Granted Patent B2

US 12,208,887 · App. 18/079,181 · Granted Jan 28, 2025

Inventors: Thomas Schaal (Oberstenfeld, DE); Sebastian Riesbeck (Illingen, DE)

Assignee: Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche Aktiengesellschaft

B64C27/20B64D27/34

Abstract

Claims (22)

1. An aircraft comprising:

an aircraft vehicle structure including a grid of interconnected struts, wherein two struts of the interconnected struts run parallel to one another,

engine bearings respectively defined on each of the two struts,

an aircraft lift unit including a fan and a cylindrical electric engine having a sheath surface that is framed and supported by the engine bearings,

wherein the two struts tangentially flank the electric engine,

wherein each bearing is mounted to the sheath surface of the engine by a fastener,

wherein the electric engine comprises a hollow cylindrical engine housing, and the sheath surface of the electric engine is defined by the engine housing, and

wherein the fasteners comprise shear bolts oriented radially towards the electric engine, and the shear bolts connect the engine housing to the engine bearings in a torsionally rigid manner.

2. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the lift unit comprises a fan sheath and fin assemblies, and at least one of the fin assemblies is arranged on a face of the fan sheath.

3. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the lift unit comprises a spinner, and the fan carries the spinner on a side of the fan facing away from the electric engine.

4. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the lift unit is arranged on a nose of the aircraft.

5. The aircraft according to claim 4 , wherein the nose comprises a cavity receiving the lift unit, and the lift unit is extendable out of the cavity.

6. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein the lift unit is arranged in a wing of the aircraft.

7. The aircraft according to claim 1 , wherein each engine bearing is integrated on a respective strut of the interconnected struts.

8. An aircraft comprising:

an aircraft vehicle structure including a grid of interconnected struts, wherein two struts of the interconnected struts run parallel to one another,

engine bearings respectively defined on each of the two struts,

an aircraft lift unit including a fan and a cylindrical electric engine having a sheath surface that is framed and supported by the engine bearings,

wherein the two struts tangentially flank the electric engine,

wherein each bearing is mounted to the sheath surface of the engine by a fastener, and

wherein the cylindrical electric engine has an engine housing that is connected to the engine bearings by radially-oriented shear bolts such that the electric engine is configured to detach from the engine bearings upon yielding of the shear bolts.

9. The aircraft according to claim 8 , wherein each engine bearing includes a passageway for accommodating one of the shear bolts.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (34)