Propeller control system of air mobility

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11845533-B2
Application number	US-202217699877-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 21, 2022
Priority date	Jun 17, 2021
Publication date	Dec 19, 2023
Grant date	Dec 19, 2023

Abstract

A propeller control system of an air mobility is configured to insert a movable part forming a propeller into a fixed part in a situation where the air mobility is stored and crashes, thereby reducing an entire length of the propeller. As a result, an entire size of the air mobility is reduced when the air mobility is stored, which may prevent secondary accidents caused by fragments generated by contact of the rotated propeller with the ground in the situation where the air mobility crashes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A propeller control system of an air mobility, the propeller control system comprising:
a driving shaft connected to a driving motor to be rotated;
a rotary shaft connected to the driving shaft via a first clutch to be rotated with the driving shaft according to whether the first clutch is engaged;
a fixed part extending from the rotary shaft, having an internal space formed in the fixed part, and forming a shape of part of a propeller;
a movable part provided to be withdrawn from or inserted into the internal space of the fixed part, and forming a shape of the remainder of the propeller when withdrawn from the fixed part;
a pulley mechanism connected to the driving shaft and connected to the movable part through the fixed part; and
a control part configured to determine whether the movable part is inserted or withdrawn, and to control the first clutch to be disengaged when the movable part is inserted, such that the movable part connected to the pulley mechanism is inserted into the fixed part as the driving shaft and the pulley mechanism other than the rotary shaft are rotated by the driving motor,
wherein the driving shaft and the pulley mechanism are connected via a second clutch, and the driving shaft and the pulley mechanism are rotated together according to whether the second clutch is engaged.

2. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary shaft is rotatably installed on the air mobility, and the pulley mechanism is disposed inside the rotary shaft, so as to have the pulley mechanism rotatably installed on an upper side of the rotary shaft and to have the driving shaft connected to the pulley mechanism on a lower side of the rotary shaft.

3. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the first clutch is composed of a first clutch plate provided on the rotary shaft, and a first friction plate moved by a first driving part installed on the driving shaft to be engaged or disengaged to the first clutch plate.

4. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein an elastomer configured to deliver a force in a direction in which the movable part is withdrawn is provided in the internal space of the fixed part.

5. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the pulley mechanism comprises:
a pulley part rotatably installed on the rotary shaft and connected to the driving shaft; and
a wire part having one end connected to the pulley part and an opposite end connected to the movable part, and allowing the movable part to be inserted into the fixed part by being wound around the pulley part upon rotation of the pulley part.

6. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a brake installed on the air mobility, and contacting the rotary shaft according to whether the air mobility is operated to restrict the rotation of the rotary shaft.

7. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 6 , wherein the control part controls the brake to be operated when the movable part is inserted such that the rotation of the rotary shaft is restricted, and controls the first clutch to be disengaged such that the movable part is inserted into the fixed part by the pulley mechanism.

8. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the second clutch is composed of a second clutch plate provided in the pulley mechanism, and a second friction plate moved by a second driving part installed on the driving shaft to be engaged or disengaged to the second clutch plate.

9. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the control part controls the second clutch to be engaged when the movable part is inserted such that the driving shaft and the pulley mechanism are rotated together.

10. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the control part controls the first clutch to be engaged and the second clutch to be disengaged when the movable part is withdrawn in a state of being inserted such that the movable part is withdrawn by a centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the rotary shaft.

11. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the control part receives a flight state of the air mobility, and controls the driving motor to be operated at a preset emergency speed when determining that the air mobility crashes such that the movable part is inserted.

12. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 , wherein the control part controls the driving motor to be operated at a preset storage speed when the air mobility is stored such that the movable part is inserted.

13. The propeller control system of the air mobility according to claim 1 ,
wherein the fixed part is provided with a sensor part configured to confirm a position of the movable part, and
wherein the control part controls the driving motor not to be operated when receiving the fact that the movable part is completely inserted or withdrawn by the sensor part, when the movable part is inserted or withdrawn by the operation of the driving motor.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Yoo Ji Woo
• Kim Keon Woo
• Moh Kwan Ho
• Nam Youn Sic

Classifications

• B64C11/003 Primary

  Variable-diameter propellers; Mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B64C11/28 Primary

  Collapsible or foldable blades · CPC title

• B64D27/24

  using steam or spring force (jet aircraft B64D27/16) · CPC title

• B64C27/473 Primary

  Constructional features · CPC title

• B64D35/02

  specially adapted for specific power plants · CPC title