Robert J. Yarbrough of Lipton, Weinberger and Husick
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피인용 횟수 :
1인용 특허 :
24
초록▼
An unmanned air module includes one or more rotors, engines, a transmission and avionics. Any of several different ground modules may be attached to the air module. The air module may fly with and without the ground module attached. The ground module may be a vehicle ground module and may be manned.
An unmanned air module includes one or more rotors, engines, a transmission and avionics. Any of several different ground modules may be attached to the air module. The air module may fly with and without the ground module attached. The ground module may be a vehicle ground module and may be manned. The vehicle ground module may transport the attached air module across the ground. The air module may have two rotors, which may be ducted fans.
대표청구항▼
1. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said at least one rotary wing being
1. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said at least one rotary wing being configured to support said ground module and said air module in a flight when said ground module and said air module are attached, said rotary wing being configured to support said air module in said flight when said ground module and said air module are not attached, said air module comprising: a one of a plurality of air modules, said ground module being configured to be selectably attached to said plurality of air modules, said plurality of air modules being configured to cooperate to support said ground module in flight when said plurality of air modules are attached to said ground module. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ground module comprises: a scaffold, said scaffold being configured for attachment to said plurality of said air modules, said scaffold being further configured to support a load, said plurality of air modules being configured to cooperate to support said scaffold and said load in flight when said plurality of air modules and said load are attached to said scaffold. 3. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said at least one rotary wing being configured to support said ground module and said air module in a flight when said ground module and said air module are attached, said rotary wing being configured to support said air module in said flight when said ground module and said air module are not attached, said at least one rotary wing comprising: i. a first rotor and a second rotor, said first rotor being configured to rotate about a first rotor axis of rotation, said second rotor being configured to rotate about a second rotor axis of rotation, said first and second rotor axes of rotation being tiltable about an axis of rotor tilt between a vertical position and a horizontal position;ii. a first torsion beam and a second torsion beam, said first and said second torsion beams being parallel to said axis of rotor tilt, said first torsion beam being attached to said first rotor and said second torsion beam being attached to said second rotor;iii. a first swash plate, said first swash plate being configured to provide a first monocyclic pitch to said first rotor, said first monocyclic pitch being adjustable, said first monocyclic pitch being configured to impose an adjustable first torsion load to said first torsion beam when said first rotor is rotating;iv. a second swash plate, said second swash plate being configured to provide a second monocyclic pitch to said second rotor, said second monocyclic pitch being adjustable, said second monocyclic pitch being configured to impose an adjustable second torsion load to said second torsion beam when said second rotor is rotating;v. said first and said second torsion beams having a resilience in torsion, said resilience in torsion of said first and said second torsion beams being selected to provide a pre-determined angular deformation of said first and said second rotor axes of rotation about said axis of rotor tilt when said first and said second rotors are rotating and said first and said second monocyclic pitches are adjusted to apply said adjustable first torsion load and said adjustable second torsion load to said first and said second torsion beams, said pre-determined angular deformation being selected to apply a pre-determined moment to said air module when said first and said second rotors are rotating. 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first rotor and said second rotor are a first and a second ducted fan, the apparatus further comprising: a. a first exit vane, said first exit vane being located on a downstream side of said first ducted fan, said first exit vanes having a first exit vane longitudinal axis, said first exit vane longitudinal axis being oriented generally parallel to said first axis of rotor tilt, said first exit vane being configured to generate an adjustable first reaction force from an exhaust air flowing over said first exit vane when said first ducted fan is rotating, said reaction force being generally parallel to said axis of rotor tilt;b. a second exit vane, said second exit vane being located on a downstream side of said second ducted fan, said second exit vane having a second exit vane longitudinal axis, said second exit vane longitudinal axis being oriented generally parallel to said axis of rotor tilt, said second exit vane being configured to generate an adjustable second reaction force from said exhaust air flowing over said second exit vane when said second ducted fan is rotating, said second reaction force being generally parallel to said axis of rotor tilt. 5. The apparatus of claim 4, the apparatus further comprising: a wing extension, said wing extension being attached to said central unit, said wing extension having a deployed position and a retracted position, said wing extension being configured to provide a lift to said air module when said air module is flying in said tilted-rotor configuration and said wing extension is in said deployed position. 6. