IP Library Granted Patent US 12,565,341
Granted Patent B2
US 12,565,341 · App. 18/097,935 · Granted Mar 3, 2026

Manned and unmanned aircraft

Inventors: James Kaiser (Hagerstown, MD); William Vatis (Arlington, VA)
Assignee: Dronexus Aero LLC
B64U10/13B64C25/06B64C27/12B64C27/14B64C27/50B64D17/80B64D35/06B64U30/24B64U40/10B64C2027/8272B64U10/60B64U50/31
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,565,341
App. No.
18/097,935
Granted
Mar 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A manned or unmanned aircraft has a main body with a circular shape and a circular outer periphery. One or more rotor blades extend substantially horizontally outward from the main body at or about the circular outer periphery. In addition, one or more counter-rotation blades extend substantially horizontally outward from said main body at or about the circular outer periphery, but vertically offset from the main rotor blades.

Claims (29)

1 . An aircraft comprising:

a main body having an outer side;

a thrust generator coupled to said main body and extending outward from said main body beyond the outer side of said main body to generate a thrust beyond the outer side of said main body; and

a direction regulator movably coupled to said main body to move between a first position at which said direction regulator avoids interference with the thrust, and a second position at which said direction regulator at least partially engages the thrust.

2 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein the thrust pushes on said direction regulator in the second position to tilt the aircraft toward said direction regulator in the second position.

3 . The aircraft of claim 2 , wherein said aircraft moves in the direction in which it is pushed by the thrust.

4 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein said direction regulator has an outer planar surface that in the second position is substantially orthogonal to the thrust direction.

5 . The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a drive assembly comprising:

a central shaft;

a mount rotatably coupled to said central shaft and coupled to said thrust generator;

a bearing fixedly coupled to said mount;

a platform fixedly coupled to said shaft;

a gear rotatably engaged with said bearing;

a motor or engine mounted to said platform and rotatably driving said gear to rotate said bearing, which rotates said mount and said thrust generator.

6 . The aircraft of claim 5 , wherein each of said mount, bearing, platform and gear have a planar surface that are parallel to one another and orthogonal to a longitudinal axis of said central shaft, and the thrust direction.

7 . The aircraft of claim 1 , further comprising a movement mechanism coupled to said direction regulator configured to move said direction regulator between the first position and the second position.

8 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein said thrust generator comprises one or more rotating blades.

9 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein said direction regulator comprises a flat flap.

10 . The aircraft of claim 1 , wherein said direction regulator is coupled at the outer side of said main body.

11 . An aircraft comprising:

a main body having an outer side;

a thrust generator coupled to said main body and extending outward from said main body beyond the outer side of said main body to generate a thrust beyond the outer side of said main body; and

a plurality of direction regulators each separately and movably coupled to said main body;

a movement mechanism coupled to said plurality of direction regulators and configured to separately and independently move each of said plurality of direction regulators between a first position at which each of said plurality of direction regulators avoids interference with the thrust, and a second position at which each of said plurality of direction regulators at least partially engages the thrust.

12 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the thrust pushes on each of said plurality of direction regulators in the second position to tilt the aircraft.

13 . The aircraft of claim 12 , wherein said aircraft moves in a desired direction in which it tilts.

14 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein said thrust generator comprises one or more rotating blades.

15 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of direction regulator each comprises a flat flap.

16 . The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein said plurality of direction regulators are coupled at the outer side of said main body.

Continuity (8)
Continuation 16192330 · Nov 15, 2018
Continuation In Part 15883781 · Jan 30, 2018
Continuation 15600296 · May 19, 2017
Continuation In Part 15058708 · Mar 2, 2016
Continuation In Part 14712062 · May 14, 2015
Provisional Application 62724475 · Aug 29, 2018
Provisional Application 62001418 · May 21, 2014
Related Publication 20230150657A1 · May 18, 2023
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