IP Library › Granted Patent US 12709379
Granted Patent B2
US 12709379 · App. 18/907,460 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Systems and methods for tilt propellers with tilt actuator gearbox and integrated inverter

Inventors: Scott Graves (Felton, CA); Nathan Daniel Storrs (Woodinville, WA); Diego Alberto Silva Rodríguez (Lomond, CA); Stephen Michael Spiteri (Livermore, CA)
Assignee: Archer Aviation Inc.
B64C11/02B60L15/06B60L15/38B64C27/54B64C29/0008B64C29/0033B64D27/30B64D27/31B64D27/34B64D27/359B64D31/18B64D33/08B64D35/02B64D35/021B64D35/026F16B2/06F16H57/08H02K1/27H02K1/32H02K5/124H02K5/203H02K7/08H02K7/116H02K9/19H02K11/33H02K15/03H02K15/035H02K15/40H02M7/5395H02P21/50H02P25/16H02P27/06H02P27/08B60L2200/10B60L2210/40H02K7/006H02K2215/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12709379
App. No.
18/907,460
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A tilt actuation apparatus for tilting a propulsion system of an aircraft, the tilt actuation apparatus comprising: a tilt actuator comprising a rotor; a gear set, wherein the rotor is coupled to the gear set, a worm gear concentrically coupled to an output of the gear set, a worm wheel meshed with the worm gear, a gear shaft concentrically coupled to the worm wheel, a pinion concentrically coupled to the gear shaft, and an output shaft coupled to an output of the pinion, the output shaft configured to be fixed to a frame of the aircraft.

Claims (54)

1 . A tilt actuation apparatus comprising:

a tilt actuator comprising a rotor;

a gear set comprising a sun gear, a plurality of planetary gears, a planetary carrier, and a ring gear, wherein the rotor is coupled to the gear set;

a worm gear concentrically coupled to an output of the gear set;

a worm wheel meshed with the worm gear;

a gear shaft concentrically coupled to the worm wheel;

a pinion concentrically coupled to the gear shaft; and

an output shaft coupled to an output of the pinion, the output shaft configured to be fixed to a frame of the aircraft,

wherein the tilt actuation apparatus is configured to tilt a propulsion system of an aircraft.

2 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the planetary carrier comprises the output of the gear set that is coupled to the worm gear.

3 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the worm gear comprises a globoid gear.

4 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 wherein the worm gear is configured to support the tilt actuation apparatus at a fixed tilt angle.

5 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pinion comprises a helical gear.

6 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a sector gear is meshed with the pinion and wherein the output shaft is coupled to the sector gear.

7 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sector gear comprises a helical gear.

8 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sector gear comprises a spur gear.

9 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the pinion drives the sector gear to rotate the propulsion system about a pivot location of the frame.

10 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a cam coupled to the gear shaft, the cam configured to actuate a pitch control rod according to a rotation of the gear shaft.

11 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tilt actuation apparatus is configured to maintain a clearance between the aircraft and a propeller of the propulsion system across all tilt angles.

12 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the tilt actuator is located between the worm gear and the propulsion system.

13 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a damper configured to dampen a tilt motion of the propulsion system.

14 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the damper is a linear damper.

15 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the damper is a hydraulic or pneumatic damper.

16 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a tilt angle sensor configured to detect a tilt angle of the tilt actuation apparatus.

17 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the tilt angle sensor comprises a proximity sensor.

18 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the proximity sensor detects a tilt angle by sensing a position of a cam connected to the tilt actuation apparatus.

19 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an idler gear coupled to an output of the gear set;

a second gear set coupled to the idler gear;

a second worm gear concentrically coupled to an output of the second gear set;

a second worm wheel meshed with the second worm gear;

a second gear shaft concentrically coupled to the second worm wheel;

a second pinion concentrically coupled to the second gear shaft; and

a second output shaft coupled to an output of the second pinion, the output shaft configured to be fixed to the frame of the aircraft.

20 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the second gear set comprises a sun gear, a plurality of planetary gears, a planetary carrier, and a ring gear.

21 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 19 , further comprising:

a second tilt actuator comprising a second rotor coupled to the second gear set.

22 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising:

at least one controller configured to exert a first torque on the idler gear from the tilt actuator and exert a second torque on the idler gear from the second tilt actuator,

wherein the first torque and the second torque are substantially equal and opposite.

23 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 21 , wherein at least one of the tilt actuator or the second tilt actuator is configured to drive the tilt actuation apparatus without the other of the tilt actuator or the second tilt actuator.

24 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 19 , wherein the gear shaft comprises the second gear shaft.

25 . An aircraft, comprising:

a propulsion system;

a tilt actuation apparatus for tilting the propulsion system, the tilt actuation apparatus comprising:

a tilt actuator comprising a rotor;

a gear set comprising a sun gear, a plurality of planetary gears, a planetary carrier, and a ring gear, wherein the rotor is coupled to the gear set;

a worm gear concentrically coupled to an output of the gear set;

a worm wheel meshed with the worm gear;

a gear shaft concentrically coupled to the worm wheel;

a pinion concentrically coupled to the gear shaft; and

an output shaft coupled to an output of the pinion, the output shaft configured to be fixed to a frame of the aircraft.

26 . The tilt actuation apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the coupling between the output shaft and the output of the pinion is configured to tilt the tilt propulsion system with respect to the aircraft.