US 11,794,891 B2
Aerial vehicle equipped with multicopter mechanism
Eiji Shima, Tokyo (JP); Seiji Tsutsumi, Tokyo (JP); and Keiichiro Fujimoto, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 17/413,896
Filed by JAPAN AEROSPACE EXPLORATION AGENCY, Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 19, 2019, PCT No. PCT/JP2019/028386
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 14, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/121582, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 18, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2018-234303 (JP), filed on Dec. 14, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0048617 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64C 9/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2006.01)
CPC B64C 29/0033 (2013.01) [B64C 9/00 (2013.01); B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64C 2009/005 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aerial vehicle, comprising:
a propulsion unit that includes a base body, a rotary shaft extending in a first direction and penetrating the base body, and thrust producing mechanisms provided at both ends of the rotary shaft and produces a propulsion force for flying in air; and
a fuselage unit that is suspended from the propulsion unit below the rotary shaft, has a center of gravity at a position below the rotary shaft, is configured to be freely rotatable around the rotary shaft, and is capable of storing an article,
wherein a first pair of propeller portions is mounted on one end of the rotary shaft, and a second pair of propeller portions is mounted on another end of the rotary shaft,
wherein the first pair of propeller portions is arranged in parallel in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and the second pair of propeller portions is arranged in parallel in the second direction, and
wherein the rotary shaft is configured to be freely rotatable in the base body according to propulsion forces emitted by each propeller portion of the first pair of propeller portions and each propeller portion of the second pair of propeller portions.