发明名称 Passive deployment mechanism for lift fan
摘要 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.
申请公布号 US9540103(B2) 申请公布日期 2017.01.10
申请号 US201414313680 申请日期 2014.06.24
申请人 Kitty Hawk Corporation 发明人 Long Geoffrey A.
分类号 B64C27/00;B64C39/02;B64C27/32;B64C27/24 主分类号 B64C27/00
代理机构 Van Pelt, Yi & James LLP 代理人 Van Pelt, Yi & James LLP
主权项 1. 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.
地址 Mountain View CA US
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