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US 9,540,103 B2Granted
Passive deployment mechanism for lift fan
AssigneeKitty Hawk Corporation
InventorGeoffrey A. Long
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft includes rotors that provide vertical and horizontal thrust. During forward motion, the vertical lift system is inactive. A lift fan mechanism positions the fan blades of the aircraft in a collapsed configuration when the vertical lift system is inactive and positions the fan blades of the aircraft in a deployed configuration when the vertical lift system is active.
Claims27
A lift fan mechanism comprising:
- a motor rotor comprising a cylindrical feature with a first detent located at a first position along a circumference of the cylindrical feature and a second detent located at a second position along the circumference of the cylindrical feature, the motor rotor driven to rotate about an axis;
- a first blade set comprising one or more first fan blades, the first blade set coupled to the motor rotor and configured to rotate about the axis of the motor rotor as the motor rotor rotates about the axis;
- a second blade set comprising one or more second fan blades, the second blade set coupled to the motor rotor and configured to rotate independently from the first blade set about the axis of the motor rotor, the second blade set rotating between a collapsed configuration and a deployed blade configuration that provides maximum thrust of the lift fan mechanism;
- one or more pallet forks each coupled to the second blade set, each pallet fork comprising a body, a pivot, a first pawl surface, and a second pawl surface, and each pallet fork configured to rotate between a first pallet fork position and a second pallet fork position about an axis of the pivot, wherein in the first pallet fork position the first pawl surface is configured to engage the first detent responsive to the second blade set being in the collapsed configuration, and in the second pallet fork position the second pawl surface is configured to engage the second detent responsive to the second blade set being in the deployed configuration;
- and
- a drive motor coupled to the motor rotor, the drive motor configured to apply torque to the motor rotor rotating the first blade set, wherein rotation of the first blade set rotates the second blade set from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration and from the deployed configuration to the collapsed configuration.
3 more elements
A lift fan mechanism comprising:
- a first blade set comprising one or more first fan blades, the first blade set configured to rotate about an axis;
- a second blade set comprising one or more second fan blades, the second blade set configured to rotate independently from the first blade set about the axis, the second blade set rotating between a collapsed configuration and a deployed blade configuration that provides maximum thrust of the lift fan mechanism;
- a mechanism between the first blade set and the second blade set, the mechanism coupling together the first blade set and the second blade set;
- and
- one or more pallet forks, each pallet fork coupled to the second blade set and configured to rotate between a first pallet fork position responsive to the second blade set in the collapsed configuration and a second pallet fork configuration responsive to the second blade set in the deployed configuration;
- and
- a drive motor configured to apply torque to rotate the first blade set, wherein rotation of the first blade set rotates the second blade set from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration and from the deployed configuration to the collapsed configuration.
4 more elements
A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft comprising:
- a plurality of lift fan mechanisms, each lift fan mechanism including:
- a first blade set comprising one or more first fan blades, the first blade set configured to rotate about an axis;
- a second blade set comprising one or more second fan blades, the second blade set configured to rotate independently from the first blade set about the axis, the second blade set rotating between a collapsed configuration and a deployed blade configuration that provides maximum thrust of the lift fan mechanism;
- a mechanism between the first blade set and the second blade set, the mechanism coupling together the first blade set and the second blade set;
- and
- one or more pallet forks, each pallet fork coupled to the second blade set and configured to rotate between a first pallet fork position responsive to the second blade set in the collapsed configuration and a second pallet fork configuration responsive to the second blade set in the deployed configuration;
- and
- a drive motor configured to apply torque to rotate the first blade set, wherein rotation of the first blade set rotates the second blade set from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration and from the deployed configuration to the collapsed configuration.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.