Utility fixture for creating a distributed utility network
AssigneeThe Boeing Company
InventorsHarinder S. Oberoi, Alfredo Jose Gerosa, Kevin Marion Barrick, Quang T. Do, Yuanxin Charles Hu, Branko Sarh, Scott Allen Mackay, Jeffrey Lawrence Miller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for distributing a number of utilities. The number of utilities may be coupled between a number of utility sources and a utility fixture. The number of utilities may be coupled between the utility fixture and a mobile system.
Claims23
A coupling unit comprising:
- a quick-change device;
- a coupling element;
- and
- an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises:
- a guidance fork for receiving a roller associated with a mobile system, and
- a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to the guidance fork along at least one axis.
A coupling unit comprising:
- a quick-change device;
- a coupling element;
- and
- an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises:
- a roller, and
- a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to a guidance fork along at least one axis.
A method for mating a coupling unit with a corresponding coupling unit, wherein the coupling unit comprises a quick-change device, a coupling element, and an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises a guidance fork for receiving a roller associated with the corresponding coupling unit on a mobile system and a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to the guidance fork along at least one axis, and wherein the corresponding coupling unit comprises the corresponding quick-change device and the corresponding coupling element, the method comprising:
- driving the corresponding coupling unit on the mobile system towards the coupling unit;
- using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with the corresponding coupling element autonomously;
- and
- mating the corresponding coupling unit to the coupling unit to couple a number of utilities between the coupling unit and the corresponding coupling unit.
A method for distributing a number of utilities to a tower, the method comprising:
- driving the tower towards a location of a utility fixture comprising a coupling unit comprising a quick-change device, a coupling element, and an alignment system for aligning the quick-change device with a corresponding quick-change device and the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element, wherein the alignment system comprises a roller and a sensor device that generates data for use in aligning the roller relative to a guidance fork along at least one axis;
- using the alignment system to align the quick-change device with the corresponding quick-change device of a corresponding coupling unit associated with the tower and to align the coupling element with a corresponding coupling element of the corresponding coupling unit;
- and
- mating the quick-change device of the coupling unit with the corresponding quick-change device of the corresponding coupling unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.