Helicopter

• US 8,357,023 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Original Assignee: Silverlit Limited
• Inventors: Van de Rostyne, Alexander Jozef Magdalena, Wai, Chi Pok Billy
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): HYLINSKI, ALYSSA MARIE
• Application Number:
  US12/551,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,240 Days
• Field of Search: 446 36- 38, 244/17.11, 244/17.13, 244/17.19, 244/17.21, 244/17.23, 244/17.25
• US Class Current: 446/36
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 27/12 Helicopters A63H27/04 takes precedence; Flying tops
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 30/04 using wireless transmission

Abstract

A helicopter includes a system to effect motion in a horizontal dimension thereby to direct the desired direction. The rotor blades are 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 cyclically along at least part of a 360-degree rotation path around the rotor shaft. This causes a variation in a lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotations path. This causes the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest. 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. There is a control ring attached to the main rotor, and an actuator device connected with the helicopter body structure. The control ring is generally centered around the vertical rotor axis, and moves with the rotor when tilted around the feather axis.

Claims

1. A helicopter comprising a body;

a main rotor with blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is hinge mounted on the rotor shaft, the main rotor being in a plane of rotation at an angle relative to the rotor shaft, a control for moving an 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, the control having a control element being movable in a first direction such that the control acts to move the angle of incidence in a first direction, and the control element being movable in a second direction opposite to the first direction such that the control acts to move the angle of incidence in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and including a slider between an actuator and an assembly, and wherein the slider includes a pin, the pin being fixedly mounted on the slider and extending in a direction transverse to a direction of a sliding movement of the slider, the pin being for engaging a ring associated with the assembly, and the sliding movement being transverse to the rotor shaft.

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

3. A helicopter of claim 2 including multiple actuators and multiple sliders, the multiple actuators and multiple sliders being spaced circumferentially around the rotor shaft thereby to interact with the assembly at different circumferential positions relative to the rotor shaft, the interaction occurring when selected actuators are aligned with selected location of the assembly.

4. A helicopter of claim 2 wherein the actuator includes an arm movable between a position of repose and a position of inter-engagement with the slider and wherein a degree of movement of and a force exercised by the arm effects a degree of interaction with the slider and in turn the slider with the assembly and a degree of change of an angle of inclination of the at least one blade.

5. A helicopter of claim 2 wherein the actuator includes an arm movable between a position of repose and a position of inter-engagement with the slider and wherein a length of the arm relative to a length of the assembly from a location of anchoring of the rotor to the shaft effects a degree of interaction with the slider and a degree of change of an angle of inclination of the at least one blade.

6. A helicopter of claim 2 wherein the actuator includes an arm movable between a position of repose and a position of inter-engagement with the slider, the ring a transversally located about and movable with the rotor shaft, and the actuator or multiple actuators are located at a fixed location on the body.

7. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the blade includes a feathering axis, and the control is applied thereby to cause the blade to turn on the feather axis of the blade, the control being effectively applied to the blade when the actuator is aligned relative to the blade thereby to effect the turning about the feather axis.

8. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the blade includes a feathering axis, and the control is applied thereby to cause the blade to turn on the feather axis of the rotor, the control being effectively applied selectively to the blade through a system to operate the control thereby to effect the turning about the feather axis.

9. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the blade includes a feathering axis, and the control is applied thereby to cause the blade to turn on the feather axis of the rotor blade, the control being effectively applied selectively to the blade through a system to operate the control thereby to effect the angle of incidence of the blade periodically or at selected times and with selective interactive force or movement thereby to selectively change the blade angle of incidence in requisite response to the control.

10. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the blade includes a feathering axis, and the control is applied thereby to cause the blade to turn on the feather axis of the blade, the control being effectively applied selectively to the blade through a system to operate the control thereby to effect the angle of incidence of the blade periodically or at selected times or locations along a 360 degree path around the rotor shaft and with selective interactive force or movement thereby to selectively change the blade angle of incidence in requisite response to the control, and periodically or at selected times to permit the blade angle to be responsive to forces unrelated to the control, such that a stability system continues to operate together with a horizontal applied control when the horizontal control is applied.

11. A helicopter of claim 1 wherein the slider is a plate, and the plate does not engage the actuator or assembly.

12. A helicopter comprising a body having a longitudinal axis between a front end and a rear end, a rotor with rotor blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is mounted on the rotor shaft, a rotor at the rear end which is driven by a second rotor shaft directed transversally to the longitudinal axis, and multiple controls located at different locations of the rotor shaft for moving an angle of incidence of at least one blade of the rotor cyclically along at least part of a 360 degree rotation path around the rotor shaft, causing a variation in a lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotations path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and including a slider between an actuator and an assembly, and wherein slider includes a pin, the pin being fixedly mounted on the slider and extending in a direction transverse to a direction of a sliding movement of the slider, the pin being for engaging a ring associated with the assembly, and the sliding movement being transverse to the rotor shaft.

13. A helicopter according to claim 12 wherein the multiple controls are located to move multiple respective intermediate members, the intermediate members in turn reacting with the assembly from the rotor.

14. A helicopter according to claim 12 or 13 wherein the multiple controls are respective sliders, the sliders being mounted relatively on top of each other, and being adapted to slide in a reciprocating manner transversely relative to the rotor shaft.

15. A helicopter according to claim 14 wherein each slider is reactive with a respective actuator, and wherein each slider includes a pair of spaced pins, the pins being for reacting respectively oppositely with the assembly depending from the rotor.

16. A helicopter of claim 12 wherein the slider is a plate, and the plate does not engage the actuator or assembly.