IP Library Granted Patent US 12,662,267
Granted Patent B2
US 12,662,267 · App. 18/327,068 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Flight vehicle

Inventor: Noritomo Yanagimoto (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: SoftBank Corp.
B64U20/96B64U50/31H01M10/625H01M10/6552B64U2101/20H01M2220/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,662,267
App. No.
18/327,068
Granted
Jun 23, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a flight vehicle including: a wing unit; a main body unit; a battery that is arranged in the wing unit; a payload that is arranged in the main body unit; a radiator; and a heat pipe that exchanges heat between the battery, the payload, and the radiator and that has a check valve which causes a hydraulic fluid to be circulated to transfer the heat of the battery to the payload and the radiator.

Claims (51)

1 . A flight vehicle comprising:

a wing unit;

a main body unit;

a battery that is arranged in the wing unit;

a payload that is arranged in the main body unit and that includes at least any of electronic equipment or a control motor;

a radiator; and

a heat pipe that exchanges heat between the battery, the payload, and the radiator and that has a check valve which causes a hydraulic fluid to be circulated to transfer the heat of the battery to the payload and the radiator,

wherein the heat pipe has a battery corresponding portion that corresponds to the battery,

wherein the heat pipe has a radiator corresponding portion that corresponds to the radiator,

wherein the heat pipe has a payload corresponding portion that corresponds to the payload,

wherein the heat pipe has a first circulation portion that extends from the battery corresponding portion, branches at a branch unit, and is connected to each of the radiator corresponding portion and the payload corresponding portion,

wherein the heat pipe has a second circulation portion that extends from the payload corresponding portion and is connected to the radiator corresponding portion, and

wherein the heat pipe has a third circulation portion that extends from the radiator corresponding portion and is connected to the battery corresponding portion.

2 . The flight vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the check valve is positioned in the third circulation portion.

3 . The flight vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:

a valve that is arranged between the branch unit and the radiator corresponding portion in the first circulation portion and that is closed when a temperature of the payload is lower than a predetermined temperature threshold value, and is opened when the temperature of the payload is higher than the temperature threshold value.

4 . The flight vehicle according to claim 2 , comprising:

a valve that is arranged between the branch unit and the radiator corresponding portion in the first circulation portion and that is closed when a temperature of the payload is lower than a predetermined temperature threshold value, and is opened when the temperature of the payload is higher than the temperature threshold value.

5 . The flight vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the valve is a thermostatic valve.

6 . The flight vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the valve is a thermostatic valve.

7 . The flight vehicle according to claim 3 , comprising:

a valve control unit that controls the valve to close the valve when the temperature of the payload is lower than a predetermined temperature threshold value, and to open the valve when the temperature of the payload is higher than the temperature threshold value.

8 . The flight vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the payload corresponding portion has a folded shape.

9 . The flight vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the payload corresponding portion has a folded shape.

10 . The flight vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the payload corresponding portion has a folded shape.

11 . The flight vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein the payload corresponding portion has a folded shape.

12 . The flight vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the payload corresponding portion has a folded shape.

13 . The flight vehicle according to claim 1 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

14 . The flight vehicle according to claim 2 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

15 . The flight vehicle according to claim 3 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

16 . The flight vehicle according to claim 4 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

17 . The flight vehicle according to claim 5 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

18 . The flight vehicle according to claim 6 , comprising:

an air intake unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on a front side of the wing unit;

a heat sink unit that is arranged for the battery and cools the battery by air which flows in from the air intake unit and that includes a ventilation unit having a shape widening from the front side toward a rear side; and

an exhaust unit that is formed at a position corresponding to the battery on the rear side of the wing unit and that exhausts air which flows out from the heat sink unit.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Dec 18, 2023
From: HAPSMOBILE INC.
To: SOFTBANK CORP.
Reel/Frame 066048/0600 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2023
From: YANAGIMOTO, NORITOMO
To: HAPSMOBILE INC.
Reel/Frame 063835/0533 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2020-207095 · Dec 14, 2020 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2021040672 · Nov 4, 2021
Related Publication 20230307738A1 · Sep 28, 2023
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