Vector Control for Aerial Vehicle Drive and Method

Abstract

The invention relates to a vector control for an aerial vehicle drive wherein a rotor shaft (16) which is suspended from a frame (19) via a. pivot bearing (18). A rotor (14) is mounted rotatably relative to the rotor shalt (16). A motor (20) is configured to set the rotor (14) in rotation. An actuator (21, 22) which extends between the frame (19) and the rotor shaft (.16) is configured to change the orientation of the rotor shaft (16). The invention also concerns a method for controlling a helicopter drive.

Claims

1. A vector control for an aerial vehicle drive comprising; a frame: a rotor shaft suspended from said frame via a pivot bearing; a rotor mounted for rotation relative to the rotor shaft; a motor operative to set the rotor in rotation; and an actuator extending between the frame and the rotor shaft and operable to change the orientation of the rotor shaft.

2. The vector control of claim 1, wherein the pivot bearing is configured as a cardanic suspension or as a ball joint.

3. The vector control of claim 1, wherein the pivot bearing comprises a torque bracket acting between the rotor shaft and the frame.

4. The vector control of claim 1, further comprising a first actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the rotor shaft about a first pivot axis, and a second actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the rotor shaft about a second pivot axis.

5. The vector control of claim 1, wherein the motor is connected to the rotor shaft.

6. The vector control of claim 1, wherein the drive is operable to provide lift to the aerial vehicle.

7. The vector control of claim 6, wherein said rotor comprises a first rotor, and further comprising a second rotor oriented coaxially with said first rotor in a normal state of the aerial vehicle drive.

8. The vector control of claim 7, wherein an axial distance between the first rotor and the second rotor corresponds to at least 20%, preferably at least 40%, further preferably at least 50% of the rotor diameter of the upper rotor.

9. The vector control of claim 7, further comprising an installation plane of the frame disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor, and, said actuator of said vector control is attached to said plane.

10. The vector control of claim 8, further comprising a control unit, a battery and/or a motor of the vector control disposed such that they do not protrude beyond a theoretical cylinder, the axis of which coincides with the vertical axis of the aerial vehicle and the diameter of which is smaller than 50%, preferably smaller than 30%, further preferably smaller than 20% of the rotor diameter.

11. The vector control of claim 7, further comprising a multiplicity of installation planes which are connected together via struts, wherein the struts extend radially outside the rotors.

12. The vector control of claim 7, further comprising a protective cover arranged above the upper rotor.

13. A method for controlling a vector control for an aerial vehicle in which a rotor, which is mounted rotatably relative to the rotor shaft, is set in rotation in order to give lift to an aircraft, and in which the orientation of the rotor shaft relative to a frame of the aerial vehicle is changed in order to control the aircraft.

14. A vector control for an aerial vehicle drive comprising: a frame; a first rotor shaft suspended from said frame via a first pivot bearing; a second rotor shall suspended from said frame via a second pivot bearing; a first rotor mounted for rotation relative to the first rotor shaft; a second rotor mounted for rotation relative to the second rotor shaft said first rotor mounted coaxially with said second rotor in a normal state of the aerial vehicle drive; a first motor operative to set the first rotor in rotation; a second motor operative to set the second rotor in rotation; a first actuator extending between the frame and the first rotor shaft and operable to change the orientation of the first rotor shaft; and a second actuator extending between the frame and the first rotor shaft and operable to change the orientation of the first rotor shaft, said first and second actuators circumferentially offset to uni-directionally position the first rotor shaft; a third actuator extending between the frame and the second rotor shaft and operable to change the orientation of the second rotor shaft; and a fourth actuator extending between the frame and the second rotor shaft and operable to change the orientation of the second rotor shaft, said third and fourth actuators circumferentially offset to uni-directionally position the second rotor shaft.

15. The vector control of claim 14, wherein the first pivot hearing comprises a torque bracket acting between the first rotor shaft and the frame, and wherein the second pivot bearing comprises a torque bracket acting between the second rotor shaft and the frame.

16. The vector control of claim 14, further comprising: a first actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the first rotor shaft about a first pivot axis, and a second actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the rotor shaft about a second pivot axis; and p; a second actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the second rotor shaft about a third pivot axis, and a second actuator operative to drive a pivot movement of the rotor shaft about a fourth pivot axis.

17. The vector control of claim 14, wherein the first motor is connected to the first rotor shaft, and wherein the second motor is connected to the second rotor shaft.

18. The vector control of claim 14, further comprising an installation plane of the frame disposed between the first rotor and the second rotor, and said first and second actuators of said vector control, are attached to said plane.

19. The vector control of claim 18, further comprising a multiplicity of installation planes which are connected together via struts, wherein the struts extend radially outside the rotors.

20. The vector control of claim 14, further comprising a protective cover arranged above the upper rotor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] The invention is described by way of example below using advantageous embodiments with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

[0042] FIG. 1, shows a diagrammatic sectional depiction of an aerial vehicle drive according to the present invention;

[0043] FIG. 2, shows a section along line A-A in FIG. 1;

[0044] FIG. 3, shows a pivot joint of an aerial vehicle drive according to the invention;

[0045] FIG. 4, shows a section along line B-B in FIG. 3; and

[0046] FIG. 5, shows actuators of an aerial vehicle drive according to the invention.

[0047] Although the drawings represent schematic embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to illustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplification set forth herein illustrates an embodiment of the invention, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0048] In an unmanned aircraft or aerial vehicle shown in FIG. 1, a first rotor 14 is mounted rotatably on a rotor shaft 16. The rotor shaft 16 is suspended from a frame 19 via a pivot joint 18. Via the pivot joint 18, the orientation of the rotor shaft 16 relative to the frame 19 can be changed. A motor 20 is suspended from the rotor shaft 16 to set the first rotor 14 in rotation. Two actuators 21, 22 act on the lower end of the rotor shaft 16. By activating the actuators 21, 22, the lower end of the rotor shaft 16 may be moved sideways, whereby the orientation the rotor shaft 16 changes. The first rotor 14, the shaft 16, the motor 20 and the actuators 21, 22 together form a first helicopter drive in the sense of the invention.

