Monocoque UAV Shell Design for Waterproofing and Weight Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercially available unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are not suitable for business or military missions due to lack of durability and payload capacity, with multiple-piece designs leading to issues with water and dust ingress, reduced durability, high assembly costs, and aesthetic concerns.
Innovation Solution
A monocoque design with a single-piece molded construction using materials like carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, which serves as both the frame and housing for UAV components, reducing weight and increasing agility, and an advanced manufacturing process involving molds and layered materials to enhance durability and reduce seams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a multi-piece design is used for UAV construction, then assembly flexibility is improved, but durability and waterproofing deteriorate due to increased seams and potential water/dust ingress
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate structural components into a single monocoque shell that serves as both the frame and external housing. This single-piece molded construction eliminates seams between frame and housing, preventing water and dust ingress while maintaining structural integrity and durability.
2Reliability
If a single-piece monocoque design is used, then durability and waterproofing are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monocoque shell is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it serves as the structural frame, the external housing, and the mounting surface for components. This multi-functionality reduces the number of separate parts needed while maintaining manufacturing feasibility through single-piece molding processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If traditional separate frame and housing design is used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but weight increases and agility decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs carbon fiber-reinforced plastic and other composite materials in the monocoque construction. These materials provide high strength-to-weight ratios, reducing overall vehicle weight while maintaining structural durability. The composite materials enable the single-piece design to achieve both weight reduction and manufacturing efficiency.
4Ease of repair
If multiple separate components are used, then ease of repair is improved, but aesthetic appeal and weather resistance deteriorate due to visible seams
Solution Approach 1:
The monocoque shell is designed as a seamless, continuous surface that provides both aesthetic appeal and weather resistance. The smooth, uninterrupted exterior eliminates visible seams while the shell structure itself provides protection against environmental factors, combining form and function in a single element.
Data Source
AI summary
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) device and the manufacturing process to make the UAV. The UAV device comprises a monocoque shell with a single-piece molded construction that includes a central body and arms that extend outward from the central body. Each of the arms includes a terminal end that is spaced away from the central body. The monocoque shell has a cupped shape with a closed first side and an open second side that includes sidewalls that extend around an interior space. The UAV device comprises a plurality of motors and rotors attached to the first side of the monocoque shell with one of said plurality of motors and rotors positioned at the terminal end of each of the arms.