Vertical take off and landing aircraft system with energy recapture technology

• US 8,016,226 B1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Victor A. Wood
• Original Assignee: Victor A. Wood
• Inventors: Wood, Victor A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Michener; Joshua
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bonzell; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US12/587,286
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 244/12.4, 244/23.A, 244/23.B, 244/17.25, 244/56, 244/66
• US Class Current: 244/23.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 29/0033 the propellers being tiltable relative to the fuselage

Abstract

A fuselage has laterally extending wing-like structures. The wing-like structures have an aperture. A can is positioned in the aperture. The can has an axle. The axle rotatably couples the can to the aperture. The can has an upper cylindrical section and a lower rectilinear section. A multi-blade rotor is rotatably mounted in the upper section. A battery of airfoils is pivotally mounted in the lower section.

Claims

1. A vertical take off and landing aircraft system with energy recapture technology for increasing the energy efficiency of air travel in a safe, convenient and economical manner, the system comprising, in combination:

a centrally located fuselage with a front end and a rear end and with an axial length between the front and rear ends, the fuselage being configured for the receipt of a pilot and passengers and cargo, the fuselage having laterally extending wing-like structures for lift purposes with ailerons for stability, the fuselage having a rearwardly extending empennage with elevators and a rudder;

a cylindrical forward aperture formed through each wing-like structure and a cylindrical rearward aperture formed through each wing-like structure, the apertures being of equal diameter with parallel axes, the cylindrical forward apertures and the cylindrical rearward apertures being located in a common plane;

a can positioned in each aperture, each can having an exterior part and an interior part, the interior and exterior parts being joined together and including an axle rotatably coupling each can to its associated aperture, the axles each having an axis of rotation in a common plane and transverse to the axial length of the fuselage for allowing tipping the cans forwardly and rearwardly, each exterior part having a curved exterior surface with its center of curvature being the axis of rotation of its associated axle to facilitate unobstructed tilting, each interior part having an interior surface with an upper cylindrical section and a lower rectilinear section with a rectangular cross sectional configuration and with an intermediate transitional section between the upper and lower sections, the lower rectangular section being formed of four rectangular faces located at four right angles with respect to each other;

a multi-blade rotor rotatably mounted in the upper section of each can for rotation in a common horizontal plane when the axes of rotation of the rotors are all vertically oriented, each can having an upper rim and each multi-blade rotor being located beneath the upper rim of each can to abate blade tip vertices;

a battery of airfoils pivotally mounted in the lower section of each can, the airfoils of each can being parallel with free lower ends and upper ends pivotally mounted to the lower section about parallel axes in a common plane for forward and rearward movement, all of the airfoils being mounted to remain parallel, with respect to each other throughout their entire pivotal movements;

guide vanes fixedly mounted in the transitional section of each can, the vanes of each can extending radially from the axis of rotation of its associated rotors;

engines with gear boxes and associated drives and controls whereby a pilot is capable of controlling the rotation and angular orientation of the rotors with the angular orientation of the airfoils as well as the ailerons and elevators and rudder;

a cylindrical disc at the center of the multi-blade rotor rotating with the multi-blade rotor; and

a stationary cone having a top located below the disc and similar in size to the disc, the cone having a bottom just above the air foils, the cone having a middle with an aperture receiving the axle for rotational movement of the can, the disc and the cone functioning to provide a filler intended to prevent air-flow reversal and recycling through the multi-blade rotor on rapid descent and while hovering at a low level just above ground.