[0049] A second aerial vehicle or helicopter drive according to the invention is arranged below the first aerial vehicle or helicopter drive. The second aerial vehicle drive comprises a second rotor 15, a rotor shaft 17, a pivot bearing 12, a motor 23 and two actuators 24, 25.

[0050] FIG. 1 shows the aircraft in the normal state in which the first rotor shaft 16 and the second rotor shaft 17 are oriented coaxially to each other and extend along the vertical axis of the aircraft. When the motors 20, 23 are set in operation in the normal state of the aircraft, so that the rotors 14, 15 rotate opposite directions, the aircraft rises vertically upward from the ground. The torques from the rotors 14, 15 balance each other out, so that the aircraft otherwise retains its position.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows the actuators of the first aerial vehicle drive. Each actuator 21, 22 comprises a rotary drive 27 connected to the rotor shaft 16 via a steering rod 28. The steering rods 28 enclose a right angle with each other so that the rotor shaft 16 can be pivoted in any direction by suitable operating of the rotary drives 27.

[0052] The pivot joint 18 of the aerial vehicle drive according to FIG. 3 is formed as a ball joint in which a spherical joint member 29 is guided in a bearing carrier 30. The rotor shaft 16 is connected to the joint member 29. Two openings 32 are formed in the bearing carrier 30 which widen with an increasing distance from the rotational point of the joint. A pin 31 connected to the joint member 29 is guided into the openings 32. The pin 31 and the openings 32 together form a torque bracket which prevents the rotor shaft 16 from rotating about its own axis relative to the bearing carrier 30. However, pivot movements in any direction are possible as the pin 31 either rotates about its axis or is pivoted inside the openings 32.

[0053] The frame 19 of the aircraft comprises a multiplicity of installation planes arranged above each other and connected together via vertical struts. The pivot bearing 18 of the first aerial vehicle drive is suspended from a first installation plane 33. A second installation plane 34 carries the actuators 21, 22 of the first aerial vehicle drive. The pivot bearing 12 of the second aerial vehicle drive is suspended from a third installation plane 35. A fourth installation plane 36 carries 24, 25 of the second aerial vehicle drive.

[0054] The structure of the installation planes is depicted in FIG. 2 using the example of the first installation plane 33. Six struts 37 extend radially outward from the centrally arranged pivot bearing 18, wherein the radial extension of the struts 37 is slightly larger than the diameter of the rotor 14. Gaps 38 are formed between the struts 37 and are not limited towards the outside. The air flow generated by the rotor 14 can move downward through the gaps 38. The further installation planes 34, 35, 36 are constructed similarly. The struts 37 of all installation planes 33, 34, 35, 36 have corresponding angular orientations so that the gaps 38 lie congruently above each other in a projection along the vertical axis of the aircraft.

[0055] The outer ends of the struts 37 are connected together via six vertical struts 39 which extend over the entire height of the aircraft. At the top, the first rotor 14 is covered by a protective cover 41. The protective cover 41 also consists of six struts which are connected together in the middle. A transport plane 42 is suspended from the lower end of the vertical struts 39. The payload to be transported by the aircraft may be transported on the transport plane 42.

[0056] A control unit 43 of the aircraft is arranged between the upper aerial vehicle drive and the lower aerial vehicle drive. The control unit 43 is suspended from the first installation plane 34 and from an intermediate plane 44. The control unit 43 extends in a cylindrical form along the vertical axis of the control unit, wherein the radial extension is no greater than the radial extension of the motors 20, 23. In the radially outer region in which the rotors 14, 15 generate the main lift, the air flow is therefore not disrupted by the control unit 43.

[0057] A battery 45, which supplies the motors 20, 23 with electrical energy, is arranged below the lower aerial vehicle drive. The battery 45 also ends in a cylindrical form along the vertical axis of the aircraft, wherein the radial extension corresponds to the radial extension the control unit 43.

[0058] The motors 20, 23 and the actuators 21, 22, 24, 25 of the two Aerial vehicle drives are activated by the control unit 43. By increasing or reducing the rotation speed of the rotors 14, 14, the aircraft can be moved upward or downward. By activating the actuators 21, 22, 24, 25, the rotor shaft 16, 17 can be tilted in order to adapt the altitude of the aircraft cause a movement of the aircraft in the sideways direction. By changing the rotation speed of the upper rotor and lower rotor relative to each other, a rotation of the aircraft about its vertical axis can be achieved (torque shift) without changing the total lift (no altitude change).

[0059] It is to be understood that the invention has been describes with reference to specific embodiments and variations to provide the features and advantages previously described and that the embodiments are susceptible of modification as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, the invention can be employed within UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), as well as various forms of manned and unmanned aircraft, including helicopters.

[0060] Furthermore, it is contemplated that many alternative, common inexpensive materials can be employed to construct the basis constituent components. Accordingly, the forgoing is not to be construed in a limiting sense.

[0061] The invention has been described in an illustrative manner, and it is to be understood that the terminology, which has been used is intended to be in the nature of words of description rather than of limitation.

[0062] Obviously, many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, wherein reference numerals are merely for illustrative purposes and convenience and are not in any way limiting, the invention, which is defined by the following claims as interpreted according to the principles of patent law, including the Doctrine of Equivalents, may be practiced otherwise than is specifically described.