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. 26, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 04, 1998
Charles A. Pell, Durham, NC (US);
Nekton Technologies, Inc., Durham, NC (US);
Abstract
A vehicle with improved maneuverability includes: a vehicle body; a first bladelike element; a first tuned compliant transmission shaft attached to the bladelike element; and a reciprocating unit for reciprocally driving the bladelike element within a fluid medium in a first travel path such that interaction between the bladelike element and a fluid medium produces propulsive forces that propel the vehicle body in a desired direction. Preferably, the pitch and heave natural frequencies of the natural transmission shaft are approximately equal to each other and to the natural bending frequency and torsional frequency of the bladelike element, and the natural thrust frequency of the transmission shaft is often approximately twice that of the pitch frequency. In this configuration, the vehicle can be directed in virtually any direction, the directing force is be generated far more quickly than is the case for prior art vehicles, and energy typically lost as shaking or vibration instead provides thrust.