Flying car
The flying car design with rotary wings and a specific length-to-width ratio allows stable flight and parking in small spaces, addressing the need for dedicated facilities and navigating narrow urban environments.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- JP2023216971
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-22
- Publication Date
- 2025-07-03
- Estimated Expiration
- Not applicable · inactive patent
AI Technical Summary
Flying cars require large spaces for parking and landing, necessitating dedicated facilities like heliports, and struggle to navigate narrow urban spaces due to their size and stability issues.
A flying car design with rotary wings at the front and rear of the vehicle body, a cabin below, and a lift generation mechanism on the upper part, ensuring a length-to-width ratio greater than 2:1, allowing stable flight and parking in small spaces.
Enables safe flight in narrow urban environments and direct parking in existing small car parking lots, eliminating the need for additional transportation and specialized facilities.
Smart Images

Figure 2025099949000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a flying car capable of manned flight even in a narrow space.
Background Art
[0002] Flying vehicles using rotary wings such as manned drones perform attitude control and motion control by lift forces in the front, rear, left, and right directions. The rotary wings that generate lift can generate a moment force with a smaller force the farther they are from the center of gravity, making them easier to control. Therefore, in order to achieve stable flight, the size including the rotary wings tends to be large in all directions of the front, rear, left, and right, and there are known ones that are provided with large rotary wings in the front, rear, left, and right to provide sufficient lift for the passenger weight (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] However, as a flying car, a parking lot must be secured at the destination in the same way as a normal car. For a flying car with a large vehicle body size and a large vehicle width, a dedicated facility such as a heliport is required for takeoff and landing. In this case, new means of transportation such as taxis and bicycles may be required to reach the destination such as a supermarket or a workplace from there. For this reason, a flying car that can be parked directly in an existing small car parking lot or the like has been desired. Also, in terms of flight, in urban areas, the spaces between buildings are narrow, and a flying car with a small vehicle width like a small car that can fly safely without hitting a building has been desired.
[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a flying car that can be parked directly in an existing small car parking lot or the like, and can fly safely without hitting a building with a small vehicle width like a small car.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The palanquins used by daimyos and princesses in ancient Japan are vehicles that are mechanically very stable because they have a simple structure, a small width, a high acting point of the supporting force by the carriers, and a passenger cabin located below. The inventors of the present invention focus on this point to solve the above-mentioned technical problems. The characteristics of the flying car of the present invention are that the total length of the vehicle body is longer than twice the total width, there is a lift generation mechanism by n rotors on the upper part of the vehicle body, and there is a cabin in which at least one person can ride on the lower part of the vehicle body. For the rotation center points Ci (i = 1 to n) of the respective rotors, the distance projected on the horizontal plane between the center line of the vehicle body along the traveling direction and the rotation center point Ci is Di (i = 1 to n), and the height difference between the bottom surface of the cabin and the rotation center point Ci is Hi (i = 1 to n). When the maximum value of Di is Dmax and the average value of Hi is Hav, it is characterized by satisfying formulas (I) and (II). JPEG2025099949000002.jpg33127
[0007] According to the flying car of the present invention, by the idea of using the parts that generate lift by rotors before and after the vehicle body instead of the carriers before and after the palanquin, it is possible to realize the function of flying stably in a narrow space while having the mechanical stability of the palanquin. That is, according to the flying car of the present invention, it is possible to fly without hitting the narrow gaps between buildings while having mechanical stability, or to park directly in an existing small car parking lot or the like. In addition, the present invention can add the function of flying in the air while having the stability of the palanquin by using the lift generated by the rotors instead of the carriers.
[0008] Specifically, the flying car of the present invention can have a structure with four or more rotary wings at the front and rear of the vehicle body, and it is also possible to provide a suspension device that allows the parts fixing the rotary wings and the cabin to be movable in both the front-rear and left-right directions or at least in one direction.
