacturers try to camouflage the awkward structure by masking the structure with an aerodynamic shell (not shown), making the overall drone bulky, albeit with more aerodynamic performance. Beneath the bulky aerodynamic housing of such prior art designs, there remains a bulky motor that directly drives the propeller, the propeller being located directly above the bulky motor.

The prior art fixed wing drone has a vertical stabilizer 4 at its rear end, and two horizontal stabilizers 6 attached to the vertical stabilizer 4 . On each horizontal stabilizer, there are elevators that adjust the pitch angle of the drone 100 . On the trailing edge of the vertical stabilizer 4 there are rudders to control the yaw angle of the drone 100 .

In Figure 2, a known prior art VTOL multi-rotor drone 200 has a body 1 from which support arms 20 extend radially. In this particular example, there are four support arms 29 extending radially from the body 1 . On the distal end of each support arm 20 is a motor housing 41 which encases the motor which directly drives the lift propeller 10 directly above it. The camera 3 is arranged below the main body 1 to aerially photograph the predetermined target below. As discussed above, the support arm 20/motor housing 41 combination resembles a hammer and creates a hindrance due to its aerodynamic profile. Attempts have been made to improve the aerodynamic profile by covering the support arm 20 and motor housing 41 combination with a heavier but more aerodynamic housing (not shown). However, the arrangement and design of the internal components in these prior art VTOL multi-rotor drones remain as they are.

Referring now to the details of FIG. 3 , a fixed wing unmanned aircraft is shown having a fuselage 102 and two main wings 130 extending from both sides of the fuselage 102 . On each of the two main wings 130 , a support arm 120 may be provided which extends over the middle portion of the main wing 130 and extends beyond the leading edge of the main wing 130 at the front end and beyond the trailing edge of the main wing 130 at the rear end . Two propellers 110 are coupled to each support arm 120 . In this particular embodiment, the propeller 110 is located on the end of the support arm 120 . Unlike prior art designs, no motor housing is provided below each propeller 110 .

In other words, as shown in FIG. 3, each of the support arms 120 is free at its end from being attached to an object that is substantially larger or wider than the support arm 120 itself. In fact, the support arms 120 in this particular embodiment can minimize air resistance and improve the aerodynamic profile of the drone.

As shown in Figure 3, the fixed wing drone also has a vertical stabilizer 104 at the rear end of the drone. A rudder 109 is attached to the vertical stabilizer 104 to change the yaw angle of the drone. Near the top of the vertical stabilizer 104 are two horizontal stabilizers 106 . Attached to the trailing edge of each of the two horizontal stabilizers 106 are elevators that change the pitch angle of the drone.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, the version of the unmanned aircraft shown in FIG. 3 is but one example of the disclosed embodiments. The position of the lift propeller 110 can easily be changed according to the aesthetic or functional requirements of a particular application. For example, as will be described below, the drone may be a canard or a multi-rotor drone.

In other examples to be discussed later, the lift propeller 110 may even be positioned in the middle portion of the support arm 120 , or the lift propeller 110 may even be positioned anywhere on the main wing 130 .

Although this particular embodiment discloses the use of a 2-blade propeller 110, it should be understood that other numbers of blades per propeller 110 may be used.

Considered fixed-wing drones can be constructed from suitable lightweight materials to withstand extreme climatic conditions, including natural and synthetic polymers, various metals and metal alloys, naturally occurring materials, textile fibers and their All reasonable combinations.

FIG. 4 shows one way of how the internal components are arranged to drive the lift propeller as described in FIG. 3 . In FIG. 4 , as shown in FIG. 4 , the end of the support arm 120 may cover the motor 140 to drive the propeller 110 . The motor 140 may have a motor shaft 141 , which is generally arranged near the central axis region of the motor 140 . The motor shaft 141 rotates, thereby turning the drive gear 142 that can be directly attached to the motor shaft 141 . The drive gear 142 may be in meshing contact with the propeller gear 144 . The rotation plane of the driving gear 141 and the rotation plane of the propeller gear 144 are at right angles. As will be described later in other embodiments, depending on the specific design and application of the drone, the plane of rotation of the drive gear 141 and the plane of rotation of the propeller gear 144 may be at angles other than right angles.

