Drone Propulsion Pivot Assembly for Balanced Flight Stabilization

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aircraft designs face challenges in achieving optimal flight stabilization, particularly in drones, due to inadequate balancing mechanisms for propulsion assemblies.

Innovation Solution

The propulsion assemblies are mounted independently on a support body to pivot about a first pivot axis perpendicular to the propulsion direction, using actuators with redundancy and backlash prevention, while the fuselage is pivotably mounted on a second pivot axis, allowing for independent adjustments to achieve balanced flight.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If propulsion assemblies are rigidly fixed to the support body, then structural simplicity is maintained, but flight stabilization is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflight stabilizationVSAvoidmounting mechanism complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The propulsion assemblies are mounted to pivot independently about a first pivot axis perpendicular to the propulsion direction, transforming the rigid fixed mounting into a dynamic adjustable mounting. This allows the propulsion assemblies to change their orientation relative to the support body for flight stabilization while maintaining structural simplicity through a single pivot axis design

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If propulsion assemblies are mounted to pivot about a first pivot axis, then flight stabilization is improved, but additional pivoting about a second pivot axis may cause orientation instability

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveflight stabilizationVSAvoidpropulsion direction orientation
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the second pivot axis functionality from the propulsion assembly mounting and relocates it to the fuselage mounting. The propulsion assemblies pivot only about the first pivot axis relative to the support body, while the support body itself pivots about the second pivot axis relative to the fuselage. This separation ensures the propulsion direction remains stable while still enabling flight stabilization

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP4402055B1Aircraft
Publication Date: 2025.12.10 ORTHODRONE GMBH
  • EP4402055B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4402055B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4402055B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Described is an aircraft, in particular a drone, having a supporting body (2) and at least two propulsion assemblies (4, 8), which are arranged on the supporting body (2) spaced apart from one another and which are designed to generate a propulsion thrust in a propulsion direction (8b). In accordance with a first aspect of the invention, the propulsion assemblies (4, 8) are each mounted on the supporting body (2) so as to be pivotable independently of one another about a first pivot axis (6) running at an angle to the propulsion direction (8b), and a first actuating drive (10) is provided and is designed to pivot the propulsion assemblies (4, 8) independently of one another about the first pivot axis (6). In accordance with a second aspect of the invention, in which a fuselage body (20) is provided, this fuselage body (20) is mounted on the supporting body (2) so as to be pivotable about a second pivot axis (22), and a second actuating drive (24) is provided and is designed to pivot the supporting body (2) relative to the fuselage body (20).