MULTI-ROTOR ROTO-CRAFT FLYING MACHINE

• US 20180244377A1
• Filed: 09/01/2016
• Published: 08/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyperdronamics Pty., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hyperdronamics Pty., Ltd.
• Inventors: Chan, Joy Yin
• Granted Patent: US 10,604,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/08 with two or more rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/12 Rotor drives
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/14 Direct drive between power plant and rotor hub
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/605 including swash plate, spider or cam mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/68 using electrical energy, e.g. having electrical power amplification
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/80 for differential adjustment of blade pitch between two or more lifting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 27/82 characterised by the provision of an auxiliary rotor or fluid-jet device for counter-balancing lifting rotor torque or changing direction of rotorcraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/04 characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 35/06 the propellers or rotors being counter-rotating
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/10 Rotorcrafts
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 20/70 Constructional aspects of the UAV body
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 40/10 for adjusting control surfaces or rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/11 using internal combustion piston engines
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/20 Transmission of mechanical power to rotors or propellers

Abstract

A multi-rotor flying machine includes a body on or in which a motor is mounted; and a respective head rotor mounted for rotation on a respective mast at each of at least three locations disposed around and spaced laterally outwardly from the motor. The motor is drivingly connected to each mast, for rotating each head rotor, by a respective driveline. Adjacent to at least one mast, the machine further includes a pitch rudder system that includes a pitch driver or rotor, or translational rotor. The arrangement is such that the head rotors are operable to provide thrust, while the pitch rudder system enables yaw to be achieved independently of operation of the head rotors.

Claims

1. A multi-rotor flying machine, wherein the machine includes a body on or in which is mounted a motor comprising an internal combustion engine;

the machine further including a respective head rotor mounted for rotation on a respective mast at each of at least three locations disposed around and spaced laterally outwardly from the motor, with each head rotor mounted on its respective mast in a manner enabling control of the pitch of the rotary wings or blades of the head rotor by each wing or blade being rotatable on an axis extending along the wing or blade, substantially radially with respect to the mast on which the head rotor is rotatable;

wherein the motor is drivingly connected to each mast, for rotating each head rotor, by a respective driveline and, adjacent to at least one mast, the machine further includes a pitch rudder system that includes a pitch or translational rotor that is drivable by the motor and that has a mechanism for pitch control;

wherein the arrangement is such that the head rotors are operable to provide thrust, while the at least one pitch rudder system enables yaw to be achieved independently of operation of the head rotors, and wherein the masts are disposed substantially symmetrically with respect to a centerline from a front to a rear end of the machine and in the case of a single pitch rudder system the single system is on or adjacent to the front to rear centerline and with more than one pitch rudder system the pitch rudder systems are disposed symmetrically with respect to the centerline.

2. The machine of claim 1, wherein the machine has a respective pitch rudder system adjacent to each of at least two of the masts, such as a respective pitch rudder system adjacent to each mast, with the pitch rudder systems disposed symmetrically with respect to a front to rear centerline of the machine.

3. The machine of claim 1, wherein the machine has at least three main arms or outriggers, each extending outwardly in a respective direction from the body, with each main arm or outrigger having a respective one of the head rotors mounted for rotation on the respective mast at, or adjacent to, an end of the main arm or outrigger remote from the body;

and wherein the motor is drivingly connected to each mast by the respective driveline extending along a respective main arm or outrigger, and at least one main arm or outrigger has a pitch rudder system that includes a pitch driver or rotor, or translational rotor, mounted at its end remote from the body.

4. The machine of claim 1, wherein the body extends outwardly beyond the motor and has a chassis on which the motor and each of the masts are supported, and across which each of the drivelines extend.

5. The machine of claim 1, wherein the body has an interior that provides interior space for freight, passengers or a combination of freight and passengers.

6. The machine of claim 1, wherein the machine comprises a UAV or a drone.

7. The machine of claim 1, wherein the masts are disposed substantially symmetrically with respect to a center line from a front to a rear end of the machine, such as in a triangular, quadrilateral, pentagonal, hexagonal or octagonal array.