As further shown in FIG. 4 , the motor shaft 141 may be substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 . In some embodiments, such as the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , the motor shaft 141 may be substantially coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 .

The operation of this embodiment is straightforward. The motor 140 may be powered by a power source (not shown) and its motor shaft 141 rotates, thereby rotating the drive gear 142 . The drive gear 142 also rotates the propeller gear 144 while meshing with the propeller gear 144 . Propeller gear 144 may be attached to propeller shaft 114 , which may be attached to the blades of propeller 110 . Each propeller blade has a tip 112 and a root 113 . Root 113 of propeller 110 may be connected to propeller shaft 114 via hub 111 .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4 , a portion of the propeller shaft 114 , the entire propeller gear 144 , the entire drive gear 142 , and the entire motor 140 are encased in or near the support arm tips 122 .

The embodiment of FIG. 3 can also be used in a canard UAV with canard wings on the front. Therein, each support arm 120 may span the main wing 130 and the canard wing. Structural integrity is enhanced by spanning the main wing 130 and the canard. Each support arm 120 may have more than two lift propellers 110 . Here, in addition to having two lifting propellers 110 respectively located at opposite ends of the support arm, a third lifting propeller 110 is disposed near the middle portion of the support arm 120 .

The front lifting propeller 110 may face downward, the middle lifting propeller 110 may face upward, and the rear lifting propeller 110 may face downward. This arrangement may allow two adjacent lift propellers 110 to be placed closer together so that their circular ranges of motion may overlap in top view, but their blades do not physically touch each other. Whether the lift propellers 110 are facing up or down, they can be designed to push air down depending on the angle of the propeller blades and/or the direction of the propeller rotation.

Other possible arrangements are also possible. Figure 5 shows an embodiment in which all three lift propellers 110 of the support arm 120 may be facing upwards. FIG. 6 shows an embodiment in which the two end lift propellers 110 of the support arm 120 may face upwards and the middle section lift propellers 110 may face downwards. FIG. 7 shows another embodiment in which one end of the support arm 120 may face upwardly with the lifting propellers 110 and the other two lifting propellers 110 may face downwards.

It is important to understand that in the embodiment of FIG. 3 , a good aerodynamic profile is particularly desirable since fixed-wing drone 200 is generally capable of relatively faster flight than multi-rotor drone 100 . For any fast flying drone, aerodynamic profile and air resistance are important issues that can affect aircraft power/fuel consumption, speed and endurance. By having a very small motor to directly drive the propeller, simply miniaturizing prior art designs would not be feasible for small drones where the support arms 120 are too small and A motor large enough to drive the propeller 110 directly cannot be encased. Direct drive is defined as using a motor to drive the propeller, where the motor shaft of the motor and the propeller shaft are coaxial.

In the contemplated embodiments, motor 140 may be any type of motor capable of producing a sufficient amount of torque. Special consideration is given to inner rotor motors.

FIG. 8 generally depicts the basic design of a contemplated embodiment in which a VTOL multi-rotor unmanned aircraft may implement the powertrain design of the present disclosure. In FIG. 8 , the VTOL multi-rotor drone may have four support arms 120 , each support arm 120 supporting the lift propeller 110 . Although only four support arms 120 and four lift propellers 110 are shown, those of ordinary skill in the art will immediately recognize that other numbers of support arms 120 and lift propellers 110 may implement the powertrain designs of the present disclosure. For example, a VTOL multi-rotor drone with six support arms, each with two lift propellers (one at the top and one at the bottom, both coaxial at the distal end of the support arm) may also implement the disclosed features. Motion transfer system.

