Counter rotating ducted fan flying vehicle
专利汇可以提供Counter rotating ducted fan flying vehicle专利检索，专利查询，专利分析的服务。并且A flying vehicle having a pair of counter rotating propeller blades which provide lift for the vehicle when the vehicle is in a flight mode of operation. The counter rotating blades have in flight adjustable pitch and are connected to a control and steering system in the cockpit of the vehicle. A gas turbine engine located in the aft section of the vehicle is connected through a drive shaft and transmission to the counter rotating propeller blades When the vehicle transitions to the flight mode, the user has aircraft controls available in the cockpit to make the transitions from a driver to a pilot in a short time period. Yaw pedals located on the floor board of the cockpit as well as a pitch control handle and the steering wheel allow the user to steer and control the altitude of the vehicle when the vehicle is in the flight mode.，下面是Counter rotating ducted fan flying vehicle专利的具体信息内容。
What is claimed is:1. An aerial vehicle for ground and air transportation comprising:(a) a vehicle body;(b) a cylindrical shaped duct housing centrally located within said vehicle body;(c) a pair of counter rotating propeller blades rotatably mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being positioned within an upper portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades positioned within a lower portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being operative to provide vertical takeoff and landing and translational flight capabilities for said aerial vehicle;(d) a gas turbine engine mounted within said vehicle body at a rear end of said vehicle body behind said duct housing, said gas turbine engine having a drive shaft which extends from said gas turbine engine into said duct housing;(e) a counter rotating transmission mounted within said duct housing between said pair of counter rotating propeller blades, said counter rotating transmission including:(i) a transmission housing;(ii) a transmission shaft which has one end connected to the drive shaft of said gas turbine engine, said transmission shaft having a portion thereof positioned within said transmission housing;(iii) a first ratio gear attached to an opposite end of said transmission shaft within said transmission housing;(iv) an internal shaft positioned adjacent said transmission shaft, said internal shaft being located within said transmission housing;(v) a second ratio gear attached to one end of said internal shaft, said second ratio gear being in rotatable engagement with said first ratio gear;(vi) a first propeller blade drive shaft which extends upward from said transmission housing, said first propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(vii) a second propeller blade drive shaft which extends downward from said transmission housing, said second propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(viii) a first ring gear attached to an opposite end of said first propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing;(ix) a second ring gear attached to an opposite end of said second propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing; and(x) a pinion gear attached to an opposite end of said internal shaft, said pinion gear being sandwiched between said first and second ring gears, said pinion gear being in rotatable engagement with said first and second ring gears; and(f) a plurality of direction control vane assemblies mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing at a bottom end of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said plurality of direction control vane assemblies controlling directional movement of said aerial vehicle is in a flight mode of operation.2. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a rotor pitch control assembly for rotating said pair of counter rotating propeller blades in a counterclockwise direction angling said pair of counter rotating propeller propeller blades, said rotor pitch control assembly including:a first swash plate slidably mounted on said first propeller blade drive shaft;a second swash plate slidably mounted on said second propeller blade drive shaft;each of said first and second swash plates including a plurality of roller bearings which allow for substantially frictionless movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft;a plurality of colotor rods, each of said colotor rods having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to said second swash plate;a first plurality of pitch links, each of said first plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;a second plurality of pitch links, each of said second plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said second swash plate and an opposite end connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades; anda collective pitch control handle operatively connected to said rotor pitch control assembly, said collective pitch control assembly allowing a user to control a collective pitch for said pair of counter rotating propeller blades by adjusting said collective pitch control handle which results in synchronous movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft.3. The aerial vehicle of claim 2 wherein each of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades has four blades.4. The aerial vehicle of claim 3 wherein said first plurality of pitch links comprises four pitch links, each of the four pitch links of said first plurality of pitch links being connected to one of the four blades of the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades and said second plurality of pitch links comprises four pitch links, each of the four pitch links of said second plurality of pitch links being connected to one of the four blades of the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades.5. The vehicle of claim 1 further comprising:a first wheel and axle assembly positioned at the rear end of said aerial vehicle, said first wheel and axle assembly including first and second drive wheels, the first drive wheel being rotatably mounted on one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second drive wheel being rotatably mounted on an opposite side of said aerial