Dual rotor helicopter with tilted rotational axes

• US 8,052,081 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2009
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zenon Dragan
• Original Assignee: Draganfly Innovations Inc. (Frontier Energy Corp.)
• Inventors: Dragan, Zenon, Wood, Greg, Olm, Orville
• Primary Examiner(s): Collins; Timothy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stehle; Jamie S
• Application Number:
  US12/458,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20100108801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.19, 244/17.21, 244/17.23, 244/17.25, 244/3.27, 244/3.28, 244/3.29, 416/128, 416/129, 416/130, 416/142, 416/143, 416/124, 416/125, 446/37, D12/328
• US Class Current: 244/17.23
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/13 Flying platforms
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/17 Helicopters flying platforms B64U10/13
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/20 Remote controls
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/20 Rotors; Rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/293 Foldable or collapsible rotors or rotor supports
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/297 Tilting rotors
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 50/19 using electrically powered motors

Abstract

A rotary wing aircraft apparatus includes a body and a rotor pair connected to the body by an arm. The rotor pair has an upper rotor driven by an upper motor and rotating about an upper rotor axis and a lower rotor driven by a lower motor and rotating about a lower rotor axis. The upper and lower rotor axes are tilted with respect to each other. Tilting the axes away from the arm increases the distance from the rotor blades to the arm, and decreases the risk of the blades of the rotor contacting the arm. In an aircraft with a plurality of arms extending from the body, and a rotor assembly connected to each arm, the arms can be pivoted from a flying position, where the arms extend laterally outward to a folded position where the arms are positioned substantially parallel and adjacent to each other.

Claims

1. A rotary wing aircraft apparatus comprising:

a body;

an arm connected to the body at a first end thereof and a rotor pair connected to an opposite second end of the arm;

the rotor pair comprising an upper rotor driven by an upper motor and rotating about an upper rotor axis and a lower rotor driven by a lower motor and rotating about a lower rotor axis;

wherein the upper and lower rotor axes are tilted with respect to each other.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the axes tilt away from the arm such that outer ends of blades of the upper rotor are farthest away from blades of the lower rotor when they pass the arm.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising three rotor pairs, and each rotor pair attached to the body by an arm, each arm positioned so the rotor pairs are positioned substantially at the corners of an equilateral triangle.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein right and left front arms extend to the sides of the body and a rear arm extends rearward from the body when the apparatus is in a flying position.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the right and left front arms are pivotally connected to the body such that the right and left front arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position where the right and left side arms are positioned substantially parallel to and adjacent to the rear arm.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the right and left front arms are biased towards the flying position and a retainer is used to hold the right and left arms in place in the folded position.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 comprising a clip bracket extending laterally right and left from a front end of the rear arm, and right and left clips on corresponding right and left ends of the clip bracket, and wherein the clip bracket is configured such that the right and left front arms are releasably engaged in the corresponding right and left clips when in the flying position.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 comprising a pivot extending laterally from the rear arm at a location removed from the rear end of the rear arm, and wherein the right and left front arms are pivotally attached to corresponding right and left portions of the pivot bracket.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the clips comprise resilient upper and lower clip legs configured such that when the rounded arm contacts the clip the clip legs are forced correspondingly up and down such that the arm can move into upper and lower grooves in the upper and lower clip legs and such that the legs then move together to maintain the arm in the grooves.

10. The apparatus of claim 2 comprising four rotor pairs, and each rotor pair attached to the body by an arm, each arm positioned approximately ninety degrees around a central axis from an arm supporting an adjacent rotor pair.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein right and left front arms extend forward and to sides of the body and right and left rear arm extends rearward and to sides of the body when the apparatus is in a flying position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the right and left front and rear arms are pivotally connected to the body such that the right and left rear arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position extending rearward, and the right and left front arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position extending rearward with one front arm on each side of the folded rear arms and substantially parallel to and adjacent to the rear arms.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the right and left rear arms are pivotally mounted to the body at rear pivot locations adjacent to each other, and the right and left front arms are pivotally mounted to the body at front pivot locations forward of and laterally spaced from the rear pivot locations.

14. A rotary wing aircraft apparatus comprising:

a body;

a plurality of arms extending laterally from the body and a rotor pair connected to an opposite second end of the arm, and a rotor assembly connected to an outside end of each arm, the rotor pair comprising an upper rotor rotating about an upper rotor axis and a lower rotor rotating about a lower rotor axis;

wherein the arms are connected to the body such that the arms can be pivoted from a flying position, where the arms extend laterally outward from the body such that the rotor assemblies are spaced in a desired configuration, to a folded position where the arms are positioned substantially parallel and laterally adjacent to each other in substantially the same plane; and

at least three rotor assemblies each attached to the body by an arm, each arm positioned so the rotor assemblies are positioned substantially at the corners of an equilateral triangle, and a clip bracket extending laterally right and left from a front end of a rear arm, and right and left clips on corresponding right and left ends of the clip bracket, wherein the clip bracket is configured such that right and left front arms are releasably engaged in the corresponding right and left clips when in the flying position.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein right and left front arms extend to the sides of the body and a rear arm extends rearward from the body when the apparatus is in a flying position.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein the right and left front arms are pivotally connected to the body such that the right and left front arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position where the right and left side arms are positioned substantially parallel to and adjacent to the rear arm.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the right and left front arms are biased towards the flying position and a retainer is used to hold the right and left arms in place in the folded position.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 comprising a pivot bracket extending laterally from the rear arm at a location removed from the rear end of the rear arm, and wherein the right and left front arms are pivotally attached to corresponding right and left portions of the pivot bracket.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the clips comprise resilient upper and lower clip legs configured such that when the rounded arm contacts the clip the clip legs are forced correspondingly up and down such that the arm can move into upper and lower grooves in the upper and lower clip legs and such that the legs then move together to maintain the arm in the grooves.

20. A rotary wing aircraft apparatus comprising:

a body;

a plurality of arms extending laterally from the body, and a rotor assembly connected to an outside end of each arm;

wherein the arms are connected to the body such that the arms can be pivoted from a flying position, where the arms extend laterally outward from the body such that the rotor assemblies are spaced in a desired configuration, to a folded position where the arms are positioned substantially parallel and laterally adjacent to each other in substantially the same plane;

four rotor assemblies, each rotor assembly attached to the body by an arm, each arm positioned approximately ninety degrees around a central axis from an arm supporting an adjacent rotor assembly;

wherein right and left front arms extend forward and to sides of the body and right and left rear arm extends rearward and to sides of the body when the apparatus is in a flying position; and

wherein the right and left front and rear arms are pivotally connected to the body such that the right and left rear arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position extending rearward, and the right and left front arms can be pivoted rearward to a folded position extending rearward with one front arm on each side of the folded rear arms and substantially parallel to and adjacent to the rear arms.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein the right and left rear arms are pivotally mounted to the body at rear pivot locations adjacent to each other, and the right and left front arms are pivotally mounted to the body at front pivot locations forward of and laterally spaced from the rear pivot locations.