The VTOL multi-rotor drone in FIG. 8 may have an optional camera 103 attached below the body 101 . Each lift propeller 110 has a root 113 and is attached to the propeller shaft via a hub 111 as previously described. These lift propellers 110 may be arranged at or near the support arm tip 122 of each support arm 120 .

As further shown in FIG. 9, each support arm 120 is substantially flush with the body 101 of the drone.

Designs are possible where each support arm 120 is angled to the body 101 of the drone. In Figures 10 and 11, the support arm 120 is at a fixed angle inclined upward. The design in Figure 10 differs from the design in Figure 11 in that the plane of rotation of their hoisting propellers is different. In FIG. 10 , the plane of rotation of its hoisting propeller is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 to which the hoisting propeller 110 is coupled. In Figure 11, the plane of rotation of its hoisting propeller remains substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 to which the hoisting propeller 110 is coupled.

Figures 12 and 13 show the meshing of drive gear 142 with propeller gear 144 in the design of Figures 11 and 12.

As shown in FIG. 12 , an exemplary powertrain is shown in which the plane of rotation of the lift propeller may be at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 to which the lift propeller 110 is coupled. In other words, drive gear 142 may mesh with propeller gear 144 at approximately 45 degrees. The motor shaft 141 of the motor 140 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 .

12, an exemplary powertrain is shown in which the plane of rotation of the lift propeller may be at an angle of approximately 90 degrees to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 to which the lift propeller 110 is coupled. In other words, drive gear 142 may mesh with propeller gear 144 at approximately 90 degrees. The motor shaft 141 of the motor 140 is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm 120 . However, the support arm 120 is inclined at an angle relative to the horizontal axis of the VTOL multi-rotor drone.

In other embodiments, drive gear 142 may mesh with propeller gear 144 between 40-90 degrees.

FIG. 13 illustrates only one example of the powertrain of FIG. 11 in greater detail. Here, the arrangement in FIG. 13 is similar to that previously described and shown in FIG. 4 , except that the arrangement in FIG. 13 has the support arms 120 at a fixed angle of inclination.

Although the above-described embodiments disclose the use of a drive gear and propeller gear meshed together to transfer torque at an angle without coaxial or direct drive, it should be understood that other types of connectors or drive gears or connecting rod to perform the same function as the disclosed gear.

The gears under consideration can be made of suitable materials to withstand temperature extremes and durability over time, such materials include natural and synthetic polymers, various metals and metal alloys, naturally occurring materials, textile fibers, Glass and ceramic materials and all their reasonable combinations.

Figure 14 generally depicts the basic structure of a fixed wing unmanned aircraft according to one of the disclosed embodiments. Here, the main wing 130 is coupled to the fuselage 102 and may have a propeller 110 attached to the tip 131 of the main wing 130 . The propeller 110 has a blade tip 112 and a blade root 113 . Propeller 110 is coupled to main wing 130 via hub 111 . The propeller 110 may be driven with a similar arrangement of carefully placed motors and gears.

The propeller 110 allows vertical takeoff and landing of the fixed wing drone and is contemplated for placement on the main wing 130 in various positions.

In one particular embodiment as shown in Figure 15, a fixed wing drone may have two fixed wings 130, and each of the two fixed wings 130 may have a propeller 110 attached to its distal end .

In another particular embodiment as shown in Figure 16, a fixed wing drone may have two fixed wings 130, and each of the two fixed wings 130 may have two propellers 110 attached thereto . One is located at the distal end of the wing 130 and the other is located at the middle portion of the wing 130 .

In yet another particular embodiment as shown in FIG. 17 , a fixed wing drone may have two fixed wings 130 , and each of the two fixed wings 130 may have one in the middle portion of the wing 130 Propeller 110 attached thereto.

These particular designs allow fixed wing drones to have propellers 110 without the need for support arms. Support arms can add extra weight to the drone and can negatively impact the drone's aerodynamic profile.

