Perforated capsule hook for stable high speed retract
AssigneeWing Aviation LLC
InventorAndre Prager
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A payload coupling apparatus is provided that includes a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a side wall positioned between the upper and lower portions, an attachment point on the housing adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether, a slot in the housing that extends downwardly towards a center of the housing thereby forming a hook or lip on the lower portion of the housing beneath the slot, a plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing; and a plurality of holes in the lower portion of the housing. A method of retracting a payload coupling apparatus during UAV flight is also provided.
Claims23
A payload coupling apparatus comprising:
- a housing having an upper portion, a lower portion, and a side wall positioned between the upper and lower portions;
- an attachment point on the housing adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether;
- a slot in the housing that extends downwardly towards a center of the housing thereby forming a hook or lip on the lower portion of the housing beneath the slot;
- a plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing;
- and
- a plurality of holes in the lower portion of the housing;
- wherein the housing is hollow, and air is allowed to flow through the plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing, through the housing, and exit the plurality holes in the lower portion of the housing;
- and
- wherein the housing is constructed with two pieces.
A method of retracting a payload coupling apparatus to a UAV comprising:
- providing the payload coupling apparatus with a housing having an upper portion and a lower portion, and a side wall positioned between the upper portion and the lower portion, the housing attached to a first end of a tether with a second end of the tether attached to the UAV, a slot in the housing that extends downwardly towards a center of the housing thereby forming a hook or lip on the lower portion of the housing beneath the slot, a plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing, a plurality of holes in the side wall of the housing, and a plurality of holes positioned in the lower portion of the housing, wherein the housing is hollow, and air is allowed to flow through the plurality of holes in the upper portion of the housing, through the housing, and exit the plurality holes in the lower portion of the housing, and wherein the housing is constructed with two pieces;
- moving the UAV forward at a rate of 25-35 m/s;
- retracting the payload coupling apparatus towards the UAV with the tether as the UAV moves forward at a rate of 25-35 m/s;
- wherein the payload coupling apparatus remains stable during retraction of the payload coupling apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.