Patent ID: 9540103
Date: 2017-01-10
CPC Classifications: B64C

Claim:
1. A lift fan mechanism comprising: a motor rotor comprising a cylindrical feature with a first detent located at a first position along a circumference of the cylindrical feature and a second detent located at a second position along the circumference of the cylindrical feature, the motor rotor driven to rotate about an axis; a first blade set comprising one or more first fan blades, the first blade set coupled to the motor rotor and configured to rotate about the axis of the motor rotor as the motor rotor rotates about the axis; a second blade set comprising one or more second fan blades, the second blade set coupled to the motor rotor and configured to rotate independently from the first blade set about the axis of the motor rotor, the second blade set rotating between a collapsed configuration and a deployed blade configuration that provides maximum thrust of the lift fan mechanism; one or more pallet forks each coupled to the second blade set, each pallet fork comprising a body, a pivot, a first pawl surface, and a second pawl surface, and each pallet fork configured to rotate between a first pallet fork position and a second pallet fork position about an axis of the pivot, wherein in the first pallet fork position the first pawl surface is configured to engage the first detent responsive to the second blade set being in the collapsed configuration, and in the second pallet fork position the second pawl surface is configured to engage the second detent responsive to the second blade set being in the deployed configuration; and a drive motor coupled to the motor rotor, the drive motor configured to apply torque to the motor rotor rotating the first blade set, wherein rotation of the first blade set rotates the second blade set from the collapsed configuration to the deployed configuration and from the deployed configuration to the collapsed configuration.