A tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft

Abstract

The application discloses a tilting rotor eVTOL aircraft, which comprises a fuselage, a gear box installed on the fuselage, and an intermediate shaft connected with the gear box; a rotor system connected with the intermediate shaft in transmission and used for providing lift to the fuselage; the rotor system comprises a main motor, a speed change assembly, a rotor body and a rotor shell, the main motor and the speed change assembly are installed in the rotor shell, the rotor body is arranged above the rotor shell, the main motor is connected with the rotor body through the speed change assembly, and the main motor is used for driving the rotor body to rotate; a tilting motor is installed on the fuselage, and a driving gear is installed at an output end of the tilting motor; a driven gear is sleeved on the intermediate shaft and connected with the rotor shell; the driven gear is engaged with the driving gear, the driving gear drives the driven gear to rotate, the rotation of the driven gear can drive the rotor shell to rotate around the intermediate shaft, and the tilting of the rotor system is realized. The tilting rotor eVTOL aircraft has the advantages of compact structure, light weight and effective reduction of operation cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of aircraft technology, and in particular to a tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft. Background Technology

[0002] Tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft are aircraft that simultaneously possess vertical takeoff and landing and hovering capabilities, and can also fly at high speeds with their rotors pointing forward. As a sub-segment of the future air mobility industry, tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft can provide both lift and cruise thrust simultaneously, resulting in high flight speed, high payload ratio, high overall cost-effectiveness, and relatively clear airworthiness regulations, making them a product more suitable for future urban air mobility systems. However, current tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft suffer from large structural dimensions and heavy weight, which affects their operational economics. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. To this end, this invention proposes a tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, which is compact in structure, lightweight, and can effectively reduce operating costs.

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

[0005] The fuselage is equipped with a gearbox, which is connected to an intermediate shaft;

[0006] A rotor system, connected to the intermediate shaft drive, is used to provide lift to the fuselage. The rotor system includes a main motor, a transmission assembly, a rotor body, and a rotor shell. The main motor and the transmission assembly are installed inside the rotor shell. The rotor body is located above the rotor shell. The main motor is connected to the rotor body through the transmission assembly and is used to drive the rotor body to rotate.

[0007] A tilting motor is installed on the machine body, and a drive gear is installed at the output end of the tilting motor;

[0008] A driven gear is sleeved on the intermediate shaft and connected to the rotor housing; the driven gear meshes 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] The gearbox connects to two intermediate shafts, which are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox. Two rotor systems are provided corresponding to the two intermediate shafts, and the two rotor systems are connected to the two intermediate shafts in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the two intermediate shafts is fitted with a driven gear, and the two driving gears at the output ends of the two tilting motors correspond to the two driven gears in a one-to-one correspondence.

[0010] The tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft according to embodiments of the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0011] By mounting the tilting motor on the fuselage and the driven gear on the outside of the rotor shell, it is easier to maintain the driving and driven gears, and it can also effectively reduce the volume of the rotor shell, making the rotor system structure more compact and facilitating the miniaturization and weight reduction of the aircraft. The power to drive the tilting of the rotor system and the power to drive the rotation of the rotor body are both electric motors, which can further reduce the size and weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing the operating costs for civilian use.

[0012] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission 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 connected to the rotor gear transmission.

[0014] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the first gear set includes an input gear and an output gear, a motor gear is installed at the output end of the main motor, the motor gear is drivenly connected to the input gear, and the rotor gear is drivenly 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 includes a reduction gear set, the reduction gear set including an input shaft and an output shaft, the input gear being mounted on the input shaft, and the output gear being mounted on the output shaft;

[0017] The input shaft and the output shaft are connected by at least one pair of spur gears.

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

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

[0020] According to some embodiments of the present invention, the rotor housing is connected to a bushing, the intermediate shaft passes through the bushing, and the driven gear is sleeved on the bushing and is kinetically connected to the bushing;

[0021] The driven gear, when rotating around its own axis, can drive the bushing to rotate, which in turn drives the rotor shell 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 its surface, and the driven gear is installed inside the cover;

[0023] The side wall of the housing has an opening, and the driven gear portion extends radially 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 transmission assembly.

