Back to results
US 11,634,211 B2Granted
Aircraft with linear thruster arrangement
OwnerJoseph R. Renteriainventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A linear thruster aircraft includes: an airframe, including an elongated mounting nacelle and a main body; an aircraft control unit with a processor, a non-transitory memory, and an input/output component; and at least one linear thruster arrangement with at least four thrusters mounted along at least one elongated axis of the elongated mounting nacelle, such that the thrusters are configured to provide lift, pitch, roll, and yaw movement. Optionally, the linear thruster arrangement can include alternating lateral and vertical offsets of the thrusters from the elongated axis, and pairs of thrusters can be vertically overlapping.
Claims21
A linear thruster aircraft, comprising:
- a) at least one linear thruster arrangement, comprising:
- a first thruster;
- a second thruster;
- a third thruster;
- and
- a fourth thruster;
- and
- b) an airframe;
- wherein each thruster of the at least one linear thruster arrangement is connected to the airframe at least substantially along an elongated axis of the airframe;
- wherein the first and second thrusters are positioned on a front side of a center of mass of the linear thruster aircraft;
- wherein the third and fourth thrusters are positioned on a rear side of the center of mass of the linear thruster aircraft;
- wherein the first and second thrusters comprise at least one thruster configured to provide a rightward downward thrust with respect to the elongated axis and at least one thruster configured to provide a leftward downward thrust with respect to the elongated axis;
- and
- wherein the third and fourth thrusters comprise at least one thruster configured to provide a rightward downward thrust with respect to the elongated axis and at least one thruster configured to provide a leftward downward thrust with respect to the elongated axis;
- such that the at least one linear thruster arrangement is configured to provide lift, pitch, roll, and yaw for the linear thruster aircraft by independently controlling a differential thrust for each of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters;
- wherein each thruster of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters are configured with alternating first and second side lateral offsets from the elongated axis;
- wherein each thruster of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters are configured with alternating first and second side vertical offsets from the elongated axis;
- wherein the first thruster and the second thruster are at least partially vertically overlapping;
- and the third thruster and the fourth thruster are at least partially vertically overlapping;
- wherein the first thruster and the fourth thruster are configured with:
- uniform first sideward downward thrusts, each with an identical first side lateral angle;
- opposing respective bottom and top vertical offsets, which are each of an identical absolute length;
- and
- uniform second side lateral offsets, which are each of an identical length;
- and wherein the second thruster and the third thruster are configured with:
- uniform second sideward downward thrusts, each with an identical second side lateral angle;
- such that absolute values of first side lateral angles of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of second side lateral angles of the second thruster and the third thruster;
- opposing respective top and bottom vertical offsets, which are each of an identical absolute length;
- such that absolute values of the opposing respective bottom and top vertical offsets of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of the opposing respective top and bottom vertical offsets of the second thruster and the third thruster;
- and
- uniform first side lateral offsets, which are each of an identical length;
- such that absolute values of the uniform second side lateral offsets of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of the uniform first side lateral offsets of the second thruster and the third thruster.
29 more elements
A linear thruster aircraft, comprising:
- at least one linear thruster arrangement, comprising:
- a first plurality of at least two thrusters, which are positioned to a first side of a center of mass of the linear thruster aircraft;
- and
- a second plurality of at least two thrusters, which are positioned to a second side of the center of mass of the linear thruster aircraft;
- wherein the first plurality of at least two thrusters comprises at least one thruster configured to provide a first sideward downward thrust and at least one thruster configured to provide a second sideward downward thrust;
- and
- wherein the second plurality of at least two thrusters comprises at least one thruster configured to provide a first sideward downward thrust and at least one thruster configured to provide a second sideward downward thrust;
- an elongated mounting nacelle, wherein each thruster of the at least one linear thruster arrangement is connected to the elongated mounting nacelle at least substantially along an elongated axis of the elongated mounting nacelle;
- and
- a main body, which is rotatably connected to the elongated mounting nacelle with a rotatable connection.
7 more elements
A linear thruster aircraft, comprising:
- at least one linear thruster arrangement, comprising:
- a first thruster;
- a second thruster;
- a third thruster;
- and
- a fourth thruster;
- wherein each thruster of the at least one linear thruster arrangement is positioned at least substantially along an elongated axis of the linear thruster aircraft;
- such that the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters are configured with alternating first and second side lateral offsets from the elongated axis;
- wherein each thruster of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters are configured with alternating first and second side lateral offsets from the elongated axis;
- wherein each thruster of the first, second, third, and fourth thrusters are configured with alternating first and second side vertical offsets from the elongated axis;
- wherein the first thruster and the second thruster are at least partially vertically overlapping;
- and the third thruster and the fourth thruster are at least partially vertically overlapping;
- wherein the first thruster and the fourth thruster are configured with:
- uniform first sideward downward thrusts, each with an identical first side lateral angle;
- opposing respective bottom and top vertical offsets, which are each of an identical absolute length;
- and
- uniform second side lateral offsets, which are each of an identical length;
- and wherein the second thruster and the third thruster are configured with:
- uniform second sideward downward thrusts, each with an identical second side lateral angle;
- such that absolute values of first side lateral angles of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of second side lateral angles of the second thruster and the third thruster;
- opposing respective top and bottom vertical offsets, which are each of an identical absolute length;
- such that absolute values of the opposing respective bottom and top vertical offsets of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of the opposing respective top and bottom vertical offsets of the second thruster and the third thruster;
- and
- uniform first side lateral offsets, which are each of an identical length;
- such that absolute values of the uniform second side lateral offsets of the first thruster and the fourth thruster are identical to absolute values of the uniform first side lateral offsets of the second thruster and the third thruster.
22 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.