8. The machine of claim 1, wherein there is a respective coaxial pair of head rotors is mounted for rotation on each mast such as with the rotors of each pair mounted for contra-rotation, such as with a lower rotor mounted for rotation on an outer sleeve that forms part of the respective mast, and an upper rotor mounted for rotation on a shaft of the respective mast that is disposed within a bore defined by the outer sleeve.

9. The machine of claim 1, wherein the motor comprises an IC engine operable on petrol, gas, ethanol or any other suitable fluid fuel, whether gaseous or liquid fuel and either an intermittent combustion engine such as a 2-stroke or a 4-stroke petrol or diesel powered engine, or a continuous combustion engine such as a gas turbine engine.

10. The machine of claim 1, wherein the motor is operable to provide substantially the same drive to each head rotor such that the head rotors all rotate at substantially the same speed.

11. The machine of claim 1, wherein each mast comprises an outer sleeve and a shaft extending co-axially within the sleeve, with the head rotor mounted for rotation on or with the shaft relative to the sleeve, and an adjustment assembly is operable to vary the pitch of the wings or blades of the head rotor by adjusting the shaft axially relative to the sleeve.

12. The machine of claim 11, wherein axial adjustment of the shaft relative to the sleeve is achieved by a servomotor device that has an output member connected to the shaft by a first part of a linkage system, while a second part of the linkage system provides a connection between the sleeve and each wing or blade of the head rotor, whereby actuation of the servomotor device adjusts the first part of the linkage system to cause the shaft to be raised or lowered relative to the sleeve, with this relative movement of the shaft resulting in adjustment of the second part of the linkage system to cause the wings or blades to rotate and thereby vary their pitch.

13. The machine of claim 12, wherein an output member of the servomotor device is connected through a first part of the linkage system to a fixed one of two adjacent annular discs mounted co-axially with respect to the mast, with the other one of the two discs rotatable and connected to each wing or blade of the rotor by a second part of the linkage system, whereby actuation of the servomotor device adjusts the first part of the linkage system to cause the adjacent discs to move axially with respect to the mast, with this axial movement resulting in adjustment of the second part of the linkage system to cause the wings or blades to rotate and thereby vary their pitch.

14. The machine of claim 3, wherein each main arm or outrigger is of an elongate form, such as of a channel shape in cross-section, or of tubular form, such as of round or square section tubular form, and each main arm or outrigger is sufficiently stiff and strong as to be able to retain its form despite robust use and is made of:

(a) a suitable synthetic plastics material, such as an engineering plastics material, such as fiber-reinforced plastics material, for example a carbon fiber reinforced plastics material;

or

(b) a suitable light metal alloy, such as an aluminium alloy or a titanium alloy; and

most conveniently houses the driveline for the respective head rotor.

15. The machine of claim 1, wherein the motor has an output shaft rotatable on an upright axis, with the output shaft having an output member drivingly connected to a respective rotatable member of the driveline for each main arm or outrigger;

and wherein the output member is a gear, and each rotatable member a gear of a first gear system of the driveline, and wherein the driveline further includes a drive shaft that is rotatable by the first gear system and that extends through the respective main arm or outrigger to a second gear system of the driveline at the remote end of the main arm or outrigger, with the second gear system drivingly connected to a gear member on the mast of a respective head rotor, whereby the motor is able to provide drive for simultaneous rotation of each head rotor through the respective driveline.

16. The machine of claim 1, wherein the motor has an output shaft rotatable on an upright axis, with the output shaft having an output member drivingly connected to a respective rotatable member of the driveline for each main arm or outrigger, and wherein the output member of the drive shaft of the motor is a gear that imparts drive to a respective first pulley wheel of each driveline, with each driveline also including an endless cable or belt that passes around the first pulley wheel, along the main arm or outrigger to the remote end, and around a second pulley wheel of the driveline that imparts drive to a gear member on the mast, whereby the motor is able to provide drive for simultaneous rotation of each head rotor through the respective driveline.

17-41. -41. (canceled)