Foldable Propeller Arm Mechanism for Compact UAV Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in storage and transportation due to space limitations, as they require significant storage space when not in use and during transport.
Innovation Solution
A UAV design featuring a fuselage with retractable propeller arms that can fold inside the fuselage for storage and extend outside for operation, allowing for compact storage and deployment, along with a method for deploying and retracting the propeller system through a series of positional changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If the UAV uses a conventional fixed propeller arm design, then the propeller system is simple and easy to manufacture, but the storage space requirement is large and transportation is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller arms are designed to be dynamically reconfigurable, transitioning from an extended operational configuration to a folded storage configuration. The arms include movable sections that can rotate and collapse relative to the fuselage, allowing the UAV to reduce its volume for storage while maintaining full functionality during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The propeller arms are designed to fold and nest within or alongside the fuselage when in the stored position. The arms collapse into a compact arrangement that fits within the contours of the fuselage, effectively nesting the propeller system within the body of the UAV for minimal storage space occupation.
2Volume of moving object
If the UAV uses a foldable propeller arm design, then the storage space is minimized, but the structural complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller arms are divided into multiple separable sections or segments that can independently fold and collapse. This segmentation allows each section to be manufactured separately using standard components, simplifying the manufacturing process while enabling the compact folded configuration required for minimal storage volume.
3Productivity
If the propeller arms are extended for operation, then the flight performance is optimized, but the transportation space requirement increases
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller arm system incorporates dynamic extension and retraction mechanisms that allow the arms to be extended to full operational length during flight for optimal performance, and then collapsed to minimal length for transportation. The system transitions between these states as needed, optimizing both flight efficiency and transport compactness.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle includes a fuselage having a first side and a second side, a first arm disposed on a first side of the fuselage, wherein the first arm is coupled to one or more first propellers, wherein the first arm is adapted to move between a first folded position in which the first arm is in a folded state inside the fuselage and a first extended position in which a first section of the first arm and the one or more first propellers are outside the fuselage, and a second arm disposed on the second side of the fuselage, wherein the second arm is coupled to one or more second propellers, wherein the second arm is adapted to move between a second folded position in which the second arm is in a folded state inside the fuselage and a second extended position in which a second section of the second arm and the one or more second propellers are outside the fuselage.