US 12,325,542 B2
UAV with protective outer cage
Guglielmo Milan, Teolo (IT)
Assigned to FLYABILITY SA, Lausanne (CH)
Appl. No. 17/280,165
Filed by Flyability SA, Lausanne (CH)
PCT Filed Sep. 22, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/075439
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 25, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/064577, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 2, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 18197018 (EP), filed on Sep. 26, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0339845 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. B64U 20/30 (2023.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); B64U 30/299 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 101/30 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 30/299 (2023.01) [B64U 20/30 (2023.01); B64U 20/87 (2023.01); B64U 2101/30 (2023.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of hovering flight, the UAV comprising:
an elastically deformable outer protective cage,
a propulsion system mounted inside the outer protective cage,
a sensor support system indirectly coupled to the propulsion system via a portion of the outer protective cage, wherein the sensor support system comprises a cage frame member coupled to the outer protective cage, and
a sensor system coupled to the sensor support system and configured to project through the cage frame member, wherein
the sensor system is coupled to the sensor support system via a passive coupling mechanism without motorized actuation that comprises a spring coupling exerting an elastic bias against the sensor system towards an operating position,
the sensor system being retractable into the outer protective cage against the elastic bias of the spring coupling upon collision with an external object, and
wherein the coupling mechanism further comprises a load limited releasable rigid coupling providing a stable rigid positioning of the sensor system in said operating position, the rigid coupling being releasable upon exercise of a collision force greater than a predetermined threshold.