vehicle;a gasoline engine and transmission assembly operatively connected to said first wheel and axle assembly to provide power to said first and second drive wheels rotating said first and second drive wheels when said aerial vehicle is in a ground based mode of operation;a second wheel and axle assembly positioned at a front end of said aerial vehicle, said second wheel and axle assembly including first and second steerable wheels, the first steerable wheel being rotatably mounted on the one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second steerable wheel being rotatably mounted on the opposite side of said aerial vehicle; anda steering wheel mounted within a cockpit located in proximity to the front end of said aerial vehicle, said steering wheel being operatively connected to said second wheel and axle assembly to allow a user of said aerial vehicle to steer said first and second steerable wheels and maneuver said aerial vehicle on a roadway when said aerial vehicle is in said ground based mode of operation.6. The flying vehicle of claim 5 further comprising first, second, third and fourth shock suspensions attached to said vehicle body, said first shock suspension being connected to said first steerable wheel, said second first shock suspension being connected to said second steerable wheel, said third shock suspension being connected to said first drive wheel, and fourth third shock suspension being connected to said fourth drive wheel.7. The flying vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a cockpit windshield located in proximity to the front end of said aerial vehicle said cockpit windshield allowing a user of said flying vehicle to observe a roadway and an air space ahead of said flying vehicle, said cockpit windshield including a heads up display.8. An aerial vehicle for ground and air transportation comprising:(a) a vehicle body;(b) a cylindrical shaped duct housing centrally located within said vehicle body;(c) a pair of counter rotating propeller blades rotatably mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being positioned within an upper portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades positioned within a lower portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being operative to provide vertical takeoff and landing and translational flight capabilities for said aerial vehicle;(d) a gas turbine engine mounted within said vehicle body at a rear end of said vehicle body behind said duct housing, said gas turbine engine having a drive shaft which extends from said gas turbine engine into said duct housing;(e) a counter rotating transmission mounted within said duct housing between said pair of counter rotating propeller blades, said counter rotating transmission including:(i) a transmission housing;(ii) a transmission shaft which has one end connected to the drive shaft of said gas turbine engine, said transmission shaft having a portion thereof positioned within said transmission housing;(iii) a first ratio gear attached to an opposite end of said transmission shaft within said transmission housing;(iv) an internal shaft positioned adjacent said transmission shaft, said internal shaft being located within said transmission housing;(v) a second ratio gear attached to one end of said internal shaft, said second ratio gear being in rotatable engagement with said first ratio gear;(vi) a first propeller blade drive shaft which extends upward from said transmission housing, said first propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(vii) a second propeller blade drive shaft which extends downward from said transmission housing, said second propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(viii) a first ring gear attached to an opposite end of said first propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing;(ix) a second ring gear attached to an opposite end of said second propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing; and(x) a pinion gear attached to an opposite end of said internal shaft, said pinion gear being sandwiched between said first and second ring gears, said pinion gear being in rotatable engagement with said first and second ring gears; and(f) a plurality of direction control vane assemblies mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing at a bottom end of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said plurality of direction control vane assemblies controlling directional movement of said aerial vehicle is in a flight mode of operation;(g) a first wheel and axle assembly positioned at the rear end of said aerial vehicle, said first wheel and axle assembly including first and second drive wheels, the first drive wheel being rotatably mounted on one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second drive wheel being rotatably mounted on an opposite side of said aerial vehicle;(h) a gasoline engine and transmission assembly operatively connected to said first wheel and axle assembly to provide power to said first and second drive wheels rotating said first and second drive wheels when said aerial vehicle is in a ground based mode of operation;(i) a second wheel and axle assembly positioned at a front end of said aerial vehicle, said second wheel and axle assembly including first and second steerable wheels, the first steerable wheel being rotatably,mounted on the one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second steerable wheel being rotatably mounted on the opposite side of said aerial vehicle; and(j) a steering wheel mounted within a cockpit located in proximity to the front end of said aerial vehicle, said steering wheel being operatively connected to said second wheel and axle assembly to allow a user of said aerial vehicle to steer said first and second steerable wheels and maneuver said aerial vehicle on a roadway when said aerial vehicle is in said ground based mode of operation.9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 further comprising a rotor pitch control assembly for rotating said pair of counter rotating propeller blades in a counterclockwise direction angling said pair of counter rotating propeller propeller blades, said rotor pitch control assembly including:a first swash plate