Material delivery systems and methods
AssigneeFMC Corporation
InventorsDarryl A. Meade, Edward Lang, Xuan Li, Maggie Lynch
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Described herein is an aerial material delivery system, which includes an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) including a body, and a material dispensing system mounted to the UAV, The delivery system also includes a collapsible storage container releasably mountable to the UAV. The storage container contains a flowable chemical product and includes at least one coupler adapted to couple the storage container to the material dispensing system of the UAV and allow the flowable chemical product to be dispensed therethrough.
Claims19
An aerial fluid delivery system comprising:
- an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) comprising a body;
- a material dispensing system mounted to the UAV;
- and
- a collapsible storage container releasably mountable to the UAV, characterized in:
- the liquid storage container containing a pre-dosed amount of a chemical product and comprising at least one fluid coupler, the liquid storage container configured to receive a liquid via the at least one fluid coupler to form a liquid mixture with the chemical product, wherein the at least one fluid coupler is adapted to fluidly couple the liquid storage container to the liquid dispensing system of the UAV for dispensing the liquid mixture therethrough;
- wherein the at least one fluid coupler comprises a single fluid coupler that functions as both an inlet for receiving liquid into the liquid storage container to mix with the chemical product and form the liquid mixture, and an outlet for supplying the liquid mixture to the liquid dispensing system.
A method characterized by comprising:
- introducing a liquid into a collapsible storage container that contains a predosed amount of a chemical product to form a liquid mixture, the liquid storage container including at least one fluid coupler;
- releasably mounting the liquid storage container to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- fluidly coupling the storage container to a liquid dispensing system mounted to the UAV using the at least one fluid coupler;
- and
- dispensing the liquid mixture from the UAV using the liquid dispensing system;
- wherein the at least one fluid coupler comprises a single fluid coupler;
- wherein introducing a liquid into the collapsible liquid storage container comprises introducing the liquid into the liquid storage container via the fluid coupler;
- and
- wherein fluidly coupling the liquid storage container to a liquid dispensing system comprises fluidly coupling the liquid storage container to the liquid dispensing system via the same fluid coupler.
A collapsible liquid storage container comprising:
- a flexible sidewall constructed of an ultra-lightweight material, the sidewall at least partially defining a cavity;
- a pre-dosed amount of a chemical product disposed within the cavity;
- at least one mechanical coupler coupled to the sidewall and configured for releasable coupling to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
- and
- at least one fluid coupler coupled in fluid communication with the cavity, wherein the liquid storage container is configured to receive a liquid into the cavity via the at least one fluid coupler to form a liquid mixture with the chemical product, and wherein the at least one fluid coupler is adapted to fluidly couple the cavity to a liquid dispensing system of the UAV such that the liquid mixture can be dispensed from the UAV liquid dispensing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.