VEHICLE CAPABLE OF IN-AIR AND ON-GROUND MOBILITY
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
- a main work section for supporting one or more payloads;
a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units includinga rotor system,a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system; and
wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system; and
wherein when the vehicle is level and moving horizontally along a plane, for each of the propulsion units the banked angle is such that the ring-shaped wheel extends outside of the rotor system so that the ring-shaped wheel contacts, before the rotor system contacts, any surface perpendicular to or parallel to the plane.
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Abstract
In specific embodiments, a vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprises a main work section and a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section. The main work section supports one or more payloads. The propulsion units each include a rotor system and a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system. The ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system.
56 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
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a main work section for supporting one or more payloads; a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including a rotor system, a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system; and wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system; and wherein when the vehicle is level and moving horizontally along a plane, for each of the propulsion units the banked angle is such that the ring-shaped wheel extends outside of the rotor system so that the ring-shaped wheel contacts, before the rotor system contacts, any surface perpendicular to or parallel to the plane. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
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a main work section for supporting one or more payloads; a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including an arm frame extending from the main work section, a rotor system connected with the arm frame, the rotor system including at least one rotor blade, a ring-shaped hub connected with the arm frame and at least partially arranged about the at least one rotor blade, the ring-shaped hub having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the at least one rotor blade, and a ring-shaped wheel rotatable about the ring-shaped hub. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
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a main work section including a payload support hub, a payload support structure rotatable about the payload support hub, and a core at least partially nested within the payload support hub; wherein one or more payloads is mountable on the payload support structure; a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including a rotor system, a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system; and wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification