Ultra-soft, ultra-elastic gel airfoils

17 Pages·2013·1.4 MB·English

US005868597A
Ulllted States Patent [19] [11] Patent Number: 5,868,597
Chen [45] Date of Patent: Feb. 9, 1999
[54] ULTRA-SOFT, ULTRA-ELASTIC GEL [51] Int. Cl.6 ................................................... .. A63H 27/00
AIRFOILS [52] US. Cl. ............................................. .. 446/46; 446/486
_ _ [58] Field of Search ............................... .. 446/46, 48, 486
[75] Inventor: John Youngfu Chen, Paci?ca, Calif.
_ _ _ [56] References Cited
[73] Ass1gnee: Applied Elastomerlcs, Inc., South San
Francisco, Calif. US. PATENT DOCUMENTS
[21] Appl, NQ_; 256,235 4,255,893 3/1981 Anderson et al. ...................... .. 446/48
4,737,128 4/1988 Moormann et al. .................... .. 446/46
[22] PCT Filed: Jun. 27, 1994 4,846,757 7/1989 McMurray ............................ .. 446/486
5,655,947 8/1997 Chen ....................................... .. 446/46
[86] PCT No.: PCT/US94/07314
Primary Examiner—Robert A. Hafer
§ 371 Date: Jun‘ 27’ 1994 Assistant Examiner—Jeffrey D. Carlson
§ 102(6) Date: Jun. 27, 1994 [57] ABSTRACT
[87] PCT Pub‘ NO‘: W096/00118 Anovel rotating aerodynamic toy made of a ultra-elastic gel
PCT Pub Date; Jan_ 4, 1996 airfoil Which is suitable for launch in light or heavy Wind
conditions and capable of performing various aerodynamic
Related US, Application Data effects including climb, stall, return, straight-line ?ight and
other aerobatics. The ultra-elastic properties of the airfoil
[63] Continuation-in-part of PCT/US94/O4278 Apr. 19, 1994, alloW the airfoil to transform by at least 50% extension of its
continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 152,734, Nov. 15, 1993, Pat. aerodynamic pro?le at launch and; While in ?ight; one or
No. 5,624,294, and a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 114, more preselected siZed cavities and holes, slots and holes,
688, Aug. 30, 1993, Pat. No. 5,475,890, and a continuation
in-part of Ser. No. 935,540, Aug. 24, 1992, Pat. No. 5,336, cavities, slots and holes and cavities, slots, or holes provide
708, and a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 876,118, Apr. 29, handling, elastic control of airfoil pro?le stretching for
1992, Pat. No. 5,324,222, and a continuation-in-part of Ser. ?ight, and ?ight stability.
No. 705,096, May 23, 1991, Pat. No. 5,655,947, which is a
continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 527,085, May 21, 1990,
15 Claims, 9 Drawing Sheets
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U.S. Patent Feb. 9, 1999 Sheet 1 of9 5,868,597
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5,868,597
U.S. Patent Feb. 9, 1999 Sheet 2 of9

U.S. Patent Feb. 9, 1999 Sheet 7 of9 5,868,597
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U.S. Patent Feb. 9, 1999 Sheet 8 of9 5,868,597
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