January 31, 2017
Amazon.com has patented technology for drones with retractable in-flight wings. Amazon originally filed for the patent in October 2014 under the name “in-flight reconfigurable hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle.” The hybrid foldable-wing design is covered in a patent that was published last Tuesday.
The patent filing shows several types of hybrid drones whose wings can collapse for vertical takeoff and extend during horizontal flight to generate upward lift like a conventional airplane.
When the drone takes off, the robo-plane’s jointed wings would be folded around to provide a stable base for a vertical takeoff, with the rotors spinning in a horizontal plane.
But once the drone gets up in the air, the wings and tail would stretch out to create an airplane-style configuration. The rotors would then be spinning in a vertical plane, like a traditional airplane’s propellers, to push the drone forward.
When it’s time to land, the drone’s wings and tail would fold up again for a vertical landing. In their filing, Amazon’s inventors compare the craft to a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military aircraft, which tilts its rotors from vertical to horizontal, depending on whether it’s taking off or moving ahead.
Here’s one view of the drone transformation from straight-wing to folded-wing configuration. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
These diagrams show how the same drone can look quite different in folded-up vs. unfolded-wing configurations. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
The system could be well-suited for Amazon’s delivery drones, which have to lift off with packages weighing up to 5 pounds and then fly away horizontally at speeds of up to 50 mph to make deliveries within a half-hour.
The top diagram illustrates how the foldable-wing drone transitions from takeoff to horizontal flight, and then to landing. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
Source: Geek Wire
Amazon.com has patented technology for drones with retractable in-flight wings. Amazon originally filed for the patent in October 2014 under the name “in-flight reconfigurable hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle.” The hybrid foldable-wing design is covered in a patent that was published last Tuesday.The patent filing shows several types of hybrid drones whose wings can collapse for vertical takeoff and extend during horizontal flight to generate upward lift like a conventional airplane.
When the drone takes off, the robo-plane’s jointed wings would be folded around to provide a stable base for a vertical takeoff, with the rotors spinning in a horizontal plane.
But once the drone gets up in the air, the wings and tail would stretch out to create an airplane-style configuration. The rotors would then be spinning in a vertical plane, like a traditional airplane’s propellers, to push the drone forward.
When it’s time to land, the drone’s wings and tail would fold up again for a vertical landing. In their filing, Amazon’s inventors compare the craft to a Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military aircraft, which tilts its rotors from vertical to horizontal, depending on whether it’s taking off or moving ahead.
Here’s one view of the drone transformation from straight-wing to folded-wing configuration. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
These diagrams show how the same drone can look quite different in folded-up vs. unfolded-wing configurations. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
The system could be well-suited for Amazon’s delivery drones, which have to lift off with packages weighing up to 5 pounds and then fly away horizontally at speeds of up to 50 mph to make deliveries within a half-hour.
The top diagram illustrates how the foldable-wing drone transitions from takeoff to horizontal flight, and then to landing. (Amazon Illustration via USPTO)
Source: Geek Wire
Read more:
http://www.uasvision.com/2017/01/31/amazon-patents-in-flight-transformer-drones/#more-48076
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