Drone aircraft
AssigneeKaiser Enterprises, LLC
InventorJames Kaiser
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A drone aircraft has a main body with a circular shape and a circular outer periphery. One or more rotor blades extend substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery. In addition, one or more counter-rotation blades extend substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, but vertically offset from the main rotor blades. The main rotor blades are connected to a first annular gear that rotates in a first direction and the counter-rotation blades rotate are connected to a second annular gear that rotates in a second direction that is opposite the first direction for anti-torque. Planetary gears simultaneously drive the first and second annular gear at about the same speed.
Claims12
A drone aircraft comprising:
- a main body having a circular shape with a circular outer periphery;
- one or more rotor blades extending substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, said one or more rotor blades rotating in a first direction;
- a first annular gear located at or about the outer periphery and coupled to said one or more rotor blades;
- one or more counter-rotation blades extending substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, said one or more counter-rotation blades rotating in a second direction opposite the first direction;
- a second annular gear located at or about the outer periphery and coupled to said one or more counter-rotation blades;
- a motor configured to drive said first annular gear and second annular gear to drive said one or more rotor blades and said one or more counter-rotation blades, wherein said motor is located directly adjacent at least one of the first annual gear and the second annular gear;
- a first planet gear directly coupled to the motor to drive said first annular gear;
- a second planet gear coupled to the first planet gear to drive said second annular gear;
- a receiver for receiving command signals from a remote controller;
- and
- a controller controlling the motor in response to the received command signals.
A method of operating a drone aircraft, comprising:
- providing a main body having a circular shape with a circular outer periphery;
- providing one or more rotor blades extending substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery;
- providing a first annular gear located at or about the outer periphery and coupled to said one or more rotor blades;
- providing one or more counter-rotation blades extending substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery;
- providing a second annular gear located at or about the outer periphery and coupled to said one or more counter-rotation blades;
- providing a motor directly adjacent at least one of the first annual gear and the second annular gear;
- providing a first planet gear directly coupled to the motor to drive said first annular gear;
- providing a second planet gear coupled to the first planet gear to drive said second annular gear;
- driving the first planet gear by the motor, to rotate the first annular gear and rotate the one or more rotor blades in a first direction;
- and
- driving the second planet gear by the first planet gear, to rotate the second annular gear and rotate the one or more counter-rotation blades in a second direction opposite the first direction;
- receiving at a receiver command signals from a remote controller;
- and
- controlling by a controller the motor in response to the received command signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.