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:
Jun. 12, 2001
Filed:
Feb. 10, 1999
John W. Rutherford, Scottsdale, AZ (US);
Other;
Abstract
An apparatus that permits a rotatable wing to be operated in three modes: a first orientation mode, a second orientation mode, and a mode in which the wing rotates (called the rotating mode). The apparatus permits the wing to be stowed and used in both fixed-wing flight and rotary wing flight. The apparatus may be a component of an aircraft capable of fixed-wing flight with a fuselage oriented generally in the direction of flight. In the first orientation mode, the wing is generally parallel to the orientation of the fuselage, providing a relatively compact stowage configuration. In the second orientation mode, the wing is generally perpendicular to the orientation of the fuselage. The first orientation mode thus facilitates stowage of the wing during stowed flight of such an aircraft under power of a host aircraft, the second orientation mode facilitates fixed-wing flight, and the rotating mode facilitates rotating-wing flight. The wing may be started into auto-driven (i.e., autogyro) operation after operating in fixed-wing flight. Once in the wing has fully engaged in self-powered rotation, no torque needs to be applied. Since the motor of the aircraft needs only to move the aircraft's wing between the first and second orientation modes, and into a self-powered rotating mode, the motor may have relatively simple structure.