Blended-wing-body lifting-body flying car

Abstract

Provided in the present invention is a blended-wing-body lifting-body flying car. By means of simultaneously using strip-shaped wing boxes on fuselage sides as components of a horizontal wing, the lift layout is improved, such that drag during flight can be effectively reduced, thereby increasing flight range and payload. For the drag caused by ducted fans during level flight, the present invention innovatively designs a plurality of slidable ducted fan baffles, such that dust and foreign matter can also be prevented from damaging the ducted fans during ground driving and parking.

Description

A blended wing-body lifting body flying car Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of autonomous flying cars, specifically relating to a blended wing-body lifting body flying car. Background Technology

[0002] With the government's advocacy and promotion of the low-altitude economy, numerous aircraft manufacturers, new energy vehicle manufacturers, and research institutions have entered the field and rapidly developed a number of new transportation vehicles with dual functions as aircraft and autonomous vehicles, most of which use pure electric or hybrid power sources. However, currently, due to the limitations of batteries as a power source—such as their large weight and low energy density—existing flying cars cannot meet practical requirements in terms of range and payload. Given the difficulty of achieving significant innovation in power sources in the short term, optimizing the flight layout and takeoff and landing methods of flying cars to improve range and payload is clearly a more feasible direction for improvement. However, many existing technologies have not given sufficient attention to these aspects. For example, although some existing technologies combine tiltrotor rotors, ducted fans, and fixed wings to provide multiple modes of takeoff and landing that can be switched between vertical takeoff and landing and runway takeoff and landing, helping to increase range and payload by selecting different takeoff and landing methods according to specific scenarios and energy consumption levels, the increase in power components and wings, as well as unreasonable layouts, can actually lead to a significant increase in flight drag. Some existing technologies, such as Chinese patent CN108437712A, entitled "A Vertical Take-Off and Landing Folding-Wing Flying Car," attempt to incorporate a sliding cover mechanism on the ducted fan of the wing to cover the fan during level flight and reduce lift loss. However, this approach does not optimize the lift configuration itself. Furthermore, the sliding cover mechanism places higher demands on wing design and structural strength, inevitably increasing the overall weight of the wing and the flying car. The sliding cover's movement also increases the difficulty of flight control. Therefore, how to comprehensively optimize and improve the aerodynamic layout and power components of the flying car to significantly increase its range and payload is a pressing technical problem that needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of the above, and in response to the technical problems existing in this field, the present invention provides a blended wing-body lifting body flying car, characterized in that it includes a lifting body fuselage, a canard, a tail, a fuselage power mechanism, a canard power mechanism, a tail power mechanism, and an autonomous driving chassis.

[0004] The central part of the lifting body fuselage is the main fuselage body, which includes the cabin for carrying passengers or cargo. Strip-shaped wing boxes are fixed on the left and right sides of the main fuselage body, extending from the rear of the nose cone of the lifting body fuselage to the tail. Several vertical ducted fans are installed on the strip-shaped wing boxes to form the fuselage power mechanism.

[0005] The canard is mounted on the side of the strip wing box, which also serves as the wing root, together with the canard forming the horizontal wing of the flying car; the connection between the fuselage, the strip wing box and the canard forms a smooth transition in thickness.

[0006] The canard power system consists of several ducted fans mounted on the canard; the front of the strip-shaped wing box is equipped with ducted fan baffles that can slide left and right, which are used to open in the direction away from the main fuselage during vertical take-off and landing, so that the ducted fans of the fuselage power system can be exposed and work normally; when flying at level or on land, they are closed in the direction closer to the main fuselage, and cover the upper and lower openings of some or all of the ducted fans, thereby reducing flight drag and protecting the ducted fans;

[0007] The connection between the strip wing box and the canard is provided with two side spars extending toward the tail. The tail is located at the end of the side spars and includes a horizontal stabilizer and a pair of vertical stabilizers. Each vertical stabilizer is erected on one side spar and the horizontal stabilizer is located between the two vertical stabilizers. Several ducted fans are installed on the horizontal stabilizer.

