Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9957044-B2
Application number	US-201414247062-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 7, 2014
Priority date	Jun 5, 2009
Publication date	May 1, 2018
Grant date	May 1, 2018

Abstract

Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A wing comprising:
a mast engaging a fitment;
a spar engaging the fitment substantially perpendicular to the mast, the spar rotatably coupled to the mast to selectively decrease an angle of the spar relative to the mast;
a mast tube disposed about a portion of the mast;
a spar tube disposed about a portion of the spar;
a scrim attached to the spar tube and the mast tube;
a yoke engaging a rear of the spar; and
a first batten disposed on the scrim and extending in a direction radially from an intersection of the spar and the mast, the first batten having a distal end proximate to an edge of the airfoil;
wherein the yoke is tiltable to decrease the substantially perpendicular angle between the spar and mast resulting in increased luffing of the scrim.

2. The wing of claim 1 further comprising a second batten disposed on the scrim and extending in a direction radially from the intersection of the spar and the mast, the second batten having a distal end proximate to the edge of the airfoil.

3. The wing of claim 1 wherein the fitment is configured to fixedly receive the spar and configured to rotatably receive the mast.

4. The wing of claim 1 wherein a planform of the wing is defined by perimeter points comprising: the distal end of the first batten, a distal end portion of the mast, a distal end portion of the spar, a proximal end portion of the mast, and a proximal end portion of the spar.

5. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim comprises a polyvinyl fluoride film.

6. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim comprises a polyvinyl fluoride film further comprising a fiber mesh.

7. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim comprises a fiber mesh comprising intersecting lines of fiber mesh, the lines of fiber mesh oriented at oblique angles relative to the spar tube and relative to the mast tube.

8. The wing of claim 1 wherein the mast comprises a carbon rod and the first batten comprises a carbon rod.

9. The wing of claim 1 wherein the first batten is curved.

10. The wing of claim 9 wherein an apex of the curved first batten is distal from the mast tube.

11. The wing of claim 1 wherein the first batten is rod-shaped.

12. The wing of claim 1 wherein the first batten is parallelepiped-shaped.

13. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim is attached to the spar tube by wrapping the scrim around the spar tube to create an overlapping section of the scrim.

14. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim is attached to the mast tube by wrapping the scrim around the mast tube to create an overlapping section of the scrim.

15. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim is attached to the spar tube by an attachment material placed over the spar tube and scrim.

16. The wing of claim 1 wherein the fitment maintains the spar substantially perpendicular to the mast during a stationary position.

17. The wing of claim 1 wherein the fitment comprises a first aperture for receiving the spar and a second aperture for receiving the mast, wherein the fitment maintains the spar substantially perpendicular to the mast during a stationary position of the wing.

18. The wing of claim 1 wherein the yoke is configured to increase luffing of the scrim resulting from decreasing the angle of the spar relative to the mast during a flapping of the wing.

19. The wing of claim 1 wherein the yoke is configured to decrease the angle of the spar relative to the mast and decrease thrust generated during a flapping of the wing.

20. The wing of claim 1 wherein the scrim comprises an arcuate cutout region between the mast and the spar, and wherein the mast tube and the spar tube are separated by the arcuate cutout region.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Keennon Matthew Todd
• Klingebiel Karl Robert
• Andryukov Alexander
• Hibbs Bart Dean
• Zwaan John Peter

Classifications

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64C33/02 Primary

  Wings; Actuating mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B64C33/025 Primary

  the entire wing moving either up or down · CPC title

• B64C19/00

  Aircraft control not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• B64C2201/025

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic