US 12,285,773 B2
Unmanned aerial vehicle for painting structures
David J. Thompson, Oak Grove, MN (US); and Dale D. Johnson, Shoreview, MN (US)
Assigned to Graco Minnesota Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed by Graco Minnesota Inc., Minneapolis, MN (US)
Filed on Sep. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/946,507.
Application 17/946,507 is a continuation of application No. 16/478,379, granted, now 11,498,090, previously published as PCT/US2018/014026, filed on Jan. 17, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/447,426, filed on Jan. 17, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2023/0019134 A1, Jan. 19, 2023
Int. Cl. B05B 12/12 (2006.01); B05B 13/00 (2006.01); B05B 13/04 (2006.01); B64D 1/18 (2006.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 101/28 (2023.01)
CPC B05B 12/124 (2013.01) [B05B 13/005 (2013.01); B05B 13/041 (2013.01); B64D 1/18 (2013.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 2101/28 (2023.01); B64U 2201/10 (2023.01); B64U 2201/104 (2023.01); B64U 2201/20 (2023.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for spraying a fluid on a surface of a structure, the UAV comprising:
a UAV body supporting at least one lift rotor configured to operationally drive the UAV body;
a spray tube extending from the UAV body;
a nozzle supported by the UAV body via the spray tube, the nozzle including a single orifice that is configured to release the fluid along a spray axis as a spray on the surface, wherein the single orifice is shaped to atomize the spray fluid into a spray fan, wherein the nozzle is rotatable relative to the UAV body to change an orientation of the single orifice and thereby change an orientation of the spray fan emitted from the nozzle relative to the UAV body, and wherein the single orifice is disposed in-line with the spray tube;
a sleeve connecting the nozzle to the spray tube and extending axially between the spray tube and the nozzle;
a first arm extending from the UAV body and supporting a first lift rotor;
a second arm extending from the UAV body and supporting a second lift rotor; and
a control unit supported by the UAV body, wherein the control unit is configured to control operation of the first lift rotor and the second lift rotor during flight of the UAV and the control unit is configured to control release of the fluid from the nozzle;
wherein the orientation of the nozzle is configured to change relative to the UAV body in flight such that the sleeve and the nozzle are reoriented relative to the UAV body to change the orientation of the spray fan and such that the nozzle is reoriented relative to the first lift rotor and the second lift rotor during rotation of the first lift rotor and the second lift rotor; and
wherein the orientation of the nozzle is configured to change such that a spray fan generated by the nozzle is oriented orthogonal to a direction of travel of the UAV.