slidably mounted on said first propeller blade drive shaft;a second swash plate slidably mounted on said second propeller blade drive shaft;each of said first and second swash plates including a plurality of roller bearings which allow for substantially frictionless movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft;a plurality of colotor rods, each of said colotor rods having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to said second swash plate;a first plurality of pitch links, each of said first plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;a second plurality of pitch links, each of said second plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said second swash plate and an opposite end connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades; anda collective pitch control handle operatively connected to said rotor pitch control assembly, said collective pitch control assembly allowing a user to control a collective pitch for said pair of counter rotating propeller blades by adjusting said collective pitch control handle which results in synchronous movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft.10. The aerial vehicle of claim 9 wherein each of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades has four blades.11. The aerial vehicle of claim 10 wherein said first plurality of pitch links comprises four pitch links, each of the four pitch links of said first plurality of pitch links being connected to one of the four blades of the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades and said second plurality of pitch links comprises four pitch links, each of the four pitch links of said second plurality of pitch links being connected to one of the four blades of the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades.12. The flying vehicle of claim 8 further comprising first, second, third and fourth shock suspensions attached to said vehicle body, said first shock suspension being connected to said first steerable wheel, said second first shock suspension being connected to said second steerable wheel, said third shock suspension being connected to said first drive wheel, and fourth third shock suspension being connected to said fourth drive wheel.13. The flying vehicle of claim 8 further comprising a cockpit windshield located in proximity to the front end of said aerial vehicle said cockpit windshield allowing a user of said flying vehicle to observe a roadway and an air space ahead of said flying vehicle, said cockpit windshield including a heads up display.14. An aerial vehicle for ground and air transportation comprising:(a) a vehicle body;(b) a cylindrical shaped duct housing centrally located within said vehicle body;(c) a pair of counter rotating propeller blades rotatably mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being positioned within an upper portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, a second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades positioned within a lower portion of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said pair of counter rotating propeller blades being operative to provide vertical takeoff and landing and translational flight capabilities for said aerial vehicle;(d) a gas turbine engine mounted within said vehicle body at a rear end of said vehicle body behind said duct housing, said gas turbine engine having a drive shaft which extends from said gas turbine engine into said duct housing;(e) a counter rotating transmission mounted within said duct housing between said pair of counter rotating propeller blades, said counter rotating transmission including:(i) a transmission housing;(ii) a transmission shaft which has one end connected to the drive shaft of said gas turbine engine, said transmission shaft having a portion thereof positioned within said transmission housing;(iii) a first ratio gear attached to an opposite end of said transmission shaft within said transmission housing;(iv) an internal shaft positioned adjacent said transmission shaft, said internal shaft being located within said transmission housing;(v) a second ratio gear attached to one end of said internal shaft, said second ratio gear being in rotatable engagement with said first ratio gear;(vi) a first propeller blade drive shaft which extends upward from said transmission housing, said first propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(vii) a second propeller blade drive shaft which extends downward from said transmission housing, said second propeller blade drive shaft being connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;(viii) a first ring gear attached to an opposite end of said first propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing;(ix) a second ring gear attached to an opposite end of said second propeller blade drive shaft within said transmission housing; and(x) a pinion gear attached to an opposite end of said internal shaft, said pinion gear being sandwiched between said first and second ring gears, said pinion gear being in rotatable engagement with said first and second ring gears; and(f) a plurality of direction control vane assemblies mounted within said cylindrical shaped duct housing at a bottom end of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said plurality of direction control vane assemblies controlling directional movement of said aerial vehicle is in a flight mode of operation, said plurality of direction control vane assemblies including:(i) first, second, third and fourth direction control vane assemblies configured to form a rectangle within said duct housing;(ii) fifth and sixth direction control vane assemblies positioned diagonally in alignment within said rectangle; and(iii) seventh and eighth direction control vane assemblies positioned diagonally in alignment within said rectangle, said seventh and eighth direction control vane assemblies being perpendicular to said fifth and sixth direction control vane assemblies;(g) a first wheel and axle assembly positioned at the rear end of said aerial vehicle, said first wheel and axle assembly including first and second drive wheels, the first drive wheel being rotatably mounted on one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second