Single motor single actuator rotorcraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11524766-B2
Application number	US-202016889608-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2020
Priority date	Jun 1, 2020
Publication date	Dec 13, 2022
Grant date	Dec 13, 2022

Abstract

An unmanned rotorcraft includes an airframe, rotor blades that are coupled to the airframe for rotation therewith, a propulsion unit having a propeller, and an actuator that is coupled to the airframe and adapted to temporarily reorient the propulsion unit such that an axis of the propeller moves out of alignment with an axis of the rotor blades. Rotation of the propeller causes counter-rotation of the airframe and rotor blades. The rotor blades and blades of the propeller are adapted to deploy from collapsed positions when flight of the rotorcraft is initiated. A method of operation by the rotorcraft includes, when it is determined that a current heading does not correspond to a determined flight path, causing the actuator to temporarily reorient the propulsion unit in accordance with an angular orientation of the actuator relative to the current heading.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned rotorcraft comprising:
an airframe;
a plurality of rotor blades that are coupled to the airframe in a fixed angular array about a rotor axis relative to the airframe for rotation therewith about the rotor axis;
a single propulsion unit that is coupled to the airframe, the propulsion unit including a motor and a propeller that rotates about a propeller axis; and
an actuator that is adapted to temporarily reorient the propulsion unit such that the propeller axis moves out of alignment with the rotor axis,
wherein rotation of the propeller by the propulsion unit causes counter-rotation of the airframe and rotor blades; and
wherein the motor is carried within the airframe and axially between the rotor blades and the propeller.

2. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blades are collapsible toward the airframe when the rotorcraft is not in flight.

3. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blades are adapted to deploy from respective collapsed positions when flight of the rotorcraft is initiated.

4. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the rotor blades and the propulsion unit are located at opposed ends of the airframe.

5. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , further comprising:
a navigation component,
wherein the navigation component causes the actuator to reorient the propulsion unit to maintain a flight path of the rotorcraft.

6. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is further adapted to, upon completing reorientation of the propulsion unit, return the propulsion unit to a rest position wherein the propeller axis is aligned with the rotor axis.

7. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the propeller has propeller blades that are collapsible relative to the airframe when the rotorcraft is not in flight.

8. The rotorcraft of claim 7 , wherein the rotor blades and propeller blades are adapted to deploy from respective collapsed positions when flight of the rotorcraft is initiated.

9. The rotorcraft of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion unit is coupled to the airframe such that the propulsion unit is pivotable about a pivot axis by the actuator.

10. The rotorcraft of claim 9 , wherein the propulsion unit is only pivotable about the pivot axis along a single path from a rest position in which the propeller axis is coaxial with the rotor axis.

11. A method of operation executed by an unmanned rotorcraft, the method comprising:
receiving a target destination for the rotorcraft;
activating a single propulsion unit coupled to an airframe of the rotorcraft;
determining a current location and a current heading of the rotorcraft;
determining a flight path from the current location to the target destination;
determining whether the current heading corresponds to the flight path;
when the current heading corresponds to the flight path, maintaining the current heading; and
when the current heading does not correspond to the flight path, causing an actuator that is coupled to the airframe and the propulsion unit to temporarily reorient the propulsion unit in accordance with an angular orientation of the actuator relative to the current heading, thereby adjusting the current heading toward the flight path;
wherein operation of the single propulsion unit alone provides both rotation of a propeller and counter-rotation of the airframe and rotor blades.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the actuator temporarily reorienting the propulsion unit comprises the actuator pivoting the propulsion unit such that a propeller axis thereof moves out of alignment with the rotor axis of the airframe.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
recognizing a deployment of the rotorcraft,
wherein activating the propulsion unit is performed in response to the recognition of deployment.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
determining whether the current location matches the target destination; and
when the current location matches the target destination, maintaining a position of the rotorcraft proximal to the target destination.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein activating the propulsion unit includes rotating a propeller of the propulsion unit such that the airframe counter-rotates relative to the propeller.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein activating the propulsion unit includes rotating the propeller such that counter-rotation of the airframe causes deployment of collapsed rotor blades coupled to the airframe for rotation therewith.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein activating the propulsion unit includes causing deployment of collapsed propeller blades of the propeller.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Campbell Kip Gregory

Classifications

• B64C27/50

  Blades foldable to facilitate stowage of aircraft · CPC title

• B64C27/024

  Devices for shifting the rotor axis · CPC title

• B64C27/82

  characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft · CPC title

• B64C11/28 Primary

  Collapsible or foldable blades · CPC title

• B64C27/37

  having articulated joints · CPC title