Dual motor input with overrunning clutch

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11970283-B2
Application number	US-202318115265-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2023
Priority date	May 16, 2019
Publication date	Apr 30, 2024
Grant date	Apr 30, 2024

Abstract

A dual-motor system includes a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft. The first drive shaft is coupled to a common shaft couplable to a rotationally driveable member. The dual-motor system also includes a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft. The second drive shaft is coupled to the common shaft. The first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft passing through the second drive shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dual-motor system comprising:
a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft operable to drive a rotationally driveable member;
a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft, the second drive shaft operable to drive the rotationally drivable member; and
wherein the first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft and the first drive shaft passes through the second drive shaft.

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

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

4. The dual-motor system of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft is operable to drive the rotationally drivable member via a first overrunning clutch and the second drive shaft is operable to drive the rotationally drivable member via a second overrunning clutch.

5. The dual-motor system of claim 1 , wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are rotationally coupled to an output shaft through a gear set.

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

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

8. The dual-motor system 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.

9. The dual-motor system 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.

10. An aircraft comprising:
a rotor;
a first motor rotationally coupled to a first drive shaft and operable to drive the rotor;
a second motor rotationally coupled to a second drive shaft and operable to drive the rotor; and
wherein the first motor and the second motor are coaxially aligned with the first drive shaft and the first drive shaft passes through the second drive shaft.

11. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the rotor comprises blades.

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

13. The aircraft of claim 10 , wherein the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are operable to drive the rotor through a gear set.

14. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the gear set is a planetary gear set.

15. The aircraft of claim 13 , wherein the first drive shaft is operable to drive the rotor via a first overrunning clutch and the second drive shaft is operable to drive the rotor via a second overrunning clutch.

16. The aircraft of claim 14 , wherein the first drive shaft is coaxial with the first motor and the second drive shaft is coaxial with the second motor.

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

18. The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the rotor is a tail rotor.

19. The aircraft of claim 17 , wherein the rotor is in a ducted fan.

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

Assignees

• 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