Tilt rotor eVTOL aircraft

Abstract

The invention discloses a tilt rotor eVTOL aircraft, comprising: a fuselage provided with a gearbox connected with an intermediate shaft; the rotor system is in transmission connection with the middle shaft and is used for providing lift force for the fuselage; the rotor wing system comprises a main motor, a speed change assembly, a rotor wing body and a rotor wing shell, the main motor and the speed change assembly are installed in the rotor wing shell, the rotor wing body is arranged above the rotor wing shell, the main motor is connected with the rotor wing body through the speed change assembly, and the main motor is used for driving the rotor wing body to rotate; the tilting motor is mounted on the machine body, and a driving gear is mounted at the output end of the tilting motor; the driven gear is arranged on the middle shaft in a sleeving manner and is connected with the rotor wing shell; the driven gear is meshed with the driving gear, the driving gear drives the driven gear to rotate, the driven gear rotates to drive the rotor wing shell to rotate around the middle shaft, and then tilting of the rotor wing system is achieved. The tilt rotor eVTOL aircraft is compact in structure and light in weight, and the operation cost can be effectively reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of aircraft, and in particular to a tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft. Background Art

[0002] The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft is an aircraft that has both vertical takeoff and landing and hovering functions, and can fly at high speed with the rotors facing forward. As a sub-sector of the future air traffic industry, the rotors of the tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft can provide lift and cruise thrust at the same time, with a fast flight speed, a high load-to-weight ratio, a high cost-effectiveness of the entire aircraft, and relatively clear airworthiness clauses. It has good operational economy and is a product that is more in line with the future urban air traffic system. However, the current tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft have problems with large structural size and heavy weight, which affects the economic efficiency of operation. Summary of the invention

[0003] The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, the present invention proposes a tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft, which has a compact structure, light weight, and can effectively reduce operating costs.

[0004] A tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention includes:

[0005] A fuselage, equipped with a gear box, wherein the gear box is connected to an intermediate shaft;

[0006] a rotor system, which is transmission-connected to the intermediate shaft, and is used to provide lift to the fuselage; the rotor system comprises a main motor, a speed change assembly, a rotor body and a rotor housing, the main motor and the speed change assembly are installed in the rotor housing, the rotor body is arranged above the rotor housing, the main motor is connected to the rotor body through the speed change assembly, and the main motor is used to drive the rotor body to rotate;

[0007] A tilt motor is installed on the fuselage, and a driving gear is installed at the output end of the tilt motor;

[0008] A driven gear is sleeved on the intermediate shaft and connected to the rotor housing; the driven gear is meshed with the driving gear, the driving gear drives the driven gear to rotate, and the rotation of the driven gear can drive the rotor housing to rotate around the intermediate shaft, thereby realizing the tilting of the rotor system;

[0009] Among them, the gearbox is connected to the two intermediate shafts, and the two intermediate shafts are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox; the rotor system is provided with two intermediate shafts corresponding to the two intermediate shafts, and the two rotor systems are connected to the two intermediate shafts in a one-to-one manner; the two intermediate shafts are both sleeved with the driven gears, and the two driving gears at the output ends of the two tilt motors correspond to the two driven gears in a one-to-one manner.

[0010] The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to the embodiment of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] By installing the tilt motor on the fuselage and the driven gear on the outside of the rotor casing, it is easier to maintain the driving gear and the driven gear, and the volume of the rotor casing can be effectively reduced, making the structure of the rotor system more compact, which facilitates the miniaturization and lightweight of the aircraft. The power for driving the rotor system to tilt and the power for driving the rotor body to rotate are both motors, which can further reduce the volume and weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing civilian operating costs.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the speed change assembly includes a first gear set, a rotor gear, and a second gear set, wherein the first gear set is used to connect the main motor and the rotor gear, and the second gear set is used to connect the rotor gear and the rotor body;

[0013] The intermediate shaft is drivingly connected to the rotor gear.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first gear set includes an input gear and an output gear, the output end of the main motor is equipped with a motor gear, the motor gear is transmission-connected to the input gear, and the rotor gear is transmission-connected to the output gear;

[0015] The motor gear and the input gear are bevel gears, and / or the output gear and the rotor gear are bevel gears.

