Systems and methods for joining modules of airborne vehicles
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
InventorsEric Seeley, Jacob Snow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An airborne vehicle comprising modular elements and attachable components, including a male end adapted to join a single-piece female end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end such that data bus terminals align and power bus terminals align. The vehicle can be assembled from these modular elements and components to meet desired mission and performance characteristics without the need to purchase specially designed vehicles for each mission. The joints connecting the modules are designed such that power and data connections between modules are reliably made.
Claims42
A connector for joining a first component to a second component in an airborne vehicle, comprising:
- a male end, comprising:
- a plurality of pins;
- a first data bus terminal;
- and
- a first power bus terminal;
- a single-piece female end, comprising:
- a plurality of slots sized for receiving the plurality of pins;
- a second data bus terminal, wherein the second data bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first data bus terminal when the single-piece female end is joined with the male end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end;
- and
- a second power bus terminal, wherein the second power bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first power bus terminal when the single-piece female end is joined with the male end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end.
A connector for joining a first component to a second component in an airborne vehicle, comprising:
- a male end, comprising:
- a male thread;
- a first data bus terminal;
- and
- a first power bus terminal;
- a single-piece female end, comprising:
- a female thread;
- a second data bus terminal, wherein the second data bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first data bus terminal when the single-piece female end is joined with the male end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end;
- and
- a second power bus terminal, wherein the second power bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first power bus terminal when the single-piece female end is joined with the male end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end.
A modular component for an airborne vehicle, comprising:
- a male end, comprising:
- a plurality of pins;
- a first data bus terminal;
- and
- a first power bus terminal;
- a single-piece female end, comprising:
- a plurality of slots sized for receiving the plurality of pins;
- a second data bus terminal, wherein the second data bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first data bus terminal by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end;
- and
- a second power bus terminal, wherein the second power bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first power bus terminal by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end.
A modular component for an airborne vehicle, comprising:
- a male end, comprising:
- a male thread;
- a first data bus terminal;
- and
- a first power bus terminal;
- a single-piece female end, comprising:
- a female thread;
- a second data bus terminal, wherein the second data bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first data bus terminal by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end;
- and
- a second power bus terminal, wherein the second power bus terminal is positioned on the single-piece female end to align with the first power bus terminal by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end.
In an airborne vehicle, a method for attaching a first configurable component to a second configurable component comprising the steps of:
- inserting a plurality of pins from a male end of a first configurable component into a plurality of slots located on a single-piece female end of a second configurable component;
- and
- rotating the plurality of pins in the plurality of slots until a first power bus terminal and a first data bus terminal of the first configurable component aligns with a second power bus terminal and a second data bus terminal of the second configurable component.
In an airborne vehicle, a method for attaching a first configurable component to a second configurable component comprising the steps of:
- inserting a male thread from a male end of a first configurable component into a female thread located on a single-piece female end of a second configurable component;
- and,
- rotating the male thread in the female thread until a first power bus terminal and a first data bus terminal of the first configurable component aligns with a second power bus terminal and a second data bus terminal of the second configurable component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.