Electric powered flying model airplane
First Claim
1. An electric powered model airplane comprising:
- an electric motor mounted in the nose of said airplane, said motor including a short armature shaft extending through the nose of said airplane and supporting a driving propeller, said motor further including a pair of spring biased friction electrical contacts;
a rechargeable battery located in the fuselage of said airplane aft of the wings thereof;
a pair of nonconductive surfaces formed within the fuselage of said airplane adjacent to a pair of electrical terminals of said rechargeable battery;
a first semi-rigid conductor engaged at one end with one of said electrical contacts of said motor, extending from said one end to a position between one of said nonconductive surfaces and one of said pair of electrical battery terminals for contacting said one of said pair of battery terminals, and extending from said one of said battery terminals to a position outside the fuselage of said airplane for contact with a recharging source;
a second semi-rigid conductor engaged at one end with the other of said electrical contacts of said motor, and extending from said one end to form a resilient switch contact; and
a third semi-rigid conductor having a first end positioned adjacent said resilient switch contact, extending from said first end to a position outside the fuselage of said airplane for contact with said recharging source, and extending from said position outside the fuselage to a second end positioned between the other of said pair of nonconductive surfaces and the other of said pair of electrical battery terminals for contacting said other of said pair of battery terminals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An electrically powered scale model airplane is disclosed in which a rechargeable electric storage battery is positioned within the aircraft fuselage to balance the weight of a nose mounted direct drive motor. A switch for energizing the motor driving the propeller is arranged to be adjusted from an "off" position to an "on" position by remotely operated control cables acting through a bellcrank assembly used to change the orientation of the aircraft elevator during flight, thus allowing the aircraft to be operated by a single individual. The switch may be manually operated to an "off" position from the outside of the aircraft fuselage in preparation for recharging of the battery. In addition, the entire connecting means between the storage batteries, the recharging battery switch assembly, and the propeller motor are made by only three rigid wires within the aircraft fuselage, two of these wires providing switch contacts for energizing the motor, thus greatly reducing the overall cost of assembling this device.
84 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An electric powered model airplane comprising:
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an electric motor mounted in the nose of said airplane, said motor including a short armature shaft extending through the nose of said airplane and supporting a driving propeller, said motor further including a pair of spring biased friction electrical contacts; a rechargeable battery located in the fuselage of said airplane aft of the wings thereof; a pair of nonconductive surfaces formed within the fuselage of said airplane adjacent to a pair of electrical terminals of said rechargeable battery; a first semi-rigid conductor engaged at one end with one of said electrical contacts of said motor, extending from said one end to a position between one of said nonconductive surfaces and one of said pair of electrical battery terminals for contacting said one of said pair of battery terminals, and extending from said one of said battery terminals to a position outside the fuselage of said airplane for contact with a recharging source; a second semi-rigid conductor engaged at one end with the other of said electrical contacts of said motor, and extending from said one end to form a resilient switch contact; and a third semi-rigid conductor having a first end positioned adjacent said resilient switch contact, extending from said first end to a position outside the fuselage of said airplane for contact with said recharging source, and extending from said position outside the fuselage to a second end positioned between the other of said pair of nonconductive surfaces and the other of said pair of electrical battery terminals for contacting said other of said pair of battery terminals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. An electric powered model airplane comprising:
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a motor mounted in said airplane for driving a propeller; a rechargeable battery mounted in said airplane for energizing said motor, said battery having a negative and a positive terminal; a removable source for recharging said rechargeable battery from outside said airplane, said removable source being an electric battery having a permanent negative and a positive terminal; and first, second and third conductive rods mounted in said airplane forming the sole electrical interconnection between said motor, said rechargeable battery and said removable recharging source, said first and said second conductive rods having adjacent ends forming contacts for a switch to selectively connect said motor to said rechargeable battery, said second conductive rod directly contacting both the positive terminal of said rechargeable battery and the positive terminal of said removable recharging source, and said third conductive rod directly contacting both the negative terminal of said rechargeable battery and the negative terminal of said removable recharging source. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electric powered model airplane comprising:
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a pair of control lines for controlling the flight of said airplane from a remote location; a bellcrank mounted within said airplane, attached to said pair of control lines and connected to adjust the position of an elevator of said airplane; a battery mounted within said airplane; an electric motor mounted within said airplane for driving the propeller thereof, said motor energized by said battery; a switch mounted within said airplane electrically connected to said electric motor and said battery to selectively interconnect the motor to the battery, said switch comprising; a stationary contact; and a resilient, movable contact, said resilient contact biased toward a closed circuit configuration; and a switch actuator extending from a position adjacent said bellcrank to a position outside said airplane, said actuator having a first position maintained by the bias of said resilient, movable contact for opening said switch and a second position for closing said switch, said switch actuator positioned to be moved by said bellcrank from said first to said second position but not from said second to said first position. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. In an electric powered model airplane having a rotatable bellcrank for remote controlled flight and a resilient contact switch for interconnecting an internally mounted battery to an electric motor, the improvement comprising:
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a switch actuator movably mounted on said airplane between a first position opening said switch and a second position closing said switch, said actuator extending outside said airplane to permit manipulation thereof, said actuator held in both said first and second positions by the resilience of said resilient spring contact; and means on said bellcrank for overcoming the resilience of said spring to move said actuator from said first to second position. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A rechargeable electric powered model airplane, comprising:
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a pair of fuselage indentations adjacent one another; a pair of electrical conductors, one positioned in each of said indentations; a rechargeable battery mounted within said airplane and connected to said pair of electrical conductors; a recharging battery including terminals for extending into said pair of indentations, said terminals mounted unsymmetrically on said recharging battery; and means on said airplane removed from said indentations for prohibiting reverse polarity contact of said recharging battery terminals with said electrical conductors. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A rechargeable electric powered model airplane conprising:
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a rechargeable battery mounted within said airplane and connected to drive said airplane; a pair of electrical conductors attached to said rechargeable battery and extending outside the fuselage of said model airplane at spaced locations; a recharging battery removable from said airplane, said recharging battery including a pair of terminals in the form of resilient springs, said terminals being separated by a distance equal to the separation of said spaced locations to permit said recharging battery to be held against said pair of electrical conductors for recharging said rechargeable battery, said terminals mounted unsymmetrically on said recharging battery; and means positioned on said airplane for contacting said recharging battery and thereby prohibiting reverse polarity contact of said recharging battery terminals with said electrical conductors when said pair of resilient spring terminals are placed on said pair of conductors in a reverse orientation, said means clearing said battery when said pair of resilient spring terminals are placed on said pair of conductors in a proper orientation. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification