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US 6,286,783 B1Granted
Aircraft with a fuselage substantially designed as an aerodynamic lifting body
OwnerHermann Kuenklerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An aircraft has a fuselage designed essentially as an aerostatic lift body. Combined lift and propulsion devices are articulated on the fuselage, are provided with propellers and form propulsion units and which in each case can tilt between a lift position, in which the respective propeller rotation plane is essentially horizontal and a propulsion position, in which the respective propeller rotation plane is essentially vertical. Additionally the propeller rotation plane has all-round inclination relative to the output shaft of the associated drive device.
Claims37
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage (1) designed essentially as an aerostatic lift body;
- combined lift and propulsion units (7, 8, 9, 10) each driven by an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52), the combined lift and propulsion units articulated on the fuselage (1) each for tilting between a lift position and a propulsion position;
- each combined lift and propulsion units comprising,
- a propeller hub (110) with an axis of rotation;
- the propeller hub (110) being rotatably mounted to a hub support (109);
- a respective propeller shaft (121) for driving the propeller hub (110);
- output shaft (104) of an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) for driving the propeller shaft (121);
- propellers (11, 12, 13, 14) attached to the propeller hub for rotation with the propeller hub in a respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the respective propeller hub (110);
- each combined lift and propulsion units in the lift position having the respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially horizontal and an output shaft (104) acting on the respective propeller shaft (121) is essentially vertical;
- each combined lift and propulsion units in the propulsion position having the respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially vertical and the output shaft (104) acting on the respective propeller shaft (121), is essentially horizontal;
- the propeller hub support (109) connected to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller hub (110) freely inclines in roll and pitch relative to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) independent of movement of the output shaft (104) between the lift position and the propulsion position,
- the propeller shaft (121) and the drive output shaft (104) acting on the propeller shaft (121) connected to one another in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller shaft (121) rotates uniformly with the output shaft (104), and
- the angle of incidence of each propeller blade being cyclically variable with respect to the angle of rotation of the propeller hub on an individual basis for each propeller blade during hub rotation.
10 more elements
A method for controlling a propeller driven aircraft in all flight phases, wherein
- providing a fuselage (1);
- providing propulsion units (7, 8, 9, 10) each driven by an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52);
- each propulsion unit comprising,
- a propeller hub (110) with an axis of rotation;
- the propeller hub (110) being rotatably mounted to a hub support (109);
- a respective propeller shaft (121) for driving the propeller hub (110);
- an output shaft (104) of an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) for driving the propeller shaft (121);
- propellers (11, 12, 13, 14) attached to the propeller hub for rotation with the propeller hub in a respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the respective propeller hub (110);
- providing each propeller hub support (109) connected to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller hub (110) freely inclines in roll and pitch relative to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52);
- providing each propeller shaft (121) and each drive output shaft (104) acting on the associated propeller shaft (121) connected to one another in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller shaft (121) rotates uniformly with the output shaft (104),
- providing the angle of incidence of each propeller blade being cyclically variable with respect to the angle of rotation of the propeller hub on an individual basis for each propeller blade during hub rotation;
- and,
- setting the angle of incidence of the individual propeller blades (125, 125′) of each propeller cyclically individually, and,
- individually inclining the propeller rotation planes (113) without any reaction force, said inclination being induced by aerodynamic forces and centrifugal forces resulting from these, with respect to the output shaft (104) acting on the propeller shaft (121), in order to influence the direction of a thrust vector at each propulsion unit (7, 8, 9, 10) for the control of the aircraft.
11 more elements
An aircraft comprising:
- a fuselage (1) designed essentially as an aerostatic lift body;
- combined lift and propulsion units (7, 8, 9, 10) each driven by an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52);
- the combined lift and propulsion units articulated on the fuselage (1) each for tilting between a lift position and a propulsion position;
- each combined lift and propulsion units comprising,
- a propeller hub (110) with an axis of rotation;
- the propeller hub (110) being rotatably mounted to a hub support (109);
- a respective propeller shaft (121) for driving the propeller hub (110);
- an output shaft (104) of an associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) for driving the propeller shaft (121);
- propellers (11, 12, 13, 14) attached to the propeller hub for rotation with the propeller hub in a respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the respective propeller hub (110);
- each combined lift and propulsion units in the lift position having the respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially horizontal and an output shaft (104) acting on the respective propeller shaft (121) is essentially vertical with the angle of incidence of each propeller blade being cyclically variable individually when in the lift position;
- each combined lift and propulsion units in the propulsion position having the respective propeller rotation plane (113) essentially vertical and the output shaft (104) acting on the respective propeller shaft (121), is essentially horizontal with the angle of incidence of each propeller blade being cyclically variable individually when in the propulsion position;
- the propeller hub support (109) connected to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller hub (110) freely inclines in roll and pitch relative to the associated drive device (49, 50, 51, 52) independent of movement of the output shaft (104) between the lift position and the propulsion position;
- the propeller shaft (121) and the drive output shaft (104) acting on the propeller shaft (121) connected to one another in an articulated manner in such a way that the propeller shaft (121) rotates uniformly with the output shaft (104);
- and,
- the angle of incidence of each propeller blade being cyclically variable with respect to the angle of rotation of the propeller hub on an individual basis for each propeller blade during hub rotation.
12 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.