Aircraft
By designing a switching mechanism for rotor units, thrust units, and lifting wings on the aircraft, the problem of low aerodynamic efficiency of conventional multi-rotor aircraft has been solved, achieving higher cruise speeds and smaller takeoff and landing dimensions, making it easier to operate in confined spaces.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENZHEN ZHUOPAI AUTOMATION TECH CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2024-10-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-14
AI Technical Summary
Conventional multirotor aircraft have low aerodynamic efficiency and slow speed in cruise level flight, and the limited pitch angle of the nose cannot provide enough lift, increasing aerodynamic drag.
Design an aircraft equipped with a rotor unit, a thrust unit, and a lifting wing, which are movably connected by a support frame to switch between cruise level flight and takeoff and landing states. The thrust unit provides forward thrust and partial lift during takeoff and landing. The lifting wing is located close to the middle during cruise level flight and moves to the tail during takeoff and landing to reduce overall height and aerodynamic drag.
It improves the aircraft's cruise speed and aerodynamic efficiency, reduces the overall size during takeoff and landing, facilitates operation in confined spaces, and reduces the workload and aerodynamic interference of the rotor unit.
Smart Images

Figure CN121849397A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to an aircraft. Background Technology
[0002] With the rapid development of science and technology and the improvement of people's living standards, aircraft such as drones and passenger planes have been widely used in people's lives, especially rotorcraft, which are increasingly used in small drones and flying cars. However, conventional rotorcraft, especially conventional multi-rotor aircraft, have the following shortcomings: Conventional multi-rotor aircraft generate forward thrust by lowering the nose, that is, by reducing the pitch angle of the aircraft. However, there is a certain lower limit to the reduction of the pitch angle (generally -20 to -35 degrees), otherwise it is impossible to guarantee sufficient lift. Furthermore, lowering the nose will increase the aerodynamic drag of the fuselage in cruise level flight, so the flight speed of conventional multi-rotor aircraft is usually relatively low. In addition, since the lift of conventional rotorcraft is entirely provided by the rotor, the aerodynamic efficiency of conventional rotorcraft is relatively low. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The main objective of this invention is to provide an aircraft that improves the maximum level flight speed and aerodynamic efficiency during cruise level flight.
[0004] An aircraft includes an aircraft body and a support frame, and the aircraft further includes:
[0005] The rotor unit is located on the main body of the aircraft and is used to provide lift for the aircraft during flight;
[0006] The thrust unit and lifting wing are both mounted on the aircraft support frame. The aircraft has at least two flight attitudes during flight: cruising level flight and takeoff / landing.
[0007] The support frame is movably connected to the aircraft body and rotatable relative to the aircraft body to drive the thrust rotor unit and lifting wing to move relative to the aircraft body, thereby switching the aircraft between cruise level flight and take-off and landing states. When the aircraft is in cruise level flight, the thrust unit provides forward thrust to the aircraft, the lifting wing provides lift to the aircraft, and the lifting wing is located close to or at the middle of the aircraft in the longitudinal direction, so that the rotor unit is located below the lifting wing. During the transition of the aircraft from cruise level flight to take-off and landing states, the lifting wing moves to be located at or near the tail of the aircraft, so that the rotor unit is located to the side of the lifting wing, thereby reducing the overall height of the aircraft and reducing the impact on the lift and / or aerodynamic efficiency of the rotor unit.
[0008] In one embodiment, after the aircraft transitions from cruising level flight to takeoff and landing, at least a portion of the lower surface of the lifting wing is longitudinally opposed to the rotor unit, so that the lifting wing can also act as a collision shield for the rotor unit, preventing or mitigating damage from collisions between foreign objects and the rotor unit from the tail of the aircraft; and / or
[0009] The lifting wing includes a main wing and two folding wings located at opposite ends of the main wing. When the aircraft is in takeoff or landing, the two folding wings can fold relative to the main wing and be located on opposite sides of the main body of the aircraft and / or at least part of the rotor unit to reduce the spanwise length of the lifting wing.
[0010] In one embodiment, when the aircraft is in cruising level flight, the thrust unit is located between the lifting wing and the main body of the aircraft in the altitude direction; and / or
[0011] During takeoff and landing, the thrust unit is also used to provide lift for the aircraft; and / or
[0012] When the aircraft needs to transition from takeoff and landing to cruising level flight, the thrust unit can generate a force that drives the support frame to rotate.
[0013] In one embodiment, at least one of the support frame and the aircraft body is provided with a tilt actuator, which drives the support frame to rotate, thereby driving the thrust unit to rotate and switch the aircraft between cruise level flight and takeoff and landing states; or
[0014] Neither the support frame nor the aircraft body is equipped with a tilt actuator. The torque generated by the force produced by the thrust unit relative to the rotation axis of the support frame drives the support frame to rotate. The force generated by the thrust unit is then gradually converted into thrust that drives the aircraft to move forward. The support frame and / or the aircraft body are also equipped with a self-recovering component. When the thrust generated by the thrust unit stops or decreases, the self-recovering component is used to drive the support frame to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the aircraft body, so that the aircraft returns from the cruise level flight state to the take-off and landing state. The self-recovering component is a spring or a magnetic unit.
[0015] In one embodiment, the thrust unit is also capable of detaching from the support frame in mid-air; the thrust unit is provided with a power unit and a flight controller electrically connected to the power unit, so as to be able to fly automatically after detaching from the support frame;
[0016] The aircraft is also equipped with a sling connection. When the thrust unit and the support frame separate because the rotor unit and / or lifting wing cannot provide lift to the aircraft normally, the sling connection is used to connect the thrust unit and the aircraft body so that the thrust unit can movably suspend the aircraft body and allow the thrust unit to apply force to the aircraft body through the sling connection to adjust the speed of the aircraft body in the vertical and / or horizontal directions.
