Apparatus and method for delivering a dry material with an unmanned aerial vehicle
AssigneeDropcopter
InventorsAdam Fine, Matthew Koball
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A delivery device coupled to a drone can be used to distribute dry powdered materials to a target area. The powdered materials can be stored in a hopper having an auger at the lower end of the hopper. An auger motor can be actuated to transport the powdered material to an aeration chamber where the powdered material is mixed with turbulent air. The aerated powdered materials can then be emitted from the delivery device from a slinger disc onto a target area.
Claims18
A method for delivering dry material to a target area with an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising:
- providing a delivery device having a container for holding the dry material, an auger, an agitator in contact with an inner surface of a middle conical portion of the container, and an auger motor, wherein the auger motor, the auger, and the agitator are coupled to a center rod and the delivery device is coupled to the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle;
- flying the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle;
- rotating the auger motor which rotates the center rod, the agitator within the container to remove the dry material from the inner surfaces of the container, and the auger;
- and
- releasing the dry material from the delivery device when the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle is over the target area;
- and
- stopping the auger motor to stop the rotation of the auger and prevent the release of the dry material from the delivery when the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle is not over the target area.
A delivery device for delivering a dry material to a target location with an unmanned aerial vehicle:
- a container for holding the dry material;
- an auger coupled to a lower portion of the container with;
- an agitator in contact with an inner surface of a middle conical portion of the container;
- an auger motor;
- and
- a center rod directly coupled to the auger motor and the auger;
- wherein when the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle flies over the target area the auger motor rotates the center rod, the auger and the agitator and the dry material is released from the delivery device when the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle is over the target area and wherein the auger motor and the rotation of the auger are stopped to prevent the release of the dry material from the delivery when the remotely operated unmanned aerial vehicle is not over the target area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.