[0008] The autopilot chassis is located at the bottom of the lifting body fuselage. It serves as a vehicle chassis when driving on land and as landing gear during takeoff, landing and flight. When taking off using a runway, the autopilot chassis can provide thrust.

[0009] The tail-end power unit consists of several ducted fans mounted on the tail and / or horizontal stabilizer, used to provide lift for vertical takeoff and landing or thrust during level flight.

[0010] Furthermore, the ducted fan baffle has a U-shaped plate structure, the opening of which wraps around the strip wing box from front to back, and extends from the upper and lower sides to the rear of the strip wing box respectively.

[0011] Furthermore, the canard adopts a two-section pivotable folding structure, and a pivotable connection is also used between the canard and the strip wing box for folding the canard up when driving or parking on land, and for deploying the canard during flight; the side spars adopt a telescopic structure for retracting when driving or parking on land, and for extending during flight; the horizontal stabilizer adopts a foldable structure for swinging down to a vertical state when taking off and landing, driving or parking on land, and for deploying to a horizontal state during level flight.

[0012] Furthermore, the tail section adopts a twin-boom high-mounted horizontal stabilizer structure; the tail power mechanism consists of several vertical small-thrust ducted fans mounted on the horizontal stabilizer and horizontal large-thrust ducted fans mounted on the rear of the main fuselage; the small-thrust ducted fans provide lift during vertical takeoff and landing, while the large-thrust ducted fans provide forward thrust during level flight; the ducted fans on the canards are vertically mounted in front of the ailerons; ducted fan baffles are also provided at the corresponding positions of the ducted fans at the leading edge of the canards, which are opened during vertical takeoff and landing to expose and allow the ducted fans to operate normally, and closed during level flight or land travel to cover the upper and lower openings of the ducted fans; corresponding ducted fan baffles are also provided on the horizontal stabilizer.

[0013] Furthermore, the tail section adopts a low horizontal stabilizer structure, with several horizontal ducted fans mounted on the horizontal stabilizer as the tail power mechanism. These fans can tilt with the horizontal stabilizer to provide forward thrust during level flight and to provide lift when the horizontal stabilizer swings to the vertical direction during vertical takeoff and landing. The ducted fans on the canard are horizontally mounted on their ailerons and can tilt with the ailerons to provide forward thrust during level flight and to provide lift when the ailerons swing down to the vertical direction during vertical takeoff and landing. The two vertical stabilizers adopt a foldable structure that can be folded in opposite directions for flat storage when driving on land or parked.

[0014] Furthermore, the ducted fans on each strip-shaped wing box are divided into front and rear groups; the ducted fan baffle at the front of the wing box is used to open or close the front group of ducted fans; the upper and lower openings of the rear group of ducted fans are opened or closed by flip-up baffles.

[0015] Furthermore, other types of aircraft engines are used to replace the two sets of ducted fans at the front and rear of the strip wing box; and the set of aircraft engines at the rear can also tilt to a horizontal position to provide forward thrust during level flight.

[0016] Furthermore, the cabin is a replaceable design, allowing selection based on the transported object, power consumption, or usage scenario requirements.

[0017] Furthermore, the lifting body fuselage and the autopilot chassis adopt a detachable structure. After separation, the lifting body fuselage can fly independently as an aircraft, while the autopilot chassis serves as an independent booster and take-off and landing platform, capable of autonomous driving and parking.

[0018] Furthermore, the tip of the canard can be fitted with winglets according to lift requirements.

[0019] The blended wing-body lifting body flying car provided by the present invention improves the lift layout by making the wing box on the side of the aircraft also a component of the horizontal wing, which can effectively reduce drag during flight and thus increase flight range and load. In response to the drag of the vertical take-off ducted fan during level flight, the present invention innovatively designs multiple sliding ducted fan baffles, which can also prevent dust and foreign objects from damaging the ducted fan when driving or parking on land. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 is a perspective structural diagram of the first embodiment of the wing-body blended lifting body flying car provided by the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the opening direction of each duct fan baffle in the first embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 is a perspective structural diagram of the second embodiment of the wing-body blended lifting body flying car provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of the opening direction of each duct fan baffle in the second embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment of the present invention, which employs a low-speed, high-load cargo compartment.