[0017] In one embodiment, the power unit includes a blade assembly for generating lift and a control surface assembly for generating attitude control torque; the thrust unit further includes a single duct, and the blades of the blade assembly are at least partially disposed within the duct; and / or
[0018] After separating from the support frame, the thrust unit can actively generate lift through the power components; the maximum lift generated by the thrust unit is less than the maximum lift generated by the rotor unit and / or the lifting wing, and / or, the maximum lift generated by the thrust unit is less than the gravity acting on the aircraft; and / or
[0019] After the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the flight controller can automatically detect at least one of the thrust unit's attitude, altitude, and latitude and longitude coordinates and send control signals to the power unit so that the power unit can adjust the thrust unit's lift and / or attitude.
[0020] In one embodiment, after the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the thrust unit can apply a vertical force to the suspended aircraft body via the suspension connector to reduce the descent speed of the aircraft body, and / or apply a horizontal force to the suspended aircraft body to adjust the landing position of the aircraft body; and / or
[0021] After the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the thrust unit is used to extend the flight time of the aircraft or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the aircraft, so that the aircraft can be captured in the air by other aircraft and brought to a smooth landing. Alternatively, the thrust unit is used to extend the flight time of the suspended aircraft body or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the suspended aircraft body of the thrust unit. Furthermore, the thrust unit can also completely separate from the suspension connector in the air or the suspension connector can completely separate from the suspended aircraft body in the air, so that the aircraft body can be captured in the air by other aircraft and brought to a smooth landing.
[0022] In one embodiment, the thrust unit is further provided with a second battery; the second battery is used to power the power components and flight controller after the thrust unit is separated from the support frame;
[0023] The main body of the aircraft is equipped with a first battery, which is used to power the aircraft during normal flight. During the replacement of the first battery in the main body of the aircraft, the second battery of the thrust unit is also used to power the main body of the aircraft. After the main body of the aircraft completes the replacement of the first battery, the replaced first battery can also automatically charge the second battery.
[0024] In one embodiment, the aircraft further includes a connection / separation component for securing the thrust unit to the support frame during normal flight and for separating the thrust unit from the support frame in mid-air when the aircraft is unable to continue normal flight. The connection / separation component also enables and / or releases the locking of the support frame relative to the aircraft body, allowing the support frame to be fixed relative to the aircraft body when the aircraft is in takeoff or landing mode and to be rotatable relative to the aircraft body when the aircraft needs to switch between cruise flight and takeoff / landing modes; and / or
[0025] The thrust unit is also equipped with a sensing component, which is used to acquire the spatial position of the thrust unit and / or ground images below the thrust unit; the flight controller is also electrically connected to the sensing component to receive data from the sensing component and automatically select the landing area of the aircraft based on the data, and then control the thrust unit through the power component to drive the main body of the aircraft to land in the selected landing area.
[0026] In one embodiment, after the thrust unit separates from the support frame in mid-air, the sling connector can deploy as the distance between the thrust unit and the aircraft body increases; after the sling connector is fully deployed, the thrust unit movably suspends the aircraft body located below via the sling connector; and / or
[0027] The sling connection is a rope, or the sling connection includes a connecting rod, at least one end of which is movably connected to the aircraft body, thrust unit, or support frame; before the aircraft separates from the thrust unit in mid-air, the sling connection is stored inside or on the surface of the aircraft body, thrust unit, or support frame, and is in a folded or retracted state; and / or
[0028] After the thrust unit separates from the support frame in mid-air, the connection point between the suspension connector and the thrust unit is positioned near or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit; and / or
[0029] After the thrust unit separates from the support frame in the air, the thrust unit is indirectly connected to the main body of the aircraft through the suspension connector. The thrust unit uses the gravity of the suspended load to make the center of mass of the load move automatically to be close to or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit.
[0030] Details of one or more embodiments of the present invention are set forth in the following drawings and description. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings, and claims. Attached Figure Description
[0031] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.
[0032] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein the aircraft is in a cruising level flight state;
[0033] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the aircraft from another angle;
[0034] Figure 3 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is a three-dimensional representation of an aircraft in takeoff or landing mode.
[0035] Figure 4 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the aircraft from another angle;
[0036] Figure 5 for Figure 3 The diagram shows a three-dimensional representation of an aircraft in which the thrust unit is separated from the support frame and the main body of the aircraft is suspended by a sling connector.
[0037] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the thrust unit in the aircraft shown;
[0038] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A three-dimensional schematic diagram of the thrust unit from another angle. Detailed Implementation
[0039] To make the technical problems to be solved, the technical solutions, and the beneficial effects of the present invention clearer, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention.
[0040] It should be noted that: when a component is referred to as "fixed to" or "set on" another component, it can be directly or indirectly attached to that other component. When a component is referred to as "connected to" another component, it can be directly or indirectly connected to that other component. When a component is referred to as being "electrically connected" to another component, it can be a conductive electrical connection, a radio connection, or any other connection method capable of transmitting electrical signals. Terms such as "length," "width," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," indicating orientation or positional relationships, are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings and are for descriptive convenience only. They do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this patent. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms according to the specific circumstances. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Therefore, features specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of those features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.
[0041] The aircraft provided by this invention will now be described; please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 1 to 4The aircraft 1 can be used for purposes such as transporting cargo 2, aerial photography, firefighting, and inspection. It includes an aircraft body 11, a support frame 12, a rotor unit 13, a thrust unit 14, and a lifting wing 15. The rotor unit 13 is located on the aircraft body 11 and is used to provide lift for the aircraft 1 during flight. The thrust unit 14 and the lifting wing 15 are both located on the support frame 12 of the aircraft 1. The aircraft 1 has at least two flight attitudes during flight: one is cruising level flight, and the other is takeoff and landing. The support frame 12 is movably connected to the aircraft body 11 and is rotatable relative to the aircraft body 11 to drive the thrust rotor unit 13 and the lifting wing 15 to move relative to the aircraft body 11 so that the aircraft 1 can switch between cruise level flight and take-off and landing states: when the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the thrust unit 14 provides forward thrust to the aircraft 1, the lifting wing 15 provides lift to the aircraft 1, and the lifting wing 15 is close to or located in the middle of the aircraft 1 in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft 1, so that the rotor unit 13 is located below the lifting wing 15 (directly below and / or diagonally below); while during the transition of the aircraft 1 from cruise level flight to take-off and landing state, the lifting wing 15 moves to be close to or located in the tail of the aircraft 1, so that the rotor unit 13 is located to the side of the lifting wing 15. Compared to the aircraft 1 in Chinese Patent No. CN107745804A, the aircraft 1 in this invention has a smaller overall size when in takeoff and landing mode, which is beneficial for taking off and landing in narrow spaces. Furthermore, the reduced overall height of the aircraft 1 facilitates storage and transportation when not in operation. In addition, when the aircraft 1 is in takeoff and landing mode, the rotor unit 13 is located to the side of the lifting wing 15 rather than below it, reducing the impact of the lifting wing 15 on the lift and / or aerodynamic efficiency of the rotor unit 13. When the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the lifting wing 15 is located close to or at the center of the aircraft 1 in the longitudinal direction, allowing the lift line of the lifting wing 15 to approach or pass through the center of mass of the aircraft 1. This helps reduce the pitch moment interference caused by the lift relative to the center of mass of the aircraft 1, making it easier for the aircraft 1 to automatically trim its pitch angle through the rotor unit 13.
