The present invention relates to personal flying apparatuses.
Some apparatuses are known in the art, for example gliders, parachutes, etc. The existing apparatuses, however can be improved by providing a more efficient lifting force.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a flying apparatus which is a further improvement of the existing flying apparatuses.
In keeping with these objects and with others which will become apparent hereinafter, one feature of the present invention resides, briefly stated, in a personal flying apparatus, comprising a substantially horizontal element having a lower surface adapted to acted on by a wind upwardly to create a wind-generated lifting force; and an inflatable element connected with said substantially horizontal element and filled with gas which is lighter than air to create a gas-generated lifting force, so that both the wind-generating lifting force and the gas-generating lifting force jointly lift the flying apparatus to allow it to fly.
When the flying apparatus is designed in accordance with the present invention, it utilizes the wind force and the gas force to create a lifting force for the apparatus in an advantageous manner.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the present invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.
The upper substantially horizontal element 1 and the lower inflatable element 2 are connected with one another for example by ropes which is identified with reference numeral 3. Each rope 3 has means 4 for connecting one end of the rope to the substantially horizontal element 1, and means 5 for connecting another end of the rope to the inflatable element 2. The reference numeral 6 identifies a place for a seat for a user.
When the inflatable apparatus is used by a user, wind acts from below against a lower surface of the substantially horizontal element 1 so that wind force generates a wind-generated lifting force of the apparatus, and at the same time the gas in the inflatable element 2 generates additional lifting force, so that the apparatus can be movable under the action of the combined force of wind and gas.
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It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of constructions differing from the types described above.
While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a personal flying apparatus, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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1060058 | Atwater | Apr 1913 | A |
1287134 | Swanson | Dec 1918 | A |
1569391 | Sussna et al. | Jan 1926 | A |
2405907 | Schmitt | Aug 1946 | A |
4050653 | Sayers | Sep 1977 | A |
4261534 | Roselli | Apr 1981 | A |
5967459 | Hayashi | Oct 1999 | A |
6708927 | Chen | Mar 2004 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20070051853 A1 | Mar 2007 | US |