PERSONAL FLIGHT VEHICLE

• US 20160340035A1
• Filed: 01/06/2015
• Published: 11/24/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omni Hoverboards, Inc.
• Original Assignee: 4525612 Canada Inc.
• Inventors: DURU, Catalin Alexandru
• Granted Patent: US 10,239,615 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 15/12 the power plant being tiltable
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/20 Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/026 for use as personal propulsion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/026 comprising different types of power plants, e.g. combination of a piston engine and a gas-turbine Hybrid electric aircraft B64D27/33
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/04 of piston type
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 31/04 actuated personally

Abstract

A personal flight vehicle including a platform base assembly that provides a surface upon which the feet of an otherwise free-standing person are positionable, and including a plurality of axial flow propulsion systems positioned about a periphery of the platform base assembly. The propulsion systems generate a thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the platform base assembly, where the thrust flow is unobstructed by the platform base assembly. The thrust flow has a sufficient intensity to provide vertical takeoff and landing, flight, hovering and locomotion maneuvers. The vehicle allows the pilot to control the spatial orientation of the platform base assembly by the movement, preferably direct, of at least part of his or her body, and the spatial movement of the vehicle is thus controlled.

Claims

1-40. -40. (canceled)

41. A personal flight vehicle designed for one free-standing pilot, comprising:

(a) a frame on which the pilot stands, wherein said frame provides a surface area upon which feet of the pilot are positionable;

(b) a plurality of rotor-based propulsion systems positioned substantially within a horizontal plane along said frame, wherein said propulsion systems generate most of the thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the aircraft, with the thrust flow having a sufficient intensity to provide a maneuver of the pilot-embarked vehicle selected from the group comprising;

vertical take-off and landing, flight, hovering, and locomotion;

(c) attachments for securement of the feet of the pilot to the vehicle, wherein a weight of the vehicle is less than a weight of an average person thus allowing the pilot to induce the aircraft into locomotion maneuvers by changing the vehicle'"'"'s spatial orientation and therefore a thrust direction of the vehicle by using movements of the body of the pilot;

(d) said propulsion systems are powered by both electric motors and internal combustion engines;

(e) said propulsion systems comprise of two counter-rotating fans of substantially equal size and each powered by their own respective internal combustion engine;

(f) said propulsion systems further comprise of a plurality of smaller electric fans that are each powered by electricity; and

(g) wherein a thrust direction of at least two of said smaller electric fans are not perpendicular with respect to the horizontal plane of the vehicle.

42. A personal flight vehicle designed for one free-standing pilot, comprising:

(a) a frame on which the pilot stands, wherein said frame provides a surface area upon which feet of the pilot are positionable;

(b) a plurality of rotor-based propulsion systems positioned substantially within a horizontal plane along said frame, wherein said propulsion systems generate most of the thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the aircraft, with the thrust flow having a sufficient intensity to provide a maneuver of the pilot-embarked vehicle selected from the group comprising;

vertical take-off and landing, flight, hovering, and locomotion; and

(c) attachments for securement of the feet of the pilot to the vehicle, wherein a weight of the vehicle is less than the weight of an average person thus allowing the pilot to induce the aircraft into locomotion maneuvers by changing the vehicle'"'"'s spatial orientation and therefore a thrust direction of the vehicle by using movements of the body of the pilot;

wherein the frame of the vehicle is sufficiently flexible to allow for a controlled torsion by having the pilot twist the frame through the attached feet, wherein the vehicle comprises a set of propulsion systems positioned to right and left sides of the pilot, the torsioning of the frame causing a misalignment between these two sets of propulsion systems, which in turn makes the vehicle yaw rotate along a vertical yaw axis of the vehicle.

43. A personal flight vehicle designed for one free-standing pilot, comprising:

(a) a frame on which the pilot stands, wherein said frame provides a surface area upon which feet of the pilot are positionable;

(b) a plurality of rotor-based propulsion systems positioned substantially within a horizontal plane along said frame, wherein said propulsion systems generate most of the thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the aircraft, with the thrust flow having a sufficient intensity to provide a maneuver of the pilot-embarked aircraft selected from the group comprising;

vertical take-off and landing, flight, hovering, and locomotion;

(c) attachments for securement of the feet of the pilot to the vehicle, wherein a weight of the vehicle is less than a weight of an average person thus allowing the pilot to induce the aircraft into locomotion maneuvers by changing the vehicle'"'"'s spatial orientation and therefore a thrust direction of the vehicle by using movements of the body of the pilot; and

(d) wherein said attachments comprise binding mechanisms comprising electronic sensors which are capable of detecting a torque movement of the pilot'"'"'s feet, upon this detection, makes the vehicle yaw rotate along a vertical yaw axis of the vehicle.

44. A personal flight vehicle designed for one free-standing pilot, comprising:

(a) a frame on which the pilot stands, wherein said frame provides a surface area upon which feet of the pilot are positionable;

(b) a plurality of rotor-based propulsion systems positioned substantially within a horizontal plane along said frame, wherein said propulsion systems generate most of the thrust flow in a direction substantially perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the aircraft, with the thrust flow having a sufficient intensity to provide a maneuver of the pilot-embarked vehicle selected from the group comprising;

vertical take-off and landing, flight, hovering, and locomotion;

(c) attachments for securement of the feet of the pilot to the vehicle, wherein a weight of the vehicle is less than a weight of an average person thus allowing the pilot to induce the aircraft into locomotion maneuvers by changing the vehicle'"'"'s spatial orientation and therefore a thrust direction of the vehicle by using movements of the body of the pilot; and

(d) an electronic control system that defines front, back, left and right sides for the vehicle, the front being a preferred displacement direction, wherein, upon detection of the pilot leaning on either the left or right side of the vehicle, the vehicle adds a yaw rotation maneuver along a vertical yaw axis of the vehicle in a respective direction in which the pilot is leaning, the vehicle still making a sideways maneuver at the same time because of alignment of the propulsion systems.