[0042] It should be noted that in the illustrated embodiment, the aircraft 1 is equipped with four rotor units 13 to form a conventional quadcopter configuration during takeoff and landing. Of course, the rotor units 13 of the aircraft 1 can also be configured with other rotor configurations, such as a conventional hexacopter configuration, an octocopter configuration, etc., and are not limited to one specific configuration here. In addition, in one embodiment, when the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the rotor units 13 can reduce the lift output compared to when the aircraft 1 is in takeoff and landing, or even stop working.
[0043] Optionally, the lifting wing 15 adopts a low-speed, high-lift airfoil. The lifting wing 15 generates aerodynamic lift when the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, thereby improving the power efficiency of the aircraft 1 and extending its endurance. Simultaneously, the space inside the lifting wing 15, being far from electromagnetic interference sources such as the fuselage, can accommodate avionics equipment sensitive to electromagnetic interference (not shown), such as GPS receiving antennas and magnetic compasses. In the illustrated embodiment, the lifting wing 15 is mounted on the free end of the support frame 12 relative to the rotation axis. When the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the upper and lower surfaces of the lifting wing 15 are the upper and lower wing surfaces, respectively, to generate lift by utilizing the aerodynamic pressure difference created by the incoming airflow passing through the upper and lower wing surfaces.
[0044] Furthermore, after the aircraft 1 transitions from cruising level flight to takeoff and landing, at least a portion of the lower surface of the lifting wing 15 is longitudinally aligned with the rotor unit 13 of the aircraft 1. Thus, the lifting wing 15 can also act as a collision shield for the rotor unit 13, preventing or mitigating damage from collisions between foreign objects and the rotor unit 13 from the tail of the aircraft 1, thereby increasing the success rate of an emergency landing after a collision. It should be noted that the span of the lifting wing 15 can be consistent with or close to the lateral (width) direction of the aircraft 1, and the span of the lifting wing 15 can be equal to or close to the width of the aircraft 1.
[0045] Optionally, such as Figure 1-4 As shown, the lifting wing 15 includes a main wing and two folding wings 150 respectively located at opposite ends of the main wing. When the aircraft 1 is in takeoff or landing, the two folding wings 150 can fold relative to the main wing and be located on opposite sides of the aircraft body 11 and / or at least part of the rotor unit 13 to reduce the spanwise length of the lifting wing 15. They can also act as collision avoidance frames to provide partial protection for the rotor unit 13 in the lateral direction of the aircraft 1. In the illustrated embodiment, the folding wings 150 are hinged to the main wing, and the folding wings 150 can rotate relative to the main wing about the hinge axis so that the free end of the folding wings 150 relative to the hinge axis is further closer to the rotation axis of the support frame 12. It should be noted that when the aircraft 1 is in cruising level flight, that is, when the folding wing 150 is fully deployed, the span of the lifting wing 15 can be significantly increased to enhance the lift generated by the lifting wing 15. This can significantly reduce the workload of the rotor unit 13 or even eliminate the need for the rotor unit 13 to operate, thereby improving the energy efficiency of the aircraft 1. Accordingly, the span of the folding wing 150 can be set to be close to the longitudinal length of the aircraft 1. In this structure, when the aircraft 1 is in takeoff and landing, that is, when the folding wing 150 is fully folded, the folding wing 150 is located on opposite sides of the rotor unit 13 in the lateral direction of the aircraft 1 and extends from the nose to the tail of the aircraft 1. In addition, the lifting wing 15 can also be equipped with ailerons, flaps, and other aerodynamic control surfaces to assist the aircraft 1 in adjusting its flight attitude.
[0046] Furthermore, in one embodiment, the lifting wing 15 further includes a actuator (not shown) for driving the folding wing 150 to rotate relative to the main wing about a hinge axis to achieve automatic folding and unfolding of the folding wing 150. In another embodiment, the automatic folding and unfolding of the folding wing 150 can also be mechanically linked to the rotation of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11, for example, by linking the folding wing 150 to a turntable located at the rotation axis of the support frame 12 via a steel cable. During the rotation of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11, the steel cable pulls the folding wing 150 by winding into or out of the turntable, thereby driving the folding wing 150 to fold and / or unfold.
[0047] In the illustrated embodiment, when the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the thrust unit 14 is located between the lifting wing 15 and the aircraft body 11 in the height direction of the aircraft 1. Correspondingly, during the process of the aircraft 1 transitioning from cruise level flight to take-off and landing, as the support frame 12 rotates, the thrust unit 14 gradually moves closer to the aircraft body 11 in the height direction of the aircraft 1, and moves towards the tail of the aircraft 1 in the longitudinal direction of the aircraft 1, eventually being located on the same side of the lifting wing 15 as the rotor unit 13. At this time, that is, when the aircraft 1 is in take-off and landing, the thrust unit 14 can also work to provide part of the lift required for the aircraft 1 to fly. In this structure, the rotor unit 13 located at the rear of the aircraft 1 can be omitted. For example, in another embodiment, the aircraft 1 is provided with only 2 rotor units 13, and both of these rotor units 13 are located in the front half of the aircraft 1.
