Vertical lift vehicle
OwnerJerome S. Pendzichinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for producing vertical lift in a vehicle. In one embodiment, two sets of trans-flow fans discharge air through multi-directional vane assemblies that direct the discharged air outward and downward. Each one of the sets of fans is positioned on opposite sides of the vehicle. The multi-directional vane assemblies include vertical vanes that direct the discharged air fore and aft and horizontal vanes that direct the discharged air downward at various angles. In one embodiment, the vehicle includes a hovercraft skirt and a portion of the discharge air is directed into the skirt, causing the vehicle lift vertically on a cushion of air. In one such embodiment, a flow director controls the amount of discharged air flowing through the inlet to the volume defined by the skirt.
Claims14
An apparatus for producing vertical lift in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a first trans-flow fan positioned on a first side of a fuselage of the vehicle, said first trans-flow fan having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to a longitudinal axis of said fuselage;
- a second trans-flow fan positioned on a second side of said fuselage, said second side opposite said first side, said second trans-flow fan having a direction of rotation opposite that of said first trans-flow fan, said second trans-flow fan having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said fuselage;
- a first vane assembly positioned adjacent a discharge outlet of said first trans-flow fan, said first vane assembly including a plurality of vertical vanes configured to selectively direct air from said first trans-flow fan between a forward direction and a rearward direction, said first vane assembly including a plurality of horizontal vanes configured to direct air from said first trans-flow fan in a selected downward direction;
- a second vane assembly positioned adjacent a discharge outlet of said second trans-flow fan, said second vane assembly including a plurality of vertical vanes configured to selectively direct air from said second trans-flow fan between a forward direction and a rearward direction, said second vane assembly including a plurality of horizontal vanes configured to direct air from said second trans-flow fan in a selected downward direction;
- and
- a skirt enclosing a lower portion of the vehicle, said skirt configured to be in communication with said discharge outlet of at least one of said first trans-flow fan or said second trans-flow fan;
- wherein a flow of air into said skirt creates a cushion of air that provides vertical lift to the vehicle.
An apparatus for producing vertical lift in a vehicle, said apparatus comprising:
- a fuselage having an elongated configuration with a longitudinal axis;
- a pair of fans attached to said fuselage, said pair of fans each having an axis of rotation substantially parallel to said longitudinal axis of said fuselage, each of said pair of fans having a squirrel cage rotor and an outlet, a first one of said outlets positioned to discharge on one side of said longitudinal axis of said fuselage and a second one of said outlets positioned to discharge on an other side of said longitudinal axis, each said outlet directed downward relative to said fuselage and configured to provide vertical thrust for the vehicle;
- and
- a drive unit operatively connected to said pair of fans, said drive unit configured to rotate each one of said pair of squirrel cage rotors in an opposite direction relative to the other of said pair of squirrel cage rotors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.