System for aligning a propeller

摘要

A motor assembly that includes a motor (102) having a rotatable shaft, a hub coupled to the rotatable shaft, the hub having a propeller indexer to receive a propeller (104), when the propeller is present, a sensor trigger rotatable with the shaft (100) and positioned at a propeller offset angle θPROP from the propeller indexer, and a sensor coupled to the motor and positioned to detect the sensor trigger so that the propeller indexer may be positioned at the propeller offset angle θPROP from the sensor through rotation of the shaft so that said sensor is proximate to the sensor trigger.

主权项

1. A method of securing a propeller, comprising:
commutating a sensor trigger by commutating a shaft of a motor, said motor having stators and rotors; commutating a propeller indexer by commutating said shaft, said propeller indexer configured to align a propeller, when a propeller is present, at an angular position that is a propeller offset angle θPROP from said sensor trigger as referenced by a center of rotation of said shaft; sensing said sensor trigger as said sensor trigger rotates to a point adjacent a sensor fixedly coupled to said motor; and switching a control signal to rotatably hold said rotors driving said rotatable shaft in response to said sensor sensing said sensor trigger; wherein said propeller indexer may be held in position at the propeller offset angle θPROP from the sensor by commutating said shaft and holding the rotors so that the sensor is proximate to the sensor trigger; and wherein said propeller propels an aircraft having an aircraft wing, and wherein said sensing said sensor trigger step further comprises sensing said sensor trigger as said propeller aligns with the aircraft wing.