US 2026/0307780 A1 · VARIABLE-PITCH PROPELLER PASSIVELY CONTROLLED BY THRUST

Abstract

A variable pitch propeller includes a ball spline shaft, a ball spline bearing configured to slide along the ball spline shaft, and a thrust spring installed around the ball spline shaft. The variable pitch propeller further includes a hub coupled to or integrated with the ball spline bearing, a plurality of control arms coupled to the hub, a plurality of blade holders coupled to the control arms, and a plurality of propeller blades. Each propeller blade is coupled to one of the blade holders and can rotate between a high-pitch position and a low-pitch position as the ball spline bearing slides along the ball spline shaft. The thrust spring controls the sliding of the ball spline bearing along the ball spline shaft based on an amount of thrust provided by the variable pitch propeller, thereby automatically adjusting the pitch positions of the propeller blades based on the amount of thrust.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An aircraft comprising:

a fixed wing;
a motor;
and
a variable pitch propeller coupled to the motor, the variable pitch propeller comprising:
a main shaft;
a bearing installed around the main shaft and configured to slide along the main shaft and rotate about the main shaft;
a hub coupled to or integrated with the bearing, the hub configured to slide along the main shaft;
a plurality of propeller blades, each propeller blade coupled to the hub and configured to rotate between a high-pitch position and a low-pitch position as the hub slides along the main shaft;
and
a thrust spring installed around the main shaft, the thrust spring configured to control the sliding of the hub along the main shaft based on an amount of thrust provided by the variable pitch propeller, thereby automatically adjusting the pitch positions of the propeller blades based on the amount of thrust.

7 more elements

A variable pitch propeller comprising:

a ball spline shaft;
a collet coupled proximate one end of the ball spline shaft;
a ball spline bearing installed around the ball spline shaft and configured to slide along the ball spline shaft and rotate about the ball spline shaft;
a thrust spring installed around the ball spline shaft between the collet and the ball spline bearing;
a base mounting plate coupled to the ball spline bearing on an opposite side of the ball spline bearing from the thrust spring;
a hub coupled to the ball spline bearing;
a plurality of control arms, each control arm coupled to the hub and the base mounting plate;
a plurality of blade holders, each blade holder coupled to one of the control arms;
a plurality of propeller blades, each propeller blade coupled to one of the blade holders and configured to rotate between a high-pitch position and a low-pitch position as the ball spline bearing slides along the ball spline shaft;
and
wherein the thrust spring is configured to control the sliding of the ball spline bearing along the ball spline shaft based on an amount of thrust provided by the variable pitch propeller, thereby automatically adjusting the pitch positions of the propeller blades based on the amount of thrust.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Variable-pitch propeller passively controlled by thrust

Life of this patent

Variable-pitch propeller passively controlled by thrust

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20