Back to results
US 2019/0100874 A1Published application
Faired Tether Systems with Internal Support Structure in the Faired Tether
AssigneeX Development LLC
InventorElias Wolfgang Patten
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Faired tethers with internal support structures providing support to strength cores, and systems therewith, are described. The faired tethers include one or more electrical conductors and one or more rigid supports that inhibit movement of a strength core within a faired tether.
Claims20
A tether comprising:
- an outer jacket comprising a compliant material and an exterior surface in the form of an airfoil shape, wherein the airfoil shape comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposing upper and lower side walls between the leading edge and the trailing edge;
- a strength core arranged longitudinally within the tether;
- a first electrical conductor arranged longitudinally within the tether and located between the strength core and the leading edge;
- and
- a first rigid support member disposed between the strength core and the lower side wall of the outer jacket, wherein the first rigid support member comprises a rigid material with a hardness greater than a hardness of the compliant material of the outer jacket.
2 more elements
A system comprising:
- an aerial vehicle;
- a winch drum;
- and
- a tether configured to be wound around the winch drum, the tether comprising:
- an outer jacket comprising a compliant material and an exterior surface in the form of an airfoil shape, wherein the airfoil shape comprises a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposing upper and lower side walls between the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the system is configured such that the lower side wall contacts the winch drum when the tether is wound around the winch drum;
- a strength core arranged longitudinally within the tether;
- a first electrical conductor arranged longitudinally within the tether and located between the strength core and the leading edge;
- and
- a first rigid support member disposed between the strength core and the lower side wall of the outer jacket, wherein the first rigid support member comprises a rigid material with a hardness greater than a hardness of the compliant material of the outer jacket, and
- wherein the system is configured for the tether to be wrapped around the winch drum in a single layer only.
7 more elements
A system comprising:
- an aerial vehicle;
- a winch drum;
- and
- a tether configured to be wound around the winch, the tether comprising:
- an outer jacket comprising a compliant material and an exterior surface in the form of an airfoil shape, including a leading edge, a trailing edge, and opposing upper and lower side walls between the leading edge and the trailing edge, wherein the system is configured such that the lower side wall contacts the winch drum when the tether is wound around the winch drum in a first layer, and wherein the lower side wall of a second layer contacts the upper side wall of the first layer when the tether is wound around the winch drum in a second layer;
- a strength core arranged longitudinally within the tether;
- a first electrical conductor arranged longitudinally within the tether and located between the strength core and the leading edge;
- a first rigid support member disposed between the strength core and the lower side wall of the outer jacket, wherein the first rigid support member comprises a rigid material with a hardness greater than a hardness of the compliant material of the outer jacket;
- and
- a second rigid support member disposed between the strength core and the upper side wall of the outer jacket, wherein the second rigid support member comprises a second rigid material with a hardness greater than the hardness of the compliant material of the outer jacket.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.