[0048] Furthermore, the support frame 12 includes at least two spaced-apart support bars, one end of which is rotatably connected to the aircraft body 11. The rotation axis of the support bar is located near or at the center of the aircraft 1 in the longitudinal direction. The free end of each support bar away from the rotation axis is connected to the lifting wing 15. The two support bars can be arranged in parallel. When the aircraft 1 is in takeoff or landing, the length direction of the support bar is consistent with or close to the longitudinal direction of the aircraft 1. When the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the length direction of the support bar is consistent with or relatively inclined to the height direction of the aircraft 1. The thrust unit 14 is located between the two support bars and connected to each of the two support bars. In this case, the thrust unit 14, due to its connection to the two support bars, can also be used to strengthen the structural rigidity of the support frame 12. It is easy to understand that a connecting member, such as a crossbeam, can also be provided between the two support bars to connect them respectively. The thrust unit 14 is located on the connecting member and is not directly connected to the support bar. Additionally, the middle and rear part of the aircraft body 11 is provided with a vertically penetrating opening 110. When the aircraft 1 is in the take-off and landing state, the thrust unit 14 is at least partially located in or directly above the opening 110, so that the thrust unit 14 can smoothly exhaust airflow downwards, thereby providing lift to the aircraft 1. Furthermore, the opening 110 can also be used to accommodate part of the thrust unit 14 structure, making the size of the aircraft 1 more compact and facilitating storage and transportation of the aircraft 1 in the non-operational state. It should be noted that the support frame 12 can also be other structures, such as a flat plate structure, and is not limited to one. Since the thrust unit 14 and the lifting wing 15 are mounted on the same support frame 12, compared with the aircraft 1 in Chinese Patent No. CN107745804A, there is no need to set up an additional support for the lifting wing 15, which also helps to simplify the airframe structure of the aircraft 1.
[0049] In one embodiment, at least one of the support frame 12 and the aircraft body 11 is provided with a tilt actuator (not shown). The tilt actuator drives the support frame 12 to rotate, which in turn drives the thrust unit 14 to rotate, thereby switching the aircraft 1 between cruise level flight and takeoff and landing states. When the aircraft 1 is in cruise level flight, the tilt actuator can also drive the support frame 12 to rotate relative to the aircraft body 11 to adjust the angle of attack of the lifting wing 15 relative to the incoming flow and the vector direction of the thrust of the thrust unit 14. This allows for adjustment of the aerodynamic lift generated by the lifting wing 15 and changes in the direction of the force exerted by the thrust unit 14 on the aircraft body 11 without significant changes in the attitude of the aircraft body 11.
[0050] In another embodiment, neither the support frame 12 nor the aircraft body 11 is equipped with a tilt actuator. The torque generated by the force of the thrust unit 14 relative to the rotation axis of the support frame 12 drives the support frame 12 to rotate. The force of the thrust unit 14 gradually transforms into a thrust that drives the aircraft 1 forward. Thus, when the aircraft 1 needs to transition from takeoff / landing to cruising flight, the thrust unit 14 can generate a force that drives the support frame 12 to rotate. In this structure, a self-recovering component (not shown), such as a spring or magnetic unit, can also be provided on the support frame 12 and / or the aircraft body 11. When the thrust generated by the thrust unit 14 stops or decreases, the self-recovering component drives the support frame 12 to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the aircraft body 11, allowing the aircraft 1 to return from cruising flight to takeoff / landing. Furthermore, the aircraft 1 can be equipped with a locking device to lock the rotation of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11. Thus, when the aircraft 1 is in takeoff or landing mode, the thrust unit 14 can also be fixed relative to the aircraft body 11 to provide the lift required for flight, together with the rotor unit 13, and can also provide the control torque required for adjusting the flight attitude, together with the rotor unit 13. In one embodiment, the locking device may include an elastic latch and a corresponding engaging structure. During the process of the support frame 12 rotating in the opposite direction relative to the aircraft body 11, i.e., when the aircraft 1 changes from cruising level flight mode to takeoff or landing mode, the elastic latch can automatically engage with the engaging structure, thereby locking the rotation of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11. The elastic latch and the engaging structure can be respectively provided on the support frame 12 and the aircraft body 11.
[0051] Furthermore, the aircraft 1 is also equipped with a collision avoidance frame 16, which is preferably quadrilateral. In the illustrated embodiment, the head of the aircraft body 11 is connected to one side of the frame of the collision avoidance frame 16, and the tail is connected to the other side of the frame of the collision avoidance frame 16. The length direction of the aircraft body 11 is consistent with or close to the longitudinal direction of the aircraft 1. The collision avoidance frame 16 encloses the entire rotor unit 13 to avoid or mitigate damage from collisions between foreign objects and the rotor unit 13 from the front, rear, left, and right directions of the aircraft 1. In the illustrated embodiment, when the aircraft 1 is in the take-off and landing state, the two folding wings 150, after being folded relative to the main wing, are both located outside the collision avoidance frame 16. The end of the support frame 12 near the lifting wing 15 can be placed on the collision avoidance frame 16 and supported by the collision avoidance frame 16. Of course, the collision avoidance frame 16 can also be other shapes, such as a U-shaped frame, which is not limited here. In one embodiment, when the aircraft 1 is in the take-off and landing state, the lifting wing 15 and the anti-collision frame 16 can jointly enclose the rotor unit 13 to avoid or reduce the damage caused by foreign objects colliding with the rotor unit 13 from the front, rear, left and right directions of the aircraft 1. At this time, the anti-collision frame 16 can be a U-shaped frame, and the tail of the aircraft 1 can be protected by the lifting wing 15 instead of the anti-collision frame 16.
