Remote controlled toy helicopter

• US 8,002,604 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2008
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Inventors: Leung, Wong Kwok, Van de Rostyne, Alexander Jozef Magdalena
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYLINSKI, ALYSSA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/233,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20090104836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 446/37
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops

Abstract

A remote-controlled toy helicopter comprises a body; a motor in the helicopter, a battery for powering the motor, and a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller. A main rotor with blades is driven by a rotor shaft and causing a first lift force developed by the main rotor when the helicopter is airborne. A system permits movement of the helicopter on the ground, and these can be wheels. The helicopter travels on a floor or ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force. The helicopter includes a system to effect motion in a horizontal dimension thereby to direct the desired direction. The control includes an actuator for engaging with an assembly depending from the rotor, the inter-engagement of the actuator and assembly effecting a change in the angle of incidence of at least the one blade of the rotor. The system includes a rotor, preferably complemented with a stabilizer rotor.

Claims

1. A toy helicopter comprising a body;

a motor in the helicopter, a battery for powering the motor, and a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller, a main rotor with blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is hinge-mounted on this rotor shaft, such that the angle between the plane of rotation of the main rotor and the rotor shaft may vary;

a control for moving the angle of incidence of at least one blade of the rotor relative to the angle of incidence of another blade of the rotor cyclically along at least part of a 360 degree rotation path around the rotor shaft, causing a variation in lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotation path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and such that for first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including an element for permitting the helicopter to travel on a surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force, and the main rotor having at least two propeller blades, wherein the propeller blades have a first longitudinal axis, and including an auxiliary rotor mounted such that rotor elements of the auxiliary rotor have a second longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the rotor elements of the auxiliary rotor is located within an angle of 5 to 25 degrees, preferably approximately 10 degrees, with the longitudinal axis of one of the blades of the main rotor.

2. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the rotor shaft is relatively forwardly tilted relative to vertical.

3. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the element for permitting movement on the surface, selectively the ground or a floor which is relatively smooth, are wheels, and preferably at least three wheels arranged in spaced relationship with the body, the wheels being arranged to permit a stable relationship of the helicopter on the ground when in an at rest position.

4. A helicopter of claim 3 including a single front wheel and two rear wheels, the rear wheels being spaced apart.

5. A helicopter of claim 4 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is pivotable relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body.

6. A helicopter of claim 5 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the pivot point is located ahead of the wheel, and a fork for supporting a wheel is inclined from the pivot point rearwardly towards an axle of the wheel.

7. A helicopter of claim 4 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is fixed relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body.

8. A helicopter of claim 7 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the support point is located ahead of the wheel, and a fork for supporting a wheel is inclined from the support point rearwardly towards an axle of the wheel.

24. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the control includes an actuator for engaging with an assembly depending from the rotor, the inter-engagement of the actuator and assembly effecting a change in the angle of incidence of at least the one blade of the rotor, or wherein at least one of the actuators is non-interfering with the rotor, or with the control assembly being in a position of rest relative to the actuator, or there being no command from the actuator to interact with the assembly, the helicopter retains relative stability.

25. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the interaction occurs when the assembly is in alignment with the actuator whereby the actuator engages a ring associated with the assembly.

26. A helicopter of claim 25 wherein the actuator includes an arm that is movable between a position of repose and a position of inter-engagement with the assembly, the assembly including a ring transversally located about and movable with the rotor shaft, and the actuator or multiple actuators are located at a fixed location on the body.

27. A helicopter of claim 25 wherein the control is applied thereby to cause the blade to turn on a feather axis of the rotor blade, the control being effectively applied to the blade when an actuator is aligned relative to the blade thereby to effect the turning about the feather axis.

9. A remote control toy helicopter comprising:

a body having a longitudinal length;

a main motor and a battery for the main motor, the main motor being controllable by a controller remote from the body;

a battery for powering the motor;

a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller;

a main rotor with propeller blades driven by the main motor, the motor driving a rotor shaft and the rotor being hinge mounted on the rotor shaft; and

wherein there is a variation in lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotation path, thereby causing the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and being such that for first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including wheels for permitting the helicopter to travel on a ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force, and

the main rotor having at least two propeller blades, wherein the propeller blades have a first longitudinal axis, and including an auxiliary rotor mounted such that rotor elements of the auxiliary rotor have a second longitudinal axis, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the rotor elements of the auxiliary rotor is located within an angle of 5 to 25 degrees, preferably approximately 10 degrees, with the longitudinal axis of one of the blades of the main rotor.

10. A helicopter of claim 9 wherein the rotor shaft is relatively forwardly tilted relative to vertical.

11. A helicopter of claim 9 wherein there are at least three wheels arranged in spaced relationship with the body, the wheels being arranged to permit a stable relationship of the helicopter on the ground when in a at rest position.

12. A helicopter of claim 11 including a single front wheel and two rear wheels, the rear wheels being spaced apart.

13. A helicopter of claim 12 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is pivotable relative to a forward axis, which extends between the front and the rear of the body.

14. A helicopter of claim 13 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the pivot point is located ahead of the wheel, and a fork for supporting a wheel is inclined from the pivot point rearwardly towards an axle of the wheel.

