Device and method for launching and recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle
AssigneeTridentis Advanced Marine Vehicles, LLC
InventorWilliam Latham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Devices and methods for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle. The device includes a gantry mounted on a recovery vehicle, a frame, and a shaft extending between the gantry and the frame and configured to vertically move the frame relative to the gantry. Attached to the frame are a plurality of rotatable arms movable between an opened position and a closed position. A first end of each arm is attached to the frame at a pivot. A flexible strap extends between each of the second ends of the arm and the frame. As the arms are moved to the closed position around the unmanned underwater vehicle, the straps will support the unmanned underwater vehicle.
Claims20
A device for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle, the device comprising:
- a gantry mounted on a recovery vehicle;
- a frame comprising
- a plurality of arms, each arm having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and each arm attached to the frame at a pivot and rotatable about the pivot between an opened configuration and a closed configuration, and,
- a plurality of flexible straps, each flexible strap extending from the frame to a second end of one of the arms from the plurality of arms;
- and,
- a shaft extending between the gantry and the frame, the shaft configured to vertically displace the frame relative to the gantry.
A recovery vehicle configured to recover an unmanned unwater vehicle, the recovery vehicle comprising:
- a gantry mounted to the recovery vehicle;
- a frame comprising
- a plurality of arms, each arm having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, and each arm attached to the frame at a pivot and rotatable about the pivot between an opened configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the arms from the plurality of arms are arranged in pairs, each pair having a first arm on a first side of the frame and a second arm on the second side of the frame, and,
- a plurality of flexible straps, each flexible strap extending from the frame to a second end of one of the arms from the plurality of arms;
- and,
- a shaft extending between the gantry and the frame, the shaft configured to vertically displace the frame relative to the gantry.
A method for recovering an unmanned underwater vehicle, the method comprising:
- positioning a gantry above an unmanned underwater vehicle;
- lowering a frame downward away from the frame and towards the unmanned underwater vehicle, the frame comprising a plurality of movable arms and wherein each arm comprises a flexible strap extending from the arm and the frame;
- closing at least two arms from the plurality of movable arms around the unmanned underwater vehicle, wherein the unmanned underwater vehicle contacts the flexible straps of said at least two arms;
- and,
- lifting the frame upward towards the gantry, wherein the flexible straps of said at least two arms support the unmanned underwater vehicle while the unmanned underwater vehicle is lifted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.