Omni-directional air vehicle personal transportation system

• US 6,845,942 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Issued: 01/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Marius A. Paul
• Original Assignee: Marius A. Paul
• Inventors: Paul, Marius A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Teri P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holzen, Stephen A.
• Application Number:
  US10/371,680
• Publication Number:
  US 20040061022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 705 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.2, 244/17.11, 244/21, 244/23.C, 244/12.4, 244/23.B, 244/72
• US Class Current: 244/12.2
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 11/001 Shrouded propellers
• 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

Abstract

An omni-directional air vehicle having a pod with a connected turbofan system, the pod has a body that contains a power source for generating electrical power and a ducted fan with spherical articulation mechanism having a projecting arm with counter-rotating propellers and a ducted shroud around the periphery of the counter rotating propellers and containing drive motors for electrically driving the propellers.

Claims

1. An omni-directional air vehicle comprising:

a pod;

a turbofan system having an articulated connection to the pod, the turbofan system having a ducted fan with counter rotating propellers, a spherical articulation mechanism with a projecting arm on which the propellers are mounted, and a shroud with struts connected to the projecting arm, wherein the pod has a body with the spherical articulation mechanism begin seated in the body of the pod, with the projecting arm projecting from the pod and with the spherical articulation mechanism having means for limited articulation of the projecting arm relative to the pod wherein the angular position of the turbofan system relative to the pod is changeable, and the ducted fan has counter-rotating electric motors driving the counter-rotating propellers; and

,

a power source connected to the counter-rotating electric motors.

2. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 wherein the means for limited articulation of the projecting arm of the spherical articulation mechanism comprises a control arm in the pod that is connected to the spherical articulation mechanism for manual operation.

3. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pod has supports for supporting the pod.

4. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pod has wings with directional guides for horizontal operation.

5. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 has multiple ducted fans with counter-rotating propellers.

6. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pod has a vehicle body with a round discoid wings.

7. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 wherein the pod has an elongated fuselage and an elongated discoid wing arrangeable perpendicular to the direction of travel.

8. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1 having a platform body and articulated wing.

9. The omni-directional air vehicle of claim 1, wherein the counter-rotating propellers are mounted on the projecting arm one above the other.

10. An omni-directional air vehicle of claim 9, wherein the turbofan system is mounted over the pod.

11. An omni-directional air vehicle comprising:

a pod;

a turbofan system connected to the pod the turbofan system having a ducted fan with counter-rotating propellers, a spherical articulation mechanism with a projecting arm on which the propellers are mounted, and a shroud with struts connected to the projecting arm, wherein the pod has a body for seating the spherical articulation mechanism and the ducted fan has counter-rotating electric motors driving the counter-rotating propellers wherein the counter-rotating electric motors are integrated in the shroud around the periphery of the propellers; and

,

a power source connected to the counter-rotating electric motors.