초록 ▼

Deployment and control actuation mechanisms are incorporated in unmanned aerial vehicles having folding wings and/or folding canards and/or a folding vertical stabilizer. The folding canards and folding vertical stabilizer can be deployed using respective four-bar over-center mechanisms. Elevators p

Deployment and control actuation mechanisms are incorporated in unmanned aerial vehicles having folding wings and/or folding canards and/or a folding vertical stabilizer. The folding canards and folding vertical stabilizer can be deployed using respective four-bar over-center mechanisms. Elevators pivotably mounted to the folding canards and a rudder pivotably mounted to the folding vertical stabilizer can be controlled by means of respective twist link mechanisms. The folding wings have respective wing roots that are driven by respective gas springs to pivot on bearings about a wing root hub having control servo wire paths.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage, a deployment mechanism supported by said fuselage, and a wing attached to said deployment mechanism, wherein said deployment mechanism comprises a wing root hub attached to said fuselage, a wing root pivotably coupled to and surrounding said wing

1. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage, a deployment mechanism supported by said fuselage, and a wing attached to said deployment mechanism, wherein said deployment mechanism comprises a wing root hub attached to said fuselage, a wing root pivotably coupled to and surrounding said wing root hub, and an actuator pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and to said wing root at opposite ends thereof, wherein said wing is attached to said wing root and rotates around said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said actuator, wherein said wing root comprises a passageway and said wing root hub comprises an opening, further comprising an airfoil-shaped body pivotably coupled to a trailing edge of said wing, a control servo mounted inside said wing, and a control servo wire having one end connected to said control servo, said control servo wire following a path that comprises said passageway in said wing root and said opening in said wing root hub. 2. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein said actuator is a linear actuator. 3. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 2, wherein one end of said linear actuator is pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end of said linear actuator is pivotably coupled to said wing root. 4. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein said actuator extends along said passageway of said wing root and passes through said opening in said wing root hub. 5. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 1, wherein said wing root hub comprises a wall having a circular cylindrical outer surface and an interior space, said opening is formed in said wall, and said passageway of said wing root communicates with said opening of said wing root hub when said wing is in said stowed position and when said wing is in said deployed position and any intermediate position. 6. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 1, further comprising first and second bearings disposed between said wing root and said wing root hub with a vertical space therebetween, wherein said servo control wire passes between said first and second bearings. 7. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of hub attachment bolts which pass through respective holes in said wing root hub. 8. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage, a wing root hub attached to said fuselage, a first wing assembly pivotably coupled to and having a portion that surrounds said wing root hub, and a first linear actuator having one end pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end pivotably coupled to said first wing assembly, wherein said first wing assembly rotates around a first portion of said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said first linear actuator, wherein said wing root hub comprises a wall surrounding an interior space and having a first opening, and said first wing assembly comprises a first wing, a first airfoil-shaped body pivotably coupled to a trailing edge of said first wing, a first control servo mounted inside said first wing, and a first control servo wire having one end connected to said first control servo, wherein said first control servo wire passes through said first opening in said wall of said wing root hub. 9. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 8, further comprising first and second bearings disposed between said first wing assembly and said wing root hub with a vertical space therebetween, wherein said first servo control wire passes through said vertical space between said first and second bearings. 10. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 9, wherein said first linear actuator passes through said vertical space between said first and second bearings, through said first opening in said wing root hub, and into said interior space of said wing root hub. 11. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 8, further comprising a plurality of hub attachment bolts which pass through respective holes in said wall of said wing root hub. 12. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage, a wing root hub attached to said fuselage, a first wing assembly pivotably coupled to and having a portion that surrounds said wing root hub, and a first linear actuator having one end pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end pivotably coupled to said first wing assembly, a second wing assembly pivotably coupled to and having a portion that surrounds said wing root hub, and a second linear actuator having one end pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end pivotably coupled to said second wing assembly, wherein said first wing assembly rotates around a first portion of said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said first linear actuator, and said second wing assembly rotates around a second portion of said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said second linear actuator. 13. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 12, wherein: said wing root hub comprises first and second openings;said first wing assembly comprises a first wing, a first airfoil-shaped body pivotably coupled to a trailing edge of said first wing, a first control servo mounted inside said first wing, and a first control servo wire having one end connected to said first control servo; andsaid second wing assembly comprises a second wing, a second airfoil-shaped body pivotably coupled to a trailing edge of said second wing, a second control servo mounted inside said second wing, and a second control servo wire having one end connected to said second control servo,wherein said first control servo wire passes through said first opening in said wing root hub and said second control servo wire passes through said second opening in said wing root hub. 14. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 13, further comprising first and second bearings disposed between said first wing assembly and said wing root hub with a first vertical space therebetween, and third and fourth bearings disposed between said second wing assembly and said wing root hub with a second vertical space therebetween, wherein said first servo control wire passes between said first and second bearings and said second control servo wire passes between said third and fourth bearings. 15. An unmanned aerial vehicle comprising a fuselage, a wing root hub attached to said fuselage, a first wing root pivotably coupled to and surrounding a first portion of said wing root hub, a first linear actuator having one end pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end pivotably coupled to said first wing root, and a first control servo wire, wherein said first wing root comprises a first passageway and said wing root hub comprises a first opening, said first control servo wire follows a path that comprises said first passageway and said first opening, and said first wing root rotates around said first portion of said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said first linear actuator. 16. The unmanned aerial vehicle as recited in claim 15, further comprising a second wing root pivotably coupled to and surrounding a second portion of said wing root hub, a second linear actuator having one end pivotably coupled to said wing root hub and another end pivotably coupled to said second wing root, and a second control servo wire, wherein said second wing root comprises a second passageway and said wing root hub comprises a second opening, said second control servo wire follows a path that comprises said second passageway and said second opening, said second wing root rotates around said second portion of said wing root hub from a stowed position to a deployed position in response to extension of said second linear actuator, and said first and second wing roots rotate in opposite directions during deployment. 17. The unmanned aerial vehicle recited in claim 16, further comprising first and second bearings disposed between said first wing root and said wing root hub with a first vertical space therebetween, and third and fourth bearings disposed between said second wing root and said wing root hub with a second vertical space therebetween, wherein said first servo control wire passes between said first and second bearings and said second control servo wire passes between said third and fourth bearings.