AERODYNAMICALLY EFFICIENT LIGHTWEIGHT VERTICAL TAKE-OFF AND LANDING AIRCRAFT WITH PIVOTING ROTORS AND STOWING ROTOR BLADES

• US 20180141672A1
• Filed: 07/03/2017
• Published: 05/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Joby Aviation, Inc.
• Inventors: BEVIRT, JOEBEN, STOLL, ALEX
• Granted Patent: US 10,556,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/28 Collapsible or foldable blades
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/068 having multiple wings joined at the tips
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 27/24 using steam or spring force jet aircraft B64D27/16
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 50/60 Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft

Abstract

An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical takeoff and landing using a set of wing mounted thrust producing elements and a set of tail mounted rotors for takeoff and landing. An aerial vehicle which is adapted to vertical takeoff with the rotors in a rotated, take-off attitude then transitions to a horizontal flight path, with the rotors rotated to a typical horizontal configuration. The aerial vehicle uses different configurations of its wing mounted rotors and propellers to reduce drag in all flight modes.

Claims

1. An aerial vehicle adapted for vertical take-off and horizontal flight, said aerial vehicle comprising:

a main vehicle body;

one or more electric battery packs;

a right side wing, wherein one or more right side wing rotor assemblies are attached to said right side wing, each of said one or more right side wing rotor assemblies comprising an electric motor, and wherein said right side wing is pivotally attached to said main vehicle body;

a left side wing, wherein one or more left side wing rotor assemblies are attached to said left side wing, each of said one or more left side wing rotor assemblies comprising an electric motor, and wherein said left side wing is pivotally attached to said main vehicle body;

one or more right rear rotor assemblies, said right rear rotor assemblies attached to the rear of said vehicle body by a deployment mechanism adapted to deploy said right rear rotor assemblies from a forward facing horizontal flight configuration along the right side of said vehicle body to a vertical take-off configuration, said right rear rotor assemblies comprising an electric motor; and

one of more left rear rotor assemblies, said left rear rotor assemblies attached to the rear of said vehicle body by a deployment mechanism adapted to deploy said left rear rotor assemblies from a forward facing horizontal flight configuration along the left side of said vehicle body to a vertical take-off configuration, said left rear rotor assemblies comprising an electric motor.

2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said right side wing and said left side wing are partially forward swept wings.

3. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said right side wing and said left side wing are forward swept wings.

4. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein the centers of mass of said right side wing rotor assemblies are forward of the leading edge of said right side wing, and the centers of mass of said left side wing rotor assemblies are forward of the leading edges of said left side wing.

5. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 wherein said right side wing rotor assemblies and said left side wing rotor assemblies comprise propeller blades, said propeller blades adapted to pivot from a deployed configuration to a stowed configuration.

6. The aerial vehicle of claim 5 wherein stowed propeller blades reside in recesses within a rotor mounting nacelle.

7. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein said right side wing rotor assemblies and said left side wing rotor assemblies comprise propeller blades, said propeller blades adapted to pivot from a deployed configuration to a stowed configuration.

8. The aerial vehicle of claim 7 wherein stowed propeller blades reside in recesses within a rotor mounting nacelle.

9. The aerial vehicle of claim 5 wherein said propeller blades and said electric motors deploy to a deployed configuration as a joined unit.