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module,said at least one rotary wing comprises a first rotor and a second rotor, said first rotor having a first rotor axis of rotation, said second rotor having a second rotor axis of rotation, said first and second rotor axes of rotation being selectably tiltable about an axis of rotor tilt between a horizontal position and a vertical position;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said at least one rotary wing being configured to support said ground module and said air module in a flight when said ground module and said air module are attached, said rotary wing being configured to support said air module in said flight when said ground module and said air module are not attached;d. a first circular duct surrounding a periphery of said first rotor;e. a second circular duct surrounding said periphery of said second rotor, said first rotor in combination with said first circular duct defining a first ducted fan, said second rotor in combination with said second circular duct defining a second ducted fan, said first circular duct and said second circular duct defining a first and a second circular wing, said first and said second circular wings providing a lift to said air module when said air module is flying and said first and second rotor axes of rotation are in said horizontal position;f. a first wing extension and a second wing extension, said first wing extension being attached to said first circular duct, said second wing extension being attached to said second circular duct, said first and second wing extensions providing said lift to said air module when said air module is flying with said first and second rotor axes of rotation are in said horizontal position. 7. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said at least one rotary wing being configured to support said ground module and said air module in a flight when said ground module and said air module are attached, said rotary wing being configured to support said air module in said flight when said ground module and said air module are not attached;d. a sensor, said sensor being configured to detect a change in an attitude of said air module or said ground module, a microprocessor operably connected to said sensor, said microprocessor being configured to send a center of gravity correction signal in response to a change in attitude detected by said sensor;e. a dynamic center of gravity effector, said dynamic center of gravity effector being configured to receive said center of gravity correction signal from said microprocessor, said air module having a center of lift when said air module is in flight, said ground module and said air module having a center of gravity when said ground module and said air module are in flight, said dynamic center of gravity effector being configured to change a relative location of said center of gravity and said center of lift. 8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector is configured to move a center of gravity of said ground module with respect to said air module to change said center of gravity of said ground module and said air module with respect to said center of lift. 9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector is configured to move said center of lift with respect to said air module to change said center of lift of said air module with respect to said center of gravity of said ground module and said air module. 10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said first rotor has a first swash plate operatively attached to said first rotor, said first swash plate being configured to provide selectable bi-cyclic pitch to said first rotor, said second rotor has a second swash plate operatively attached to said second rotor, said second swash plate being configured to provide selectable bi-cyclic pitch to said second rotor, said first and said second swash plate comprising said dynamic center of gravity effector, said first and said second swash plate being configured to move said center of lift of each of said first and said second rotors with respect to said center of gravity of said ground module and said air module. 11. A personal air vehicle apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a. an air module, said air module being unmanned;b. a first rotor and a second rotor operably attached to said air module, said first rotor having a first rotor axis of rotation, said second rotor having a second rotor axis of rotation, said first and second rotor axes of rotation being selectably tiltable about an axis of rotor tilt between a horizontal position and a vertical position;c. a ground module, said ground module and said air module being configured to be selectably attached one to the other, said first and second rotors in combination being configured to support said ground module and said air module in a flight when said ground module and said air module are attached, said first and second rotors in combination being configured to support said air module in said flight when said ground module and said air module are not attached;d. a first circular duct surrounding a periphery of said first rotor;e. a second circular duct surrounding said periphery of said second rotor, said first rotor in combination with said first circular duct defining a first ducted fan, said second rotor in combination with said second circular duct defining a second ducted fan, said first circular duct and said second circular duct defining a first and a second circular wing, said first and said second circular wings providing a lift to said air module when said air module is flying and said first and second rotor axes of rotation are in said horizontal position.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (24)
Woodcock Robert R. (Sylmar CA), 90 degree rotation aircraft wing.
Rutherford John W. (Scottsdale AZ) O\Rourke Matthew (Newport News VA) McDonnell William R. (St. Louis MO) Smith Brian T. (Everett WA), Canard rotor/wing.
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