[0025] Figure 6 shows an alternative structure of the first embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solution of the present invention will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", "outer", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and 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 invention.

[0028] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0029] This invention provides a blended wing-body lifting body flying car, as shown in Figures 1-4. Figures 1 and 2 show a first embodiment with a high-speed, long-endurance design, while Figures 3 and 4 show a second embodiment with a derivative form. Regardless of the configuration, both are covered within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention. It includes a lifting body fuselage 1, a canard wing 2, a tail wing, a fuselage power mechanism, a canard wing power mechanism, a tail power mechanism, and an autonomous driving chassis.

[0030] The center of the lifting body fuselage 1 is the main fuselage body, which includes a cabin for carrying passengers or cargo. Strip-shaped wing boxes 3 are fixedly installed on the left and right sides of the main fuselage body, extending from the rear of the nose cone of the lifting body fuselage 1 to the tail. Several vertical ducted fans are installed on the strip-shaped wing boxes 3 to form the fuselage power mechanism.

[0031] The canard 2 is mounted on the side of the strip wing box 3, which also serves as the wing root, together with the canard 2 forming the horizontal wing of the flying car; the connection between the fuselage, the strip wing box 3 and the canard 2 forms a smooth transition in thickness.

[0032] The canard power mechanism consists of several ducted fans mounted on the canard 2; the front of the strip wing box 3 is equipped with a ducted fan baffle 5 that can slide left and right, which is used to open in the direction away from the main body of the fuselage during vertical take-off and landing, so that the ducted fans of the fuselage power mechanism can be exposed and work normally; when flying at level or on land, it is closed in the direction closer to the main body of the fuselage, and covers the upper and lower openings of some or all of the ducted fans, thereby reducing flight drag and protecting the ducted fans;

[0033] The connection between the strip wing box 3 and the canard wing 2 is provided with two side beams 4 extending towards the tail. The tail wing is located at the end of the side beams 4 and includes a horizontal tail 7 and a pair of vertical tails 6. Each vertical tail 6 is erected on one side beam 4. The horizontal tail 7 is located between the two vertical tails 6 and several ducted fans are provided on the horizontal tail 7.

[0034] The autopilot chassis (not shown in the figure) is located at the bottom of the lifting body fuselage. It serves as a vehicle chassis when driving on land and as landing gear during takeoff, landing and flight. When taking off using a runway, the autopilot chassis can provide thrust.

[0035] The tail-end power unit consists of several ducted fans mounted on the tail and / or horizontal stabilizer, used to provide lift for vertical takeoff and landing or thrust during level flight.

[0036] Figures 2 and 4 show the first and second embodiments, respectively, with vertical take-off and landing and all duct fan baffles open.

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ducted fan baffle has a U-shaped plate structure, the opening of which wraps around the strip wing box from front to back, and extends from the upper and lower sides to the rear of the strip wing box respectively.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the canard employs a two-section pivotable folding structure, with a pivotable connection between the canard and the strip wing box, for folding the canard back when driving or parked on land and deploying it during flight; the side spars employ a telescopic structure for retracting when driving or parked on land and extending during flight; the horizontal stabilizer employs a foldable structure for swinging down to a vertical position during vertical takeoff and landing, driving or parking on land, and deploying to a horizontal position during level flight. Through the folding of the canard and tail wing and the telescopic movement of the side spars, the flying car can be effectively reduced in size when driving or parked on land, thereby meeting the width and height restrictions of roads or parking spaces. The telescopic tail assembly also helps to adjust the trim moment during flight.

[0039] In the first preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 1-2, the tail fin adopts a twin-boom high-horizontal-tail structure; the tail power mechanism consists of several vertical small-thrust ducted fans mounted on the horizontal tail and horizontal large-thrust ducted fans mounted on the tail of the fuselage body; the small-thrust ducted fans provide lift during vertical takeoff and landing, while the large-thrust ducted fans provide forward thrust during level flight; the ducted fans on the canard are vertically mounted in front of the ailerons; a ducted fan baffle that can slide forward and backward is also provided at the corresponding position of the ducted fan at the front end of the canard, which is used to open forward during vertical takeoff and landing to expose and allow the ducted fans to work normally; and to close backward during level flight or land travel, covering the upper and lower openings of the ducted fans; a ducted fan baffle that can slide forward and open is also provided on the horizontal tail.