drive wheel being rotatably mounted on an opposite side of said aerial vehicle;(h) a gasoline engine and transmission assembly operatively connected to said first wheel and axle assembly to provide power to said first and second drive wheels rotating said first and second drive wheels when said aerial vehicle is in a ground based mode of operation;(i) a second wheel and axle assembly positioned at a front end of said aerial vehicle, said second wheel and axle assembly including first and second steerable wheels, the first steerable wheel being rotatably mounted on the one side of said of aerial vehicle and the second steerable wheel being rotatably mounted on the opposite side of said aerial vehicle; and(j) a steering wheel mounted within a cockpit located in proximity to the front end of said aerial vehicle, said steering wheel being operatively connected to said second wheel and axle assembly to allow a user of said aerial vehicle to steer said first and second steerable wheels and maneuver said aerial vehicle on a roadway when said aerial vehicle is in said ground based mode of operation.15. The aerial vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a rotor pitch control assembly for rotating said pair of counter rotating propeller blades in a counterclockwise direction angling said pair of counter rotating propeller propeller blades, said rotor pitch control assembly including:a first swash plate slidably mounted on said first propeller blade drive shaft;a second swash plate slidably mounted on said second propeller blade drive shaft;each of said first and second swash plates including a plurality of roller bearings which allow for substantially frictionless movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft;a plurality of colotor rods, each of said colotor rods having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to said second swash plate;a first plurality of pitch links, each of said first plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said first swash plate and an opposite end connected to the first of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades;a second plurality of pitch links, each of said second plurality of pitch links having one end connected to said second swash plate and an opposite end connected to the second of said pair of counter rotating propeller blades; anda collective pitch control handle operatively connected to said rotor pitch control assembly, said collective pitch control assembly allowing a user to control a collective pitch for said-pair of counter rotating propeller blades by adjusting said collective pitch control handle which results in synchronous movement of said first swash plate on said first propeller blade drive shaft and said second swash plate on said second propeller blade drive shaft.16. The aerial vehicle of claim 1 further comprising a cockpit positioned within the vehicle body of said aerial vehicle, said cockpit being located in front of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said cockpit being adapted to accommodate three passengers.17. The aerial vehicle of claim 8 further comprising a cockpit positioned within the vehicle body of said aerial vehicle, said cockpit being located in front of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said cockpit being adapted to accommodate three passengers.18. The aerial vehicle of claim 14 further comprising a cockpit positioned within the vehicle body of said aerial vehicle, said cockpit being located in front of said cylindrical shaped duct housing, said cockpit being adapted to accommodate three passengers.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/264,699, filed Jan. 30, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a vehicle that can be driven on the road and without the transition to mechanical wings take off vertically, fly at aircraft altitudes to a destination and then land at the destination.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There is currently no practical means of driving and flying from congested cities to the suburbs or to business meeting. Helicopters cannot be used for street and highway based transportation, that is transport of individuals using city streets and highways. While great for flying to a particular destination, helicopters require the user to also have a car.
Other roadable aircraft that have been developed through the years require the use of a runway and an airport. This is a huge disadvantage with respect to the practicality of this type of vehicle. With “gate hold” procedures being used at most major airports, a take off and landing must be booked well in advance, which further limits the use of these Roadable Aircraft as a means for traveling between destinations.
Accordingly, there is a need for a vehicle which is adapted for use on city streets and the highway and also has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities which will allow the user to travel between destinations at aircraft altitudes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes some of the difficulties encountered in the past including those mentioned in that it comprises a highly efficient and effective counter rotating ducted fan flying vehicle which can be driven on the road and without the transition to mechanical wings take off vertically, fly at aircraft altitudes to a destination and then land at the destination.
The flying vehicle comprising the present invention includes a pair of counter rotating propeller blades which are internal to the vehicle and which provide lift for the vehicle when the vehicle is in a flight mode of operation. The cruising altitude for vehicle is from about 1000 feet to about 20,000 feet.
The counter rotating blades have in flight adjustable pitch and are connected to a control and steering system in the cockpit of the flying vehicle. A gas turbine engine located in the aft section of the flying vehicle is connected through a drive shaft and transmission to the counter rotating propeller blades The shaft output speed of the gas turbine engine is about 6000 revolutions per minute and is reduced to between 1400 rpm and 1800 rpm through the transmission depending on the desired air speed of the flying vehicle.
