Aerial vehicle capable of vertical take-off and landing, vertical and horizontal flight and on-air energy generation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10392107-B2
Application number	US-201715852444-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 22, 2017
Priority date	Dec 27, 2016
Publication date	Aug 27, 2019
Grant date	Aug 27, 2019

Abstract

An aerial vehicle includes: a main body; two main wings arranged to the main body; two main wing tilting control units coupled to the main wings to control the main wings to tilt independently; two main propulsion units arranged to the main wings; tail wings arranged to a rear side of the main body; a rudder arranged to the tail wing; a rudder tilting control unit to control the rudder to tilt; a tail propulsion unit arranged to the rear side of the main body; a tail tilting control unit to control the tail propulsion unit to tilt; a power unit to provide power to the main and tail propulsion units; and a position control unit to control the main wing tilting control units, the main propulsion units, the rudder tilting control unit, the tail propulsion unit, the tail tilting control unit to adjust position of the aerial vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle comprising: a main body arranged in a first direction; two main wings arranged to the main body in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, the two main wings oppositely arranged to each other;
two main wing tilting control units respectively coupled to the main wings and adapted to control the main wings to tilt independently of each other;
two main propulsion units respectively arranged on the main wings;
tail wings arranged on a rear side of the main body in a second and third direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction;
a rudder arranged on the tail wing of the third direction; a rudder tilting control unit adapted to control the rudder to tilt; a tail propulsion unit arranged to the rear of the main body;
a tail tilting control unit adapted to control the tail propulsion unit to tilt;
a power unit adapted to provide power to the main and tail propulsion units; and
a position control unit adapted to control the main wing tilting control units, the main propulsion units, the rudder tilting control unit, the tail propulsion unit, and the tail tilting control unit to adjust a position of the aerial vehicle while airborne.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 ,
wherein the main wings are of symmetrical configuration, and wherein the tail wings of the second direction are oppositely arranged to each other and of symmetrical configuration.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main wing tilting control units and the tail tilting control unit tilt the main wings and the tail wings such that the main and tail propulsion units provide thrust and lift during a flight of the aerial vehicle in the third direction.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main wing tilting control units and the tail tilting control unit tilt the main wings and the tail wings such that the main and tail propulsion units provide thrust and lift during a flight of the aerial vehicle in a space formed by the first and second directions.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the tail propulsion unit is turned off and generates power from an air stream during a flight of the aerial vehicle in a space formed by the first and second directions, and
wherein the power unit is charged by the tail propulsion unit during the flight of the aerial vehicle in the space formed by the first and second directions.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main wing tilting control units tilt the main wings in the same direction so that the aerial vehicle makes a pitch motion during a flight of the aerial vehicle in a space formed by the first and second directions or in the third direction.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the rudder tilting control unit tilts the rudder so that the aerial vehicle makes a yaw motion during a flight of the aerial vehicle in a space formed by the first and second directions.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main wing tilting control units tilt the main wings in opposite directions so that the aerial vehicle makes a roll motion during a flight of the aerial vehicle in a space formed by the first and second directions.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main wing tilting control units tilt the main wings in opposite directions so that the aerial vehicle makes a yaw motion during a flight of the aerial vehicle in the third direction.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the main propulsion units provide different propulsion from each other so that the aerial vehicle makes a roll motion during a flight of the aerial vehicle in the third direction.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the position control unit includes:
a memory adapted to store reference position values;
a sensing unit adapted to generate current position values by sensing current position of the aerial vehicle; and
a position correction unit adapted to generate correction values by comparing the reference position values and the current position values, and provide the correction values to the main wing tilting 15 control units, the main propulsion units, the rudder tilting control unit, the tail propulsion unit and the tail tilting control unit.

Assignees

• Korea Advanced Inst Sci & Tech

Inventors

• Har Dongsoo
• Lee Sang Min

Classifications

• B64U50/14

  ducted or shrouded · CPC title

• B64U2201/10

  autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• F15B15/06

  for mechanically converting rectilinear movement into non- rectilinear movement · CPC title

• F16H21/44

  for conveying or interconverting oscillating or reciprocating motions · CPC title