[0016] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first gear set further comprises a reduction gear set, the reduction gear set comprises an input shaft and an output shaft, the input gear is mounted on the input shaft, and the output gear is mounted on the output shaft;

[0017] The input shaft is connected to the output shaft via at least one pair of spur gears.

[0018] According to some embodiments of the present invention, an intermediate gear is installed at the end of the intermediate shaft, and the intermediate gear is meshed with the rotor gear; and the output shaft is coaxial with the intermediate shaft.

[0019] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a diameter of the driving gear is smaller than a diameter of the driven gear.

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotor housing is connected to a shaft sleeve, the intermediate shaft is passed through the shaft sleeve, and the driven gear is sleeved on the shaft sleeve and is transmission-connected to the shaft sleeve;

[0021] The driven gear rotates around its own axis to drive the shaft sleeve to rotate, thereby driving the rotor casing to rotate around the intermediate shaft.

[0022] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotor housing is provided with a cover protruding from a surface thereof, and the driven gear is installed in the cover;

[0023] The side wall of the housing is provided with an opening, and the driven gear portion radially extends out of the opening to mesh with the driving gear.

[0024] According to some embodiments of the present invention, a clutch is provided between the main motor and the speed change assembly.

[0025] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the second gear set comprises a differential planetary gear transmission.

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments, wherein:

[0028] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the transmission system structure of an aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 for Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the internal structure of the mid-rotor system;

[0031] Figure 4 for Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of the rotor system;

[0032] Figure 5 for Figure 4 Sectional view along AA direction.

[0033] Figure Number:

[0034] A body 100, a gear box 110, an intermediate shaft 120, and an intermediate gear 121;

[0035] Rotor system 200, main motor 210, motor gear 211, rotor body 220, rotor housing 230, sleeve 231, cover 232, opening 2321, first gear set 240, input gear 241, output gear 242, reduction gear set 243, input shaft 2431, output shaft 2432, spur gear 2433, rotor gear 250, second gear set 260, clutch 270;

[0036] A tilting motor 300 and a driving gear 310;

[0037] Driven gear 400 . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals throughout represent the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and cannot be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0039] In the description of the present invention, it is necessary to understand that descriptions involving orientation, such as orientation or positional relationship indicated as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0040] In the description of the present invention, "a plurality" means more than two. If there is a description of "first" or "second", it is only used for the purpose of distinguishing technical features, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features or implicitly indicating the order of the indicated technical features.

[0041] In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise clearly defined, terms such as setting, installing, connecting, etc. should be understood in a broad sense, and technicians in the relevant technical field can reasonably determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 5 A tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a fuselage 100, a rotor system 200, and a tilt motor 300. The rotor system 200 is connected to the fuselage 100 and is used to provide lift to the fuselage 100. The tilt motor 300 is used to drive the rotor system 200 to tilt, thereby enabling the rotor system 200 to provide cruise thrust. Specifically, refer to Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the fuselage 100 is installed with a gear box 110, the gear box 110 is connected with an intermediate shaft 120, and the rotor system 200 is connected with the intermediate shaft 120 by transmission; the tilt motor 300 is installed on the fuselage 100, and the output end of the tilt motor 300 is installed with a driving gear 310, and the rotor system 200 is installed with a driven gear 400, which is meshed with the driving gear 310, and the driving gear 310 drives the driven gear 400 to rotate, and the rotation of the driven gear 400 can drive the rotor housing 230 to rotate around the intermediate shaft 120, thereby realizing the tilt of the rotor system 200. The fuselage 100 includes a wing, and the tilt motor 300 is installed on the wing; the rotor system 200 includes a main motor 210, a speed change assembly, a rotor body 220 and a rotor housing 230, the main motor 210 and the speed change assembly are installed in the rotor housing 230, the rotor body 220 is arranged above the rotor housing 230, the main motor 210 is connected to the rotor body 220 through the speed change assembly, and the main motor 210 is used to drive the rotor body 220 to rotate; the driven gear 400 is sleeved on the intermediate shaft 120 and connected to the rotor housing 230. By installing the tilt motor 300 on the fuselage 100 and the driven gear 400 on the outside of the rotor housing 230, the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400 can be easily maintained. For example, lubricating oil can be dripped to the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400 or the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400 can be replaced in a portable manner. At the same time, the volume of the rotor housing 230 can be effectively reduced, making the structure of the rotor system 200 more compact, which is convenient for miniaturization and lightweight of the aircraft. The power for driving the tilt of the rotor system 200 and the power for driving the rotation of the rotor body 220 are both motors, which can further reduce the volume and weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing the civilian operating costs.

[0043] It should be noted that the rotor bodies 220 of the two rotor systems 200 connected to the gear box 110 rotate in opposite directions to offset the counter torque generated by the rotation.

[0044] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the gearbox 110 is connected to two intermediate shafts 120, and the two intermediate shafts 120 are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox 110; two rotor systems 200 are provided corresponding to the two intermediate shafts 120, and the two rotor systems 200 are connected to the two intermediate shafts 120 in a one-to-one correspondence; the two intermediate shafts 120 are both sleeved with driven gears 400, and the two driving gears 310 at the output ends of the two tilt motors 300 correspond to the two driven gears 400 in a one-to-one correspondence. The two rotor systems 200 are symmetrically arranged, which can effectively improve the stability of the aircraft. The two intermediate shafts 120 connected to the gear box 110 can rotate independently or be connected by transmission, that is, the main motors 210 of the two rotor systems 200 can be used to drive the two rotor bodies 220 to rotate respectively, and the main motor 210 of one of the rotor systems 200 can also drive the two rotor bodies 220 to rotate through the intermediate shaft 120 and the gear box 110. In this way, when the main motor 210 of one of the two rotor systems 200 fails or loses power, the stable flight of the aircraft of this embodiment can also be guaranteed, thereby improving the safety of the aircraft.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate shaft 120 is preferably a flexible shaft, so as to reduce the weight of the equipment and facilitate the arrangement of the intermediate shaft 120, thereby making the arrangement of the rotor system 200 more flexible.

[0046] In an embodiment of the present invention, a clutch 270 is provided between the main motor 210 and the speed change assembly, and a clutch 270 is provided between the main motor 210 and the speed change assembly of the two rotor systems 200. When both main motors 210 fail, the clutch 270 can disengage the main motor 210 and the speed change assembly, so that the rotor body 220 can spin down to achieve a stable landing, thereby improving the safety of the aircraft.

[0047] It should be understood that the middle part of the fuselage 100 of the present embodiment is mainly used to carry people or objects, so the size of the middle part of the fuselage 100 is relatively large. By reducing the overall weight of the aircraft and integrating the structure of the aircraft to make it more compact, the load capacity of the fuselage 100 can be effectively increased, thereby reducing the civilian operating costs. In order to further increase the load capacity of the aircraft of the present embodiment, the fuselage 100 of the present embodiment can be installed with multiple gear boxes 110 at intervals along the length direction of the fuselage 100. The multiple gear boxes 110 are all connected to the rotor system 200, and the number of gear boxes 110 and the rotor system 200 can be flexibly adjusted according to the load demand.

[0048] In the embodiment of the present invention, the rotor housing 230 is connected with a sleeve 231, the intermediate shaft 120 is passed through the sleeve 231, and the driven gear 400 is sleeved on the sleeve 231 and is transmission-connected with the sleeve 231; specifically, the sleeve 231 is welded to the rotor housing 230 or connected by fasteners, and the sleeve 231 and the driven gear 400 are transmission-connected by welding or by keys, etc. Preferably, the sleeve 231 is welded to the rotor housing 230, and the sleeve 231 is welded to the driven gear 400. The manufacturing cost of welding is low, and the connection stability is good. At the same time, welding can also prevent the sleeve 231 from sliding relative to the driven gear 400. Figure 5 As shown, the shaft sleeve 231 is passed through the driven gear 400, and a through hole is provided at the center of the shaft sleeve 231 for the intermediate shaft 120 to pass axially. The rotation of the driven gear 400 around its own axis can drive the shaft sleeve 231 to rotate, thereby driving the rotor housing 230 to rotate around the intermediate shaft 120, and thereby driving the main motor 210, the speed change assembly, and the rotor body 220 to tilt synchronously.

