UAV Propeller Hub Deflectable Arms
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing UAV propeller systems are prone to damage during storage and transport due to their lightweight materials, and there is a need for easier and more convenient methods to remove and attach propellers for protection.
Innovation Solution
A propeller hub assembly with deflectable arms that are resiliently repositionable between engagement and disengagement positions, allowing for easy attachment and detachment from the motor assembly, facilitated by retention members and a spring mechanism for secure engagement and single-handed operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Weight of moving object
If propellers are made of lightweight materials, then flight performance is improved, but susceptibility to damage during storage and transport increases
Solution Approach 1:
The propeller system is divided into separable components: the propeller blades remain attached to the hub during flight, but the entire hub assembly can be detached from the motor assembly during storage and transport. This segmentation allows the lightweight propeller to maintain its weight advantage while reducing damage risk through removable configuration.
2Reliability
If propellers are made detachable to prevent damage, then reliability during storage is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to complex attachment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer mechanism is designed to be self-actuating through spring-loaded deflectable arms that automatically engage with the motor assembly when the propeller hub is inserted. The spring force provides automatic locking without requiring manual intervention, making the system both protective and easy to operate.
Solution Approach 2:
Complex multi-component fastening systems are replaced with a simplified spring-based retainer mechanism. The deflectable arms with retention members provide secure attachment through elastic deformation rather than threaded fasteners or clips, reducing the number of parts and simplifying the user interaction to a single insertion motion.
3Ease of operation
If simple attachment mechanisms are used for propellers, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability of secure engagement deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The retainer arms are designed as spring-loaded dynamic elements that deflect during the attachment process and then spring back to lock the propeller hub securely. This dynamic behavior allows a simple single-motion attachment operation while ensuring reliable engagement through the elastic energy storage and release of the spring mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The physical state of the retainer arms changes from a deflected (open) position during insertion to a restored (locked) position during engagement. This parameter change in the spring compression state provides automatic securing without additional user actions, maintaining simplicity while ensuring reliability through the mechanical spring force.
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 enables secure and efficient attachment and detachment of propeller hubs, reducing the risk of damage during storage and transport, while ensuring reliable operation by maintaining proper alignment and reducing mechanical stress on components.
Implementation Method 1
The arms are resiliently repositionable between a first position and a second position... movable inwardly (towards the rotation axis) from the first position to the second position upon the application of an external force, and are movable outwardly (away from the rotation axis) from the second position to the first position upon removal of the external force
Data Source
AI summary
Various embodiments of an unmanned aerial vehicle are disclosed. In some embodiments, the UAV includes a motor assembly rotatable about a rotation axis and a propeller hub assembly removably engageable with the motor assembly. The propeller hub assembly includes a retainer configured and dimensioned for engagement with the motor assembly such that rotation of the motor assembly causes corresponding rotation of the propeller hub assembly. The retainer includes a pair of deflectable arms resiliently repositionable between a first position and a second position, for engagement and disengagement with the motor assembly, respectively. The arms are movable inwardly towards the rotation axis from the first position to the second position upon application of an external force and movable outwardly away from the rotation axis from the second position to the first position upon removal of the external force.