Foldable Cargo UAV Airframe for Fast Deployment and Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) lack the capability to efficiently carry heavy cargo loads and deploy rapidly, especially in emergency situations where manned aircraft pose high risks or costs, and existing solutions do not provide stable and rapid deployment.
Innovation Solution
A rotor-wing multicopter UAV design featuring a unitary main fuselage with swingable arm mounts and a battery locking mechanism, allowing for quick deployment and stable operation, capable of carrying loads from 5kg to 500kg, with a main body comprising an elongate backbone and end pieces that securely attach rotor arms and batteries, enabling rapid unfolding and folding for transportation and flight.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the UAV uses a fixed rigid structure, then structural strength is improved, but deployment speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor arms are divided into multiple segments that can be folded relative to each other. The arms include first, second, third and fourth portions that can be arranged in a compact configuration for rapid deployment while maintaining structural integrity when extended for flight operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The rotor arms are designed with movable joints and hinges that allow dynamic transformation between folded and extended states. The arms can be rapidly deployed from a compact storage position to an operational flying position, providing both fast deployment and structural strength during flight.
2Quantity of substance
If the UAV carries heavy cargo loads, then payload capacity is improved, but stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor arms are extended in the lateral dimension away from the central body, positioning the motors and propellers at greater distances from the center of gravity. This dimensional extension increases the moment arm for lift generation, enabling the UAV to carry heavy cargo loads while maintaining flight stability through balanced aerodynamic forces.
3Volume of moving object
If the UAV uses foldable rotor arms, then transportability is improved, but structural reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor arms incorporate spring-loaded locking mechanisms and reinforced hinge joints that are pre-engineered to maintain structural integrity during repeated folding and unfolding operations. These preemptive design features ensure reliable operation even after extensive transport cycles, preventing structural failure at the foldable joints.
4Productivity
If the UAV rapidly deploys, then response time is improved, but operational stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The rotor arms are pre-positioned in a folded configuration within the central body for rapid deployment. The locking mechanisms are pre-loaded with spring force ready to engage immediately upon extension, and the motors are pre-positioned on the arms. This preliminary arrangement enables the UAV to transition from storage to flight configuration in minutes while ensuring stable operation once deployed.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a highly reliable and rapidly deployable UAV that can carry heavy loads, offering stability and rapid readiness for action, making it suitable for emergency situations where manned aircraft are impractical, with the ability to deploy and operate within minutes while maintaining consistent performance over time.
Implementation Method 1
a displaceable and spring biased hinge lock arrangement disposed at the respective second ends of the arm inner and outer parts
Implementation Method 2
The arm may further comprise a spring biased cotter pin adapted to enter a hole in the arm outer part when aligned in an unfolded position
Data Source
Figure 1~2
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Figure 5~6
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle, having a main body comprising at least an elongate backbone (140) with a forward end piece (130) and a rearward end piece (150). The end pieces are wider than the backbone and comprise coupling facilities for respective rotor arms (200), each said rotor arm configured for supporting motor and propeller assemblies. The unmanned aerial vehicle further comprises a pair of elongated batteries (500). The end pieces and at least a portion of the backbone form receptacles on both sides of the backbone for releasably receiving respective electric batteries (500), wherein the batteries, backbone and end pieces form an elongate and substantially rectangular body assembly.