Multicopter with wide span rotor configuration and protective fuselage

• US 10,081,422 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2018
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Reichert, Todd, Robertson, Cameron, Cutler, Mark Johnson
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P
• Application Number:
  US15/915,820
• Time in Patent Office: 201 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 25/54 Floats
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/001 Vibration damping devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms

Abstract

An aircraft includes a fuselage which includes an unenclosed cockpit, a left arm where the proximal end is attached to the fuselage, a right arm where the proximal end is attached to the fuselage, a left float which is attached to the left arm between the proximal and distal ends, a right float which is attached to the right arm between the proximal and distal ends, and a plurality of rotors which includes a left inner rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the left float, a right inner rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the right float, a left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the left arm, and a right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the right arm.

Claims

1. An aircraft, comprising:

a fuselage which includes an unenclosed cockpit;

a left arm, wherein a proximal end of the left arm is attached to the fuselage;

a right arm, wherein a proximal end of the right arm is attached to the fuselage;

a left float, wherein the left float is attached to the left arm between the proximal end of the left arm and the distal end of the left arm;

a right float, wherein the right float is attached to the right arm between the proximal end of the right arm and the distal end of the right arm; and

a plurality of rotors, wherein;

the plurality of rotors includes a left inner rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the left float;

the plurality of rotors includes a right inner rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the right float;

the plurality of rotors includes a left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the left arm; and

the plurality of rotors includes a right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the right arm.

2. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left inner rotor and a third left inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the left float; and

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right inner rotor and a third right inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the right float.

3. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft further includes a second left arm, wherein a proximal end of the second left arm is attached to the fuselage; and

the aircraft further includes a second right arm, wherein a proximal end of the second right arm is attached to the fuselage.

4. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft further includes a second left arm, wherein a proximal end of the second left arm is attached to the fuselage;

the aircraft further includes a second right arm, wherein a proximal end of the second right arm is attached to the fuselage;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second left arm; and

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second right arm.

5. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the aircraft further includes a second left arm, wherein a proximal end of the second left arm is attached to the fuselage;

the aircraft further includes a second right arm, wherein a proximal end of the second right arm is attached to the fuselage;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second left arm;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second right arm;

the left outer rotor and the second left outer rotor rotate in opposite directions; and

the right outer rotor and the second right outer rotor rotate in opposite directions.

6. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left inner rotor and a third left inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the left float;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right inner rotor and a third right inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the right float;

the aircraft further includes a second left arm, wherein a proximal end of the second left arm is attached to the fuselage;

the aircraft further includes a second right arm, wherein a proximal end of the second right arm is attached to the fuselage;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second left arm; and

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second right arm.

7. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left inner rotor and a third left inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the left float;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right inner rotor and a third right inner rotor that are attached at a fixed angle to the top surface of the right float;

the aircraft further includes a second left arm, wherein a proximal end of the second left arm is attached to the fuselage;

the aircraft further includes a second right arm, wherein a proximal end of the second right arm is attached to the fuselage;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second left outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second left arm;

the plurality of rotors further includes a second right outer rotor that is attached at a fixed angle to a top surface of the distal end of the second right arm;

the left outer rotor and the second left outer rotor rotate in opposite directions; and

the right outer rotor and the second right outer rotor rotate in opposite directions.

8. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotors further includes:

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.

9. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of rotors further includes:

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.

10. 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.

11. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein the tops of the left inner rotor, the right inner rotor, the left outer rotor, and the right outer rotor tilt inward towards the fuselage such that a rotor projectile associated with at least one of the left inner rotor, the right inner rotor, the left outer rotor, or the right outer rotor would be projected downward and away from the open fuselage in the event the left inner rotor, the right inner rotor, the left outer rotor, or the right outer rotor breaks.

12. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the left float includes a first plurality of batteries for the left inner rotor and the left outer rotor; and

the right float includes a second plurality of batteries for the right inner rotor and a right outer rotor.

13. The aircraft recited in claim 1, wherein:

the left float includes a first plurality of batteries for the left inner rotor and the left outer rotor;

the right float includes a second plurality of batteries for the right inner rotor and a right outer rotor;

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.