Advantages of the Invention
[0009] The greatest feature of the present invention is that the following four effects occur simultaneously. The first effect is that it is as small as the general small car standard dimensions (total length less than 4.7 m, width 1.7 m, height less than 2 m), and the total length of the vehicle body is longer than twice the total width. While having a form similar to a so-called cockpit, it can be equipped with rotary wings that generate sufficient lift force front and rear, and can maintain a mechanically stable equilibrium state to enable highly safe flight. The second effect is that since it is about the same size as the general small car standard dimensions (total length less than 4.7 m, width 1.7 m, height less than 2 m), it does not require a heliport and can directly utilize existing infrastructure such as small car parking lots. The third effect is that there is no need to prepare separate means of transportation such as taxis or bicycles for the journey from the heliport to destinations such as workplaces. The fourth effect is that for a flying car of about the size of small car standard dimensions (total length less than 4.7 m, width 1.7 m, height less than 2 m), by installing a "veranda garage where a flying car can take off and land" for each household in the condominium, it is possible to take off from the veranda without getting off the elevator.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0010]
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention
[0011] FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of a flying car according to this embodiment. Since the lift center is at the upper part of the aircraft body because the rotary wing composed of the combination of the upper rotor 6 and the lower rotor 7 is at the upper part of the vehicle body in the flying car 10, and the heavy battery etc. is located at the bottom of the cabin 2, the center of gravity is at the lower part of the aircraft body. Therefore, a mechanically stable equilibrium state is achieved.
[0012] The active tilt correction device 3 has a function of keeping the cabin 2 horizontal even when the rotor coupling arm 1 tilts during acceleration and deceleration. By the active tilt correction device 3, for example, the discomfort that the cabin 2 faces downward during acceleration and the passengers accelerate while looking at the ground can be eliminated. The active tilt correction device 3 is an example for providing the best ride comfort for passengers, and even without this mechanism, it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
[0013] The rotor coupling arm 1 has an active turning correction mechanism 4 for actively keeping the cabin 2 horizontal by an ultrasonic motor or the like. Thereby, the left and right tilts of the cabin 2 during turning can be canceled, and the discomfort that the passengers turn while looking at the ground on the left and right can be eliminated. The active turning correction mechanism 4 is an example for providing the best ride comfort for passengers, and even without this mechanism, it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
[0014] The landing support leg 5 is partially or entirely made of a material having impact buffering ability, and also imparts safety to protect the cabin 2 and the passengers from impact in case of a fall. The impact buffering ability is an example for providing safety to the passengers even in case of an emergency, and a landing support leg without impact buffering ability does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration example of the flying car according to the present embodiment. Also, by making the ratio of the overall length of the vehicle body to the width of the vehicle body larger than 2:1, the advantage of a narrow vehicle width is utilized, and it is possible to fly in a narrow space such as between buildings or directly use an existing infrastructure such as a small car parking lot. When the overall length is shorter than twice the overall width, it becomes difficult to sufficiently secure the lift generation sites at the front and rear portions of the vehicle body while avoiding aerodynamic interference with the cabin 2, and sufficient lift cannot be obtained. The rotor coupling arm 1 is not limited to a single-axis structure like a cage, and other forms may be used. Also, the directions of the rotor blades and the cabin 2 can be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction as shown in FIG. 1, but they can also be arranged such that the rotor blades are side by side in the left-right direction of the cabin 2.
[0016] FIGS. 1 and 2 are examples when the present invention is created in the size of a Japanese small car standard dimension (overall length 4.7 m, width 1.7 m, height less than 2 m), and even if it does not conform to this standard like a regular car such as a 3-number car, it does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
[0017] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration example of the flying car 10 according to the present embodiment when parked in a small car parking lot. The flying car 10 can be parked in a small car parking lot side by side like a regular car 11. According to the flying car 10 according to the present embodiment, an existing infrastructure such as a small car parking lot can be directly used, and it is also possible to park directly on the rooftop.
[0018] FIG. 4 shows the schematic mechanical configuration of the flying car according to this embodiment. FIG. 4(a) is a front view showing the schematic mechanical configuration. Since the center of gravity g is below the center of lift s, it is in a mechanically stable equilibrium. FIG. 4(b) shows the schematic mechanical configuration when the schematic mechanical configuration of FIG. 4(a) is applied to a so-called "weathervane". An upward lift fu is generated from the center of lift s, and a downward gravitational force fg acts from the center of gravity g. Since the center of lift s is above the center of gravity g, the lift acts in the direction of pulling up the aircraft, resulting in a mechanically stable equilibrium.
