Saucer shaped gyroscopically stabilized vertical take-off and landing aircraft

• US 7,971,823 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2009
• Issued: 07/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Herbert Martin
• Original Assignee: Herbert Martin
• Inventors: Martin, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): ELDRED, JOHN W
• Application Number:
  US12/387,770
• Publication Number:
  US 20100282918A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 244/8, 244/12.2, 244/23.C, 244/23.B, 244/23.A, 244/4.A, 244/17.11, 244/39
• US Class Current: 244/23.00C
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 17/06 by gyroscopic apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0025 the propellers being fixed relative to the fuselage
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/001 Flying saucers
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/06 having disc- or ring-shaped wings
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/20 Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft flying platforms B64U10/13; helicopters B64U10/17
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/26 Ducted or shrouded rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

An aircraft that is housed within a gyroscope providing for improved flight stability that includes an inner hull which remains stationary within a rotating outer hull. A rotating sine-wave ring is used to activate and move a plurality of pistons which will intake air from above the upper surface of the inner hull configuration and create a negative pressure on the aircraft. The craft contains compression chambers which receive the air and which feed the various impeller thrusters which are rotational within three-fourths of a hemisphere.

Claims

1. A vertical take-off and landing aircraft, comprising:

an outer saucer-shaped hull configured to rotate around a central axis of the aircraft thereby creating a gyroscopic effect for the aircraft;

a plurality of air foil propellers positioned on a top surface of the outer saucer-shaped hull and configured to be in a closed position or an open position;

an inner stationary hull having a central axis substantially aligned with a central axis of the outer saucer-shaped hull and configured to be positioned within an annular opening of the outer saucer-shaped hull;

a plurality of motors located between the outer saucer-shaped hull and the inner stationary hull and configured to rotate the outer saucer-shaped hull relative to the inner stationary hull; and

a plurality of pistons positioned within the inner stationary hull and configured to travel substantially perpendicular to a top surface of the inner stationary hull so as to draw air into the aircraft; and

a sinusoidal ring configured so that a height of a top surface of the ring varies in a sine-wave fashion around its perimeter, wherein the sinusoidal ring is in mechanical communication with the outer saucer-shaped hull such that rotation of the outer saucer-shaped hull results in rotation of the sinusoidal ring, and wherein the plurality of pistons are in mechanical communication with the top surface of the sinusoidal ring such that motion of each piston varies as the sinusoidal ring rotates.

2. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein in the closed position the air foil propellers resist descent of the aircraft and in the open position, the open position being adjustable such that an amount of openness controls an amount of lift acting on the aircraft.

3. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the inner stationary hull includes a plurality of air intake openings corresponding, respectively to the plurality of pistons.

4. The aircraft of claim 3, further comprising:

a compression chamber configured to receive air from the plurality of air intake openings and exhaust the air through one or more thrusters.

5. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the one or more thrusters include:

one or more stabilization thrusters configured to exhaust air in a direction opposite that of a direction the aircraft is rotating.

6. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the one or more thrusters include:

one or more lift thrusters configured to exhaust air to thereby control an inclination of the aircraft.

7. The aircraft of claim 4, wherein the one or more thrusters include:

one or more propulsion thrusters configured to exhaust air to thereby control a direction of the aircraft.

8. The aircraft of claim 4 wherein at least one of the one or more thrusters is configurable to be in one of a plurality of different positions so as to control a direction in which the air is exhausted.

9. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a cleaner assembly configured to remove pollutants from an environment in which the aircraft is traveling.

10. The aircraft of claim 9, wherein the cleaner assembly is further configured to intake an ambient atmosphere in which the aircraft is traveling, remove pollutants therefrom to generate a clean exhaust gas which is exhausted into the environment.

11. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of support legs configured to extend from and retract into an underside portion of the aircraft.

12. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the outer saucer-shaped hull includes an annular weight around its periphery configured to enhance the gyroscopic effect and provide structural integrity to the outer saucer-shaped hull.

13. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of motors is configured to rotate a respective drive wheel so as to impart rotational forces on the outer saucer-shaped hull.

14. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the sinusoidal ring has a radius substantially similar to an outside radius of the inner stationary hull.

15. The aircraft of claim 14, wherein a circumference of the sinusoidal ring is an integer multiple of a wavelength at which the height of the sinusoidal ring varies.

16. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of batteries configured to power the plurality of motors.

17. The aircraft of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of bearings positioned between the inner stationary hull and the outer saucer-shaped hull.

18. The aircraft of claim 4, further comprising a safety release mechanism configured to release air from the compression chamber to prevent a pressure of stored air from exceeding a predetermined threshold.

19. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is configured for terrestrial travel.

20. The aircraft of claim 1, wherein the aircraft is configured for extraterrestrial travel.