Impellers with bladelike elements and compliant tuned transmission shafts and vehicles including same
US6250585A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 4, 1998 |
| Grant date | Jun 26, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 4, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
- CPC primaryB64C33/00
- WIPO fieldTransport
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A vehicle with improved maneuverability includes: a vehicle body; a first bladelike element; a first tuned compliant transmission shaft attached to the bladelike element; and a reciprocating unit for reciprocally driving the bladelike element within a fluid medium in a first travel path such that interaction between the bladelike element and a fluid medium produces propulsive forces that propel the vehicle body in a desired direction. Preferably, the pitch and heave natural frequencies of the natural transmission shaft are approximately equal to each other and to the natural bending frequency and torsional frequency of the bladelike element, and the natural thrust frequency of the transmission shaft is often approximately twice that of the pitch frequency. In this configuration, the vehicle can be directed in virtually any direction, the directing force is be generated far more quickly than is the case for prior art vehicles, and energy typically lost as shaking or vibration instead provides thrust.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.