As further shown in FIG. 18 , a side perspective view of the wing 130 is shown with a motor disposed within the wing 130 with the motor shaft substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the wing 130 . The motor shaft is attached to drive gear 142 whose plane of rotation is perpendicular to the plane of rotation of propeller 110 . Drive gear 142 meshes with propeller gear 144 . When the drive gear 142 rotates, the propeller gear 144 also rotates. The ratio of the two gears can vary.

Propeller gear 144 is attached to propeller shaft 114 . When propeller gear 144 turns, it also turns propeller shaft 114 in the same direction. The propeller shaft 114 is connected to the propeller blades via the hub 111 . The propeller blade consists of a root portion 113 and a tip portion 112 .

It should be particularly noted that although only helical gears are shown in the figures, all types of gears are contemplated for use with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. For example, the following types of gears or combinations thereof can be used: spur, helical, parallel helical, internal, external, spiral bevel, helical, cross helical, spur bevel, worm and hypoid gear.

It should also be particularly noted that although two meshing gears of similar size and diameter are shown in the figures, any of the disclosed embodiments may use gears of different sizes and gear ratios to achieve different torques output or speed output.

One aspect of the present invention is directed to a method of improving the aerodynamic profile of an unmanned aircraft, whether multi-rotor unmanned aircraft or fixed-wing unmanned aircraft. In one aspect of the present disclosure, the method includes placing a drive motor within a wing or support arm coupled to the propeller. A drive motor may be arranged within the wing or support arm, wherein the motor shaft is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the support arm or wing in which the motor is arranged.

Considered methods may also include using a connector to drive the hoisting propeller indirectly, so that the motor can drive the hoisting propeller even if the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft of the motor is not coaxial with the propeller shaft.

Alternatively, a contemplated method could include using a connector to drive the hoisting propeller indirectly, so that the motor can still drive the hoisting propeller even if the longitudinal axis of the motor shaft of the motor is at an angle to the propeller shaft. This angle can be between 75 degrees and 135 degrees. In another embodiment, the angle can be any value between 90 degrees and 120 degrees. In yet another embodiment, the angle may be any value between 90 degrees and 85 degrees.

Similarly, although operations and/or methods may be depicted in the figures in a particular order, this should not be construed as requiring that such operations be performed in the particular order shown or sequential order, or that all illustrated operations be performed and/or method steps to achieve desired results. In some cases, multithreading and parallel processing may be advantageous.

Numerous changes and modifications can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, it must be understood that the described embodiments are presented for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered limiting of the embodiments defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that elements of the claims are set forth below in specific combinations, it must be expressly understood that embodiments include other combinations of fewer, more or different elements disclosed herein, even if not originally described as such claim in combination.

Accordingly, specific embodiments and applications of light motors for unmanned aircraft have been disclosed. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that more modifications than those already described are possible without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments are not to be limited except as subject of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting the specification and claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms "comprising" and "comprising" should be interpreted as referring to elements, components or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced element, component or step may be present, or utilized, or in combination with other elements not expressly referenced , a combination of components or steps. Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter now known or later devised by those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly considered to be equivalents within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, obvious substitutions now or later known to one of ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. The claims are therefore to be understood to include what has been specifically shown and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what is obviously substituted, and what substantially combines the basic idea of the embodiments. Additionally, where the description and claims relate to at least one item selected from the group consisting of A, B, C... and N. The text should be interpreted as requiring at least one element from a combination that includes N, not A+N, or B+N, etc.

Words used in this specification to describe various embodiments should be understood not only in their commonly defined meanings, but also should be included in specific definitions within the structure of the specification, materials or acts beyond the scope of the commonly defined meanings. Thus, if an element can be understood in the context of this specification to include more than one meaning, its use in a claim must be understood as being generic to all possible meanings supported by the specification and the text itself.