When the flying vehicle transitions to a flight mode of operation, the user has aircraft controls available in the cockpit to make the transitions from an automobile driver to a helicopter pilot in an extremely short period of time. Yaw pedals located on the floor board of cockpit as well as a collective pitch control handle and the steering wheel allow the user to steer and control the altitude of the flying vehicle when the flying vehicle is in the flight mode of operation.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a side view of the counter rotating ducted fan flying car constituting a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a top view of the counter rotating ducted fan flying car of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 3
is a sectional view of the duct housing for the counter rotating blades of the flying car of
FIG. 1
;
FIG. 4
is view illustrated the cockpit instrument panel, steering wheel and related control elements the flying car of
FIG. 1
which allow a user to fly and also drive flying vehicle;
FIG. 5
is an overhead view illustrating an arrangement of the control vanes used to steer the flying vehicle of
FIG. 1
when the vehicle is in a flight mode of operation;
FIG. 6
is a perspective view illustrating the internal components of the counter rotating transmission used by flying vehicle of
FIG. 1
;
FIGS. 7 and 8
illustrate the pitch control assembly used to rotate the propeller blades of the flying vehicle of
FIG. 1
; and
FIG. 9
illustrates the mechanism to control the pitch of the counter rotating propeller blades of the flying vehicle of FIG.
1
.
DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, there is shown a counter rotating ducted fan flying vehicle/car
20
constituting the present invention. Vehicle
20
allows a user to drive vehicle
20
on a roadway, highway and city street and also to take off vertically from the roadway and fly to the user's destination. While flying vehicle
20
will still require permitted landing and take of locations, once in the air vehicle
20
will fly like an aircraft and follow standard FAA rules and regulations for aircraft such as helicopters propeller driven aircraft and jet engine aircraft.
Vehicle
20
is designed for use on roadways, city and side streets and freeways and meets the legal requirements for use of these roadways. For flight, vehicle
20
has a pair of counter rotating propeller blades/fans
24
and
26
to provide lift when vehicle
20
is in flight between ground destinations. Rotating propeller blades/fans
24
and
26
are internal to vehicle
20
and thus are not exposed to external elements within the atmosphere. The cruising altitude for vehicle/car
20
is from about 1000 feet to about 20,000 feet.
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
3
, the pair of counter rotating blades
24
and
26
for vehicle
20
are located in a duct housing
28
(FIG.
3
). Counter rotating blades
24
and
26
are approximately 7′8″ in length which allows blades
24
and
26
to fit on a highway when vehicle is traveling on the highway. The duct housing
28
for car
20
is fabricated a composite construction aluminum honeycomb carbon fiber. The total width of vehicle
20
is within the
104
inch width limitation of most highways and other roadways. The overall length of vehicle
20
can range from about 16 to about 22 feet depending on the model of vehicle
20
being utilized by a user of vehicle
20
.
The counter rotating blades
24
and
26
of vehicle
20
have in flight adjustable pitch similar to that of the propeller blades of a helicopter. Counter rotating blades
24
and
26
are connected to a control and steering system located in the cockpit
32
of flying vehicle
20
. Vehicle/car
20
also has a gas turbine engine
34
in the aft section of flying car
20
. The turbine air intake
36
for gas turbine engine
34
is also located in the aft section of flying vehicle
20
behind the duct housing
28
. The shaft output speed of the gas turbine engine
34
is approximately 6000 revolutions per minute (RPM) at the maximum air speed of vehicle
20
. A drive shaft
38
is coupled to and extends from the gas turbine engine
34
into a counter rotating transmission
40
located in the duct housing
28
of vehicle
20
. The gas turbine engine
34
, drive shaft
38
and counter rotating transmission
40
comprise the blade drive system for counter rotating blades
24
and
26
.
A pair of propeller blade drive shafts
62
and
64
extend vertically outward from the counter rotating transmission
40
and couple the transmission
40
to the two counter rotating blades
24
and
26
. The counter rotating transmission
40
reduces the revolutions per minute from about 6000 rpm (output by gas turbine engine
34
) to the 1800 rpm at which blades
24
and
26
rotate when flying vehicle car
20
is operating at maximum air speed. When flying vehicle
20
is in the flight mode of operation, blades
24
and
26
can rotate in a range of from approximately 1400 rpm to approximately 1800 rpm depending upon the user's desired air speed during flight from one destination to another.
