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US 9,957,044 B2Granted
Air vehicle flight mechanism and control method
AssigneeAeroVironment, Inc.
InventorsMatthew Todd Keennon, Karl Robert Klingebiel, Alexander Andryukov, Bart Dean Hibbs, John Peter Zwaan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Heavier-than-air, aircraft having flapping wings, e.g., ornithopters, where angular orientation control is effected by variable differential sweep angles of deflection of the flappable wings in the course of sweep angles of travel and/or the control of variable wing membrane tension.
Claims20
A wing comprising:
- a mast engaging a fitment;
- a spar engaging the fitment substantially perpendicular to the mast, the spar rotatably coupled to the mast to selectively decrease an angle of the spar relative to the mast;
- a mast tube disposed about a portion of the mast;
- a spar tube disposed about a portion of the spar;
- a scrim attached to the spar tube and the mast tube;
- a yoke engaging a rear of the spar;
- and
- a first batten disposed on the scrim and extending in a direction radially from an intersection of the spar and the mast, the first batten having a distal end proximate to an edge of the airfoil;
- wherein the yoke is tiltable to decrease the substantially perpendicular angle between the spar and mast resulting in increased luffing of the scrim.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.