[0052] Optionally, please refer to the following as well. Figures 5 to 7 The thrust unit 14 can also detach from the support frame 12 in mid-air. Specifically, the thrust unit 14 is equipped with a power component and a flight controller electrically connected to the power component, so that it can fly automatically after detaching from the support frame 12. The aircraft 1 is also equipped with a sling connector 17. When the thrust unit 14 and the support frame 12 separate because the rotor unit 13 and / or the lifting wing 15 cannot provide lift to the aircraft 1 normally, the sling connector 17 is used to connect the thrust unit 14 and the aircraft body 11 so that the thrust unit 14 can movably suspend the aircraft body 11, and the thrust unit 14 can apply force to the aircraft body 11 through the sling connector 17 to adjust the speed of the aircraft body 11 in the vertical and / or horizontal directions. It is easy to understand that the sling connector 17 can be directly connected to the aircraft body 11 or indirectly connected, for example, indirectly connected through the support frame 12; the thrust unit 14 can also sling the rotor unit 13, the support frame 12 and the cargo 2 mounted on the aircraft body 11 at the same time by slinging the aircraft body 11.
[0053] In one embodiment, when the aircraft body 11 detects an operational malfunction and is unable to continue normal flight, it automatically sends a command to the thrust unit 14 to initiate an emergency procedure, or interrupts normal command transmission with the thrust unit 14 so that the thrust unit 14 initiates an emergency procedure after not receiving commands from the aircraft body 11; or, the thrust unit 14 is equipped with sensors to detect the status of the aircraft 1 on which it is installed, and automatically initiates an emergency procedure when an abnormal status of the aircraft 1 is detected, for example, when the pitch angle or roll angle of the aircraft 1 exceeds a set threshold, the emergency procedure is automatically initiated. The above emergency procedure can be run by the flight controller and is used to realize the separation of the thrust unit 14 from the support frame 12 in the air, and the thrust unit 14 applies a force to the assembly of the aircraft body 11, the support frame 12 and the rotor unit 13 through the suspension connector 17 to adjust the speed of the assembly in the vertical and / or horizontal directions.
[0054] One operating mode of the thrust unit 14 is as follows: the thrust unit 14 is separated from the support frame 12, and then the flight controller of the thrust unit 14 controls the power component of the thrust unit 14 to work. More specifically, the flight controller automatically detects at least one of the attitude, altitude and latitude and longitude coordinates of the thrust unit 14 and sends a control signal to the power component so that the power component adjusts the lift and / or attitude of the thrust unit 14 to realize the automatic flight of the thrust unit 14. In other words, the thrust unit 14 alone has the ability to fly autonomously and controllably. The sling connector 17 can be deployed as the distance between the thrust unit 14 and the aircraft body 11 increases. After the sling connector 17 is fully deployed, the thrust unit 14 is movably suspended from the aircraft body 11 through the sling connector 17. The thrust unit 14 can apply a vertical force to the suspended aircraft body 11 via the suspension connector 17 to reduce the descent speed of the aircraft body 11, and / or apply a horizontal force to the suspended aircraft body 11 to adjust the landing position of the aircraft body 11. That is, the thrust unit 14 actively moves in the horizontal direction to adjust the landing position of the suspended aircraft body 11. When the aircraft body 11, rotor unit 13, support frame 12, and cargo 2 mounted on the aircraft body 11 are suspended by the thrust unit 14, they can all or most of them be located below the thrust unit 14 to avoid obstructing the movement of the thrust unit 14. Furthermore, due to the deployment of the suspension connector 17, the distance between the thrust unit 14 and the aircraft body 11 can be further increased when the aircraft body 11 is suspended in a movable manner to reduce mutual interference, such as reducing the impact of the suspended aircraft body 11 on the aerodynamic efficiency of the thrust unit 14. In addition, the main body of the aircraft 11 can automatically stop the operation of the rotor unit 13 before and after separating from the thrust unit 14, so as to avoid interfering with the automatic flight of the thrust unit 14.
[0055] Furthermore, after the support frame 12 separates from the thrust unit 14 in the air, the connection point between the suspension connector 17 and the thrust unit 14 can be located near or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the suspension connector 17 is a rope. When the aircraft 1 is in normal flight, the rope is stored inside or on the surface of the aircraft body 11, the thrust unit 14, or the support frame 12. After the rope is fully extended, the attachment point of the rope on the thrust unit 14 can be located near or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit 14. Of course, the suspension connector 17 is not limited to a rope. For example, the suspension connector 17 includes a connecting rod (not shown). At least one end of the connecting rod can be movably connected to the aircraft body 11, the thrust unit 14, or the support frame 12. Before the support frame 12 separates from the thrust unit 14 in the air, the connecting rod can be stored inside or on the surface of the aircraft body 11, the thrust unit 14, or the support frame 12 and be in a folded or retracted state. In one embodiment, the thrust unit 14 can be mounted on the support frame 12 via a connecting rod in a folded and / or retracted state. The connecting rod remains in the folded and / or retracted state to ensure that the thrust unit 14 is securely mounted on the support frame 12. Optionally, the thrust unit 14 and / or the support frame 12 are also provided with a locking mechanism to prevent the connecting rod from unfolding. When the aircraft 1 can no longer continue to fly normally, the locking mechanism releases the lock on the connecting rod to allow it to unfold, thereby separating the thrust unit 14 from the support frame 12 in mid-air. After the thrust unit 14 separates from the support frame 12, the thrust unit 14 is movably suspended from the aircraft body 11. That is, the thrust unit 14 is indirectly and movably connected to the aircraft body 11 through the suspension connector 17 and the support frame 12. This allows the thrust unit 14 to adjust its own attitude without changing the attitude of the aircraft body 11, and reduces the influence of the aircraft body 11 on the attitude of the thrust unit 14 when the attitude of the aircraft body 11 changes. In addition, the thrust unit 14 uses the gravity of the suspended (i.e., lifted) load to make the center of mass of the load automatically move to be close to or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit 14, so as to avoid the gravity of the load from generating a large pitch and / or roll moment on the thrust unit 14, which would greatly increase the difficulty of attitude control of the thrust unit 14.
[0056] It should be noted that the maximum lift generated by the thrust unit 14 may be less than the maximum lift generated by the rotor unit 13 and / or the lifting wing 15, and may even be less than the gravity acting on the aircraft 1. Optionally, the power components of the thrust unit 14 only need to operate for a short period of time during the process from the separation of the support frame 12 from the thrust unit 14 to the landing of the aircraft body 11. After the support frame 12 separates from the thrust unit 14 in the air, at least some of the power components of the thrust unit 14 are in a maximum power output state, enabling the thrust unit 14 to generate maximum lift.
