IP Library Granted Patent US 12,261,508
Granted Patent B2
US 12,261,508 · App. 18/386,536 · Granted Mar 25, 2025

Motor mount and damper

Inventor: William John Nicoloff (Camarillo, CA)
Assignee: AeroVironment, Inc.
H02K5/24F16F1/376F16F1/3835F16F15/08F16M13/02
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,261,508
App. No.
18/386,536
Granted
Mar 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system having a damper with six or more indentations on alternating sides of the damper, where each indentation is open to an outer circumferential surface of the damper and extends over halfway through a width of the damper, and six or more slots, each slot open to an undulating inner circumferential surface of the damper and extending through the width of the damper.

Claims (31)

1. A system comprising:

a damper comprising two or more indentations;

a motor mount, the motor mount comprising two or more tabs, wherein the two or more tabs of the motor mount are seated in the two or more indentations of the damper; and

wherein an air space remains in at least one of the two or more indentations after the two or more tabs are seated in the two or more indentations of the damper for further compression of the damper against each of the two or more tabs.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more indentations are on alternating faces of the damper.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the alternating faces of the damper are a front face of the damper and a rear face of the damper.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein each indentation of the two or more indentations is open to an outer circumferential surface of the damper.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the two or more indentations each extend over halfway through a width of the outer circumferential surface of the damper.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein a first plurality of indentations of the two or more indentations is on an upper surface of the damper.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein a second plurality of indentations of the two or more indentations is on a lower surface of the damper, and wherein the first plurality of indentations is alternatively arranged with indentations of the second plurality of indentations.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein each indentation of the first plurality of indentations and the second plurality of indentations extends partially through a width of the outer circumferential surface of the damper.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the two or more indentations each do not extend entirely through a width of the outer circumferential surface of the damper.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the damper further comprises:

one or more slots, wherein each slot is open to an undulating inner circumferential surface of the damper, and wherein each slot extends through a width of the damper.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:

a motor, the motor comprising one or more fins disposed along an outer edge of the motor, wherein the one or more fins of the motor are seated in the one or more slots of the damper.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more indentations has opposing indentation sidewalls with curved edges, and wherein each of the curved edges of the opposing indentation sidewalls compress against each respective tab.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more tabs of the motor mount are seated in the two or more indentations of the damper to self-encapsulate the outer circumferential surface of the damper in the motor mount.

14. A method comprising:

seating two or more tabs of a motor mount in two or more indentations of a damper; and

providing an air space in each of the two or more indentations after the two or more tabs are seated in the two or more indentations of the damper for further compression of the damper against each of the two or more tabs.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein seating the two or more tabs of the motor mount in the two or more indentations of the damper self-encapsulates an outer circumferential surface of the damper in the motor mount.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

seating one or more fins of a motor in one or more slots of a damper.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one of: the one or more fins of the motor and an outer edge of the motor compress the damper against the two or more tabs of the motor mount and into the air space in the two or more indentations.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

adjusting a damping of at least one of yaw, thrust, pitch, roll, and radial motions by at least one of: varying the thickness of the two or more tabs, varying the thickness of the one or more fins, and varying the thickness of the damper.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

adjusting a damping of at least one of yaw, thrust, pitch, roll, and radial motions by at least one of: asymmetrically positioning the one or more fins and two or more tabs and asymmetrically biasing a diameter of the damper.

20. The system of claim 16 , further comprising:

adjusting a damping of at least one of yaw, thrust, pitch, roll, and radial motions by at least one of: changing a diameter of the damper and creating a non-round shape of the damper.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2024
From: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 069113/0683 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 2, 2023
From: NICOLOFF, WILLIAM JOHN
To: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
Reel/Frame 065440/0619 →
Continuity (6)
Continuation 17738228 · May 6, 2022
Continuation 16842166 · Apr 7, 2020
Continuation 15619976 · Jun 12, 2017
Continuation 14973611 · Dec 17, 2015
Provisional Application 62094672 · Dec 19, 2014
Related Publication 20240063686A1 · Feb 22, 2024
References Cited (18)
US 5178026A · Matsumoto · 1993 [cited by applicant]
US 7650819B2 · Haynes et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 10666112B2 · Nicoloff · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11355995B2 · Nicoloff · 2022 [cited by applicant]
US 11843306B2 · Nicoloff · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20020158543A1 · Wolters · 2002 [cited by applicant]
US 20040198499A1 · Kamdem et al. · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050162024A1 · Lim et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20090058203A1 · Pettitt et al. · 2009 [cited by applicant]
US 20110085926A1 · Jung et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120074802A1 · Oi et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120193852A1 · Thye-Moormann · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130074701A1 · Zhao et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130160581A1 · Okada et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20130337952A1 · Berruet et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140084726A1 · Burton et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140367546A1 · Hibi et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report for serial No. PST/US15/66508 mailed Feb. 23, 2016. [cited by applicant]