IP Library › Granted Patent US 12679534

Granted Patent B2

US 12679534 · App. 18/806,869 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Aircraft and rotor blade module

Inventor: Tasuku Nakai (Minamisoma, JP)

Assignee: teTra aviation corp.

B64C29/0025 B64C29/0091 B64D27/34 B64D27/357

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12679534
App. No.: 18/806,869
Granted: Jul 14, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An aircraft that performs vertical take-off and landing includes: a fuselage; at least one pair of fixed wings; a rotor blade; a rotational drive unit that rotationally drives the rotor blade by electric power; and a support that has an inner space that accommodates at least a part of the rotational drive unit, and supports the rotor blade, wherein the support has a first opening forming portion that has a first opening communicating the inner space and the outside of the support at a position different from a position downstream of an airflow blown by rotation of the rotor blade, and a second opening forming portion that has a second opening communicating the inner space and the outside of the support at a position downstream of the airflow blown by rotation of the rotor blade.

Claims (62)

1 . An aircraft that performs vertical take-off and landing, the aircraft comprising:

a fuselage;

at least one pair of fixed wings that extends in a left-right direction from the fuselage;

a rotor blade configured to generate thrust to propel the aircraft vertically upward by being rotationally driven;

a rotational drive unit configured to rotationally drive the rotor blade by electric power; and

a support that extends in a front-back direction of the aircraft, has an inner space that accommodates at least a part of the rotational drive unit, and supports the rotor blade, wherein

the rotor blade is rotatably supported by the support vertically above the support,

the support has a first opening forming portion that has a first opening communicating the inner space and an outside of the support at a position different from a position downstream of an airflow blown by rotation of the rotor blade, and a second opening forming portion that has a second opening communicating the inner space and the outside of the support at a position downstream of the airflow blown by rotation of the rotor blade in such a manner that air in the inner space flows out to the outside of the support due to decrease in pressure in the vicinity of the second opening by the airflow blown by rotation of the rotor blade,

the support is located vertically below the fixed wing, and extends from a position in front of the fixed wing to a position behind the fixed wing, and

the first opening forming portion is located at an end face of the support in vertically upward direction.

2 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the support is configured that an outflow direction, which is a direction of an airflow flowing out of the second opening in a center of the second opening does not have a component of the vertically upward direction.

3 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion is configured that an opening direction, which is a direction orthogonal to a straight line connecting two ends forming the second opening of the outer surface of the support in a cross-section of the support by a vertical plane, the opening direction being from the inner space to the outside of the support, does not have a component of the vertically upward direction.

4 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotational drive unit includes an electric motor configured to rotationally drive the rotor blade.

5 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotational drive unit includes a speed controller configured to control the rotation speed of the rotor blade.

6 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the rotational drive unit includes a storage battery configured to supply electric power to rotationally drive the rotor blade.

7 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion is located on the outer surface of the support in the left-right direction.

8 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the support includes a shielding body that covers a portion of an inner wall surface of the support forming the inner space other than the first opening and the second opening in an airtight manner.

9 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening is located downstream of the rotor blade.

10 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

an opening direction of the second opening is a direction orthogonal to a straight line connecting two ends forming the second opening of an outer surface of the support in a cross-section of the support by a vertical plane; and

the opening direction does not have a component of a vertical upward direction.

11 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the opening direction is orthogonal to the vertical direction.

12 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the opening direction has a component of the vertically downward direction.

13 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the first opening is located underneath the at least one of the fixed wings.

14 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion is located in an area, where a normal direction in the outer surface of the support has a component of a vertically downward direction, of the outer surface of the support, and

the second opening forming portion includes a recessed shape such that, in an edge portion forming the second opening, a vertically downward portion is located more inwardly in the support than a vertically upward portion.

15 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion is located in an area, where a normal direction in the outer surface of the support has a component of a vertically upward direction, of the outer surface of the support, and

16 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion includes a protruding shape such that, in an edge portion forming the second opening, a vertically upward portion is located more outwardly in the support than a vertically downward portion.

17 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

18 . The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein

the second opening forming portion includes a shape in which, in an edge portion forming the second opening, a vertically upward portion is separated from a vertically downward portion along the outer surface of the support.

19 . A rotor blade module fixed to a fixed wing extending in a left-right direction from a fuselage of an aircraft, the rotor blade module comprising: