Remote controlled toy helicopter

Abstract

A remote-controlled toy helicopter comprises a body; a motor in the helicopter, a battery for powering the motor, and a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller. A main rotor with blades is driven by a rotor shaft and causing a first lift force developed by the main rotor when the helicopter is airborne. A system permits movement of the helicopter on the ground, and these can be wheels. The helicopter travels on a floor or ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force. The helicopter includes a system to effect motion in a horizontal dimension thereby to direct the desired direction. The control includes an actuator for engaging with an assembly depending from the rotor, the inter-engagement of the actuator and assembly effecting a change in the angle of incidence of at least the one blade of the rotor. The system includes a rotor, preferably complemented with a stabilizer rotor.

1 . A toy helicopter comprising a body; a motor in the helicopter, a battery for powering the motor, and a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller, a main rotor with blades which is driven by a rotor shaft and which is hinge-mounted on this rotor shaft, such that the angle between the plane of rotation of the main rotor and the rotor shaft may vary; a control for moving the angle of incidence of at least one blade of the rotor relative to the angle of incidence of another blade of the rotor cyclically along at least part of a 360 degree rotation path around the rotor shaft, causing a variation in lift force of the blade along at least part of the rotation path and thereby cause the body to be urged in a relatively horizontal direction from a relative position of rest, and such that for first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including an element for assuring the helicopter to travel on a surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force. 
   
   
       2 . A remote control toy helicopter comprising:
 a body having a longitudinal length;   a main motor;   a battery for powering the motor;   a receiver for communicating signals between the motor and a separate remote controller;   a main rotor with propeller blades driven by the main motor, the motor driving a rotor shaft and the rotor being hinge mounted on the rotor shaft and wherein the rotor shaft is relatively forwardly tilted relative to vertical; and   wherein there is a variation in lift force of the blade, being such that for a first lift force developed by the main rotor, the helicopter is airborne, and including wheels for assuring the helicopter to travel on a ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force and not air born travel.   
   
   
       3 . A remote control toy helicopter comprising a rigid body with a tail, the rigid body being unchanged in shape for different operational modes; a motor and a battery for the motor, the motor being controllable by a controller remote from the helicopter body; a main rotor with propeller blades which is driven by a rotor shaft on which the blades are mounted; a tail rotor which is driven by a second rotor shaft from a second motor, the second rotor shaft being directed transversally to the rotor shaft of the main rotor, an auxiliary rotor driven by the rotor shaft of the main rotor for rotation in the sense of rotation of the main rotor, the auxiliary rotor being mounted such that the generally longitudinal axis of the auxiliary rotor is located relative to a generally longitudinal axis of one of the propeller blades of the main rotor, and wherein the auxiliary rotor includes elongated members, the elongated members being directed in the plane defined by the rotation of the auxiliary rotor, and wherein each propeller blade has a profile wherein along the direction of its generally longitudinal axis of each blade includes a first upwardly longitudinal convex curve from a position towards the rotor shaft to a position towards an end area of the blade, wherein the auxiliary rotor is mounted in a swinging relationship on an oscillatory shaft and the swinging motion being relatively upwardly and downwardly about the oscillatory shaft, and which oscillatory shaft is provided essentially transverse to the rotor shaft of the main rotor, such that the swinging motion of the auxiliary rotor controls the angle of incidence of at least one of the propeller blades of the main rotor, wherein the main rotor includes two propeller blades situated essentially in line with each other, and wherein each rotor blade includes a second transverse convex curve in a profile on its top face from a position towards a leading edge towards a position towards a trailing edge, the second transverse convex curve preferably being present over a substantial generally longitudinal length of the blade, and being such that for a first lift force developed by the main rotor in a first operational mode, the helicopter is airborne, and including wheels for assuring the helicopter to travel on a ground surface when the main rotor develops a second degree of lift force in a second operational mode. 
   
   
       4 . A helicopter of  claim 1  wherein the rotor shaft is relatively forwardly tilted relative to vertical. 
   
   
       5 . A helicopter of  claim 1  wherein the element for assuring movement on the surface, selectively the ground or a floor which is relatively smooth, are wheels, and preferably at least three wheels arranged in spaced relationship with the body, the wheels being arranged to permit a stable relationship of the helicopter on the ground when in an at rest position. 
   
   
       6 . A helicopter of  claim 5  including a single front wheel and two rear wheels, the rear wheels being spaced apart. 
   
   
       7 . A helicopter of  claim 5  wherein at least one wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is relatively freely pivotable to adopt different angular positions about its pivot relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body, the forward axis being an axis directed in a normal forward direction for body movement. 
   
   
       8 . A helicopter of  claim 6  wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is fixed relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body. 
   
   
       9 . A helicopter of  claim 7  further comprising a support for the at least one wheel, wherein the at least one wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the support point is located ahead of the wheel, and the support being inclined rearwardly from the support point towards an axle of the at least one wheel. 
   
   
       10 . A helicopter of  claim 2  wherein there are at least three wheels arranged in spaced relationship with the body, the wheels being arranged to permit a stable relationship of the helicopter on the ground when in a at rest position. 
   
   
       11 . A helicopter of  claim 10  including a single front wheel and two rear wheels, the rear wheels being spaced apart. 
   
   
       12 . A helicopter of  claim 10  wherein at least one wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is relatively freely pivotable to adopt different angular positions about its pivot relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body, the forward axis being an axis directed in a normal forward direction for body movement. 
   
   
       13 . A helicopter of  claim 12  further comprising a support for the at least one wheel, wherein the at least one wheel is mounted relative to the body such that the support point is located ahead of the wheel, and the support being inclined rearwardly from the support point towards an axle of the at least one wheel. 
   
   
       14 . A helicopter of  claim 11  wherein the single front wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is fixed relative to a forward axis, which extends between the front and the rear of the body. 
   
   
       15 . A helicopter of  claim 3  wherein there are at least three wheels arranged in spaced relationship with the body, the wheels being arranged to permit a stable relationship of the helicopter on the ground when in an at rest position. 
   
   
       16 . A helicopter of  claim 15  including a single front wheel and two rear wheels, the rear wheels being spaced apart. 
   
   
       17 . A helicopter of  claim 15  wherein at least one wheel is mounted relative to the body such that it is relatively freely pivotable to adopt different angular positions about its pivot relative to a forward axis which extends between the front and the rear of the body, the forward axis being an axis directed in a normal forward direction for body movement. 
   
   
       18 . The toy helicopter of  claim 2  including a second motor; a tail rotor which is driven by a second rotor shaft from the second motor, and directed transversally to the rotor shaft of the main rotor, and wherein the controller applies relatively different speeds to the second motor when the main rotor develops a second degree lift force to thereby effect turning of the helicopter travelling on the ground relative to the different speeds to the second motor when the main rotor develops a first degree lift force to thereby effect turning of the helicopter is airborne. 
   
   
       19 . The toy helicopter of  claim 3  wherein the controller applies relatively different speeds to the second motor when the main rotor develops a second degree lift force to thereby effect turning of the helicopter travelling on the ground relative to the different speeds to the second motor when the main rotor develops a first degree lift force to thereby effect turning of the helicopter is airborne.