Patents Examined by Richard Green
  • Patent number: 12077027
    Abstract: The present disclosure discusses a transportation vehicle configured for transforming between a drive mode and a flight mode. The vehicle includes a chassis with a body coupled thereto and a plurality of fenders coupled to the body. Each of the fenders includes a rim comprising spokes and a tire configured to rotate during drive mode and a suspension configured to pivot the plurality of fenders from a substantially vertical orientation during drive mode to a substantially horizontal orientation during flight mode. Each of the fender also includes a propulsion mechanism configured to rotate independently of the rim to generate lift during flight mode and a motor configured to independently provide rotational force to the tire built into the rim during drive mode and rotational force to the propulsion mechanism during flight mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Everon Corporation
    Inventor: Lukasz Opalinski
  • Patent number: 12077290
    Abstract: An assembly with an aircraft fuel tank is disclosed having a captive nut with an internal thread, a secondary structure, and a fastener which secures the secondary structure to the fuel tank. The fastener has a shaft which passes through the secondary structure and has an external thread coupled to the internal thread of the captive nut. The fuel tank has a fuel tank element with a hole, and the captive nut has a sleeve which is located in the hole with an interference fit between an outer surface of the sleeve and an inner surface of the wall of the hole.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: William Tulloch, Pat Broomfield
  • Patent number: 12071248
    Abstract: An equipment unit for installation in an aircraft includes an enclosure, in which at least one movable mechanical element is arranged, a supply duct, and a non-return valve, wherein the enclosure includes an inflow port and an outflow port, wherein the supply duct is connected to the inflow port, wherein the non-return valve is connected to the outflow port, wherein the supply duct is connectable to a source of heated air providable in the respective aircraft, and wherein the enclosure is designed that air supplied through the supply duct enters the enclosure through the inflow port, picks up moisture from inside the enclosure and exits through the outflow port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations GmbH
    Inventors: Jan Haserodt, Christoph Winkelmann
  • Patent number: 12071227
    Abstract: As one aspect of this multicopter, the multicopter flies on the basis of information from a flight controller and is provided with the following: a main body section; a plurality of propulsion units having rotating rotary wing, the propulsion units being attached to the main body section; motors installed in the main body section or the propulsion units; at least one first detection unit that detects motor information; and a wireless transmission unit that wirelessly transmits, to the outside, the motor information detected by the first detection unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: NIDEC CORPORATION
    Inventors: Norihisa Imaizumi, Hiroshi Ito
  • Patent number: 12071261
    Abstract: A drone docking/landing system includes: a docking portion having a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone and being capable of docking a drone; and a landing portion mounted at a lower portion of the drone, having a lower portion that is open, into which the docking portion is inserted, and having an empty inner space, wherein the landing portion has a shape of any one of a polygonal pyramid, a truncated polygonal pyramid, a cone, and a truncated cone, wherein the shape corresponds to the shape of the docking portion so that the docking portion is inserted into the landing portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2024
    Assignee: KOREA AEROSPACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
    Inventor: Sung Yug Kim
  • Patent number: 12065249
    Abstract: A seat extension apparatus for a cabin dividing element, in particular of an aircraft cabin, the seat extension apparatus comprising at least an extension device having a mounting side and a bed surface side, wherein the extension device is movable between a vertical stowed position and a horizontal use position, and a support structure coupled to the extension device to pivotably support the extension device, wherein the support structure comprises at least one pivotable strut element having at least one end pivotably coupled to the mounting side of the extension device and at least one free end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Adient Aerospace LLC
    Inventor: Sahng Seok Lee
  • Patent number: 12065238
    Abstract: A vertical landing and take-off aircraft VTOL transitions from a vertical takeoff state to a cruise state where the vertical takeoff state uses propellers to generate lift and the cruise state uses wings to generate lift. The aircraft has an M-wing configuration with propellers located on the wingtip nacelles, wing booms, and tail boom. The wing boom and/or the tail boom can include boom control effectors. Hinged control surfaces on the wings, tail boom, and tail tilt during takeoff and landing to yaw the vehicle. The boom control effectors, cruise propellers, stacked propellers, and control surfaces can have different positions during different modes of operation in order to control aircraft movement and mitigate noise generated by the aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Joby Aero, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Moore, John Conway Badalamenti, Ian Andreas Villa, Adam Shaw Warmoth, David Lane Josephson
