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US 12,509,228 B2Granted
Payload coupling apparatus for UAV and method of delivering a payload
AssigneeWing Aviation LLC
InventorsAndre Prager, Trevor Shannon
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A payload coupling apparatus is provided including a housing, wherein the housing is adapted for attachment to a first end of a tether, a slot extending downwardly from an outer surface of the housing towards a center of the housing thereby forming a lower lip on the housing beneath the slot, and wherein the slot is adapted to receive a handle of a payload. A method of delivering a payload using the payload coupling apparatus is also provided.
Claims15
A payload coupling apparatus comprising:
- a housing comprising an outer surface, the housing having an upper portion including a tether attachment point, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion, wherein the upper portion of the housing has a rounded surface, the lower portion of the housing has a rounded surface, and a horizontal cross-section of the housing has a round shape;
- a slot extending into the outer surface of the housing thereby forming a lower lip on the housing beneath the slot;
- wherein the slot is adapted to receive a handle of a payload;
- and
- wherein the handle of the payload automatically decouples from the slot of the housing when the payload is lowered onto a landing surface.
2 more elements
An uncrewed aerial vehicle system comprising:
- an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV);
- a tether having a first end positioned in a winch system secured to the UAV and a second end secured to a payload coupling apparatus;
- a payload coupling apparatus receptacle positioned in a fuselage of the UAV;
- wherein the payload coupling apparatus comprises:
- a housing comprising an outer surface the housing having an upper portion including a tether attachment point, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion;
- a slot extending into the outer surface of the housing thereby forming a lower lip on the housing beneath the slot;
- and
- wherein the slot is adapted to receive a handle of a payload;
- and
- wherein the handle of the payload automatically decouples from the slot of the housing when the payload is lowered onto a landing surface;
- wherein the housing is attached to the second end of the tether at the tether attachment point;
- and
- wherein the housing of the payload coupling apparatus is positionable in the payload coupling apparatus receptacle in the UAV when the housing of the payload coupling apparatus is winched into the UAV.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.