US 12,351,324 B2
Fault-tolerant VTOL aircraft with redundant control surfaces and actuators
JoeBen Bevirt, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Alex Stoll, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Martin van der Geest, Santa Cruz, CA (US); Scott MacAfee, Santa Cruz, CA (US); and Jason Ryan, Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Assigned to Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed by Joby Aero, Inc., Santa Cruz, CA (US)
Filed on May 17, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/667,566.
Application 18/667,566 is a continuation of application No. 17/379,464, filed on Jul. 19, 2021, granted, now 12,006,048.
Application 17/379,464 is a continuation in part of application No. 16/428,794, filed on May 31, 2019, granted, now 11,827,347.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/678,275, filed on May 31, 2018.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/135,387, filed on Jan. 8, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/118,504, filed on Nov. 25, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0300660 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. B64D 27/24 (2024.01); B60L 58/22 (2019.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 27/24 (2013.01) [B60L 58/22 (2019.02); B60L 2200/10 (2013.01); B64C 29/0033 (2013.01); B64D 2221/00 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, comprising:
a fuselage;
a starboard wing secured to the fuselage;
a port wing secured to the fuselage;
a first tilt rotor coupled to the starboard wing, the first tilt rotor being operationally tiltable between a lift-generating position and a thrust-generating position;
a second tilt rotor coupled to the port wing, the second tilt rotor being operationally tiltable between a lift-generating position and a thrust generating position;
a first battery;
a second battery;
a pair of control surfaces arranged on a first side of the mid-sagittal plane of the aircraft, the pair comprising a first and a second control surface; and
a first flight actuator electrically connected to the first battery and a second flight actuator electrically connected to the second battery, wherein the first and second flight actuators are mechanically connected to the first and second control surfaces respectively.