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US 12,371,195 B2Granted
Vehicle capture assemblies and related devices, systems, and methods
AssigneeNorthrop Grumman Systems Corporation
InventorsMatthew Alan Michel, Michael Alfred Tosto, Kevin David Tebbe, Daisaku Inoyama, John Francis Papayanopoulos
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Vehicle capture assemblies and related devices, systems, and methods include one or more probe assemblies for passively engaging with and securing the target vehicle.
Claims31
A vehicle capture assembly, comprising:
- a probe assembly including one or more retention elements for engaging with and securing a target vehicle in a deployed position;
- and
- an extendable lance coupled to the probe assembly, the probe assembly being positioned at a distal portion of the lance;
- wherein the probe assembly is configured to passively engage with and secure the target vehicle and to passively disengage from and release the target vehicle;
- and
- wherein the one or more retention elements are configured to move past the deployed position in a direction toward the target vehicle to an overextended position where the one or more retention elements release the target vehicle.
3 more elements
A vehicle capture assembly, comprising:
- a probe assembly including one or more retention elements for engaging with and securing a target vehicle in a deployed position;
- and
- an extendable lance coupled to the probe assembly, the probe assembly being positioned at a distal portion of the lance;
- wherein the probe assembly is configured to passively engage with and secure the target vehicle and to passively disengage from and release the target vehicle;
- wherein the one or more retention elements comprises one or more barbs extending from the probe assembly in a direction transverse from a length of the lance, the one or more barbs configured to be at least one of passively stowed or passively deployed;
- wherein the one or more barbs are biased in a deployed position, and wherein the one or more barbs are configured to be moved toward a stowed position in response to a force applied to a portion of the probe assembly;
- and
- wherein the one or more barbs are configured to move past the deployed position and away from the stowed position in a direction toward the target vehicle to an overextended position where the one or more barbs release the target vehicle.
5 more elements
A method of capturing a spacecraft, the method comprising:
- extending a lance of a vehicle capture assembly toward a target spacecraft;
- passively engaging a probe of the vehicle capture assembly with the target spacecraft, the probe being coupled to the lance;
- retracting the lance of the vehicle capture assembly to at least partially secure the target spacecraft;
- passively releasing one or more barbs of the probe from engagement with the target spacecraft in a deployed position;
- and
- extending the lance and the target spacecraft away from a capture vehicle, and wherein passively releasing the one or more barbs of the probe comprises nondestructively releasing the target spacecraft.
3 more elements
A method of capturing a spacecraft, the method comprising:
- extending a lance of a vehicle capture assembly toward a target spacecraft:
- passively engaging a probe of the vehicle capture assembly with the target spacecraft, the probe being coupled to the lance;
- retracting the lance of the vehicle capture assembly to at least partially secure the target spacecraft;
- passively releasing one or more barbs of the probe from engagement with the target spacecraft in a deployed position;
- and
- destructively releasing the target spacecraft by detonating one or more explosive unions to disengage the target spacecraft from the probe.
3 more elements
A vehicle capture assembly, comprising:
- a probe assembly including one or more barbs for engaging with and securing a target vehicle;
- and
- an extendable lance coupled to the probe assembly, the probe assembly being positioned at a distal portion of the lance;
- wherein the probe assembly is configured to passively engage with and secure the target vehicle and to passively disengage from and release the target vehicle;
- and
- wherein the one or more barbs extend from the probe assembly in a direction transverse to a length of the lance, the one or more barbs configured to rotate relative to the probe assembly to move between a deployed position and a stowed position, the one or more barbs configured to be at least one of passively stowed in the stowed position or passively deployed in the deployed position.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.