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
2
and
4
, the cockpit
32
for vehicle
20
is located in front of the duct housing
28
of flying vehicle/car
20
and can accommodate from one to three passengers, with one passenger being seated in a driver seat
66
and the remaining passengers being seated in passenger seats
68
and
70
. Cockpit
32
has a cockpit windshield
33
which allows the driver/pilot of flying vehicle
20
to observe the roadway and the air space ahead of vehicle
20
. Cockpit windshield has a heads up display
75
for use by the driver/pilot of vehicle
20
when vehicle
20
is in a flight mode of operation.
The control and steering system of flying vehicle
20
is also located within the cockpit
32
of flying vehicle
20
. The control and steering system provides a means for the user to control the air speed, altitude and steer flying vehicle
20
when flying vehicle
20
is in a flight mode of operation and also provides a means for controlling the speed of and steering flying vehicle
20
when flying vehicle
20
is a ground travel mode of operation.
The control and steering system includes a steering wheel
42
which allows a user of flying vehicle
20
to steer flying vehicle
20
on a highway or other roadway; a gas pedal
74
for controlling the speed of the flying vehicle
20
while on the roadway and a brake pedal
76
for bringing the flying vehicle
20
to a complete stop while a driver is driving vehicle
20
on the roadway. There is also a hand brake handle
72
located on the right side of the driver seat
66
which the driver uses to set an emergency brake when flying vehicle
20
is in park. The instrument panel
78
for flying vehicle
20
is also located in the cockpit
32
of flying vehicle
20
. The instrument panel
78
includes a ground travel mileage indicator, a fuel indicator, an electrical charge indicator, a speed indicator in miles per hour, an RPM indicator, a brake light indicator as well as a engine overheat indicator and other indicators generally found in automobiles.
When flying car
20
transitions to a flying mode of operation, the user has helicopter type controls available in the cockpit
32
to make the transitions from an automobile driver to a helicopter/aircraft pilot in an extremely short period. Yaw pedals
44
and
46
located on the floor board of cockpit
32
as well as steering wheel
42
and a collective pitch control handle
80
allow the user to steer and control the altitude of flying car
20
when flying car
20
is in the flying mode of operation. Specifically, the left yaw pedal
44
allows the user to execute a left turn of flying vehicle
20
and the right yaw pedal
46
allows the user to execute a right turn of flying vehicle
20
. Steering wheel
42
is used to control forward and backward motion of flying vehicle
20
as well as left sideways motion and right sideways motion of flying vehicle
20
.
The cockpit instrument panel
78
is generally the same as the instrumentation panel of a helicopter. Instrument panel
78
includes aircraft engine instrumentation/flight instrumentation indicators such as an altimeter, vertical speed indicator, airspeed indicator, artificial horizon indicator, and other normal aircraft flight instrumentation indicators are included within cockpit instrument panel
78
.
Flying vehicle
20
has two engines, gas turbine engine
34
which is the power source when flying vehicle/car
20
is in a flight mode of operation and a gasoline engine
48
which is utilized when flying car
20
is traveling on a highway or other roadway. Attached to gasoline engine
48
is a muffler and exhaust pipe
49
for venting engine exhaust. Gas turbine engine
34
may have a capacity rating of from about 300 hp to about 30,000 hp with the higher horsepower engine being used in military type vehicles and the lower horsepower engine being used in commercial vehicles. The four fuel tanks
51
which store fuel for the gasoline engine
48
and the gas turbine engine
34
are arranged symmetrically about duct housing
28
in the manner illustrated in FIG.
2
. The arrangement of the fuel tanks
51
within vehicle
20
is for balancing the fuel load within vehicle
20
.
Gas turbine engine
34
through drive shaft
38
and transmission drives the counter rotating blades/fans
24
and
26
when flying vehicle
20
is in a flight mode of operation.
The gasoline engine
48
is a small light weight engine with a transmission coupled to the rear axle of flying vehicle/car
20
. Gasoline engine
48
is the means for powering the flying vehicle
20
on a street or on a highway. The gasoline engine provides sufficient power to allow flying car
20
to travel at speeds of up to 70 mph which is generally the highest allowable speed on most highways. The gasoline engine
48
is also equipped with smog control equipment which flying vehicle
20
must have when driven in areas with strict smog control requirements.
