Flight vehicle with drone and lift-producing protrusion

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11352134-B2
Application number	US-201815863018-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 5, 2018
Priority date	Jan 5, 2018
Publication date	Jun 7, 2022
Grant date	Jun 7, 2022

Abstract

A flight vehicle includes a drone with a pair of shaped protrusions mechanically coupled to the drone. One of the shapes is a hollow lift-producing shape, such as being a balloon filed with a lighter-than-air gas, and the other of the shapes is below the drone. The shape below the drone may be a hollow shape that does not produce lift, for example being a balloon filled with air. The shapes may be similar in size and shape, so as to provide similar drag characteristics. The shapes may be opposite ends of a support, such as a stick, rod, or other (relatively) slender structure. The vehicle includes a payload, such as radar calibration equipment or an antenna. The drone may be used to counteract wind forces on the flight vehicle, and/or to otherwise position the flight vehicle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A flight vehicle comprising:
a multirotor drone;
a first protrusion above and mechanically connected to the drone;
a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
a shaft mechanically coupling the first protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
wherein the first protrusion is a lift-producing protrusion;
wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag; and
wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft at a joint, allowing the drone to tilt relative to the shaft.

2. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a payload mechanically coupled to the drone and/or the second protrusion.

3. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the joint is a one degree-of-freedom joint.

4. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the joint is a two degrees-of-freedom joint.

5. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a rod.

6. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein connections between the shaft, and the first protrusion and the second protrusion, are rigid.

7. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the shaft is a linear, straight shaft that extends along an axis of the shaft.

8. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the first protrusion is a first balloon.

9. The flight vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the second protrusion is a second balloon.

10. The flight vehicle of claim 9 , wherein the first balloon is filled with a lighter-than-air gas, and the second balloon is filled with air.

11. The flight vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising a payload below the drone.

12. The flight vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the payload is below the second protrusion.

13. The flight vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the payload is on an extendible tether.

14. The flight vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the payload includes radar calibration equipment.

15. The flight vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the payload includes an antenna.

16. A method of operating a negatively-buoyant flight vehicle, the method comprising:
providing lift from a top protrusion of the flight vehicle that is lighter than air;
providing additional lift from propellers of a drone that is below the top protrusion;
wherein the top protrusion provides more lift than the drone;
providing a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
providing a shaft mechanically coupling the top protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
wherein the top protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag; and
wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft at a joint, allowing the drone to tilt relative to the shaft.

17. A flight vehicle comprising:
a multirotor drone;
a first protrusion above and mechanically connected to the drone;
a second protrusion below and mechanically connected to the drone;
a shaft mechanically coupling the first protrusion and the second protrusion, at opposite respective ends of the shaft;
wherein the first protrusion is a lift-producing protrusion;
wherein the drone is coupled to the shaft between the ends of the shaft;
wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion have the same shape and provide substantially the same drag;
wherein the drone is fixedly attached to the shaft; and
further comprising a drift brake that provides thrust orthogonal to lift provided by the drone.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Heinen Gregory W

Classifications

• B64U10/30

  Lighter-than-air aircraft, e.g. aerostatic aircraft · CPC title

• B64U2101/00

  UAVs specially adapted for particular uses or applications · CPC title

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64U10/14

  with four distinct rotor axes, e.g. quadcopters · CPC title

• B64U30/20 Primary

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title