Propulsion system with integrated pushrod for variable propeller blade control

An electric propulsion system (EPS) for a vehicle with a blade pitch actuator and a propeller having a hub and a plurality of blades that radiate from the hub and that is supported for rotation about an axis, the EPS comprising:

• a motor section with an electric motor;
• a gearbox section including a propeller output shaft and a planetary gearset, the propeller output shaft coupled to the hub and including an inner radial surface that defines an aperture, the planetary gear set operatively connected to the electric motor and to the propeller output shaft and configured to transfer power from the electric motor to the propeller output shaft for driving rotation of the propeller about the axis;
• a propeller section including a connection rod that extends along the axis and is at least partially located within the aperture in the output shaft, the connection rod having a connection rod first end, a connection rod second end, and a connection rod minimum outer radial dimension along its axial length, the connection rod first end coupled to the hub;
• an integrated pushrod that extends along the axis through the motor section, the gearbox section, and at least partly into the aperture of the output shaft, the integrated pushrod terminating at a pushrod first end, the integrated pushrod terminating at a pushrod second end that is spaced apart from the pushrod first end along the axis, the pushrod first end removably and operatively coupled to the connection rod second end and the pushrod second end configured to removably and operatively couple to the blade pitch actuator for selective actuation of the integrated pushrod along the axis resulting in selective blade pitch adjustment of the propeller, the integrated pushrod having a pushrod minimum outer radial dimension along its axial length, the pushrod minimum outer radial dimension being less than the connection rod minimum outer radial dimension;
• and
• a radial support feature disposed in the gearbox section to radially support the integrated pushrod,
• wherein the planetary gearset includes a sun gear member, a ring gear, and a planetary gear disposed radially between the sun gear member and the ring gear and supported by a carrier, the sun gear member including an opening that receives the integrated pushrod, and wherein the radial support feature comprises a bushing received in the opening and disposed radially between the sun gear member and the integrated pushrod.