Stackable wing for an aerocar

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9580167-B2
Application number	US-201514872415-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2015
Priority date	Mar 2, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

An aerocar includes a body and a multiple of wings. The multiple of wings can be selectively extendable away from a top portion of the body for a flight mode. The multiple of wings can be selectively retractable toward the top portion of the body for a roadable mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerocar comprising:
a body, the body having a width; and
a multiple of wings, the multiple of wings being selectively extendable in a substantially vertical direction away from a top portion of the body for a flight mode and selectively retractable in a substantially vertical direction toward the top portion of the body for a roadable mode, each of the multiple of wings defining a span, the span being generally equivalent to the width of the body in both the flight mode and the roadable mode.

2. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of wings are stackable.

3. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , further including a multiple of wheels, wherein at least one of the multiple of wheels is a steerable wheel, and wherein at least one of the multiple of wheels is a drive wheel.

4. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple of wings is individually selectively extendable in a substantially vertical direction away from the body for the flight mode.

5. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple of wings is individually selectively retractable in a substantially vertical direction toward the body for the roadable mode.

6. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein at least one of the multiple of wings is extended in a substantially vertical direction away from the body for the flight mode.

7. The aerocar as recited in claim 6 , wherein the at least one of the multiple of wings is morphed from a stowed shape to a deployed shape for the flight mode.

8. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein each of the multiple of wings includes an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface forms a generally fixed shape, and wherein the lower surface is selectively morphable between a stowed shape and a deployed shape.

9. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein all of the multiple of wings are extended away from the body for the flight mode.

10. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of wings are located atop the body.

11. The aerocar as recited in claim 1 , wherein the multiple of wings are located at least partially within the body in the roadable mode.

12. An aerocar comprising:
a body, the body having a width; and
a multiple of stackable wings, the multiple of stackable wings being configured such that one or more of the stackable wings is selectively extended away from a top portion of the body for a flight mode and one or more of the stackable wings is selectively retracted toward the top portion of the body for a roadable mode, the wings being selectively morphable between a stowed shape for the roadable mode and a deployed shape for the flight mode, each of the multiple of wings defining a span, the span being generally equivalent to the width of the body in both the flight mode and the roadable mode.

13. The aerocar as recited in claim 12 , further including:
an actuator operatively connected to the multiple of stackable wings, the actuator being configured to:
for the flight mode, morph the one or more of the stackable wings that are selectively extended away from the top portion of the body from the stowed shape to the deployed shape; and
for the roadable mode, morph the one or more of the stackable wings that are selectively retracted toward the top portion of the body from the deployed shape to the stowed shape.

14. The aerocar as recited in claim 12 , wherein the multiple of wings are individually selectively extendable away from the top portion of the body for the flight mode and individually selectively retractable toward the top portion of the body for the roadable mode.

15. The aerocar as recited in claim 12 , wherein the wings include an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the upper surface is a generally fixed shape, and wherein the lower surface is morphable between the stowed shape and the deployed shape.

16. A method of configuring an aerocar having a flight mode and a roadable mode, the aerocar including a body and a multiple of wings, each of the multiple of wings defining a span, the span being generally equivalent to the width of the body in both the flight mode and the roadable mode, the method comprising:
selectively extending at least one of the multiple of wings in a substantially vertical direction away from a top portion of the body for the flight mode; and
selectively retracting the at least one of the multiple of wings in a substantially vertical direction toward the top portion of the body for the roadable mode.

17. The method as recited in claim 16 , further including:
selectively extending all of the multiple of wings in a substantially vertical direction away from the top portion of the body for the flight mode.

18. The method as recited in claim 16 , further including:
morphing the selectively extended at least one of the multiple of wings from a stowed shape to a deployed shape in the flight mode; and
morphing the selectively retracted at least one of the multiple of wings from a deployed shape to a stowed shape in the roadable mode.

19. The method as recited in claim 18 , wherein morphing the selectively extended at least one of the multiple of wings from the stowed shape to the deployed shape in the flight mode includes morphing a lower surface of the selectively extended at least one of the multiple of wings from the stowed shape to the deployed shape.

Assignees

• Toyota Motor Eng & Mfg North America Inc

Inventors

• Gandhi Umesh N
• Roe Robert W

Classifications

• B64C3/48

  by relatively-movable parts of wing structures · CPC title

• B64C39/08

  having multiple wings · CPC title

• B64C3/14

  Aerofoil profile · CPC title

• B64C37/00

  Convertible aircraft · CPC title

• B60F5/02 Primary

  convertible into aircraft (convertible aircraft B64C37/00; convertible unmanned aerial vehicle [UAV]-type aircraft, e.g. convertible into land vehicles, B64U10/70) · CPC title