IP Library Granted Patent US 12691386
Granted Patent B2
US 12691386 · App. 18/828,933 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Rotor flight vehicle

Inventor: Anders Ljung (Mönsterås, SE)
Assignee: ACC Innovation AB
A63H27/12B64C27/08B64C27/14B64D35/02B64D35/021B64D35/04B64U10/13F16H7/02B64U10/10B64U50/19
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12691386
App. No.
18/828,933
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Rotor flight vehicle includes a first rotor, a power unit, a transmission from the power unit to the first rotor, wherein said transmission comprises at least one belt, a group of rotational axes, at least one power output axle connected to the power unit and at least one rotor axle connected to said first rotor, the belt is applied to the power output axle, the power output axle is concentric with a rotational axis, the belt transmits power to the rotor axle, the rotor axle is concentric with a rotational axis, wherein consecutive rotational axes of the group of rotational axes extend in a relation to each other such that the angle between them is in the range of 80-100 degrees, wherein the belt has a maximal torsion of 80-100 degrees, in the belt's transition between two respective consecutive rotational axes of the group of rotational axes.

Claims (20)

1 . A drone flight vehicle, comprising

a first rotor including a first rotor axle;

a power unit including a power output axle; and

a transmission from the power unit to the first rotor, wherein said transmission comprises one belt,

wherein the transmission is configured to provide rotational power to the first rotor to provide a lift force to the drone flight vehicle,

wherein said belt wraps around the rotor axle at two different locations on the rotor axle, and the belt wraps around the power output axle at two different locations on the power output axle, and

wherein the drone flight vehicle comprises a second rotor, a third rotor, and a fourth rotor with a respective belt that runs in the same way as the belt of the first rotor, and a respective rotor axle of the second rotor, the third rotor, and the fourth rotor.

2 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the belts have a first side and a second side, wherein the belts are installed so the belts always turn the same side towards the power output axle and the respective rotor axle of the respective rotor.

3 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the power output axle and the rotor axles are not parallel with each other.

4 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the belts are timing belts comprising teeth on a first side, and the drone flight vehicle further includes a first respective transmission pulley and a second respective transmission pulley for each respective rotor axle of the first rotor, the second rotor, the third rotor, and the fourth rotor, and these respective first and second transmission pulleys comprise grooves for accommodating the teeth, wherein the power output axle comprises a respective first and second transmission pulley for each belt.

5 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein a connection between the belts and the rotor axles comprises at least one one-way bearing, such that the belts can only power the rotors in one direction.

6 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein the drone flight vehicle further comprises a first respective transmission pulley and a second respective transmission pully for each respective rotor axle of the first rotor, the second rotor, the third rotor, and the fourth rotor, wherein the first transmission pulley of the respective rotor axle comprises a one-way bearing attachment to the respective rotor axle, and the second transmission pulley of the respective rotor axle comprises a two-way rotational bearing attachment to the respective rotor axle.

7 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 6 , wherein the at least one one-way bearing is a sprag clutch.

8 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 5 , wherein a first transmission pulley of the power output axle of the respective belt comprises a one-way bearing attachment, and the second transmission pulley of the respective rotor axle comprises a two-way rotational bearing attachment to the rotor axle.

9 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 8 , wherein the at least one one-way bearing is a sprag clutch.

10 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the power unit comprises a combustion engine or an electric motor.

11 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first rotor, the second rotor, the third rotor, or the fourth rotor comprises collective and/or cyclic pitch, wherein the at least one of the first rotor, the second rotor, the third rotor, or the fourth rotor comprises a swashplate for controlling blades of a corresponding rotor, where in the control of the swashplate is achieved by a group of power means being at least three power means connected to the swashplate.

12 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 11 , wherein the input rotational power to each rotor is kept constant.

13 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the same power unit powers all rotors of the drone flight vehicle.

14 . The drone flight vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the drone flight vehicle comprises a further redundant power unit that operates in parallel by transmitting power to a same drive axle as the power unit for redundantly powering the drone flight vehicle.