[0019] FIG. 5 shows, as a comparative example, the schematic mechanical configuration when, contrary to this embodiment, the lift generating part is arranged below the vehicle body and the cabin is arranged above the vehicle body. FIG. 5(a) is a front view showing the schematic mechanical configuration. Since the center of gravity g is above the center of lift s, it is in a mechanically unstable equilibrium. FIG. 5(b) shows the schematic mechanical configuration when the schematic mechanical configuration of FIG. 5(a) is applied to a so-called "weathervane". An upward lift fu is generated from the center of lift s, and a downward gravitational force fg acts from the center of gravity g. Since the center of lift s is below the center of gravity g, the lift acts in the direction of pushing up the aircraft from below. In this case, if the equilibrium is disturbed even slightly, the vehicle will turn over, making it difficult to maintain a stable equilibrium.
[0020] When the number of rotor blades is less than the lower limit of condition (I), the lift of each rotor blade must be increased. For this purpose, the rotor blades become larger, and the overall width including the rotor blades also becomes larger, making it impossible to use existing infrastructure such as small car parking lots. When the number of rotor blades exceeds condition (I), in order to avoid the situation where the rotor blades collide with each other, the size of each rotor blade has to be reduced, making it difficult to obtain sufficient lift for carrying passengers and flying.
[0021] Let the height difference between the bottom surface 2b of the cabin 2 and the rotation center points Ci (i = 1 to n) be Hi (i = 1 to n), and the distance projected onto the horizontal plane between the center line of the vehicle body along the traveling direction or the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body and the rotation center point Ci be Di (i = 1 to n). When the average value of Hi is Hav, if Dmax (the maximum distance of Di) is smaller than the lower limit of condition (II), the distance between the left and right rotors becomes too small, making it difficult to control in the left - right direction and becoming unstable due to cross - winds or the like. The average height of an average adult is about 1.7 m, and for the cabin 2 to accommodate passengers, the height needs to be at least about 1 m, and Hav is also of a similar value. Therefore, if Dmax exceeds the upper limit of condition (II), the vehicle width becomes too large, and it becomes impossible to use small - car parking lots and other existing infrastructure. Thus, it is important that Dmax satisfies condition (II).
[0022] In addition, each of the above - described embodiments merely shows an example of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention is not limited thereby. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or its main features.
Explanation of Signs
[0023] 1 Rotor coupling arm 2 Cabin 2b Bottom surface 3 Active tilt correction device 4 Active rotation correction device 5 Landing support leg 6 Upper rotor 7 Lower rotor 10 Flying car 11 Ordinary car
Claims
1. The overall length of the vehicle body is longer than twice the overall width, and it has a lift generation mechanism with n rotary wings on the upper part of the vehicle body and a cabin that can accommodate at least one person on the lower part of the vehicle body. For the rotation center points Ci (i = 1 to n) of each rotary wing, the distance Di (i = 1 to n) projected onto the horizontal plane between the center line of the vehicle body along the traveling direction and the rotation center point Ci, and the height difference Hi (i = 1 to n) between the bottom surface of the cabin and the rotation center point Ci. When the maximum value of Di is Dmax and the average value of Hi is Hav, the flying car is characterized by satisfying equations (I) and (II).
2. The flying car according to Claim 1, wherein the part for fixing the rotary wing and the cabin are connected by a suspension device having mobility in both the front-rear and left-right directions or at least one direction.
3. The flying car according to Claim 1, wherein the part for fixing the rotary wing and the cabin are connected by a suspension device having mobility in both the front-rear and left-right directions or at least one direction, and the suspension device has at least one of a device for correcting the inclination of the cabin or a device for correcting the rotation.
4. The flying car according to Claim 1, wherein the rotor connecting arm for fixing the rotary wing and the cabin are connected by a suspension device having mobility in both the front-rear and left-right directions or at least one direction, and the suspension device has at least one of an active inclination correction device capable of correcting the inclination of the cabin or an active rotation correction device capable of correcting the rotation of the cabin.
Citation Information
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