Multicopter with wide span rotor configuration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10086931-B2
Application number	US-201615249077-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2016
Priority date	Aug 26, 2016
Publication date	Oct 2, 2018
Grant date	Oct 2, 2018

Abstract

A multicopter aircraft with a wide span rotor configuration is disclosed. In various embodiments, a multicopter as disclosed herein includes a fuselage and a plurality of rotors. The plurality of rotors includes inner rotors and outer rotors, with the inner rotors being substantially surrounded by the outer rotors or the fuselage. The inner rotors and the outer rotors may be tilted based at least in part on their arrangement in relation to the fuselage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multicopter comprising:
a fuselage and a plurality of rotors,
wherein the plurality of rotors comprises inner rotors and outer rotors, and
wherein the inner rotors are substantially surrounded by one or more other rotors, the fuselage, or a combination of one or more other rotors and the fuselage; and
wherein the plurality of rotors are arranged to provide an overall width to length ratio ranging from 1.7 to 3 for the multicopter and the multicopter has a length of 88 inches or less.

2. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotors are tilted.

3. The multicopter of claim 1 , comprising a wide span rotor configuration.

4. The multicopter of claim 1 , comprising ten rotors.

5. The multicopter of claim 1 , comprising three rotors adjacent to a side of the fuselage, two rotors adjacent to the three rotors, three rotors adjacent to an opposite side of the fuselage, and two rotors adjacent to the three rotors adjacent to the opposite side of the fuselage.

6. The multicopter of claim 4 , wherein the inner rotors comprise a middle rotor of the three rotors adjacent to the side of the fuselage and a middle rotor of the three rotors adjacent to the opposite side of the fuselage.

7. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotors and the outer rotors are arranged for maximum disc area and maximum wing span.

8. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the multicopter is optimized to fly over water.

9. The multicopter of claim 8 , wherein flotation devices are attached on either side of the fuselage.

10. The multicopter of claim 8 , wherein rotors are attached to the flotation devices.

11. The multicopter of claim 8 , wherein a height of the flotation devices is greater than a width of the flotation devices.

12. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the multicopter is able to be driven by the inner rotors.

13. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotors are tilted forwards.

14. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the inner rotors and the outer rotors rotate in differing planes.

15. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the tips of the inner rotors and the outer rotors are overlapped.

16. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein four rotors closest to the front of the multicopter are tilted backwards, four rotors adjacent to the four rotors closest to the front of the multicopter are tilted forwards, and two rotors closest to the back of the multicopter are tilted backwards.

17. The multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the fuselage comprises an enclosed cabin.

18. The multicopter of claim 1 , comprising a steering mechanism.

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Reichert Todd
• Robertson Cameron

Classifications

• B64C27/08 Primary

  with two or more rotors · CPC title

• B64C25/54

  Floats · CPC title

• B64D11/0689

  specially adapted for pilots · CPC title

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title