15. A helicopter of claim 11 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is fixed relative to a forward axis, which extends between the front and the rear of the body.

16. A helicopter of claim 15 wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the support point is located ahead of the wheel, and a fork for supporting a wheel is inclined from the support point rearwardly towards an axle of the wheel.

17. The toy helicopter of claim 11 including an element attached to the remote control toy helicopter, wherein the element is selectively movable to different operating positions along the longitudinal length of the toy helicopter to change the center of gravity of the remote control toy helicopter.

18. The toy helicopter of claim 9 including an element attached to the remote control toy helicopter, wherein the body is selectively movable to different operating positions along the longitudinal length of the toy helicopter to change the center of gravity of the remote control toy helicopter.

19. A remote control toy helicopter comprising a body, a motor and a battery for the motor, the motor being controllable by a controller remote from the body with a tail;

a main rotor with at least two propeller blades, wherein the propeller blades define a plane of rotation of the main rotor, wherein the main rotor is driven by a rotor shaft, on which the propeller blades are mounted;

a tail rotor driven by a second rotor shaft directed transversely to the rotor shaft of the main rotor;

an auxiliary rotor driven by the rotor shaft of the main rotor in the rotational sense of the main rotor, the auxiliary rotor being mounted such that a first longitudinal axis of the auxiliary rotor is situated in an acute angle relative to a second longitudinal axis of one of the propeller blades of the main rotor, the acute angle being determined when viewed from above the plane of rotation, the auxiliary rotor having a further plane of rotation being spaced from the plane of rotation, the main rotor and the auxiliary rotor being linked with each other by a mechanical linkage, such that the auxiliary rotor is mounted in a swinging relationship on an oscillatory shaft provided essentially transversally to the rotor shaft of the main rotor and the swinging motion being relatively upwards and downwards around the oscillatory shaft, such that the swinging motion of the auxiliary rotor controls an angle of incidence of the propeller blades of the main rotor, and wherein the first longitudinal axis of the auxiliary rotor runs along a line of the auxiliary rotor which runs through the rotor shaft, and wherein the second longitudinal axis extends from the ends of the propeller blades towards the rotor shaft wherein the propeller blades of the main rotor are mounted pivotably on a joint formed by a spindle which is fixed on the rotor shaft of the main rotor wherein the spindle of the main rotor extends along the second longitudinal axis of the main rotor, and each propeller blade has an upper surface formed in the form of an upwardly convex curve, running from essentially a tip of the propeller blade towards the rotor shaft and wherein there is a variation in lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotation path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and being such that for first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including wheels for permitting the helicopter to travel on a ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force, and wherein the first longitudinal axis of the rotor elements of the auxiliary rotor in the sense of rotation R, is located within an angle of 5 to 25 degrees, preferably approximately 10 degrees, with the second longitudinal axis of one of the propeller blades of the main rotor.

20. A helicopter according to claim 19 wherein the auxiliary rotor is a rigid whole mounted pivotably around the oscillatory shaft.

21. A helicopter according to claim 19 wherein the main rotor is a unitary one-piece body.

22. A helicopter according to claim 19 wherein the propeller blades are essentially rigidly connected with each other.

23. A helicopter according to claim 19 wherein each of the propeller blades has a substantially convex upper surface along the second longitudinal axis, the upper surface being convex from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the blade, and wherein each propeller blade has a substantially concave lower surface along the second longitudinal axis and the lower surface being concave from the leading edge to the trailing edge of the blade throughout a substantial portion of the second longitudinal axis of the blade.

28. A helicopter comprising a body with a tail;

a main rotor with blades which are driven by a rotor shaft and which are hinge-mounted on this rotor shaft, such that the angle between the plane of rotation of the main rotor and the rotor shaft may vary;

a tail rotor which is driven by a second rotor shaft directed transversally to the rotor shaft of the main rotor, an auxiliary rotor driven by the rotor shaft of the main rotor and provided with two vanes extending essentially in a line with their longitudinal axis in the sense of rotation of the main rotor is essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of at least one of the rotor blades of the main rotor or is at a relatively small acute angle relative to the axis, the auxiliary rotor being mounted in a swinging relationship on an oscillatory shaft which is provided essentially transversally to the rotor shaft of the main rotor and being directed essentially transversally to the longitudinal axis of the vanes, and the main rotor and the auxiliary rotor are connected to each other by a mechanical link, such that the swinging motion of the auxiliary rotor controls the angle of incidence of at least one of the rotor blades of the main rotor, and a control for moving the angle of incidence of at least one blade of the rotor cyclically along at least part of a 360 degree rotation path around a rotor shaft, causing a variation in lift force of the blade along the rotations path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of horizontal rest, the relative position of horizontal rest being a relatively hovering position above a ground level, wherein there is a variation in lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotation path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and being such that for first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including wheels for permitting the helicopter to travel on a ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force, and wherein the longitudinal axis of the elongated elements of the auxiliary rotor in the sense of rotation is located within an angle of about 5 to 25 degrees with the longitudinal axis of one of the rotor blades of the main rotor.