Multicopter Fuselage Elevation and Rotor Startup Sequence
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Solution Overview
Problem
Multicopters with unshielded rotors face safety challenges, particularly in preventing rotor strikes on people and objects, and require lightweight safety measures due to weight restrictions in ultralight aircraft designs.
Innovation Solution
A multicopter design featuring a wide span rotor configuration with overlapping inner rotors and non-overlapping outer rotors, where the fuselage is elevated above the rotors to protect the pilot, and the rotors are tilted at fixed angles for efficient maneuvering and safety, with the inner middle rotors initially starting up to minimize exposure during takeoff and landing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If unshielded rotors are used in multicopter design, then device complexity and weight are reduced, but safety is worsened due to risk of rotor strikes on people and objects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent elevates the fuselage to a height above the rotor plane, creating a vertical dimensional separation between the pilot and the rotating blades. This dimensional change allows the pilot to be positioned in a safe zone above the rotor disk, eliminating the need for traditional rotor shields while maintaining safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a controlled rotor startup sequence where inner middle rotors are activated first while outer rotors remain stationary, forming a protective barrier. This preliminary action creates a safe operational state during takeoff and landing phases when people may be nearby, reducing rotor strike risk without requiring permanent shielding structures.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If safety measures are added to protect against rotor strikes, then safety is improved, but weight increases which violates ultralight aircraft restrictions
Solution Approach 1:
By moving the safety solution from the horizontal plane (rotor shields) to the vertical dimension (elevated fuselage), the patent eliminates the need for heavy shielding materials while maintaining protection. The fuselage elevation itself provides the safety function without adding dedicated protective components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the safety function from traditional rotor shield components and relocates it to the fuselage structure itself. By elevating the fuselage above the rotor plane, the existing fuselage structure serves as the protective element, eliminating the need for separate safety components and their associated weight.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If wide span rotor configuration with overlapping inner rotors is used, then safety and maneuvering efficiency are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the rotor system into functional segments: inner middle rotors that overlap and provide debris containment, and outer rotors that provide thrust and form an external protective barrier. This segmentation allows each group to serve specific safety functions while maintaining overall system efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The overlapping inner middle rotors are positioned within the span of outer rotors, creating a nested configuration where inner rotors provide internal debris protection while outer rotors provide external containment. This nested arrangement maximizes safety within the available spatial envelope.
Data Source
AI summary
An inner middle rotor is rotated while an inner front rotor, an inner back rotor, and an outer rotor are not rotated. The inner middle rotor is surrounded by the inner front rotor, the inner back rotor, the outer rotor, and a fuselage. After rotating the inner middle rotor while not rotating the inner front rotor, the inner back rotor, and the outer rotor, the inner middle rotor, the inner front rotor, the inner back rotor, and the outer rotor are simultaneously rotated.