Rotor system with belt driven propulsion and stowing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12459681-B2
Application number	US-202318499167-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2023
Priority date	Feb 9, 2022
Publication date	Nov 4, 2025
Grant date	Nov 4, 2025

Abstract

A vehicle includes a first rotor system having a rotor blade having an axis of rotation, a rotatable inboard drive component, and a rotatable outboard drive component. The first rotor system further includes a flexible closed loop component associated with each of the inboard drive component and the outboard drive component. Movement of the closed loop component can selectively cause at least one of rotation of the rotor blade about the axis of rotation and movement of the axis of rotation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system, comprising:
a first rotor system, comprising: a rotor blade having an axis of rotation; a rotatable gear having a gear axis; a rotatable outboard drive component; and a flexible closed loop component associated with each of the gear and the outboard drive component; wherein movement of the closed loop component can cause rotation of the rotor blade about the axis of rotation, movement of the axis of rotation relative to the gear axis in a first rotational direction when viewed from above, and movement of a second axis of rotation associated with a second rotor blade in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction when viewed from above.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second rotor system, comprising: the second rotor blade having the second axis of rotation; a second rotatable gear having a second gear axis; a second rotatable outboard drive component; and a second flexible closed loop component associated with each of the second gear and the second outboard drive component.

3 . The system of claim 2 , further comprising:
a longitudinal bisection plane; wherein movement of the axis of rotation is mirrored about the longitudinal bisection plane by the second axis of rotation.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the gear is a portion of a transmission.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the transmission comprises a second gear having a second gear axis.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein when the gear is rotated in a first direction when viewed from above, the second gear is rotated in a second opposite direction.

7 . The system of claim 5 , further comprising:
a longitudinal bisection plane; wherein the gear and the second gear are disposed substantially mirrored relative to each other about the longitudinal bisection plane.

8 . A system, comprising:
a gear having a gear axis; a rotor system comprising a rotor blade having an axis of rotation; wherein the rotor system is powered by a flexible closed loop component associated with the gear axis that transfers power to the rotor system and wherein movement of the flexible closed loop component can move the axis of rotation of the rotor blade relative to the gear axis in a first rotational direction when viewed from above, and movement of a second axis of rotation associated with a second rotor blade in a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction when viewed from above.

9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a second rotor system, comprising: the second rotor blade having the second axis of rotation; a second rotatable gear having a second gear axis; a second rotatable outboard drive component; and a second flexible closed loop component associated with each of the second gear and the second outboard drive component.

10 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising:
a longitudinal bisection plane; wherein movement of the axis of rotation is mirrored about the longitudinal bisection plane by the second axis of rotation.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the gear is a portion of a transmission.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the transmission comprises a second gear having a second gear axis.

13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein when the gear is rotated in a first direction when viewed from above, the second gear is rotated in a second opposite direction.

14 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising:
a longitudinal bisection plane; wherein the gear and the second gear are disposed substantially mirrored relative to each other about the longitudinal bisection plane.

15 . A method, comprising:
providing a gear having a gear axis; providing a rotor system comprising a rotor blade having a rotor blade axis of rotation and a configuration axis of rotation; moving a flexible closed loop component to rotate the rotor blade about the rotor blade axis of rotation and to rotate the rotor blade axis about the configuration axis of rotation relative to the gear axis in a first rotation direction when viewed from above; and moving the flexible closed loop component to rotate a second rotor blade having a second axis of rotation in a second rotation direction that is opposite to the first rotation direction when viewed from above.

16 . The method of claim 15 , further providing:
a second rotor system, comprising; the second rotor blade having the second axis of rotation; a second rotatable gear having a second gear axis; a second rotatable outboard drive component; and a second flexible closed loop component associated with each of the second gear and the second outboard drive component.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the gear is a portion of a transmission.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein the transmission comprises a second gear having a second gear axis.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein when the gear is rotated in a first direction when viewed from above, the second gear is rotated in a second opposite direction.

20 . The method of claim 18 , further providing:
a longitudinal bisection plane; wherein the gear and the second gear are disposed substantially mirrored relative to each other relative to the longitudinal bisection plane.

Assignees

• Textron Innovations Inc

Inventors

• Groninga Kirk Landon
• Ross Brent Chadwick

Classifications

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64U20/50

  Foldable or collapsible UAVs (with frangible components B64U20/30) · CPC title

• B64U30/21

  Rotary wings · CPC title

• B64C27/72 Primary

  Means acting on blades · CPC title

• B64D35/04

  characterised by the transmission driving a plurality of propellers or rotors · CPC title