Pivotable Wing Delivery Container for Stable Descent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing aerial delivery containers are complex, costly to manufacture, difficult to assemble, and prone to rotation during descent, which can cause damage to contents and make accurate delivery challenging.
Innovation Solution
A container design featuring a simple structure with pivotable wings connected to side walls, reinforced units to prevent bulging, and retaining units to limit wing pivot, ensuring upright orientation and stable descent, made from a single cardboard blank for ease of production and storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If complex aerial cargo container systems with rotor blades and hinges are used, then structural integrity during descent is improved, but device complexity and manufacturing cost increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the complex rotor hub, hinges, and cambered wing structures from the design. Instead, it uses a simple box structure with four flat panels that pivot on simple hinges attached to the box corners, eliminating unnecessary complexity while maintaining the essential function of aerodynamic braking and orientation control during descent
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using complex mechanical systems to actively control descent, the invention uses passive aerodynamic braking with simple flat panels that rotate freely to achieve stable orientation. The system inverts the approach from active control to passive stabilization, achieving reliability through simplicity rather than complexity
2Reliability
If wings are released and unfolded during descent, then aerodynamic braking function is achieved, but assembly difficulty and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The four flat panels are pre-attached to the box structure with simple hinges before deployment. This preliminary assembly ensures that upon release, the panels are already in position to provide immediate aerodynamic braking function, eliminating the need for complex unfolding mechanisms while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The panels are designed to be dynamically deployable - they can be folded against the box for compact storage and transport, then easily unfolded and attached to the box corners before descent. This dynamic configuration allows simple assembly and storage while ensuring functional performance during operation
3Device complexity
If parachute is used for delivery, then simple structure is achieved, but accuracy of delivery decreases due to wind drift
Solution Approach 1:
The four flat panels act as aerodynamic brakes that counteract the drift caused by wind. By creating drag force perpendicular to the direction of motion, the panels stabilize the container's orientation and reduce horizontal drift, improving delivery accuracy while maintaining a simple structure without requiring active control systems
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 container maintains structural integrity, prevents rotation during descent, ensures predictable landing, and is cost-effective, with a compact design for efficient storage and transportation.
Implementation Method 1
The wing structure, in the deployed position of the wings, is configured to not rotate the container during flight, and to keep the container in an upright orientation
Implementation Method 2
In descent, air strikes the underside of the wings and is directed toward the trailing edges thereof, thereby imparting a reaction force in the opposite direction
Data Source
AI summary
A container for dropping from an aerial vehicle comprises a bottom section and a plurality of side walls. Wings are connected to the upper edges of the side walls to allow pivoting of the wing between a passive position, in which the wing extends along the corresponding side wall, and a deployed position, in which the wing extends substantially transversely relative to the corresponding side wall. Reinforcing units increase the bending stiffness of the wings. Retaining units limit pivoting of the wings beyond the deployed position.