[0040] The ducted fan covers on the canard and horizontal stabilizer can be opened in various ways, such as flip-top, lateral or longitudinal push-pull, or integrated or multi-piece split opening. Regardless of the form, they must meet the conditions of not increasing drag during the transition between vertical takeoff and landing and level flight, and helping to improve lift.

[0041] In the second preferred embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Figures 3-4, the tail fin adopts a low horizontal stabilizer structure, and several horizontal ducted fans are provided on the horizontal stabilizer as tail power mechanisms. These fans can tilt with the horizontal stabilizer to provide forward thrust during level flight and to provide lift when the horizontal stabilizer swings to the vertical direction during vertical takeoff and landing. The ducted fans on the canard are horizontally mounted on their ailerons and can tilt with the ailerons to provide forward thrust during level flight and to provide lift when the ailerons swing down to the vertical direction during vertical takeoff and landing. The two vertical stabilizers adopt a foldable structure that can face each other for flat storage when driving or parking on land.

[0042] The front of the nose cone can also be equipped with horizontal deflectors, such as multi-layered front wings similar to those used on Formula 1 cars, to further reduce drag during flight or land driving. Rearview mirrors for land driving can also be installed at the front of the nose cone.

[0043] In the first and second embodiments, the ducted fans on each strip-shaped wing box are divided into front and rear groups; the ducted fan baffle at the front of the wing box is used to open or close the front group of ducted fans; the upper and lower openings of the rear group of ducted fans are opened or closed by the flip-up baffle 8. Figures 2 and 4 show the opening of each ducted fan baffle and the extension direction of the side beams in the two embodiments.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the cabin is a replaceable design, which can be selected according to the requirements of the transported object, power consumption, or usage scenario. For example, in some high-speed passenger or freight transport scenarios, the first and second embodiments shown in Figures 1 and 4 adopt a bubble-type streamlined cabin; while in some heavy-load, low-speed freight transport scenarios, a blunt-nosed cylindrical cargo cabin as shown in Figure 5 can be selected. Through appropriate design, the capacity can be increased and the loading and unloading of goods can be facilitated without excessively increasing the area to be handled.

[0045] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lifting body fuselage and the autopilot chassis adopt a detachable structure. After separation, the lifting body fuselage can fly independently as an aircraft; the autopilot chassis serves as an independent booster and takeoff / landing platform, capable of autonomous driving and parking. In specific implementations, a suitable chassis design can be selected according to actual needs, such as a small landing gear and large wheel structure that is more conducive to providing taxiing boost.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tip of the forewing can be fitted with a winglet, as shown in Figures 3-4, to help improve flight lift according to lift requirements.

[0047] Figure 6 illustrates an alternative structure according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Three ducted fans are respectively installed on the left and right front wings, while the left and right strip wing boxes are equipped with other types of aero engines, including but not limited to turbofan engines, to replace the front and rear sets of ducted fans on the strip wing boxes, depending on the actual power requirements. At the same time, the rear set of aero engines can also tilt to a horizontal state to provide forward thrust during level flight, thereby greatly expanding the application and usage scenarios of the present invention.

