Dual motor input with overrunning clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11613375-B2
Application number	US-201916414402-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2019
Priority date	May 16, 2019
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

An exemplary dual motor input includes a common shaft for coupling to a member to be rotationally driven, a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft, and a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual motor input comprising:
a common shaft for coupling to a member to be rotationally driven;
a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft;
a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft; and
the first motor and the second motor coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.

2. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are electric motors.

3. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are hydraulic motors.

4. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft is directly coupled to the common shaft by a first overrunning clutch and the second drive shaft is directly coupled to the common shaft by a second overrunning clutch.

5. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the common shaft is rotationally coupled to an output shaft through a gear set.

6. The dual motor input of claim 5 , wherein the gear set is a planetary gear set.

7. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the common shaft is rotationally coupled to an output shaft through a gear set; and
the first motor and the second motor are electric motors.

8. An aircraft comprising:
a rotor;
a common shaft coupled to the rotor;
a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft;
a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft; and
the first motor and the second motor coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.

9. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the rotor comprises blades.

10. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the first motor and the second motor are electric motors.

11. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the common shaft is coupled to the rotor through a gear set.

12. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the gear set is a planetary gear set.

13. The aircraft of claim 11 , wherein the first drive shaft is directly coupled to the common shaft by a first overrunning clutch and the second drive shaft is directly coupled to the common shaft by a second overrunning clutch.

14. An aircraft comprising:
a rotor;
a common shaft coupled to the rotor through a planetary gear set;
a first electric motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft, the first drive shaft coupled to the common shaft by a first overrunning clutch; and
a second electric motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft coupled to the common shaft by a second overrunning clutch, wherein the first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.

15. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the rotor is a tail rotor.

16. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the rotor is in a ducted fan.

17. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the rotor comprises blades.

18. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft is coaxial with the first motor and the second drive shaft is coaxial with the second motor.

19. The dual motor input of claim 1 , wherein:
the first drive shaft is a motor shaft of the first motor; and
the second drive shaft is a motor shaft of the second motor.

20. The aircraft of claim 8 , wherein the first drive shaft is coaxial with the first motor and the second drive shaft is coaxial with the second motor.

Assignees

• Bell Textron Inc
• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Groninga Kirk L
• Robertson Daniel B

Classifications

• B64D35/08 Primary

  characterised by the transmission being driven by a plurality of power plants (for hybrid-electric power plants B64D35/022) · CPC title

• B64D35/02

  specially adapted for specific power plants · CPC title

• B64D27/34

  All-electric aircraft · CPC title

• B64D35/021

  for electric power plants · CPC title

• B64C27/20

  Rotorcraft characterised by having shrouded rotors, e.g. flying platforms · CPC title