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

[0026] Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Attached Figure Description

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

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

[0029] Figure 2 This is 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 simplified schematic diagram of the internal structure of a mid-rotor system;

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

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

[0033] Icon labels:

[0034] Body 100, gearbox 110, intermediate shaft 120, intermediate gear 121;

[0035] Rotor system 200, main motor 210, motor gear 211, rotor body 220, rotor shell 230, bushing 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] Tilting motor 300, drive gear 310;

[0037] Driven gear 400. Detailed Implementation

[0038] Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. Examples of these embodiments are shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements or elements having the same or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below with reference to the accompanying drawings are exemplary and are only used to explain the present invention, and should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

[0039] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the orientation descriptions, such as up, down, etc., are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and are not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this invention.

[0040] In the description of this invention, "multiple" refers to two or more. The use of "first" and "second" is for distinguishing technical features only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance, or implicitly indicating the number of indicated technical features or their sequential relationship.

[0041] In the description of this invention, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "set up," "install," and "connect" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention in conjunction with the specific content of the technical solution.

[0042] Reference Figures 1 to 5 An embodiment of the present invention provides a tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, comprising a fuselage 100, a rotor system 200, and a tilt motor 300. The rotor system 200 is connected to the fuselage 100 and provides lift to the fuselage 100. The tilt motor 300 drives the rotor system 200 to tilt, thereby enabling the rotor system 200 to provide cruise thrust. Specifically, refer to... Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, a gearbox 110 is installed on the fuselage 100, and an intermediate shaft 120 is connected to the gearbox 110. The rotor system 200 is connected to the intermediate shaft 120 for transmission. A tilt motor 300 is installed on the fuselage 100, and a drive gear 310 is installed at the output end of the tilt motor 300. A driven gear 400 is installed on the rotor system 200. The driven gear 400 meshes with the drive gear 310. The drive gear 310 drives the driven gear 400 to rotate. The rotation of the driven gear 400 can drive the rotor shell 230 to rotate around the intermediate shaft 120, thereby realizing the tilt of the rotor system 200. The fuselage 100 includes a wing, and a tilt motor 300 is mounted on the wing; the rotor system 200 includes a main motor 210, a transmission assembly, a rotor body 220, and a rotor shell 230. The main motor 210 and the transmission assembly are mounted inside the rotor shell 230, and the rotor body 220 is located above the rotor shell 230. The main motor 210 is connected to the rotor body 220 through the transmission 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 shell 230. By mounting the tilt motor 300 on the fuselage 100 and the driven gear 400 on the outside of the rotor shell 230, it is convenient to maintain the drive gear 310 and the driven gear 400. For example, lubricating oil can be easily added to the drive gear 310 and the driven gear 400 or the drive gear 310 and the driven gear 400 can be replaced. At the same time, it can also effectively reduce the volume of the rotor shell 230, making the structure of the rotor system 200 more compact, which is conducive to the miniaturization and weight reduction of the aircraft. The power to drive the tilt of the rotor system 200 and the power to drive the rotation of the rotor body 220 are both electric motors, which can further reduce the size and weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing the operating costs for civilian use.

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

[0044] Reference Figure 1 , Figure 2As shown, the gearbox 110 connects to two intermediate shafts 120, which are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox 110. Two rotor systems 200 are provided corresponding to the two intermediate shafts 120, with each rotor system 200 connected to one of the two intermediate shafts 120. Each intermediate shaft 120 is fitted with a driven gear 400, and the two driving gears 310 at the output ends of the two tilt motors 300 correspond one-to-one with the two driven gears 400. The symmetrical arrangement of the two rotor systems 200 effectively improves the stability of the aircraft. The two intermediate shafts 120 connected to the gearbox 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. The main motor 210 of one of the rotor systems 200 can also drive the two rotor bodies 220 to rotate through the intermediate shafts 120 and the gearbox 110. In this way, when the main motor 210 of one of the rotor systems 200 fails or loses power, the stable flight of the aircraft in this embodiment can be guaranteed, thus improving the safety of the aircraft.

[0045] In an embodiment of the present invention, the intermediate shaft 120 is preferably a flexible shaft, which can reduce the weight of the equipment and make it easier to arrange 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 transmission assembly. Both main motors 210 and transmission assemblies of the two rotor systems 200 are provided with clutches 270. When both main motors 210 fail, the clutches 270 can disengage from the main motors 210 and the transmission assembly, thereby allowing the rotor body 220 to spin and fall, achieving a stable landing and improving the safety of the aircraft.

