Rotary-wing drone with gearless-drive and fast-mounting propellers

Abstract

Each propulsion unit of the drone comprises a propeller (20) and a rotary-cage synchronous electric motor whose stator is connected to the drone body. The propulsion unit in of the gearless type, the rotor of the motor being rotationally integral with the propeller hub (24). The rotor is integral with an upper flange (56) extending in a radial plane with respect to the axis of rotation. Reversible means are provided for the fast coupling of the propeller to the rotor, implementing studs (62) with an enlarged head (66) formed on the flange, which cooperate with homologous curvilinear buttonholes (32) formed on the hub. The switching from the decoupled position to the locked position is operated by relative rotation of the propeller hub with respect to the flange by a fraction of a turn, in an opposite direction with respect to the direction of rotation of the motor.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to rotary-wing unmanned aircraft, such as quad-propeller helicopters. Such an unmanned aerial vehicle has several propulsion units, each propulsion unit having a propeller driven by a respective electrical machine (ie motor). Different motors can be controlled in different ways to manipulate the orientation and speed of the drone. A typical example of this unmanned aircraft is the quadcopter of the Parrot company in Paris (the AR. Drone of Parrot SA, Paris). Background technique [0002] WO 2011 / 058257 A1 describes more precisely the structure of the propulsion units of such an unmanned aircraft, each of which comprises a propeller driven by an electric motor through a system for reducing the conventional very high rotational speed of the electric motor. In addition, the UAV propulsion unit extends below it by forming a raised portion of the pad on which the UAV can be supported when it is on the ground, thus avoiding ha...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

[0008] First, the vertical volume of the propeller unit includes the height of the motor, to which the thickness of the propeller is added, and the thickness of the propeller basically corresponds to the height of the blades, and at the same time, due to the gearless drive, the propeller must be located above the motor, continuing the rotating box

this volume is not conducive to the reduction in the size of unmanned aircraft mentioned above

[0009] Second, to install and disassemble each propeller, tools such as screwdrivers or wrenches are required, or additional locking parts are provided, but these locking parts are easily lost over time

If an interlocking fixing system is required, difficulties arise due to the fact that the propeller and the rotating box are integral and the latter is completely free to rotate when the motor is not powered

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