公开(公告)号：US20220371727A1

公开(公告)日：2022-11-24

申请号：US17324184

申请日：2021-05-19

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Brent C. Ross ,  Kirk L. Groninga ,  Steven R. Ivans ,  Jason Paul Hurst

IPC: B64C29/00 ,  B64C13/24 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64D35/04

Abstract: Embodiments include an aircraft comprising a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and first and second propulsion systems connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second propulsion systems and at least a portion of the wing are tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in a cruise mode, wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

公开(公告)号：US11718397B2

公开(公告)日：2023-08-08

申请号：US17324184

申请日：2021-05-19

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Brent C. Ross ,  Kirk L. Groninga ,  Steven R. Ivans ,  Jason Paul Hurst

IPC: B64C29/00 ,  B64C13/24 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64D35/04

CPC classification number: B64C29/0033 ,  B64C13/24 ,  B64D27/24 ,  B64D35/04

Abstract: Embodiments include an aircraft comprising a fuselage; a wing connected to the fuselage; and first and second propulsion systems connected to the wing on opposite sides of the fuselage, wherein at least a portion of each of the first and second propulsion systems and at least a portion of the wing are tiltable between a first position in which the aircraft is in a hover mode and a second position in which the aircraft is in a cruise mode, wherein each of the propulsion systems includes pylon and a rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades.

公开(公告)号：US20220388682A1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-08

申请号：US17538536

申请日：2021-11-30

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Jason Paul Hurst ,  John Robert Wittmaak, JR. ,  Joshua Allan Edler ,  Chad Sparks ,  Nicholas Brodeur

IPC: B64F1/36 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64F1/00 ,  B64F1/32 ,  B64F1/22 ,  E04H6/44 ,  E04B7/16 ,  E04B1/343 ,  G06Q10/08

Abstract: A kiosk for use an unmanned aerial system (UAS) delivery system is disclosed. In one embodiment, the kiosk includes an enclosure comprising at least one vertical wall having a secured entrance therethrough to prevent unauthorized persons from entering the enclosure, wherein an external appearance of the enclosure corresponds to a location of the kiosk; a landing zone for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of the UAS located within the enclosure, the landing zone comprising infrastructure from which the UAV can take off and on which the UAV can land; sensors for detecting an environment of at least one of the kiosk and the enclosure; and a guidance system for providing signals to the UAV to guide the UAV into the enclosure and onto the landing zone.

公开(公告)号：US11338892B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-24

申请号：US16683521

申请日：2019-11-14

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Jeffrey Paul Nissen ,  Troy Cyril Schank ,  Peter Charles Robichaux ,  Jason Paul Hurst ,  Todd Christopher Worden

IPC: B63G8/00 ,  B63B35/50 ,  B64F1/28 ,  B63B35/00 ,  B64C29/00

Abstract: An exemplary autonomous seabased resupply system includes an unmanned blob positioned in a water body, the blob containing fuel, a pump on the blob configured to pump the fuel through a conduit to a craft, and a ballast system operable to change a vertical position of the blob in the water body.

公开(公告)号：US20210253239A1

公开(公告)日：2021-08-19

申请号：US16795426

申请日：2020-02-19

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Steven Ray Ivans ,  Brent Chadwick Ross ,  Danielle Lynn Moore ,  Berlin Bernard Benfield ,  Jason Paul Hurst

IPC: B64C29/04 ,  B64C27/50 ,  B64D27/10 ,  B64D35/04 ,  B64C25/32 ,  B64C5/06 ,  B64C5/08 ,  B64C5/04 ,  B64C7/00

Abstract: Embodiments are directed to a high speed, vertical lift aircraft that has vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capability and is capable of converting to a forward-flight mode (e.g., prop-mode). The rotors blades can be folded for high speed forward flight propelled by a turbine engine (e.g., jet-mode). The rotor blades on the tail sitter aircraft have a “stop-fold” capability, which means that the rotor blades are stopped in flight and folded back to reduce drag. This allows the tail sitter aircraft to achieve a higher speed than a tilt-rotor aircraft. In some embodiments, the tail sitter aircraft achieves both rotor-borne flight and jet-borne flight by having two separate engines. An additional advantage of the tail-sitter aircraft versus a horizontally oriented fixed engine aircraft is that supplemental jet thrust can be used for take-off if desired.

公开(公告)号：US20200290737A1

公开(公告)日：2020-09-17

申请号：US16743203

申请日：2020-01-15

Applicant: Bell Textron Inc.

Inventor： Steven Ray Ivans ,  Jason Paul Hurst ,  Brent Chadwick Ross ,  John Richard McCullough ,  Paul K. Oldroyd

IPC: B64C29/02 ,  G05D1/00 ,  B64C39/02 ,  B64D1/08 ,  B64C39/06 ,  B64D25/12

Abstract: An aircraft for capturing drones includes an airframe having a drone channel with first and second wings extending outboard thereof. A two-dimensional distributed thrust array includes a plurality of propulsion assemblies coupled to each of the first and second wings such that the rotor disc of each propulsion assembly is outboard of the drone channel. A flight control system is coupled to the airframe and is operable to independently control each of the propulsion assemblies. A mesh bag is coupled to the drone channel forming a drone capture net. The aircraft is configured to convert between thrust-borne lift in a VTOL orientation and wing-borne lift in a biplane orientation. The aircraft is also configured to overtake a drone during flight in the biplane orientation such that the drone passes through the drone channel into the mesh bag, thereby capturing the drone in the drone capture net.