[0049] In the embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 5 As shown, the rotor housing 230 is provided with a cover 232 protruding from its surface, and the driven gear 400 is installed in the cover 232; the side wall of the cover 232 is provided with an opening 2321, and the driven gear 400 partially extends radially out of the opening 2321 to mesh with the driving gear 310; in daily maintenance, it is convenient to drip lubricating oil to the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400 through the opening 2321. The size of the opening 2321 is selected according to the size of the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400, and it is preferred to minimize the size of the opening 2321 to achieve better protection for the driven gear 400. The cover 232 can be connected to the rotor housing 230 as an integral structure, or the cover 232 and the rotor housing 230 are connected by fasteners or the like.

[0050] In the embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, the diameter of the driving gear 310 is smaller than the diameter of the driven gear 400, so that a larger torque can be transmitted to the driven gear 400, making it easier to drive the rotor housing 230 to tilt with a smaller power motor, thereby reducing the overall weight and energy consumption of the aircraft.

[0051] In the embodiment of the present invention, the speed change assembly includes a first gear set 240, a rotor gear 250 and a second gear set 260. The first gear set 240 is used to connect the main motor 210 and the rotor gear 250, and the second gear set 260 is used to connect the rotor gear 250 and the rotor body 220. The intermediate shaft 120 is connected to the rotor gear 250 in a transmission manner. Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, the first gear set 240 and the second gear set 260 are both used to reduce the speed of the main motor 210 output, so that the rotor body 220 can rotate at a suitable speed. The first gear set 240 and the second gear set 260 can select a suitable reduction structure according to actual conditions; for example, in this embodiment, the first gear set 240 and the second gear set 260 refer to Figure 4 As shown, the first gear set 240 generally adopts a spur gear 2433 transmission reduction set, and the second gear set 260 generally includes a double-row differential planetary gear transmission. The first gear set 240 adopts a spur gear 2433 transmission reduction technology, which is mature, has low manufacturing cost and accident rate, and the second gear set 260 adopts a double-row differential planetary gear transmission, which has a compact structure and is convenient for reducing the volume of the rotor system 200.

[0052] In the embodiments of the present invention, referring to Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the first gear set 240 includes an input gear 241 and an output gear 242. The output end of the main motor 210 is equipped with a motor gear 211, which is transmission-connected to the input gear 241, and the rotor gear 250 is transmission-connected to the output gear 242; wherein the motor gear 211 and the input gear 241 are bevel gears, and / or the output gear 242 and the rotor gear 250 are bevel gears. For details, refer to Figure 4 As shown, the motor gear 211, the input gear 241, the output gear 242, and the rotor gear 250 are all bevel gears. The number of teeth of the motor gear 211 and the input gear 241 is preferably different, so that the input gear 241 can reduce the speed of the output of the main motor 210; similarly, the number of teeth of the output gear 242 and the rotor gear 250 is preferably different, so that the rotor gear 250 can reduce the speed of the output of the output gear 242.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first gear set 240 further includes a reduction gear set 243, and the reduction gear set 243 includes an input shaft 2431 and an output shaft 2432, the input gear 241 is mounted on the input shaft 2431, and the output gear 242 is mounted on the output shaft 2432; the input shaft 2431 and the output shaft 2432 are connected by at least one pair of spur gears 2433. In summary, the input gear 241 can be used to reduce the speed of the output of the main motor 210 by one stage, and then the reduction gear set 243 reduces the speed of the output of the main motor 210 by two stages, the rotor gear 250 is meshed with the output gear 242 to reduce the speed of the output of the main motor 210 by three stages, and the second gear set 260 reduces the speed of the output of the main motor 210 by four stages.

[0054] As can be seen from the above, a clutch 270 is provided between the main motor 210 and the speed change assembly. Figure 3As shown, the clutch 270 is arranged between the input gear 241 and the reduction gear group 243. The input gear 241 is directly connected to the motor gear 211, and the input gear 241 can reduce the rotation speed input by the motor gear 211. Therefore, arranging the clutch 270 between the input gear 241 and the reduction gear group 243 can reduce the rotation speed borne by the clutch 270, reduce the impact of the main motor 210 on the clutch 270, and thus extend the service life of the equipment.