[0057] In one embodiment, if the weight of the aircraft 1 is relatively light, in other words, if the gravity on the aircraft 1 is relatively small compared to the lift generated by the thrust unit 14, then the thrust unit 14 can suspend the main body of the aircraft 11 and achieve a smooth landing of the main body of the aircraft 11. During this process, the thrust unit 14 can also actively move in the horizontal direction to drive the suspended main body of the aircraft 11 to change its landing position. In another embodiment, if the magnitude and duration of the lift generated by the thrust unit 14 are insufficient to achieve a smooth landing of the aircraft body 11, i.e., a hard landing of the aircraft body 11 cannot be avoided, then during the descent of the aircraft body 11, the thrust unit 14 can still apply vertical and / or horizontal forces to the aircraft body 11 through the suspension connector 17, so as to reduce the descent speed of the aircraft body 11 upon landing and / or keep the landing position of the aircraft body 11 away from objects that need protection such as people, vehicles, or buildings, or areas that are difficult to recover such as water surfaces, overhead power lines, and tree canopies, thereby reducing the damage caused by the aircraft body 11 to itself or other objects upon landing and / or the difficulty of recovering the aircraft body 11 after landing. In another embodiment, after the thrust unit 14 separates from the support frame 12, the thrust unit 14 is used to extend the flight time of the aircraft 1 or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the aircraft 1, so that the aircraft 1 can be captured in the air and brought to a smooth landing by other aircraft (such as the multi-rotor aircraft 11 in the PCT patent with international publication number WO2021 / 128444A1). Alternatively, the thrust unit 14 is used to extend the flight time of the suspended aircraft body 11 or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the suspended aircraft body 11. Furthermore, the thrust unit 14 can also be completely separated from the suspension connector 17 in the air or the suspension connector 17 can be completely separated from the suspended aircraft body 11 in the air, so that the aircraft body 11 can be captured in the air and brought to a smooth landing by other aircraft.
[0058] In the illustrated embodiment, the power unit includes a blade assembly 141 for generating lift and a control surface assembly 142 for generating attitude control torque. The blade assembly 141 has blades and a motor for driving the blades to rotate, and the control surface assembly 142 has aerodynamic control surfaces and servos for driving the aerodynamic control surfaces to move. The thrust unit 14 also has a single duct 143, and at least a portion of the blades are disposed within the duct 143. By setting the duct 143, the efficiency of the power unit in generating lift can be significantly improved, thereby allowing for smaller diameter blades and smaller power motors to be used while generating the same amount of lift, which is beneficial for reducing the size and weight of the thrust unit 14. Moreover, due to the setting of the control surface assembly 142, the thrust unit 14 only needs to be equipped with one blade or a pair of blades arranged coaxially to achieve normal flight, including attitude adjustment. This makes the thrust unit 14 more compact and lightweight compared to a multi-rotor power layout, making it easier to install on the support frame 12 and reducing the probability of the thrust unit 14 being subjected to impacts. Furthermore, the duct 143 can also protect at least a portion of the components of the thrust unit 14, such as the power unit, thereby improving the impact resistance of the thrust unit 14. Optionally, a protective net (not shown) can be provided at at least one end of the duct 143, such as at the air inlet, to prevent large debris from entering the duct 143 and damaging the power unit after an impact, further improving the impact resistance of the thrust unit 14, while allowing airflow to pass through so that the power unit can function normally. Of course, the thrust unit 14 may not have a duct 143. In another embodiment, the power unit of the thrust unit 14 can adopt a conventional multi-rotor layout, such as a twin-rotor or quadcopter, in which case the control surface assembly 142 is not required; the power unit may also not include the blade assembly 141, for example, the blade assembly 141 can be replaced by a small turbojet engine, etc.
[0059] Furthermore, the thrust unit 14 is also equipped with a second battery (not shown). The second battery is used to supply power to the power components and flight controller after the thrust unit 14 is separated from the support frame 12. It should be noted that the power supplied by the second battery is only required to enable the power components of the thrust unit 14 to operate for a short period of time. Therefore, the second battery does not need to be a large-capacity battery, which facilitates the compact design of the thrust unit 14. The aircraft body 11 is equipped with a first battery (not shown). The first battery is used to supply power to the aircraft 1 during normal flight. Optionally, if the aircraft body 11 uses a "battery swapping" method to replenish its power, then during the replacement of the first battery, the second battery of the thrust unit 14 installed on the aircraft body 11 is also used to supply power to the aircraft body 11 to prevent power loss to the electrical components of the aircraft body 11. That is, the second battery is used as a backup battery for the aircraft 1. After the aircraft body 11 has completed the replacement of the first battery, the replaced first battery can also automatically charge the second battery. Accordingly, the thrust unit 14 is also provided with an interface 144 for indirectly or directly electrically connecting to the aircraft body 11 via the support frame 12, so as to realize power supply and / or data transmission between the thrust unit 14 and the aircraft body 11 when it is installed on the support frame 12.