[0047] It should be understood that the middle section of the fuselage 100 in this embodiment is mainly used for carrying people or goods, therefore the middle section of the fuselage 100 is relatively large. By reducing the overall weight of the aircraft and integrating the structure to make it more compact, the payload capacity of the fuselage 100 can be effectively increased, thereby reducing civilian operating costs. To further increase the payload capacity of the aircraft in this embodiment, multiple gearboxes 110 can be installed at intervals along the length of the fuselage 100. Each gearbox 110 is connected to a rotor system 200, and the number of gearboxes 110 and rotor systems 200 can be flexibly adjusted according to payload requirements.

[0048] In an embodiment of the present invention, a bushing 231 is connected to the rotor housing 230, an intermediate shaft 120 passes through the bushing 231, and a driven gear 400 is sleeved on the bushing 231 and drivenly connected to the bushing 231. Specifically, the bushing 231 is welded to the rotor housing 230 or connected by fasteners. The bushing 231 is also drivenly connected to the driven gear 400 by welding or by a key, preferably by welding the bushing 231 to the rotor housing 230 and simultaneously welding the bushing 231 to the driven gear 400. Welding has low manufacturing costs and good connection stability, and it also prevents the bushing 231 from sliding relative to the driven gear 400. (Refer to...) Figure 5 As shown, the bushing 231 passes through the driven gear 400. The bushing 231 has a through hole at its center for the intermediate shaft 120 to pass through axially. The driven gear 400 rotates around its own axis, which can drive the bushing 231 to rotate, thereby driving the rotor shell 230 to rotate around the intermediate shaft 120, and thus driving the main motor 210, the transmission assembly, and the rotor body 220 to tilt synchronously.

[0049] In an embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 5 As shown, the rotor housing 230 has a cover 232 protruding from its surface, and the driven gear 400 is installed inside the cover 232. The side wall of the cover 232 has an opening 2321, and a portion of the driven gear 400 extends radially out of the opening 2321 to mesh with the driving gear 310. During routine maintenance, it is convenient to add 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 sizes of the driving gear 310 and the driven gear 400, preferably minimizing the size of the opening 2321 to better protect the driven gear 400. The cover 232 can be an integral structure connected to the rotor housing 230, or the cover 232 can be connected to the rotor housing 230 by fasteners or other means.

[0050] In an embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown, the diameter of the driving gear 310 is smaller than that of the driven gear 400, which allows for the transmission of a larger torque to the driven gear 400. This facilitates the use of a smaller motor to drive the rotor shell 230 to tilt, thereby reducing the overall weight and energy consumption of the aircraft.

[0051] In an embodiment of the present invention, the transmission assembly includes a first gear set 240, a rotor gear 250, and a second gear set 260. The first gear set 240 connects the main motor 210 and the rotor gear 250, and the second gear set 260 connects the rotor gear 250 and the rotor body 220. The intermediate shaft 120 is drive-connected to the rotor gear 250. (Refer to...) Figure 3 , Figure 4As shown, both the first gear set 240 and the second gear set 260 are used to reduce the speed output by the main motor 210, thereby enabling the rotor body 220 to rotate at a suitable speed. The first gear set 240 and the second gear set 260 can be selected with appropriate reduction structures 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 typically uses a spur gear 2433 transmission reduction group, while the second gear set 260 typically includes a double-row differential planetary gear transmission. The first gear set 240 uses a spur gear 2433 transmission reduction technology, which is mature, has low manufacturing cost and low accident rate, while the second gear set 260 uses a double-row differential planetary gear transmission, which has a compact structure and facilitates the reduction of the size of the rotor system 200.

[0052] In an embodiment of the present invention, reference is made to Figure 3 , Figure 4 As shown, the first gear set 240 includes an input gear 241 and an output gear 242. A motor gear 211 is mounted on the output end of the main motor 210, and the motor gear 211 is drive-connected to the input gear 241. The rotor gear 250 is drive-connected to the output gear 242. Specifically, 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. See reference [link to documentation]. Figure 4 As shown, the motor gear 211, input gear 241, output gear 242, and 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 output by 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 output by the output gear 242.

