Patent Application
20230348067
The present disclosure generally relates to unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
UAVs, including drones, are aircraft without a human pilot aboard. Conventional drones have various configurations (e.g., multiple rotors), a camera, and a global positioning system (GPS). Multirotor drones are able to capture images during flight using the camera. Components of a UAVs, such as processors and other electronics, develop heat during use.
In the drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, like numerals may describe similar components in different views. Like numerals having different letter suffixes may represent different instances of similar components. Some examples are illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which:
A UAV including a shroud with cooling openings to cool electronics in the UAV. The shroud includes propeller openings for respective propellers. The propeller openings include intake openings that draw air from outside the shroud into the shroud to cool UAV components. The propeller openings are formed at an interface between an upper portion of the shroud and a lower portion of the shroud. The UAV includes a selector, such as a dial, including exit openings under the selector that provide air outflow from the shroud.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the examples will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following and the accompanying drawings or may be learned by production or operation of the examples. The objects and advantages of the present subject matter may be realized and attained by means of the methodologies, instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
The description that follows includes systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products illustrative of examples of the disclosure. In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide an understanding of various examples of the disclosed subject matter. It will be evident, however, to those skilled in the art, that examples of the disclosed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In general, well-known instruction instances, protocols, structures, and techniques are not necessarily shown in detail.
The terms and expressions used herein are understood to have the ordinary meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressions with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein. Relational terms such as first and second and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” “including,” or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises or includes a list of elements or steps does not include only those elements or steps but may include other elements or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element preceded by “a” or “an” does not, without further constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.
The term “coupled” as used herein refers to any logical, optical, physical, or electrical connection, link or the like by which signals or light produced or supplied by one system element are imparted to another coupled element. Unless described otherwise, coupled elements or devices are not necessarily directly connected to one another and may be separated by intermediate components, elements or communication media that may modify, manipulate, or carry the light or signals.
Reference now is made in detail to the examples illustrated in the accompanying drawings and discussed below.
Commercial UAVs typically include a camera for imaging the earth and other objects below, for instance, capturing still images and video. In some versions, the camera is fixed to the UAV, without the use of a gimbal for selectively positioning the camera. More complicated UAVs include an electronic receiver and an electronically configurable gimble and camera. A remotely located controller establishes a wireless link with the receiver of the UAV to control the UAV and the camera. The electronic receiver, electrically controllable gimbles, and cameras are expensive, fragile, and mechanically complex, and add to the weight and bulkiness of the UAV. Additionally, some of the components generate heat during use that can impact the performance of these components.
The shroud 12 has smooth surfaces and peripheral edges 22 and is sized such that it can fit in a garment (e.g., a pocket of pants or a jacket). The peripheral edges 22 are rounded such that there are no sharp edges, allowing the UAV 10 to be easily slipped into the pocket without damage to the UAV 10. The smooth surfaces and peripheral edges 22 also provide an elegant aesthetic design.
The shroud 12 includes a rectangular upper portion 30 and a rectangular lower portion 32 (
An annular air intake vent 36 is formed at the interface 34 in the cylindrical wall 18 between the upper portion 30 and the lower portion 32. A respective air intake vent 36 surrounds and is adjacent to each of the propellers 14. The air intake vent 36 includes a plurality of air intake openings 38 configured to draw air in from the respective openings 16 for delivery to electronics 40 disposed in the shroud 12.
Air pressure created by the rotating propeller 14 causes air to flow through the respective openings 38 of the intake vent 36 from an exterior of the shroud 12 into the shroud 12, to flow through the shroud 12 (e.g., along an air flow path 54 flowing adjacent components within the shroud 12;
The UAV 10 also includes a selector 44, such as a dial, configured to be moved by a user to select functions of the electronics 40, such as a flight path stored in memory of the electronics 40.
When the battery 74 is stowed, as shown in
At block 1002, a user inserts the battery 74 into the cavity 82 such that the protrusion 94 of the battery 74 is inserted into the flange 92 at the rear portion of the cavity 82 as shown in
At block 1004, the user pushes the battery 74 completely into the cavity 82 such that the battery 74 lies flat in the shroud 71 and the outer surface 76 of the battery is flush with the bottom surface 78 of the housing 71 as shown in
At block 1102, air is drawn from outside the shroud 12 into the shroud 12 via the openings 38 of the air inflow vent 36. The rotating propellers 14 create pressurized air that directs an inflow of air from outside the shroud 12 into the shroud 12 through the openings 38 that encompass the respective opening 16.
At block 1104, the inflow of air is routed through the shroud 12 and toward the electronics 40. The airflow circulates within the shroud 12 and about the electronics 40 to cool the electronics 40. The airflow draws heat from the electronics as it passes adjacent the electronics.
At block 1106, the heated airflow is expelled from the shroud 12 via the openings 52 of the air outflow vent 50.
In addition, in the foregoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features are grouped together in various examples for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed examples require more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, the subject matter to be protected lies in less than all features of any single disclosed example. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.
The examples illustrated herein are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed. Other examples may be used and derived therefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes may be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The Detailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of various examples is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
