Package delivery systems and methods for aerial vehicles
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsCyriel Notteboom, Nathan Stuart Friendly
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A package delivery apparatus of a vehicle may include a servo, a servo arm rotated by the servo, a latch that rotates responsive to rotation of the servo arm, and a rod and slider that moves responsive to rotation of the servo arm. The components of the package delivery apparatus may move between a plurality of positions, including a loading position, a locking position, a sensing position, and a release position. The rotation of the latch may control loading, locking, sensing, and release of a package within a package path of the vehicle, and the movement of the rod and slider may control movement of a door assembly of the vehicle between open and closed positions.
Claims20
A vehicle, comprising:
- a fuselage;
- at least one propulsion mechanism coupled to the fuselage;
- and
- a package delivery apparatus associated with a portion of the fuselage, the package delivery apparatus including:
- a package door hingedly coupled to the fuselage;
- a bracket coupled to an interior of the fuselage;
- an actuator coupled to the bracket;
- a servo arm coupled to and rotated by the actuator;
- a latch rotatably coupled to the bracket and configured to move between a plurality of positions responsive to rotation of the servo arm;
- and
- a rod pivotably coupled at a first end to the servo arm and pivotably coupled at a second end to the package door, the package door configured to move between an open position and a closed position responsive to movement of the rod by the servo arm.
A package delivery apparatus, comprising:
- a servo arm coupled to and rotated by an actuator, the actuator being coupled to a bracket that is coupled to a portion of a vehicle;
- a latch rotatably coupled to the bracket and configured to move between a plurality of positions responsive to rotation of the servo arm;
- and
- a rod pivotably coupled at a first end to the servo arm and pivotably coupled at a second end to a door of the vehicle, the door configured to move between an open position and a closed position responsive to movement of the rod by the servo arm.
A method of operating a package delivery apparatus of a vehicle, comprising:
- instructing an actuator to rotate a servo arm and a latch to a loading position, the servo arm being coupled to and rotated by the actuator, the actuator being coupled to a bracket that is coupled to a portion of the vehicle, and the latch being rotatably coupled to the bracket and configured to move responsive to rotation of the servo arm;
- wherein the rotation of the servo arm to the loading position further moves a rod to permit movement of a door of the vehicle between an open position and a closed position, the rod being pivotably coupled at a first end to the servo arm and pivotably coupled via a movable slider at a second end to the door;
- wherein in the loading position:
- a cam follower of the servo arm contacts a foot of the latch;
- a shoulder of the latch movably obstructs a package path;
- and
- the movable slider is movable between a first end stop at which the door is in the closed position and a second end stop at which the door is in the open position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.