Multicopter with wide span rotor configuration and protective fuselage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9944386-B1
Application number	US-201715649293-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jul 13, 2017
Priority date	Jul 13, 2017
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An aircraft includes a plurality of rotors and a fuselage. The plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at a fixed roll angle and a fixed pitch angle and the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another. The fuselage includes a side wall with a top edge where the top edge of the side wall is higher than the plurality of rotors.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aircraft, comprising:
a plurality of rotors, wherein:
the plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at a fixed roll angle and a fixed pitch angle;
the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another; and
the plurality of rotors include:
an outer back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a highest height associated with the plurality of rotors;
an outer front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a second highest height associated with the plurality of rotors;
an inner back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a third highest height associated with the plurality of rotors;
an inner front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a lowest height associated with the plurality of rotors; and
an inner middle rotor which is attached to the aircraft at the lowest height associated with the plurality of rotors; and

a fuselage which includes a side wall with a top edge, wherein the top edge of the side wall is higher than the plurality of rotors.

2. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors further include:
a right inner front rotor which is configured to rotate in a first direction;
a right outer front rotor which is configured to rotate in the first direction;
a right inner middle rotor which is configured to rotate in a second direction;
a right outer back rotor which is configured to rotate in the second direction;
a right inner back rotor which is configured to rotate in the first direction;
a left inner back rotor which is configured to rotate in the second direction;
a left outer back rotor which is configured to rotate in the first direction;
a left inner middle rotor which is configured to rotate in the first direction;
a left outer front rotor which is configured to rotate in the second direction; and
a left inner front rotor which is configured to rotate in the second direction.

3. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors further include:
a right inner front rotor which is configured to rotate in a counterclockwise direction when viewed from above;
a right outer front rotor which is configured to rotate in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from above;
a right inner middle rotor which is configured to rotate in a clockwise direction when viewed from above;
a right outer back rotor which is configured to rotate in the clockwise direction when viewed from above;
a right inner back rotor which is configured to rotate in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from above;
a left inner back rotor which is configured to rotate in the clockwise direction when viewed from above;
a left outer back rotor which is configured to rotate in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from above;
a left inner middle rotor which is configured to rotate in the counterclockwise direction when viewed from above;
a left outer front rotor which is configured to rotate in the clockwise direction when viewed from above; and
a left inner front rotor which is configured to rotate in the clockwise direction when viewed from above.

4. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors further include:
a right inner front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a zero pitch angle; and
a left inner front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a zero pitch angle.

5. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of rotors further include:
a right outer front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right inner middle rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right outer back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right inner back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left inner back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left outer back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left inner middle rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle; and
a left outer front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle.

6. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of rotors further include:
a right outer front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right inner middle rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right outer back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a right inner back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a negative roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left inner back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left outer back rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle;
a left inner middle rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle; and
a left outer front rotor which is attached to the aircraft at a positive roll angle and a negative pitch angle; and

the plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at roll angles and pitch angles with magnitudes in the range of 0 degrees and 10 degrees.

7. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the fuselage narrows at the midsection of the fuselage.

8. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the fuselage narrows at the midsection of the fuselage creating an overhang beneath which at least part of an inner middle rotor rotates.

9. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at heights in the range of 45 cm-55 cm.

10. The aircraft recited in claim 1 , wherein the fuselage further includes a headrest with a cutout.

11. An aircraft, comprising:
a plurality of rotors, wherein:
the plurality of rotors are attached to the aircraft at a fixed roll angle and a fixed pitch angle; and
the plurality of rotors rotate independently of one another;

a fuselage which includes a side wall with a top edge, wherein the top edge of the side wall is higher than the plurality of rotors; and
a left float and a right float, wherein:
a left inner front rotor, a left inner middle rotor, and a left inner back rotor are attached to the left float;
a right inner front rotor, a right inner middle rotor, and a right inner back rotor are attached to the right float;
the left float includes a first plurality of batteries for the left inner front rotor, the left inner middle rotor, the left inner back rotor, a left out front rotor, and a left outer back rotor; and
the right float includes a second plurality of batteries for the right inner front rotor, the right inner middle rotor, the right inner back rotor, a right out front rotor, and a right outer back rotor.

12. The aircraft recited in claim 11 , wherein:
the left float includes at least one access panel on a top surface of the left float; and
the right float includes at least one access panel on a top surface of the right float.

13. The aircraft recited in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of rotors include:
the right inner front rotor which is configured to rotate in a first direction;
the right outer front rotor which is configured to rotate in the first direction;
the right inner middle rotor which is configured to

Assignees

• Kitty Hawk Corp

Inventors

• Reichert Todd
• Robertson Cameron
• Cutler Mark Johnson

Classifications

• B64C25/54 Primary

  Floats · CPC title

• B64C27/001

  Vibration damping devices · CPC title

• B64C27/08 Primary

  with two or more rotors · CPC title

• B64C27/20

  Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms · CPC title