US 12,172,770 B2
Aircraft rotor assembly with segmented input shaft for electric motor stack and gearbox unit
Grant Beall, Arlington, TX (US); and Cody C. Anderson, Lantana, TX (US)
Assigned to Textron Innovations Inc., Providence, RI (US)
Filed by Textron Innovations Inc., Fort Worth, TX (US)
Filed on May 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/748,960.
Application 17/748,960 is a continuation of application No. 16/912,345, filed on Jun. 25, 2020, granted, now 11,390,395.
Prior Publication US 2022/0274715 A1, Sep. 1, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 35/08 (2006.01); B64C 29/00 (2006.01); B64D 27/24 (2024.01)
CPC B64D 35/08 (2013.01) [B64D 27/24 (2013.01); B64C 29/0033 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus comprising:
a housing;
first and second motor assemblies stacked within the housing, wherein each of the first and second motor assemblies comprises:
a motor; and
a drive shaft segment including an integrated overrunning clutch, wherein the drive shaft segment is configured to be driven by the motor via the integrated overrunning clutch, the drive shaft segment having a first end comprising a female connector portion accessible at a first side of the motor and a second end comprising a male connector portion extending from a second side of the motor opposite the first side;
wherein the first end of the drive shaft segment of the first motor assembly engages with the second end of the drive shaft segment of the second motor assembly via engagement of the male connector portion of the second motor assembly with the female connector portion of the first motor assembly to form a segmented drive shaft, and
wherein the engagement of the male connector portion of the second motor assembly and the female connector portion of the first motor assembly is within the first motor assembly.