Aircraft with ducted fan and movable louvers over the ducted fan

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11873084-B2
Application number	US-202016869765-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 8, 2020
Priority date	May 9, 2019
Publication date	Jan 16, 2024
Grant date	Jan 16, 2024

Abstract

An aircraft includes a wing that is extended through by a ducted fan having movable louvers.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An aircraft comprising:
a wing,
a ducted fan extending through the wing, and
movable louvers positioned over the ducted fan,
wherein the louvers comprise upper louvers positioned on a top surface of the wing and lower louvers positioned on a bottom surface of the wing,
wherein each louver is movable between a basic position and an active position, wherein in the basic position of the louvers, the louvers are arranged flush with the wing such that the upper louvers and lower louvers cover inlet and outlet openings of the ducted fan, and, in the active position of the louvers, (i) the louvers are not arranged flush with the wing such that the upper louvers and lower louvers do not cover the inlet and outlet openings of the ducted fan, (ii) the upper louvers extend to an elevation above a top surface of the wing, and (iii) the lower louvers extend to an elevation below a bottom surface of the wing,
wherein each louver of the upper louvers is a unitary member having a teardrop shape including a rounded end and a pointed end that is arranged opposite the rounded end,
wherein, in the active position of the upper louvers, the pointed ends are located within the wing while the rounded ends are located outside of the wing, and, in the basic position of the upper louvers, the pointed ends are arranged substantially flush with the top surface of the wing,
wherein each upper louver is positionable to a transition position when the aircraft transitions from vertical flight to horizontal flight, the transition position being defined between the active position and the basic position, and, wherein, as each upper louver moves from the basic position to the transition position, the pointed end of the upper louver is configured to move from a position that is substantially flush with the top surface of the wing to a position that is located inside of the wing.

2. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a first linkage for articulating the upper louvers, and a second linkage for articulating the lower louvers.

3. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is configured such that the louvers assume the basic position in cruising flight.

4. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft has a fully electric drive.

5. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises bent or bendable wings.

6. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises a battery system.

7. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the ducted fans comprise horizontally fixed ducted fans for take-off and landing.

8. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft comprises vertically fixed ducted fans for generating propulsion.

9. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the aircraft is configured to be selectively controlled in a fully autonomous manner.

10. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein in the active position of the lower louvers, the rounded ends are located within the wing while the pointed ends are located outside of the wing.

11. The aircraft as claimed in claim 10 , wherein, in the basic position, the pointed ends of the upper louvers point towards a leading edge of the wing, and the pointed ends of the lower louvers point towards a trailing edge of the wing.

12. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a rear ducted fan positioned on a trailing edge of the wing behind the ducted fan.

13. The aircraft as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the rear ducted fan is pivotable between a first orientation for generating vertical thrust, and a second orientation for generating horizontal thrust.

14. The aircraft as claimed in claim 13 , wherein, in a cruising phase of the aircraft, the rear ducted fan is maintained in the second orientation and the louvers are all maintained in the basic position.

15. The aircraft as claimed in claim 13 , wherein, in a lifting phase of the aircraft, the rear ducted fan is maintained in the first orientation and the louvers are all maintained in the active position.

16. The aircraft as claimed in claim 13 , wherein, in a cruising phase of the aircraft, the rear ducted fan is maintained in the second orientation and the louvers are all maintained in the basic position, and, in a lifting phase of the aircraft, the rear ducted fan is maintained in the first orientation and the louvers are all maintained in the active position.

17. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each louver is pivotable between the basic position and the active position.

18. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein, in the basic position of each upper louver, the pointed end is arranged closer to a leading edge of the wing than the rounded end.

19. The aircraft as claimed in claim 18 , wherein, in the active position of each upper louver, the rounded end is arranged closer to the leading edge of the wing than the pointed end.

20. The aircraft as claimed in claim 1 , wherein as each upper louver moves from the transition position to the active position, the pointed end of the upper louver is configured to move further inside of the wing.

Assignees

• Porsche Ag

Inventors

• Chew Guan
• Bender Stefan
• Fuerstner Michael
• Fauri Mikel

Classifications

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D27/357

  using batteries · CPC title

• B64C29/0033 Primary

  the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage · CPC title

• B60L50/60 Primary

  using power supplied by batteries (in combination with fuel cells B60L50/75) · CPC title

• B64C39/008

  about a longitudinal axis · CPC title