[0060] Optionally, the thrust unit 14 further includes a sensing component 145, which is used to acquire the spatial position of the thrust unit 14 and / or ground images below the thrust unit 14. Specifically, the sensing component 145 may include at least one of a camera, a global positioning system, radar, etc. The flight controller is also electrically connected to the sensing component 145 to receive data from the sensing component 145 and automatically select the landing area of the aircraft body 11 based on the data, and then control the thrust unit 14 through the power component to bring the aircraft body 11 to the selected landing area. Optionally, the flight controller of the thrust unit 14 also presets the geographical coordinates of the emergency landing area so that it can automatically select the nearest emergency landing area as the landing area of the aircraft body 11 by combining the current position measured by the sensing component 145. Furthermore, the sensing component 145 of the thrust unit 14 can also work when the aircraft 1 is in normal flight, and the thrust unit 14 sends the data of its sensing component 145 to the aircraft body 11 to assist the aircraft body 11 in navigation and / or obstacle avoidance, etc. Furthermore, the flight controller and sensing component 145 of the thrust unit 14 can also serve as backup components for the automatic flight function of the aircraft 1. That is, when the relevant control components and / or sensing components on the main body 11 that enable the automatic flight function malfunction, the flight controller of the thrust unit 14 can take over and / or call the sensing component 145 of the thrust unit 14. At this time, the thrust unit 14 and the support frame 12 remain connected and do not separate. The flight controller and / or sensing component 145 of the thrust unit 14 can control or assist the automatic flight of the aircraft 1. Specifically, the flight controller of the thrust unit 14 can receive data sent by the sensing components on the main body 11 of the aircraft and / or control the operation of at least one of the rotor unit 13, lifting wing 15, and support frame 12 to achieve the automatic flight of the aircraft 1, such as emergency landing. Accordingly, the thrust unit 14 can be configured with at least three modes: In the first mode, the thrust unit 14 operates under the control of the control components on the main body 11 of the aircraft to assist the aircraft 1 in normal flight; In the second mode, the flight controller of the thrust unit 14 controls the automatic flight of the aircraft 1, including controlling the operation of at least one of the rotor unit 13, the lifting wing 15, and the support frame 12 to achieve automatic flight of the aircraft 1. At this time, the thrust unit 14 and the support frame 12 remain connected and do not separate; In the third mode, the thrust unit 14 separates from the support frame 12, and the thrust unit 14 flies autonomously and controllably to suspend the main body 11 of the aircraft.
[0061] Optionally, the thrust unit 14 is further provided with a connecting / separating component 146. This component 146 is used to securely mount the thrust unit 14 onto the support frame 12 during normal flight of the aircraft 1, and to allow the thrust unit 14 to separate from the support frame 12 in mid-air when the aircraft 1 can no longer continue normal flight. Specifically, the connecting / separating component 146 can be a mechanical switch lock, an electromagnetic adsorption device, or an explosive bolt electrically connected to the flight controller. In the illustrated embodiment, the connecting / separating component 146 is located on the outer surface of the duct 143 of the thrust unit 14 to connect with the support frame 12. This connecting / separating component 146 can be electrically connected to the flight controller so that its operation can be controlled by the flight controller. Of course, the connecting / separating component 146 can also be located on the support frame 12, or it can be controlled by control components on the aircraft body 11; this is not a limiting factor.
[0062] Furthermore, the connecting separator 146 is also used to lock the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11, so that the support frame 12 is fixed relative to the aircraft body 11 when the aircraft 1 is in the take-off and landing state, and can rotate relative to the aircraft body 11 when the aircraft 1 needs to switch between cruise level flight state and take-off and landing state. That is, the connecting separator 146 can also be used as the aforementioned locking device. In one embodiment, the connecting separator 146 includes a movable pin and a driver that drives the pin. The support frame 12 and the aircraft body 11 are respectively provided with locking holes that cooperate with the pin. When the aircraft 1 is in the take-off and landing state, the driver of the connecting separator 146 drives the pin to move so that it passes through the locking hole of the support frame 12 and at least partially extends into the locking hole on the aircraft body 11, so that the rotation of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11 is locked by the pin. When the aircraft 1 needs to transition from takeoff / landing to cruising level flight, the actuator of the connecting / separating member 146 drives the pin to move in the opposite direction to disengage from the locking hole on the aircraft body 11, but retains at least a partial insertion into the locking hole of the support frame 12 to fix the thrust unit 14 relative to the support frame 12. This allows the support frame 12 to drive the thrust unit 14 as it rotates relative to the aircraft body 11, causing the thrust unit 14 to move together with the support frame 12, thereby transitioning the aircraft 1 from takeoff / landing to cruising level flight. When the thrust unit 14 needs to separate from the support frame 12, the actuator of the connecting / separating member 146 drives the pin to move completely out of the locking hole of the support frame 12, thus releasing the thrust unit 14 from the support frame 12. In this way, by setting the connecting / separating member 146, the aircraft 1 can both connect and separate the thrust unit 14 from the support frame 12, and also realize and / or release the locking of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11, which helps to simplify the structure of the aircraft 1. It should be noted that the connecting and separating member 146 can also adopt other structures, which are not limited here. For example, the support frame 12 and the aircraft body 11 are respectively provided with a first lock and a second lock. The connecting and separating member 146 can cooperate with the first lock to make the thrust unit 14 securely connected to the support frame 12. In addition, the connecting and separating member 146 can also drive the first lock to move to realize and / or release the locking with the second lock, thereby realizing and / or releasing the locking of the support frame 12 relative to the aircraft body 11.
[0063] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.
[0064] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. An aircraft, characterized in that, The aircraft includes the main body and support frame, and also includes: A rotor unit, which is mounted on the main body of the aircraft and is used to provide lift for the aircraft during flight; The thrust unit and lifting wing are both mounted on the aircraft support frame. The aircraft has at least two flight attitudes during flight: one is cruising level flight, and the other is takeoff and landing. The support frame is movably connected to the aircraft body and rotatable relative to the aircraft body to drive the thrust rotor unit and the lifting wing to move relative to the aircraft body, thereby switching the aircraft between cruise level flight and takeoff and landing states. When the aircraft is in cruise level flight, the thrust unit provides forward thrust to the aircraft, the lifting wing provides lift to the aircraft, and the lifting wing is located close to or at the center of the aircraft longitudinally, with the rotor unit positioned below the lifting wing. During the transition from cruise level flight to takeoff and landing, the lifting wing moves to be located at or near the tail of the aircraft, with the rotor unit positioned to the side of the lifting wing, thereby reducing the overall height of the aircraft and minimizing the impact on the lift and / or aerodynamic efficiency of the rotor unit.
2. The aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, After the aircraft transitions from cruising level flight to takeoff and landing, at least a portion of the lower surface of the lifting wing is longitudinally aligned with the rotor unit of the aircraft, so that the lifting wing can also act as a collision shield for the rotor unit, preventing or mitigating damage from collisions between foreign objects and the rotor unit from the tail of the aircraft; and / or The lifting wing includes a main wing and two folding wings respectively located at opposite ends of the main wing. When the aircraft is in take-off or landing, the two folding wings can be folded relative to the main wing and located on opposite sides of the main body of the aircraft and / or at least part of the rotor unit to reduce the spanwise length of the lifting wing.