  • Patent number: 12060149
    Abstract: A pitch angle blocking device for blocking the pitch angle of a multi-blade rotor that has neighboring first and second rotor blades in circumferential direction that extend from a rotor hub of a rotary-wing aircraft In non-operational mode of the rotary-wing aircraft. The present embodiments further relate to a multi-blade rotor of a rotary-wing aircraft that is adapted to receiving such a pitch angle blocking device, and to a rotary-wing aircraft with such a multi-blade rotor. The pitch angle blocking device comprises first and second attachment means that are configured to be non-rotatably and releasably attached to the first and second rotor blades spaced apart from the rotor hub, and a connecting device that non-rotatably connects the first attachment means with the second attachment means.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS HELICOPTERS DEUTSCHLAND GmbH
    Inventors: Moritz Buesing, Bernward Kahl, Markus Bauer
  • Patent number: 12060174
    Abstract: A storage case, including, at least one door which is moveable between a first position in which the door is closed and a second position in which the door is opened; a platform, which can support an aerial vehicle; and a mechanical connection means which is connected between the platform and the at least one door, wherein the mechanical connection means is configured such that as the door is moved from its first position to its second position the platform is simultaneously elevated; and as the door is moved from its second position to its first position the platform is simultaneously lowered; and a controller configured to control the mechanical connection means. There is further provided a corresponding method of deploying an aerial vehicle; a corresponding method of storing an aerial vehicle; an assembly including the storage case and an aerial vehicle; and a vehicle including the storage case.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: FOTOKITE AG
    Inventors: Victor Chub, Alex Lieber, Sergei Lupashin, Christopher McCall, Milan Rohrer, Lukas Scherrer, Alexander Zhitelzeyf
  • Patent number: 12054270
    Abstract: An aircraft assembly including: a first aircraft structure, a second aircraft structure, first and second tension bolts arranged to suspend the first aircraft structure below the second aircraft structure, the first and second tension bolts connected to the first aircraft structure such that an end of each of the tension bolts is accessible from respective outer surfaces of the first aircraft structure and first and second fail-safe mechanisms each associated with a respective one of the first and second tension bolts and arranged to suspend the first aircraft structure below the second aircraft structure responsive to failure of the respective tension bolt.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: AIRBUS OPERATIONS LIMITED
    Inventors: William Tulloch, Pat Broomfield
  • Patent number: 12054277
    Abstract: An aircraft fuel system includes a fuel cell adapted to contain fuel. A fuel cell receiving assembly has an inner surface adapted to receive the fuel cell. A shaped foam substrate is machined from a foam substrate to fit between the inner surface of the fuel cell receiving assembly and the fuel cell. A polyurea spray coating substantially covers the shaped foam substrate to form a fuel cell cushion. The polyurea spray coating is sprayable onto the shaped foam substrate such that the fuel cell cushion is substantially nonabsorbent of fuel. The fuel cell cushion is interposable between the inner surface of the fuel cell receiving assembly and the fuel cell to cushion the fuel cell from damage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Suvankar Mishra, Ronald James Turner
  • Patent number: 12043382
    Abstract: A system comprising an aerial vehicle or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) configured to control pitch, roll, and/or yaw via airfoils having resiliently mounted trailing edges opposed by fuselage-house deflecting actuator horns. Embodiments include one or more rudder elements which may be rotatably attached and actuated by an effector member disposed within the fuselage housing and extendible in part to engage the one or more rudder elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
    Inventors: Tony Shuo Tao, Nathan Olson, Carlos Thomas Miralles, Robert Nickerson Plumb
  • Patent number: 12044513
    Abstract: A system for restraining one or more control surfaces of a tactical flight vehicle includes a retaining frame secured at an aft end of the tactical flight vehicle and a cover plate releasably coupled to the retaining frame with a resilient lock ring. The resilient lock ring is disposed between the retaining frame and the cover plate and is deformable between a locking configuration and an unlocking configuration. A control surface restraining ring is releasably coupled to the cover plate and has control surface restraints configured to engage respective control surfaces. The resilient lock ring is configured to deform from the locking configuration to the unlocking configuration upon a launch of the tactical flight vehicle such that the cover plate becomes uncoupled from the retaining frame and may be jettisoned from the tactical flight vehicle after the launch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2024
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Jason Allan Dixon, Kenyon Kehl, Edgar R. Melkers, Randall S. Firor
  • Patent number: 12037136