The front and rear wheels
50
and
52
have independent shock suspensions
54
and
56
and the front wheels
50
of vehicle
20
are steerable while vehicle
20
is on a roadway using steering wheel
42
which is located in the cockpit
32
of flying vehicle
20
.
Air flow is from the top of flying car
20
through the duct housing
28
of flying car
20
exiting through the control vanes of vehicle
20
located below counter rotating propeller blades/fans
24
and
26
.
Referring to
FIG. 5
, the flying vehicle
20
has four angled direction control vane assemblies
82
,
84
,
86
and
88
. Each angled direction control vane assemblies
82
,
84
,
86
and
88
comprises a pair of identical elongated direction control vanes
90
and
92
which are parallel to one another. The angled direction control vane assemblies
82
,
84
,
86
and
88
allow the user of vehicle
20
to execute left and right turns, that is the user of vehicle
20
may turn vehicle
20
in a new direction, either to the left or to the right.
Flying vehicle
20
also has first and second forward/reverse direction control vane assemblies
94
and
96
and first and second sideways direction control vane assemblies
98
and
100
. Each forward/reverse direction control vane assembly
94
and
96
and each sideways direction control vane assembly
98
and
100
has a pair of identical elongated direction control vanes
102
and
104
which are parallel to one another. The forward/reverse direction control vane assemblies
94
and
96
allow the user of vehicle
20
to control movement of vehicle
20
in the forward direction (as indicated by arrow
106
) and the reverse direction (as indicated by arrow
108
). In a similar manner, the sideways direction control vane assemblies
98
and
100
allow the user of vehicle
20
to control movement of vehicle
20
by sliding sideways to the right (as indicated by arrow
110
) and by sliding sideways to the left (as indicated by arrow
112
).
Referring to
FIGS. 3 and 5
, the counter rotating propeller blades/fans
24
and
26
are positioned within duct housing
28
in the manner illustrated in FIG.
3
. The duct housing
28
for vehicle
20
includes a transmission support structure
114
. Support structure
114
provides the support means for blades
24
and
26
as well as the counter rotating transmission
40
and drive shaft
38
. Support structure
114
comprises a plurality of horizontal support struts
116
. Each support strut
114
has one end angle inward and attach to transmission
40
and the other end extend through duct housing
28
and attach to a support member
128
positioned vertically outside of duct housing
28
. Support structure also has a plurality of vertical support struts
118
and a plurality of angled support struts
120
. Each vertical support strut
118
and angled support strut
120
is positioned between adjacent horizontal support struts in the manner illustrated in FIG.
3
. It should be noted that the vertical strut
118
located on the right side of support structure
114
has a drive shaft support member
122
with an opening
124
through which drive shaft
38
passes. The opening
124
of support member
122
include roller/antifriction bearings to insure frictionless rotation drive shaft
38
. A universal joint
126
is also provided to couple drive shaft
38
to transmission
40
.
Referring to
FIGS. 2 and 6
,
FIG. 6
illustrates the internal components of the counter rotating transmission
40
used by flying vehicle/car
20
. One end of a transmission shaft
130
located within the housing for transmission
40
is connected to drive shaft
38
by universal joint
126
. The opposite end of shaft
130
has a ratio gear
132
attached thereto. Aligned with ratio gear
132
is a ratio gear
134
with the teeth of ratio gear
134
being in rotatable engagement with the teeth of ratio gear
132
. Ratio gear
134
is attached to one end of a transmission shaft
136
with the opposite end of shaft
136
having a pinion gear
138
attached thereto. Pinion gear
136
is sandwiched between a pair of ring gears
140
and
142
. The teeth of ring gears
140
and
142
are rotatable engagement with the teeth of pinion gear
138
as shown in FIG.
6
. The end of propeller blade drive shaft
62
positioned within transmission
40
is attached to ring gear
140
, while the end of propeller blade drive shaft
64
positioned within transmission
40
is attached to ring gear
142
. The opposite end of propeller blade drive shaft
62
is in rotatable engagement with a pair of upper bearing housing support members
63
and
65
(
FIG. 2
) which are perpendicular to one another and which provide support for drive shaft
62
as well as propeller blade
24
. Similarly, the opposite end of propeller blade drive shaft
64
is in rotatable engagement with a pair of lower bearing housing support members
67
and
69
(
FIG. 5
) which are perpendicular to one another and which provide support for drive shaft
64
as well as propeller blade
26
.