3. The aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, When the aircraft is in cruise level flight, the thrust unit is located between the lifting wing and the main body of the aircraft in the altitude direction; and / or When the aircraft is in takeoff or landing, the thrust unit is also used to provide lift to the aircraft; and / or When the aircraft needs to transition from takeoff and landing to cruising level flight, the thrust unit can generate a force that drives the support frame to rotate.
4. The aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the support frame and the aircraft body is equipped with a tilt actuator. The tilt actuator drives the support frame to rotate, which in turn drives the thrust unit, causing the thrust unit to rotate to switch the aircraft between cruise level flight and takeoff and landing states; or Neither the support frame nor the aircraft body is equipped with a tilt actuator. The torque generated by the force produced by the thrust unit relative to the rotation axis of the support frame drives the support frame to rotate. The force generated by the thrust unit is then gradually converted into a thrust that drives the aircraft to move forward. The support frame and / or the aircraft body are also equipped with a self-recovering component. When the thrust generated by the thrust unit stops or decreases, the self-recovering component drives the support frame to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the aircraft body, so that the aircraft returns from the cruising level flight state to the take-off and landing state. The self-recovering component is a spring or a magnetic unit.
5. The aircraft as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thrust unit is also capable of separating from the support frame in mid-air; the thrust unit is equipped with a power component and a flight controller electrically connected to the power component, so that it can fly automatically after separating from the support frame; The aircraft is also equipped with a sling connection. When the thrust unit and the support frame separate because the rotor unit and / or the lifting wing cannot provide lift to the aircraft normally, the sling connection is used to connect the thrust unit and the aircraft body so that the thrust unit can movably suspend the aircraft body and allow the thrust unit to apply force to the aircraft body through the sling connection to adjust the speed of the aircraft body in the vertical and / or horizontal directions.
6. The aircraft as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The power unit includes a blade assembly for generating lift and a control surface assembly for generating attitude control torque. The thrust unit also includes a single duct, and the blades of the blade assembly are at least partially disposed within the duct; and / or After separating from the support frame, the thrust unit can actively generate lift through the power component; the maximum lift generated by the thrust unit is less than the maximum lift generated by the rotor unit and / or the lifting wing, and / or, the maximum lift generated by the thrust unit is less than the gravity acting on the aircraft; and / or After the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the flight controller can automatically detect at least one of the thrust unit's attitude, altitude, and latitude and longitude coordinates and send a control signal to the power unit so that the power unit can adjust the lift and / or attitude of the thrust unit.
7. The aircraft as described in claim 5, characterized in that, After the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the thrust unit can apply a vertical force to the suspended aircraft body through the suspension connector to reduce the falling speed of the aircraft body, and / or apply a horizontal force to the suspended aircraft body to adjust the landing position of the aircraft body. and / or After the thrust unit separates from the support frame, the thrust unit is used to extend the flight time of the aircraft or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the aircraft, so that the aircraft can be captured in the air by other aircraft and brought to a smooth landing. Alternatively, the thrust unit is used to extend the flight time of the suspended aircraft body or shorten the time it takes for other aircraft to approach the suspended aircraft body of the thrust unit. Furthermore, the thrust unit can also completely separate from the suspension connector in the air, or the suspension connector can completely separate from the suspended aircraft body in the air, so that the aircraft body can be captured in the air by other aircraft and brought to a smooth landing.
8. The aircraft as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The thrust unit is also equipped with a second battery; the second battery is used to supply power to the power unit and the flight controller after the thrust unit is separated from the support frame; The main body of the aircraft is equipped with a first battery, which is used to power the aircraft during normal flight. During the process of replacing the first battery in the main body of the aircraft, the second battery of the thrust unit is also used to power the main body of the aircraft. After the main body of the aircraft completes the replacement of the first battery, the replaced first battery can also automatically charge the second battery.
9. The aircraft as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The aircraft is also equipped with a connection and separation component, which is used to ensure that the thrust unit is securely mounted on the support frame when the aircraft is in normal flight, and to allow the thrust unit to separate from the support frame in mid-air when the aircraft cannot continue to fly normally. The connection and separation component is also used to lock and / or release the rotation of the support frame relative to the aircraft body, so that the support frame is fixed relative to the aircraft body when the aircraft is in takeoff and landing mode, and can rotate relative to the aircraft body when the aircraft needs to switch between cruise level flight mode and takeoff and landing mode; and / or The thrust unit is also equipped with a sensing component, which is used to acquire the spatial position of the thrust unit and / or the ground image below the thrust unit; the flight controller is also electrically connected to the sensing component to receive the data from the sensing component and automatically select the landing area of the aircraft based on the data, and then control the thrust unit through the power unit to drive the main body of the aircraft to land in the selected landing area.
10. The aircraft as claimed in any one of claims 5 to 9, characterized in that, After the thrust unit separates from the support frame in mid-air, the sling connection can deploy as the distance between the thrust unit and the aircraft body increases; once the sling connection is fully deployed, the thrust unit movably suspends the aircraft body below via the sling connection; and / or The suspension connector is a rope, or the suspension connector includes a connecting rod, at least one end of which is movably connected to the aircraft body, the thrust unit, or the support frame; before the aircraft separates from the thrust unit in mid-air, the suspension connector is housed inside or on the surface of the aircraft body, the thrust unit, or the support frame, and is in a folded or retracted state; and / or After the thrust unit separates from the support frame in mid-air, the connection point between the suspension connector and the thrust unit is positioned near or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit; and / or After the thrust unit separates from the support frame in the air, the thrust unit is indirectly connected to the main body of the aircraft through the suspension connector. The thrust unit uses the gravity of the suspended load to make the center of mass of the load move automatically to be close to or directly below the center of mass of the thrust unit.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Aircraft as well as cruise level flight method
CN107745804A
Multi-rotor aerial vehicle
WO2021128444A1