VTOL aircraft using rotors to simulate rigid wing dynamics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11780573-B2
Application number	US-202117411054-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2021
Priority date	Nov 2, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2023
Grant date	Oct 10, 2023

Abstract

A vertical take-off and landing aircraft which uses fixed rotors for both VTOL and forward flight operations. The rotors form a synthetic wing and are positioned to achieve a high span efficiency. The rotors are positioned to even out the lift across the span of the synthetic wing. The synthetic wing may also have narrow front and rear airfoils which may provide structural support as well as providing lift during forward flight. The wing rotors are tilted forward and provide some forward propulsion during horizontal flight.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and horizontal flight, said aerial vehicle comprising:
a main vehicle body;
a right side wing assembly, said right side wing assembly comprising:
a first plurality of right side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration along a single forward swept linear or curvilinear first span direction, wherein the spin axis of each of said right side wing rotors is tilted forward, wherein all of said aerial vehicle's rotors mounted to the right of said main vehicle body reside within said first plurality of right side wing rotors;
at least one of:
a forward swept right side leading edge wing, said right side leading edge wing having a first end at said main vehicle body and moving outboard along the first span direction directly forward of the plurality of right side wing rotors, or
a forward swept right side trailing edge wing, said right side trailing edge wing having a first end at said main vehicle body and moving outboard along the first span direction directly rearward of the plurality of right side wing rotors,

a left side wing assembly, said left side wing assembly comprising:
a second plurality of left side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration along a single forward swept linear or curvilinear second span direction, wherein the spin axis of each of said left side wing rotors is tilted forward, wherein all of said aerial vehicle's rotors mounted to the left of said main vehicle body reside within said second plurality of left side wing rotors,
at least one of:
a forward swept left side leading edge wing, said left side leading edge wing having a first end at said main vehicle body and moving outboard along the first span direction directly forward of the plurality of left side wing rotors, or
a forward swept left side trailing edge wing, said left side trailing edge wing having a first end at said main vehicle body and moving outboard along the first span direction directly rearward of the plurality of left side wing rotors,

wherein a most inboard rotor of said plurality of right side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration is rearward of the longitudinal center of said aerial vehicle and wherein a most outboard rotor of said plurality of right side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration is forward of the longitudinal center of said aerial vehicle, and wherein a most inboard rotor of said plurality of left side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration is rearward of the longitudinal center of said aerial vehicle and wherein a most outboard rotor of said plurality of left side wing rotors in a forward swept configuration is forward of the longitudinal center of said aerial vehicle;
wherein the spin axis of said right side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 5-20 degrees, and wherein the spin axis of said left side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 5-20 degrees; and
wherein the tilt angle of said right side wing rotors and the tilt angle of said left side wing rotors are not adjustable.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the spin axis of said right side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 8-12 degrees, and wherein the spin axis of said left side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 8-12 degrees.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said aerial vehicle does not have controllable control surfaces.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein the spin axis of said right side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 5-15 degrees, and wherein the spin axis of said left side wing rotors is tilted forward at an angle in the range of 5-15 degrees.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 wherein said aerial vehicle does not have controllable control surfaces.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 6 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

10. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said aerial vehicle does not have controllable control surfaces.

11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

12. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein each wing rotor has a plurality of blades and an electric motor, said electric motor mounted central to the spin axis of the rotor, and wherein said blade's inboard end relative to the spin axis is outboard of the motor.

Assignees

• Joby Aero Inc

Inventors

• Mikic Gregor Veble
• Bevirt Joeben
• Stoll Alex

Classifications

• Y02T50/60

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

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64C27/08

  with two or more rotors · CPC title

• B64C27/22 Primary

  Compound rotorcraft, i.e. aircraft using in flight the features of both aeroplane and rotorcraft · CPC title