[0053] In an embodiment of the present invention, the first gear set 240 further includes a reduction gear set 243, which 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 output by the main motor 210 by a first stage, and the reduction gear set 243 reduces the speed output by the main motor 210 by a second stage. The rotor gear 250 meshes with the output gear 242 to reduce the speed output by the main motor 210 by a third stage, and the second gear set 260 reduces the speed output by the main motor 210 by a fourth stage.

[0054] As mentioned above, a clutch 270 is provided between the main motor 210 and the transmission assembly. For details, please refer to... Figure 3As shown, the clutch 270 is located between the input gear 241 and the reduction gear set 243. The input gear 241 is directly connected to the motor gear 211, and the input gear 241 can reduce the speed input by the motor gear 211. Therefore, placing the clutch 270 between the input gear 241 and the reduction gear set 243 can reduce the speed that the clutch 270 bears, 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 could also be located between the motor gear 211 and the input gear 241.

[0056] In an embodiment of the present invention, an intermediate gear 121 is mounted on the end of the intermediate shaft 120, and the intermediate gear 121 meshes with the rotor gear 250. Specifically, the intermediate shaft 120 also meshes with the rotor gear 250 via the intermediate gear 121, which facilitates structural simplification and makes the rotor system 200 more compact. When the rotor housing 230 of the rotor system 200 tilts, the intermediate gear 121 and the rotor gear 250 will also rotate relative to each other. The intermediate gear 121 mounted on the first end of the intermediate shaft 120 in the length direction meshes with the rotor gear 250, and the second end of the intermediate shaft 120 in the length direction also meshes with the gear inside the gearbox 110 via a gear.

[0057] In the description of this specification, the references to terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification.

[0058] The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Within the scope of knowledge possessed by those skilled in the art, various changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft, characterized in that, include: The fuselage is equipped with a gearbox, which is connected to an intermediate shaft; A rotor system, connected to the intermediate shaft drive, is used to provide lift to the fuselage. The rotor system includes a main motor, a transmission assembly, a rotor body, and a rotor shell. The main motor and the transmission assembly are installed inside the rotor shell. The rotor body is located above the rotor shell. The main motor is connected to the rotor body through the transmission assembly and is used to drive the rotor body to rotate. A tilting motor is installed on the machine body, and a drive gear is installed at the output end of the tilting motor; A driven gear is sleeved on the intermediate shaft and connected to the rotor housing; the driven gear meshes 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; The gearbox connects to two intermediate shafts, which are symmetrically arranged about the gearbox. Two rotor systems are provided corresponding to the two intermediate shafts, and the two rotor systems are connected to the two intermediate shafts in a one-to-one correspondence. Each of the two intermediate shafts is fitted with a driven gear, and the two driving gears at the output ends of the two tilting motors correspond to the two driven gears in a one-to-one correspondence. The transmission assembly includes a first gear set, a rotor gear, and a second gear set. 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 connected to the rotor gear for transmission. The first gear set includes an input gear and an output gear. A motor gear is installed at the output end of the main motor. The motor gear is connected to the input gear in a driving manner. The rotor gear is connected to the output gear in a driving manner. The motor gear and the input gear are bevel gears, and / or the output gear and the rotor gear are bevel gears. The first gear set further includes a reduction gear set, which 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 and the output shaft are connected by at least one pair of spur gears. The rotor housing is connected to a bushing, the intermediate shaft passes through the bushing, and the driven gear is sleeved on the bushing and connected to the bushing in a driving connection; the driven gear can rotate around its own axis to drive the bushing to rotate, thereby driving the rotor housing to rotate around the intermediate shaft; The rotor housing has a cover protruding from its surface, and the driven gear is installed inside the cover; the side wall of the cover has an opening, and the driven gear extends radially out of the opening to mesh with the driving gear; The second gear set includes a differential planetary gear transmission.

2. The tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: An intermediate gear is mounted at the end of the intermediate shaft, and the intermediate gear meshes with the rotor gear.

3. The tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the driving gear is smaller than the diameter of the driven gear.

4. The tiltrotor eVTOL aircraft according to claim 1, characterized in that: A clutch is provided between the main motor and the transmission assembly.

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