IP Library Granted Patent US 12698070
Granted Patent B2
US 12698070 · App. 18/592,510 · Granted Aug 4, 2026

Underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion

Inventors: Chen-Wei Chen (Hangzhou City, CN); Jialin Lu (Hangzhou City, CN); Wei Lu (Ningbo, CN); Tianjiang Zheng (Ningbo, CN); Min-Chiang Chao (Hangzhou City, CN)
Assignees: Zhejiang University; Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology & Engineering, CAS
B63G8/18B63G8/08
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12698070
App. No.
18/592,510
Granted
Aug 4, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present disclosure provides an underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion. The underwater helicopter includes a disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, a rim driving mechanism, paddles and rotation adjusting mechanisms. The rim driving mechanism is annular, and the diameter size of the rim driving mechanism is matched with the circumference size of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull. The rim driving mechanism is fixedly installed in a cavity in the circumference of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull. The rotation adjusting mechanisms are uniformly and fixedly installed on the outer side of the rim driving mechanism. The paddle is fixedly connected with the rotation adjusting mechanism.

Claims (7)

1 . An underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion, comprising a disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, a rim driving mechanism, a plurality of paddles and a plurality of rotation adjusting mechanisms, wherein the rim driving mechanism is annular, and the diameter size of the rim driving mechanism is matched with the circumference size of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull; the rim driving mechanism is fixedly installed in a cavity in the circumference of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull; the rotation adjusting mechanisms are uniformly and fixedly installed on the outer side of the rim driving mechanism; the paddle is fixedly connected with the rotation adjusting mechanism; the rim driving mechanism can drive the rotation adjusting mechanisms and the paddles to rotate along the circumferential direction; each rotation adjusting mechanism can drive the connected paddle to rotate in a longitudinal profile through an axis of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull; the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, as a main body of a propeller, is combined with the rim driving mechanism, the paddles and the rotation adjusting mechanisms to jointly form the underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion, so that the integrated design of the underwater helicopter and the propeller is realized.

2 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 1 , wherein the paddles are annularly arranged on the circumference of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull in central symmetry, and when the paddles directly rotate around the axis of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, propulsive force is annularly and uniformly distributed on the whole circumference of the underwater helicopter.

3 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 1 , wherein the rim driving mechanism comprises a motor control module, an inner stator, an outer rotor, water-lubricated bearings and an annular shell, the inner stator is encapsulated in an inner cavity of the annular shell through resin glue, a certain gap exists between the outer rotor and the inner stator, the outer rotor and the inner stator are limited by two pairs of water-lubricated bearings so that the outer rotor and the inner stator are centered, the outer rotor is fixedly connected with the rotation adjusting mechanism, the motor control module is used for driving the outer rotor to rotate, and the annular shell is fixedly connected with the cavity in the circumference of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull.

4 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 3 , wherein water inlet holes and water outlet holes are formed in the annular shell, and during the operation of the rim driving mechanism, water serves as a lubricant and a coolant in the gap between the outer rotor and the inner stator.

5 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation adjusting mechanism comprises a box, a motor, a main shaft, a main gear, an intermediate shaft, a first driven wheel, a secondary gear, a second driven wheel, a connecting shaft and a support frame, the motor is fixed in the box and connected with the main shaft through a coupling, the main gear is fixed on the main shaft, the first driven wheel is meshed with the main gear, the secondary gear and the first driven wheel are fixed on the intermediate shaft, the secondary gear is meshed with the second driven wheel, the secondary gear and the second driven wheel are a pair of bevel gears, the second driven wheel and the support frame are fixed on the connecting shaft, one end of the connecting shaft is connected with the box through a bearing, one end of the support frame extends out of the box and is fixedly connected with the paddle, and the second driven wheel drives the support frame and the paddle to rotate in a plane parallel to a rotating surface of the second driven wheel through the connecting shaft.

6 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 5 , wherein an electric control system controls the motor to realize the angular variation of the support frame and the paddles at an output end in the range of −90° to 90° with a horizontal profile of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull.

7 . The underwater helicopter with cycloidal rim vector propulsion according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation adjusting mechanism drives the paddle to rotate by −90° to 90° in a plane through the axis of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull; when the angle rotates by 0° relative to the horizontal profile of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, that is, an axis of the paddle is vertical to the axis of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, the paddle provides propulsive force in the vertical direction to realize the movement of the underwater helicopter in the vertical direction; when the angle rotates by 90° or −90°, that is, the axis of the paddle is parallel to the axis of the disc-shaped underwater helicopter hull, the paddle provides propulsive force in the horizontal direction to realize the movement of the underwater helicopter in the horizontal direction; and when the angle rotates in the range of −90° to 90°, the paddle can provide propulsive force in the direction required by the underwater helicopter.