As shown in
FIGS. 1 and 6
, when shaft
130
and ratio gear
132
rotate in the clockwise direction (as indicated by arrow
152
), shaft
136
, ratio gear
134
and pinion gear
138
will rotate in the counterclockwise direction (as indicated by arrow
154
). Rotation of pinion gear
138
in the counterclockwise direction will result in ring gear
140
, drive shaft
62
and propeller blade
24
rotating in the clockwise direction (as indicated by arrow
150
) and ring gear
142
, drive shaft
64
and propeller blade
26
rotating in the counterclockwise direction (as indicated by arrow
148
).
Referring to
FIGS. 1
,
7
,
8
and
9
, vertical lift for flying vehicle
20
when in a flight mode of operation is provided in manner that is similar to that of helicopter. As with a helicopter, air velocity is produced by rotation of the propeller blades
24
and
26
, when the angle of attach attains a certain value, the vertical lift developed by vehicle
20
overcomes the weight of the vehicle
20
. Flying vehicle
20
then takes off vertically.
As shown in
FIGS. 7 and 8
, a rotor pitch control assembly
160
rotates each of four individual blades (only blades
162
,
164
and
166
are shown in
FIG. 7 and 8
) from an essentially horizontal position as shown in
FIG. 7
to an angled position as shown in FIG.
8
. The rotor pitch control assembly
160
moves upward along shaft
62
(as indicated by arrow
168
) until a swash plate
170
engages a swash plate stop
172
in the manner illustrated in FIG.
8
. This movement rotates each of the propeller blades
162
,
164
and
166
in the counterclockwise direction angling the propeller blades. A pitch link connects each of the propeller blades to the swash plate
170
. Specifically, a pitch link
174
connects propeller blade
162
to swash plate
170
, a pitch link
176
connects propeller blade
164
to swash plate
170
, and a pitch link
178
connects propeller blade
166
to swash plate
170
. There is also a pitch link
180
which connects a fourth propeller blade (not illustrated in
FIGS. 7 and 8
) to the swash plate
170
.
Referring to
FIGS. 7
,
8
and
9
, a plurality of colotor rods
182
and
184
connect the rotor pitch control assembly
160
used to control the pitch of propeller blades
24
to the rotor pitch control assembly
186
used to control the pitch of propeller blades
26
. As shown in
FIG. 8
, bearings
188
are also provided to allow for substantially frictionless movement of swash plate
170
on shaft
62
.
Collective pitch control handle
80
moves in the manner indicated by arrow
193
about a pivot
194
to control the pitch of propeller blades
24
and
26
. Handle
80
is connected to a control tube
204
by a plurality of linkage arms
196
,
198
and
202
. A bell crank fulcrum
200
is provided for pivotal movement of arms
198
and
202
which form a bell crank, that is arms
202
and
198
are at a right angle to one and another. Movement of handle
193
moves control tube
204
in the manner indicated by arrow
206
. Connected to control tube
206
is a linkage arm
208
which pivots about a pivot block
190
attached to horizontal support strut
116
as shown in
FIG. 9. A
linkage arm
210
connects linkage arm
208
to a triangular shaped plate
212
. Triangular shaped plate
212
is rotatably attached to a mount
214
. A linkage arm
216
connects plate
214
to the underside of swash plate
170
. When a driver/pilot engages collective pitch control handle
80
, moving handle
80
in the manner indicated by arrow
193
, linkage arm
208
rotates about pivot block
190
, which results in rotational movement of triangular shaped plate
212
which raises and lowers colotor rods
182
and
184
in the manner indicated by arrow
218
. This motion adjust the pitch of the propeller blades
24
and
26
providing lift for vehicle
20
when the vehicle
20
is in a flight mode of operation.
From the foregoing, it may readily be seen that the present invention comprises a new, unique and exceedingly useful flying vehicle that can be driven on the road and without the transition to mechanical wings take off vertically, fly at aircraft altitudes to a destination and then land at the destination which constitutes a considerable improvement over the known prior art. Many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.
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