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US 6,854,690 B2Granted
Aircraft kite
OwnerDon Taborinventor
Life of this patent
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OwnerDon Taborinventor
Estimating the term…
A kite in the shape of an aircraft having one or more wings. The number of wings can vary due to novel V-shaped connection members employed together with strut rod members cut to predetermined lengths. The connection members are preformed V-shaped connectors slidably mounted to spar members disposed in open-ended sleeves in the leading and trailing edges of a wing and may be oriented to receive strut members form either above or below the wing, for efficiency manufacturing, ease in assembly, and minimum exposure to breakage during operation, storage and transport. Additional connection members may be added to the spar members to receive strut members connected to additional wings thereby allowing for an airplane kite having one wing, two wings, three wings, or more. Multiple-V connectors may be combined to create hubs for propellers or wheels that rotate when they encounter a front wind. Ram air openings are utilized in the fuselage of the kite to maintain the shape of the fuselage and the angles of wings. Additionally, the wings are equipped with air scoop pockets for added stability and performance under a large spectrum of flying conditions and improved appearance of the wings without requiring spars along the out edges of the wings. Similar ram air openings or air scoop pockets are utilized in the tail fin members for increased stability and flight characteristics, the tail fins receiving air from either within the fuselage or from outside the fuselage, respectively.
A kite in the form of an aircraft comprising a fuselage, at least one wing member, at least three rods in an arrangement to support said aircraft, and a V-connector comprising an apex extending in an apex plane and first and second legs extending from said apex, said legs extending at least initially in said apex plane, said first and second legs having longitudinal openings to receive respectively first and second ones of said rods in spaced relation to said apex, said apex receiving a third one of said rods transverse to said apex plane to define said aircraft supporting arrangement of said rods.
A kite in the form of an aircraft comprising a fuselage, at least one wing member, and at least one V-connector carried by said fuselage, said V-connector comprising a common apex extending in an apex plane and pairs of legs extending from said common apex symmetrically in a series of V patterns and at least initially in said apex plane, said common apex being slidably mounted to a further rod extending transverse to said apex plane.
A kite in the form of an aircraft comprising a fuselage, at least one wing member, and at least one nose cone connector comprising two legs, an apex, a longitudinal opening at a distal end of each leg, and a lateral orifice through said apex, wherein said lateral orifice is in the same plane as each said longitudinal opening.
A connector for a kite construction having first, second and third rods intersecting, said rods each having rod ends and an intermediate portion therebetween, said connector comprising an apex extending in an apex plane and first and second legs, said first and second legs having inner ends extending from said apex and at least initially in said apex plane and outer ends remote from said apex, said apex having an orifice for mounting said apex on said third rod intermediate its rod ends and transverse to said apex plane, said first and second legs ends having longitudinal openings for receiving rod ends respectively of said first and second rods.
A kite connector for connecting first, second and third rods of a kite construction, said rods having rod ends and an intermediate portion between said rod ends, said connector comprising an apex and outwardly extending first and second legs, said first and second legs having longitudinal openings into which said rod ends are insertable, said apex having an orifice for slidably receiving an intermediate portion of said third rod, said apex orifice extending normal to said longitudinal openings.
A method of supporting a kite framework comprising three intersecting rods, including placing a connector at the intersection of said rods, said connector having two legs joined at an apex extending in an apex plane, attaching two of said rods longitudinally and endwise at said legs, and attaching a third of said rods laterally and intermediate the rod ends at said apex and at a right angle to said apex plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.