Rotating device and aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020290726-A1
Application number	US-202016784575-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 7, 2020
Priority date	Mar 11, 2019
Publication date	Sep 17, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

According to one implementation, a rotating device includes at least one ring, at least one motor and a power transmission mechanism. The least one ring rotates in a circumference direction. The at least one ring includes no hub for housing a motor inside the at least one ring. The at least one motor generates power for rotating the at least one ring. The power transmission mechanism transmits the power to the at least one ring.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A rotating device comprising:
at least one ring that rotates in a circumference direction, the at least one ring including no hub for housing a motor inside the at least one ring; at least one motor that generates power for rotating the at least one ring; and a power transmission mechanism that transmits the power to the at least one ring, the power transmission mechanism including at least one of a gear and a crawler.

2 . The rotating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one motor is disposed outside a region, including a rotation center, separated by the at least one ring.

3 . The rotating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
blades for forming a flow of a fluid, the blades being radially attached to at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the at least one ring.

4 . The rotating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one of a shaft and a torque limiter, which is coupled between an output shaft of the at least one motor and the power transmission mechanism, the shaft being broken when torque applied to the shaft exceeds a certain value.

5 . The rotating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one ring consists of a single ring, the at least one motor includes motors that generate pieces of the power for rotating the single ring, and the power transmission mechanism transmits the pieces of the power separately to the single ring.

6 . The rotating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one ring includes: a first ring rotating around a first central axis, the first ring being disposed at a first position; and a second ring rotating around a second central axis, the second ring being disposed at a second position different from the first position, the first central axis and the second central axis lying on a same straight line.

7 . The rotating device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the first position is different from the second position in a direction of the first and second central axes, and the power transmission mechanism transmits torque, output from the at least one motor, to each of the first ring and the second ring so that, by the torque, the first ring and the second ring rotate in directions opposite to each other.

8 . The rotating device according to claim 6 ,
wherein a first diameter of the first ring is different from a second diameter of the second ring, the first position is different from the second position in a rotating radial direction, the first ring is disposed inside the second ring, the at least one motor is disposed in an annular space formed between the first ring and the second ring, and the power transmission mechanism transmits torque, output from the at least one motor, to each of the first ring and the second ring so that, by the torque, the first ring and the second ring rotate in directions opposite to each other or in a same direction at rotating speeds different from each other.

9 . The rotating device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
blades for forming a flow of a fluid, the blades being radially attached to each of the first ring and the second ring rotating in the opposite directions.

10 . The rotating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one of the gear and the crawler transmits torque, output from the at least one motor, to the at least one ring, the gear being engaged with teeth formed on the at least one ring, the crawler contacting with the at least one ring.

11 . The rotating device according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one ring includes a first annular gear, and the at least one of the gear and the crawler includes a second gear engaged with the first annular gear, the second gear transmitting torque, output from the at least one motor, to the first annular gear.

12 . The rotating device according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first annular gear and the second gear have a backlash therebetween, the backlash reducing a risk that jamming arises.

13 . The rotating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a clutch that switches between transmission and cutoff of the power to the at least one ring.

14 . The rotating device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a guide that rotatably supports the at least one ring, the guide including a roller.

15 . An aircraft comprising:
the rotating device according to claim 1 .

16 . The rotating device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
blades for forming a flow of a fluid, the blades being radially attached to at least one of an outer surface and an inner surface of the at least one ring.

17 . The rotating device according to claim 2 , further comprising:
at least one of a shaft and a torque limiter, which is coupled between an output shaft of the at least one motor and the power transmission mechanism, the shaft being broken when torque applied to the shaft exceeds a certain value.

18 . The rotating device according to claim 3 , further comprising:
at least one of a shaft and a torque limiter, which is coupled between an output shaft of the at least one motor and the power transmission mechanism, the shaft being broken when torque applied to the shaft exceeds a certain value.

19 . An aircraft comprising:
the rotating device according to claim 2 .

20 . An aircraft comprising:
the rotating device according to claim 3 .

Assignees

• Subaru Corp

Inventors

• Sato Kazushige
• Yoshida Kentaro
• Kotani Kazuaki
• Murata Iwao

Classifications

• B64D35/024

  of series type · CPC title

• B64D27/33

  Hybrid electric aircraft · CPC title

• Y02T50/60

  Efficient propulsion technologies, e.g. for aircraft · CPC title

• B60B19/00

  Wheels not otherwise provided for or having characteristics specified in one of the subgroups of this group · CPC title

• F04D29/186

  Shaftless rotors (F04D13/024 takes precedence) · CPC title