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US 5,906,335 AGranted
Flight direction control system for blimps
OwnerMark N. Thompsoninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for controlling the flight direction of a blimp. The blimp includes an elongate fuselage for containing a lighter-than-air gas, a movable rudder located toward a tail end of the fuselage, and at least one propeller mounted on a side of the fuselage. The propeller is attached to the blimp by a connection that provides two axes of movement. The propeller connection can be rotated or pivoted (1) about a first axis which is a horizontal axis that is perpendicular to a direction of the longitudinal axis of the elongate fuselage, and/or (2) about a second axis which is a vertical axis that is perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal axis of the fuselage.
Claims20
A blimp having improved maneuverability, said blimp comprising:
- an elongate fuselage for containing a lighter-than-air gas and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a rudder coupled to a tail end of said fuselage by means of a first connection, said first connection adapted to permit said rudder to be pivoted about a first vertical axis of said fuselage, said first vertical axis being orthogonal to said longitudinal axis;
- a first motor coupled to said rudder to cause pivoting of said rudder about said first vertical axis;
- a gondola mounted to said fuselage at a bottom central side thereof, said gondola having a portion connected to said fuselage in a turret-like manner by means of a second connection, said second connection adapted to permit said portion of said gondola to be pivoted about a second vertical axis which is parallel to said first vertical axis;
- at least one propeller mounted on said portion of said gondola by a third connection that permits said at least one propeller to be pivoted about a first horizontal axis, said first horizontal axis being orthogonal to both said longitudinal axis and said second vertical axis;
- and
- a second motor coupled to said at least one propeller to cause pivoting of said at least one propeller about at least one of said first horizontal axis and said second vertical axis;
- whereby said blimp has improved maneuverability.
5 more elements
A blimp having improved maneuverability, said blimp comprising:
- an elongate fuselage for containing a lighter-than-air gas and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a rudder coupled to a tail end of said fuselage by means of a first connection that permits said rudder to be pivoted about a first vertical axis of said fuselage, said first vertical axis being orthogonal to said longitudinal axis;
- a first motor coupled to said rudder to cause pivoting of said rudder about said first vertical axis;
- a gondola mounted to said fuselage at a location approximately midway along the bottom side of said fuselage, said gondola having a portion connected to said fuselage in a turret-like manner;
- at least one propeller coupled to said gondola by means of a second connection, said second connection adapted to permit said at least one propeller to be pivoted about two axes relative to the fuselage, said two axes including a second vertical axis which is parallel to said first vertical axis and a first horizontal axis, said first horizontal axis being orthogonal to both said longitudinal axis and said second vertical axis;
- and
- a second motor coupled to said at least one propeller to cause pivoting of said at least one propeller about at least one of said first horizontal axis and said second vertical axis;
- and a controller located on board said fuselage and having outputs coupled to said first and second motors to control pivoting of said rudder and said at least one propeller;
- whereby said blimp has improved maneuverability.
6 more elements
A blimp having improved maneuverability, said blimp comprising:
- an elongate fuselage for containing a lighter-than-air gas and defining a longitudinal axis;
- a rudder coupled to a tail end of said fuselage by means of a first connection, said first connection adapted to permit said rudder to be pivoted about a first vertical axis of said fuselage, said first vertical axis being orthogonal to said longitudinal axis;
- a first motor coupled to said rudder to cause pivoting of said rudder about said first vertical axis;
- a gondola coupled to said fuselage at a bottom central side thereof;
- at least two propellers located on a turret-like portion of said gondola by means of a second connection, said second connection adapted to permit said at least two propellers to be pivoted in unison about two axes, said two axes including a second vertical axis which is parallel to said first vertical axis and a first horizontal axis, said first horizontal axis being orthogonal to both said longitudinal axis and said second vertical axis;
- and
- a second motor coupled to said at least one propeller to cause pivoting of said at least one propeller about at least one of said first horizontal axis and said second vertical axis;
- whereby said blimp has improved maneuverability.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.