Aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131422-B2
Application number	US-201615062871-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2016
Priority date	Jul 31, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft includes: a plurality of rotor units each including a propeller and a motor that drives the propeller; and a shock absorber covering the entire vertical length of lateral sides of the plurality of rotor units.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a plurality of rotor units each including a propeller and a motor that drives the propeller; and
a shock absorber covering an entire vertical length of a lateral side of the plurality of rotor units,
wherein the shock absorber defines a plurality of ventilation holes vertically passing through the shock absorber, and each of the plurality of rotor units is disposed in a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes,
the shock absorber comprises a balloon containing gas,
the aircraft further comprising an inner space provided in a central region of the balloon, wherein at least one end of the inner space is connected to a top portion or a bottom portion of the balloon, and
the inner space is disposed between two of the plurality of ventilation holes in which the plurality of rotor units are disposed, and at least one end of the inner space is open such that the inner space is exposed to space external to the balloon.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of voltage regulators each of which is disposed in a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes, wherein each of the plurality of voltage regulators regulates voltage of power driving the motor of a different one of the plurality of rotor units.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of tubular components each of which is disposed in a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes, the plurality of tubular components supporting surfaces of the shock absorber defining the plurality of ventilation holes to prevent the plurality of ventilation holes from narrowing.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a fixing component that fixes each of the plurality of rotor units in a predetermined position in a top view and in an orientation in which an axis of rotation of the rotor unit is approximately vertical, wherein the shock absorber includes a duct to connect the plurality of ventilation holes, and the fixing component is disposed inside the duct.

5. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein
the balloon includes a top sheet, a bottom sheet, and a side sheet,
the top sheet and the bottom sheet each include a plurality of substantially fan-shaped sub-sheets adhered together at radial edges thereof,
the side sheet includes a rectangular sheet, and
one of two opposing long edges of the side sheet is adhered to a peripheral edge of the top sheet and another of the two opposing long edges of the side sheet is adhered to a peripheral edge of the bottom sheet.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotor units and the plurality of ventilation holes in which the plurality of rotor units are disposed are located closer to a peripheral edge of the balloon than a central axis of the balloon.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the balloon gradually decreases in height from a central region of the balloon toward a peripheral edge of the balloon.

8. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the connector is tubular in shape.

9. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of rudders each of which is disposed in a lower region of a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes.

10. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein, in a top view,
a peripheral edge of the balloon includes reference curve sections and small curvature radius sections having a smaller radius of curvature than the reference curve sections, the reference curve sections and the small curvature radius sections being alternately arranged around the peripheral edge and each being equal in number to the plurality of ventilation holes, and
each of the small curvature radius sections is disposed adjacent to a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes, in a more peripheral position than the ventilation hole it is disposed adjacent to.

11. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the balloon includes a plurality of indentations in portions defining the plurality of ventilation holes, the plurality of indentations being for placement of the plurality of rotor units.

12. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein a space containing the gas inside the balloon is partitioned into a plurality of regions.

13. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the shock absorber comprises a plurality of sub-shock absorbers each of which includes a different one of the plurality of ventilation holes.

14. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller for the plurality of rotor units,
wherein the controller is disposed in a lower portion of the inner space.

15. The aircraft according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a battery that supplies power to the plurality of rotor units,
wherein the battery is disposed in a lower portion of the inner space.

16. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the gas is less dense than atmosphere.

17. The aircraft according to claim 16 , further comprising a container that accommodates a weight for adjusting a gross weight of the aircraft.

18. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of ventilation holes has a shape that gradually expands in cross sectional area from a vertical central region toward a top end and a bottom end.

19. The aircraft according to claim 18 , wherein the balloon gradually decreases in height from a central region of the balloon toward a peripheral edge of the balloon, and with respect to each of the plurality of ventilation holes, a height measured closer to the peripheral edge of the balloon is less than a height measured closer to the central region of the balloon.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Matsumoto Hiroyuki
• Ichimura Shigenori
• IYOBE Tatsuya
• TAKITA Mizuki

Classifications

• B64D47/04

  the lighting devices being primarily intended to illuminate the way ahead · CPC title

• B64B1/26

  housed in ducts · CPC title

• B64C27/006 Primary

  Safety devices · CPC title

• B64D2203/00

  Aircraft or airfield lights using LEDs · CPC title

• B64B1/40

  Balloons (B64B1/58 takes precedence; toy balloons A63H27/10) · CPC title