Back to results
US 12,752,939 B2Granted
Slip-through tether and attachment system for robot movement along a tether
AssigneeAmerica as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorJames D. Humann
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A powered drone tether and deployment system including a plurality of drone coupling/decoupling mechanisms which enable the coupling/decoupling thereto of rechargeable drones in flight. A lead drone may carry the drone tether so as to extend the tether from a base station supplying power thereto such that one or more rechargeable drones may attach to coupling/decoupling mechanisms for charging, and then detach from the coupling/decoupling mechanisms to perform independent flight tasks.
Claims7
A drone tether cable, comprising:
- power input connectors configured to be electrically coupled to a power source;
- at least two power conductors electrically coupling the power input connectors to each of a plurality of docking points distributed along the tether cable;
- each docking point comprising docking point coupling elements configured to engage with corresponding drone coupling elements;
- each docking point comprising power connection elements configured to electrically cooperate with corresponding power connection elements of a drone, the orientation of the power connection elements being established by the orientation of the coupling elements;
- wherein the docking point coupling elements and drone coupling elements comprise magnetic coupling elements;
- and
- wherein the drone coupling elements are mounted to a drone tether connector slideably cooperating with the tether cable.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.