[0048] It should be understood that the sequence number of each step in the embodiments of the present invention does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0049] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A blended wing-body lifting body flying car, characterized in that: This includes the lifting body fuselage, canard, tail, fuselage power mechanism, canard power mechanism, tail power mechanism, and autopilot chassis; The central part of the lifting body fuselage is the main fuselage body, which includes the cabin for carrying passengers or cargo. Strip-shaped wing boxes are fixed on the left and right sides of the main fuselage body, extending from the rear of the nose cone of the lifting body fuselage to the tail. Several vertical ducted fans are installed on the strip-shaped wing boxes to form the fuselage power mechanism. The canard is mounted on the side of the strip wing box, which also serves as the wing root, together with the canard forming the horizontal wing of the flying car; the connection between the fuselage, the strip wing box and the canard forms a smooth transition in thickness. The canard power system consists of several ducted fans mounted on the canard; the front of the strip-shaped wing box is equipped with ducted fan baffles that can slide left and right, which are used to open in the direction away from the main fuselage during vertical take-off and landing, so that the ducted fans of the fuselage power system can be exposed and work normally; when flying at level or on land, they are closed in the direction closer to the main fuselage, and cover the upper and lower openings of some or all of the ducted fans, thereby reducing flight drag and protecting the ducted fans; The connection between the strip wing box and the canard is provided with two side spars extending toward the tail. The tail is located at the end of the side spars and includes a horizontal stabilizer and a pair of vertical stabilizers. Each vertical stabilizer is erected on one side spar and the horizontal stabilizer is located between the two vertical stabilizers. Several ducted fans are installed on the horizontal stabilizer. The autopilot chassis is located at the bottom of the lifting body fuselage. It serves as a vehicle chassis when driving on land and as landing gear during takeoff, landing and flight. When taking off using a runway, the autopilot chassis can provide thrust. The tail-end power unit consists of several ducted fans mounted on the tail and / or horizontal stabilizer, used to provide lift for vertical takeoff and landing and / or thrust during level flight.

2. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ducted fan baffle has a U-shaped plate structure, with its opening wrapping around the strip wing box from front to back, and extending from the upper and lower sides to the rear of the strip wing box respectively.

3. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The canard features a two-section pivotable folding structure, with a pivotable connection between the canard and the strip wing box. This allows the canard to be folded up when the aircraft is on land or parked, and deployed during flight. The side spars are telescopic, retracting when the aircraft is on land or parked, and extending during flight. The horizontal stabilizer is foldable, swinging down to a vertical position when the aircraft is taking off and landing, on land or parked, and deploying to a horizontal position during level flight.

4. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The tail section adopts a twin-boom high-mounted horizontal stabilizer structure; the tail power mechanism consists of several vertical small-thrust ducted fans mounted on the horizontal stabilizer and horizontal large-thrust ducted fans mounted on the rear of the main fuselage; the small-thrust ducted fans provide lift during vertical takeoff and landing, while the large-thrust ducted fans provide forward thrust during level flight; the ducted fans on the canards are vertically mounted in front of the ailerons; ducted fan baffles are also installed at the corresponding positions of the ducted fans at the leading edge of the canards, which are opened during vertical takeoff and landing to expose and allow the ducted fans to operate normally; they are closed during level flight or ground travel, covering the upper and lower openings of the ducted fans; corresponding ducted fan baffles are also installed on the horizontal stabilizer.

5. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in any one of claims 1-3, characterized in that: The tail section features a low horizontal stabilizer structure with several horizontal ducted fans mounted on it as the tail power mechanism. These fans can tilt with the horizontal stabilizer to provide forward thrust during level flight and lift during vertical takeoff and landing. The ducted fans on the canards are horizontally mounted on their ailerons and can tilt with the ailerons to provide forward thrust during level flight and lift during vertical takeoff and landing. The two vertical stabilizers have a folding structure that allows them to be folded flat for storage when the aircraft is on land or parked.

6. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The ducted fans on each strip-shaped wing box are divided into front and rear groups; the ducted fan baffle at the front of the wing box is used to open or close the front group of ducted fans; the upper and lower openings of the rear group of ducted fans are opened or closed by flip-up baffles.

7. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 6, characterized in that: The two sets of ducted fans on the front and rear of the strip wing box are replaced with other types of aircraft engines; and the rear set of aircraft engines can also be tilted to a horizontal position to provide forward thrust during level flight.

8. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The cabin is a replaceable design, which can be selected according to the needs of the transported object, power consumption, or usage scenario.

9. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting body fuselage and the autopilot chassis adopt a detachable structure. After separation, the lifting body fuselage flies independently as an aircraft, while the autopilot chassis serves as an independent booster and take-off and landing platform, capable of autonomous driving and parking.

10. The blended wing-body lifting body flying car as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The tip of the canard can be fitted with winglets according to lift requirements.

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