US 11,772,804 B2
Electric tiltrotor aircraft with offset tilting motors
Jonathan Andrew Knoll, Burleson, TX (US); George Matthew Thompson, Lewisville, TX (US); Charles Hubert Speller, Flower Mound, TX (US); and Grant Michael Beall, Arlington, TX (US)
Assigned to TEXTRON INNOVATIONS INC., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/148,273.
Prior Publication US 2022/0219826 A1, Jul. 14, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 27/24 (2006.01); B64D 35/08 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01)
CPC B64D 27/24 (2013.01) [B64C 29/0033 (2013.01); B64D 35/08 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A rotor system for an aircraft, the rotor system comprising:
an open rotor assembly comprising a plurality of rotor blades connected to a rotor shaft; and
a drive system for providing rotational energy to the open rotor assembly via the rotor shaft, the drive system comprising:
a plurality of electric motors for providing rotational energy to a single motor shaft; and
a gearbox having an input for receiving rotational energy from the electric motors via the motor shaft and providing rotational energy to the rotor shaft; and
an interconnect drive shaft connected between the gearbox and a gearbox of a second rotor system, the interconnect drive shaft providing a torque path between the at least one electric motor and a rotor assembly of the second rotor system.