Multicopter
Disclosed is a multicopter foldable between a stowed state and an operational state, the multicopter comprising a hub configured to receive one or more payloads and a battery, two or more flight arms that extend substantially horizontally when in the operational state, each flight arm comprising a main arm that each extend from the hub at a main arm pivoting connection, and two cross arms that extend from the main arm at a cross arm pivoting connection, the main arm pivoting connection adapted to allow each of the main arms to pivot towards each other to a stowed state wherein each of the arms are substantially parallel to each other in the vertical axis, the cross arm pivoting connection adapted to allow each of the cross arms to rotate towards the main arm to a stowed state wherein each of the arms are substantially parallel to each other, and wherein the multicopter comprises i) landing gear that extends from the intersection region between the main arm and cross arms of each flight arm via a hingable connection; or ii) landing gear that extends pivotably from the hub that is adapted to fold against the main arm, the landing gear having a “V”-shape when in a deployed configuration, or iii) a notional polyhedron defined by the flight arms when in the stowed state, the notional polyhedron having sufficient volume to contain, when present, the one or more payloads, one or more communications devices, and to at least partially contain a battery; or iv) a stowed volume that is less than 10% of the volume of the multicopter when in the operational; or v) two or more payloads extending from any one or more of the battery, the hub, or the cross arms in the region of the cross arm connection to the main arm, or the main arm; a combination of any two or more of (i) to (v).
1 . A multicopter foldable between a first, folded stowed state and a second, expanded operational state, the multicopter comprising:
a hub configured to receive one or more payloads and a battery,
two or more flight arms that extend substantially horizontally when in the operational state, each flight arm of the two or more flight arms comprising: (i) a main arm, each main arm extending from the hub at a main arm pivoting connection, and (ii) two cross arms extending from the main arm at a cross arm pivoting connection,
the main arm pivoting connection allowing each of the main arms to pivot towards the other main arm to a stowed state wherein each of the main arms are substantially parallel to the other main arm(s) in a vertical axis, the cross arm pivoting connection adapted to allow each of the cross arms to rotate towards the main arm to a stowed state wherein each of the cross arms are substantially parallel to the other cross arms,
wherein the multicopter comprises landing gear that is substantially parallel to the flight arm when in a stowed state and an operational stowed state and either
i) extends from an intersection region between the main arm and cross arms of the two or more flight arms via a hingeable connection; or
ii) extends pivotably from the hub, wherein the landing gear is adapted to fold against the main arm, such that the landing gear is substantially parallel to the flight arm when in a stowed state and an operational stowed state, and
wherein the multicopter further comprises a notional polyhedron defined by the flight arms when in the stowed state, the notional polyhedron defines a volume to contain, when present, the one or more payloads and a fuselage, wherein each flight arm of the two or more flight arms and the landing gear is positioned parallel to an elongate axis of the hub in the first, folded stowed state, and
wherein, in the first, folded stowed state, elongate axes of the main arms, the cross arms, and the landing gear are adjacently aligned and substantially parallel to each other and to an elongate axis of the hub.
2 . The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein a stowed volume of the multicopter is less than 10% of the volume of the multicopter when in the operational state.
3 . The multicopter of claim 1 comprising two or more payloads, each payload of the two or more payloads extending from
i) the battery,
ii) the hub, or
iii) the cross arms in a region of the cross arm connection to the main arm,
iv) main arm, or
v) a combination of any two or more of (i) to (iv).
4 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the payload is selected from any one or more of a camera, a sensor or a communication device.
5 . The multicopter of claim 1 comprising two or more payloads, wherein at least two of the payloads are located on a different flight arm.
6 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the hub has an elongate axis in a same horizontal plane as the flight arms when the multicopter is in the operational state, or orthogonal to the horizontal plane of the flight arms when the multicopter is the operational state.
7 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the hub comprises
i) a battery,
ii) a payload, or
iii) a battery and a payload.
8 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the hub comprises side walls along a main elongate axis of the hub, and end walls.
9 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein at least one payload 30 connector is located on
i) an end wall,
ii) both end walls,
iii) one or more side walls, or
iv) a combination of any two or more of (i) to (iii).
10 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein at least one main arm pivoting connection attaches to, or extends from, at least one side wall and/or one end wall of the hub.
11 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the main arm pivoting connection attaches to, or extends from, opposing side walls of the hub.
12 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the main arm pivoting connection is formed integrally with the hub.
13 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the main arm pivoting connection is adapted to provide for a hingeable connection that provides 90° rotation of the main arm in each of two Cartesian axis.
14 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein a length of the main arm intersects the two cross arms.
15 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein each cross arm of the two or more flight arms connects to the main arm with a hingeable connection to allow rotation of the cross arm in one Cartesian axis of up to 150°.
16 . The multicopter of claim 14 wherein a communication device is located at or on the intersection between the cross arm and the main arm.
17 . The multicopter of claim 1 comprising at least one clamp adjacent a pivoting point, such that the clamp secures the arms in a deployed state.
18 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the volume of the multicopter when in the stowed state is less than 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12% of the volume of the multicopter when in the operational state.
19 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein landing gear extends from the flight arms.
20 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the landing gear is adapted to fold against a main arm, such that the landing gear is substantially parallel to the main arm when in the stowed state.
21 . The multicopter of claim 1 wherein the multicopter comprises a locking member which restricts order of movement of the flight arms between a stowed and an unstowed configuration, such that when stowing the multicopter the locking member permits movement of a cross arm when the associated main arm is already in the stowed position, and when unstowing the multicopter the locking member permits movement of the main arm when the associated cross arm(s) are in the unstowed configuration.
22 . The multicopter of claim 21 wherein the locking member comprises a central portion for attachment to the hub or the battery; and
wherein each locking member comprises a release lever as a second portion that is actuatable by a user to release a lock on a first portion of the locking member, the first portion comprising a locking slot that corresponds to a locking pin on a cross arm; and
wherein movement of the release lever about a rotational point rotates the locking slot about a rotational point to release the locking pin permitting movement of the cross arm from the stowed to the unstowed configuration.
23 . The multicopter of claim 22 wherein the first portion and second portion comprise biasing means that bias the release lever and the locking slot into a locking configuration.
24 . The multicopter of claim 22 wherein the locking pin comprises an enlarged end that prevents removal of the locking pin out of the locking slot, and wherein the locking pin prevents movement of the locking pin in an x-axis relative to the locking member.