    Abstract: A vertical landing is performed by an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicle above a charger where the eVTOL vehicle includes a rotor that is configured to rotate during an occupant change state to keep the eVTOL vehicle stationary during the occupant change state. A vertically-oriented male charging port that is part of the eVTOL vehicle and a female charging port that is part of the charger are detachably coupled and a battery in the eVTOL vehicle is charged using the charger while the vertically-oriented male charging port and the female charging port are detachably coupled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Kitty Hawk Corporation
    Inventors: Sebastian Thrun, Benjamin Otto Berry
  • Patent number: 12038746
    Abstract: A flying surface may comprise a plurality of interconnectable flying vehicles configured for mid-flight reconfiguration of the flying surface. Each flying vehicle may be entirely self-sufficient, including an onboard thrust unit, an onboard controller, an onboard power unit, and connectors configured to engage corresponding connectors of other flying vehicles to form a flying surface. The flying vehicles may additionally be configured for self-control, thereby enabling a distributed control model for a flying surface that does not require significant, centralized processing power and corresponding power storage. The flying surfaces may dynamically reconfigure mid-flight by attaching or detaching flying vehicles so as to enable a wide variety of in-flight maneuvers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: California Institute of Technology
    Inventor: Seyed Ali Hajimiri
  • Patent number: 12037111
    Abstract: An aircraft is described with both VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) capabilities and convention airplane capabilities. A preferred embodiment comprises a fuselage and fixed wing, with one boom on either side of the fuselage. Each boom comprises a tilt rotor on a fore end and a fixed rotor on the aft end. Both rotors can be directed vertically for VTOL capability. During cruise the tilt rotors can be directed forward for thrust and the fixed rotors can be stopped and directed along the boom axis, minimizing drag. The described embodiments have advantages in weight savings and maneuverability compared to other VTOL aircraft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2024
    Assignee: Textron Innovations Inc.
    Inventors: Steven R. Schafer, Steven R. Ivans
  • Patent number: 12030659
    Abstract: An anterior part of a nacelle of an aircraft propulsion assembly, which comprises an air intake lip, an outer panel extending an outer part of the air intake lip, an inner structure extending an inner part of the air intake lip, a front frame connecting the outer wall to the air intake lip or to the inner structure. The outer panel and the outer part of the air intake lip together form an outer wall of the anterior part. The front frame and the outer wall are connected to one another by assembly means located inside the anterior part. The anterior part constituted in this manner ensures laminar flow of the air on an outer surface of the anterior part and reduces drag. A nacelle of a propulsion unit, comprising an anterior part of this kind is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Airbus Operations SAS
    Inventors: Alain Porte, Jacques Lalane, Frédéric Vinches, Gregory Albet
  • Patent number: 12030612
    Abstract: An aircraft includes an airfoil and a hinge member to rotatably couple the airfoil to a structure of an aircraft. The hinge member defines at least a portion of a rotational axis. The aircraft also includes an indexing mechanism coupled to the airfoil and configured to, in a first state, inhibit rotation of the airfoil about the rotational axis, and in a second state, to permit rotation of the airfoil about the rotational axis between a first position and a second position that is angularly indexed relative to the first position. The aircraft further includes an actuator to selectively change a state of the indexing mechanism from the first state to the second state, from the second state to the first state, or both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: THE BOEING COMPANY
    Inventor: John Emil Johnson
  • Patent number: 12024305
    Abstract: A pylon system for coupling an engine to a vehicle is provided. The pylon system includes a vehicle pylon to be coupled to the vehicle. The vehicle pylon includes a seal along a portion of the vehicle pylon. The pylon system includes an engine pylon including an inboard longeron and an outboard longeron. The inboard longeron is coupled to the outboard longeron at a first end of the engine pylon and is spaced apart from the outboard longeron at a second end of the engine pylon. The engine pylon is to be coupled to the engine, and the engine pylon is slidably coupled to the seal such that the engine pylon is movable relative to the vehicle pylon between at least a first position and a second position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC.
    Inventors: Shawn Alstad, Andrew Appleby
  • Patent number: 12024277
    Abstract: A landing gear system for an aircraft is disclosed. In various embodiments, the system includes a truss frame pivotally connected to a frame of the aircraft and configured to rotate about an axis; a retraction actuator configured to rotate the truss frame about the axis; a first truss link pivotally connected to the truss frame; a second truss link pivotally connected to the first truss link; a truss locking link pivotally connected to the truss frame and to the second truss link; and an articulation actuator configured to pivot the first truss link with respect to the truss frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: GOODRICH CORPORATION
    Inventor: James Acks