Vehicle capable of in-air and on-ground mobility
AssigneeNeurosciences Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorDonald B. Hutson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In specific embodiments, a vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprises a main work section and a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section. The main work section supports one or more payloads. The propulsion units each include a rotor system and a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system. The ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system.
Claims20
A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
- a main work section for supporting one or more payloads;
- a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including
- a rotor system,
- a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system;
- and
- wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system;
- and
- wherein when the vehicle is level and moving horizontally along a plane, for each of the propulsion units the banked angle is such that the ring-shaped wheel extends outside of the rotor system so that the ring-shaped wheel contacts, before the rotor system contacts, any surface perpendicular to or parallel to the plane.
A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
- a main work section for supporting one or more payloads;
- a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including
- an arm frame extending from the main work section,
- a rotor system connected with the arm frame, the rotor system including at least one rotor blade,
- a ring-shaped hub connected with the arm frame and at least partially arranged about the at least one rotor blade, the ring-shaped hub having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the at least one rotor blade, and
- a ring-shaped wheel rotatable about the ring-shaped hub, wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the at least one rotor blade.
A vehicle propellable through fluids or along surfaces, comprising:
- a main work section including a payload support hub, a payload support structure rotatable about the payload support hub, and a core at least partially nested within the payload support hub;
- wherein one or more payloads is mountable on the payload support structure;
- a plurality of propulsion units for propelling the main work section, each of the propulsion units including
- a rotor system,
- a ring-shaped wheel at least partially arranged about the rotor system and rotatable about the rotor system;
- and
- wherein the ring-shaped wheel is arranged at a banked angle relative to the rotor system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.