Thus, the definitions of words or elements in the following claims include not only combinations of the elements literally recited, but also all equivalent structures, materials, or acts for performing substantially the same function in substantially the same way to obtain Basically the same result. In this sense, therefore, it is contemplated that for any one element in the claims below, equivalents of two or more elements may be substituted, or a single element may be substituted for two or more elements of the claims . Although elements may be described above as functioning in certain combinations and even initially required to do so, it is expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination may in some cases be excluded from the combination, and Claimed combinations may be directed to subcombinations or variations of subcombinations.

Claims (17)

1. a kind of unmanned plane, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane includes:

First motor, first motor have motor drive shaft；

First propeller, first propeller have propeller shaft, level of the propeller shaft perpendicular to the unmanned plane Axis, first propeller are driven by first motor；And

Wherein, propeller shaft is relative to the motor drive shaft with the angle arrangement between 90 degree to 135 degree.

2. unmanned plane as described in claim 1, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane further include: couple with the motor drive shaft Motor-axis gear, the propeller gear coupled with the propeller shaft；The motor-axis gear is engaged with the propeller gear Contact.

3. unmanned plane as described in claim 1, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane further includes having a first end and a second end Connector, the first end connect motor drive shaft, and the second end connects propeller shaft, and the connector is by torque from described first Motor is transmitted to first propeller.

4. unmanned plane as claimed in claim 2, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane is the fixation wing pilotless with wing Aircraft, wherein first motor is set in the wing, and first propeller is set to the top side of the wing.

5. unmanned plane as claimed in claim 4, which is characterized in that the motor is inner rotor motor.

6. unmanned plane as claimed in claim 2, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane is more rotor UAVs, described There is more rotor UAVs main body the main body to be connected to the support arm of first propeller at least one, In, first motor arrangement is at least one described support arm.

7. a kind of powertrain of unmanned plane, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane has to be driven by the powertrain Propeller is promoted, the powertrain includes:

Motor, the motor have motor drive shaft,

Wherein, the motor arrangement is in the wing or support arm of the unmanned plane,

Wherein, longitudinal axis of the motor drive shaft substantially perpendicular to the wing or the support arm where the motor； And

The motor drive shaft is physically connected to the propeller by connector, to torque is transmitted to from the motor drive shaft described Propeller.

8. powertrain as claimed in claim 7, which is characterized in that the connector is gear set.

9. powertrain as claimed in claim 8, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane is that vertical take-off and landing unmanned drive flies Machine, and the motor is inner rotor motor.

10. powertrain as claimed in claim 8, which is characterized in that the unmanned plane is fixed-wing UAV, The motor is inner rotor motor.

11. a kind of method for reducing the air drag in unmanned plane, which is characterized in that the described method includes:

Motor is placed in the wing or support arm of the unmanned plane, wherein the motor drive shaft of the motor is substantially parallel to institute State the longitudinal axis of the wing or the support arm where motor；With

Propeller is driven via gear using the motor, to provide lifting force.

12. method as claimed in claim 11, which is characterized in that the rotation axis of the propeller is perpendicular to the unmanned plane Horizontal axis, and the rotation axis relative to the motor drive shaft at the angle between 90 degree to 135 degree.

13. method as claimed in claim 12, which is characterized in that the rotary shaft is relative to the motor drive shaft at 90 degree of angle Degree.

14. method as claimed in claim 12, which is characterized in that the motor is placed in the first part of wing, In, the thickness of the second part of first part described in the direct neighbor of the wing is equal to the thickness of the first part.

15. method as claimed in claim 14, which is characterized in that the motor is inner rotor motor.

16. method as claimed in claim 12, which is characterized in that the motor is placed in the first part of support arm, Wherein, it is equal to the first part with the thickness of the second part of the support arm of first part's direct neighbor.

17. the method described in claim 16, which is characterized in that the motor is inner rotor motor.