초록 ▼

An air module may be attached to a ground module. The air module may be equipped with a center of gravity effector to change the relative locations and hence the center of gravity of the air and ground modules when the modules are attached. The center of gravity effector may be active or passive or

An air module may be attached to a ground module. The air module may be equipped with a center of gravity effector to change the relative locations and hence the center of gravity of the air and ground modules when the modules are attached. The center of gravity effector may be active or passive or a combination of active and passive. The center of gravity effector may be combined with a center of lift effector to change the relative locations of the center of gravity and center of lift.

대표청구항 ▼

1. An air vehicle, the air vehicle comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. said air module is configured to be selectably attached to a ground module, said at least one rotary wing being configured to support said ground module and said air mo

1. An air vehicle, the air vehicle comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. said air module is configured to be selectably attached to a ground module, 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 center of gravity effector, said center of gravity effector being configured to locate a center of gravity of said ground module with respect to a center of lift of said air module when said air module is attached to said ground module;e. 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;f. said center of gravity effector being a dynamic center of gravity effector that is movable in one dimension, 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 ground module with respect to said air module in said one dimension, whereby said dynamic center of gravity effecter changes a relative location of said center of gravity and said center of lift. 2. The air vehicle of claim 1, further comprising: a center of lift effector, said center of lift effector being configured to receive said center of gravity correction signal from said microprocessor, said center of lift effector being configured to change said center of lift of said air module, whereby said center of lift effecter changes a relative location of said center of gravity and said center of lift. 3. The air vehicle of claim 1 wherein said at least one rotary wing is tiltable about an axis of rotor tilt to a tilted position and wherein said one dimension is normal to said axis of rotor tilt, said dynamic center of gravity effector being configured to change a relative location of said ground module with respect to said air module in said one dimension generally normal to said axis of rotor tilt when said air and ground modules are attached. 4. The air vehicle of claim 3 wherein said center of gravity effector is configured for passive relative movement of said air module and said ground module in a second dimension when said air module and said ground module are attached, said second dimension being generally parallel to said axis of rotor tilt, whereby when said ground module is attached to said air module said center of gravity effector is configured to allow relative movement of said air and ground modules passively in said second dimension without intervention by said microprocessor and without reference to said center of gravity correction signal. 5. The air vehicle of claim 4 wherein said passive relative movement in said second dimension is damped to prevent oscillation between the ground and air modules when the ground and air modules are attached. 6. The air vehicle of claim 1 wherein said center of gravity correction signal is configured to command said center of gravity effector to move said ground module vertically with respect to said air module, said center of gravity effector being configured to actively change a relative location of said ground module with respect to said air module in said vertical dimension when said ground and air modules are attached. 7. The air vehicle of claim 3 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector is configured to change a relative location of said ground module with respect to said air module in a second dimension when said ground and air modules are attached, said second dimension being generally parallel to said axis of rotor tilt, whereby said dynamic center of gravity effecter may change a relative location of said center of gravity and said center of lift in said second dimension. 8. The air vehicle of claim 7 wherein said center of gravity correction signal is configured to command said center of gravity effector to move said ground module in a vertical dimension with respect to said air module, said center of gravity effector being configured to actively change a relative location of said ground module with respect to said air module in said vertical dimension when said ground and air modules are attached. 9. The air vehicle of claim 1 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector comprises a cross slide, said cross slide allowing relative motion in said one dimension between said air module and said ground module under a control of said center of gravity correction signal when said air module and said ground module are attached. 10. The air vehicle of claim 1 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector comprises a crank, said crank allowing relative motion in said one dimension between said air module and said ground module under a control of said center of gravity correction signal when said air and ground modules are attached. 11. The air vehicle of claim 1 wherein said dynamic center of gravity effector comprises a pinned link, said pinned link allowing relative motion between said air module and said ground module under a control of said center of gravity correction signal when said air and ground modules are attached. 12. An air vehicle, the air vehicle comprising: a. an air module;b. at least one rotary wing operably attached to said air module;c. said air module is configured to be selectably attached to a ground module, 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 center of gravity effector, said center of gravity effector being configured to locate a center of gravity of said ground module with respect to a center of lift of said air module when said air module is attached to said ground module wherein said center of gravity effector is configured for passive relative movement of said air module and said ground module when said air module and said ground module are attached, whereby said center of gravity effector is configured to allow relative movement of said air and ground modules automatically in response to a change in said center of gravity without intervention by a control system. 13. The personal-air vehicle of claim 12, further comprising: a. 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;b. a center of lift effector, said center of lift 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 center of lift effector being configured to change a center of lift of said air module, whereby said center of lift effecter changes a relative location of said center of gravity and said center of lift. 14. The air vehicle of claim 12 wherein said center of gravity effector comprises a link that is free to move in two dimensions, said link having two ball joints that connect said link to said air and ground modules when said air and ground modules are attached. 15. The air vehicle of claim 12 wherein said center of gravity effector comprises a strap, said strap allowing movement of said ground module with respect to said air module in two dimension when said air and ground modules are attached. 16. The air vehicle of claim 13 wherein said at least one rotary wing is tiltable about an axis of rotor tilt to a tilted position and wherein said center of gravity effector is configured for passive relative movement of said air module and said ground module when said air module and said ground module are attached in at least one dimension, said one dimension being normal to said axis of rotor tilt. 17. The air vehicle of claim 13 wherein said center of gravity correction signal is configured to command said center of gravity effector to move said ground module vertically with respect to said air module, said center of gravity effector being configured to actively change a relative location of said ground module with respect to said air module in said vertical dimension when said ground and air modules are attached. 18. The air vehicle of claim 13 wherein said center of lift effector is configured to move said rotary wing with respect to said air module and to thereby change the relative locations of the said center of lift and said center of gravity.