[0055] It is conceivable that the clutch 270 may also be disposed between the motor gear 211 and the input gear 241 .

[0056] In the embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate gear 121 is installed at the end of the intermediate shaft 120, and the intermediate gear 121 is meshed with the rotor gear 250. Specifically, the intermediate shaft 120 is also meshed with the rotor gear 250 through the intermediate gear 121, which can simplify the structure and make the structure of the rotor system 200 more compact; when the rotor housing 230 of the rotor system 200 is tilted, the intermediate gear 121 and the rotor gear 250 will also rotate relative to each other. The intermediate gear 121 installed at the first end of the intermediate shaft 120 in the length direction is meshed with the rotor gear 250, and the second end of the intermediate shaft 120 in the length direction is also meshed with the gear inside the gear box 110 through the gear.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0058] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made within the knowledge scope of ordinary technicians in the relevant technical field without departing from the purpose of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft, characterized in that: include: A fuselage, equipped with a gear box, wherein the gear box is connected to an intermediate shaft; a rotor system, which is transmission-connected to the intermediate shaft, and is used to provide lift to the fuselage; the rotor system comprises a main motor, a speed change assembly, a rotor body and a rotor housing, the main motor and the speed change assembly are installed in the rotor housing, the rotor body is arranged above the rotor housing, the main motor is connected to the rotor body through the speed change assembly, and the main motor is used to drive the rotor body to rotate; A tilt motor is installed on the fuselage, and a driving gear is installed at the output end of the tilt motor; A driven gear is sleeved on the intermediate shaft and connected to the rotor housing; the driven gear is meshed with the driving gear, the driving gear drives the driven gear to rotate, and the rotation of the driven gear can drive the rotor housing to rotate around the intermediate shaft, thereby realizing the tilting of the rotor system; Among them, the gearbox is connected to the two intermediate shafts, and the two intermediate shafts are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox; the rotor system is provided with two intermediate shafts corresponding to the two intermediate shafts, and the two rotor systems are connected to the two intermediate shafts in a one-to-one manner; the two intermediate shafts are both sleeved with the driven gears, and the two driving gears at the output ends of the two tilt motors correspond to the two driven gears in a one-to-one manner.

2. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The speed change assembly includes a first gear set, a rotor gear and a second gear set, wherein the first gear set is used to connect the main motor and the rotor gear, and the second gear set is used to connect the rotor gear and the rotor body; The intermediate shaft is drivingly connected to the rotor gear.

3. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first gear set includes an input gear and an output gear. The output end of the main motor is provided with a motor gear, the motor gear is transmission-connected to the input gear, and the rotor gear is transmission-connected to the output gear. The motor gear and the input gear are bevel gears, and / or the output gear and the rotor gear are bevel gears.

4. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 3, characterized in that: The first gear set further includes a reduction gear set, the reduction gear set includes an input shaft and an output shaft, the input gear is mounted on the input shaft, and the output gear is mounted on the output shaft; The input shaft is connected to the output shaft via at least one pair of spur gears.

5. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 4, characterized in that: An intermediate gear is installed at the end of the intermediate shaft, and the intermediate gear is meshed with the rotor gear.

6. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the driving gear is smaller than the diameter of the driven gear.

7. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The rotor housing is connected to a shaft sleeve, the intermediate shaft is passed through the shaft sleeve, and the driven gear is sleeved on the shaft sleeve and is transmission-connected to the shaft sleeve; The driven gear rotates around its own axis to drive the shaft sleeve to rotate, thereby driving the rotor casing to rotate around the intermediate shaft.

8. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 7, characterized in that: The rotor housing is provided with a cover protruding from its surface, and the driven gear is installed in the cover; The side wall of the housing is provided with an opening, and the driven gear portion radially extends out of the opening to mesh with the driving gear.

9. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: A clutch is provided between the main motor and the speed change assembly.

10. The tilt-rotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second gear set includes a differential planetary gear transmission.

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