The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 10, 2023
Filed:
Aug. 03, 2022
Karem Aircraft, Inc., Lake Forest, CA (US);
Abraham Karem, Santa Ana, CA (US);
John Paul Parcell, Irvine, CA (US);
Karem Aircraft, Inc., Lake Forest, CA (US);
Abstract
An up-down flapping wingtip is provided for a ground effect vehicle. The wingtip is positionable at an anhedral angle to control the wingtip clearance from ground. Variable wingtip clearance reduces the risk of damage due to collision with the ground or water, thereby permitting more efficient flight at lower altitude with an equivalent safety. The wingtip is positioned by a wingtip flap and an actuator. The wingtip anhedral angle is controlled by a flight control system. A sensor is included for determining whether an object lies in the path of the wingtip. The sensor communicates with the flight control system in order to vary the flapping angle of the wingtip to increase clearance from the ground or water, thus avoiding impact with the object. The wingtip anhedral angle is reduced to increase the wingspan for flight out of ground effect.