Dual purpose vehicle for air and ground transportation, and related methods
US10532813B2 · kind B2 · utility
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 5, 2015 |
| Grant date | Jan 14, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 26, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64C11/00
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle for providing one or more people air and ground transportation includes a body, a wing, and a coupler that attaches the wing to the body. The body is configured to carry one or more people. The wing is moveable from a first position (ground mode) in which the wing does not generate lift as the body moves through the air, to a second position (flight mode) in which the wing does generate lift as the body moves through the air. The coupler is configured to hold the wing in the first and second positions, and to hold the wing as the wing moves from the first position to the second position, during which the wing rotates about a longitudinal axis. Some embodiments of the vehicle successfully combine aircraft design features with three-wheeled motorcycle design features to create an aesthetically pleasing vehicle that can be driven from an origin on the ground to a safe location for a conventional takeoff, and transitioned, in minimal time, from a road vehicle to an aircraft with safe, conventional controls that provide good handling characteristics on par or better than general aviation aircraft on the market today.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.