# US 2022/0033079 A1 · Hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle systems with quick release tether assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2022/0033079 A1 - Document ID: US20220033079A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/392,501 - Filed: 2021-08-03 - Published: 2022-02-03 - Earliest claimed: 2020-08-03 - Assignees: Easy Aerial Inc. - Applicants: Easy Aerial Inc. - Inventors: Jason Felder; Omri Dayan; Ido Gur - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220033079A1 ## CPC - B64D 1/02: Dropping, ejecting, or releasing articles (jettisonable fuel reservoirs B64D37/12) - B64U 10/60: Tethered aircraft - B64U 10/16: with five or more distinct rotor axes, e.g. octocopters - B64U 2101/30: for imaging, photography or videography - B64U 2201/10: autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS] - B64U 2201/202: using tethers for connecting to ground station - B64D: EQUIPMENT FOR FITTING IN OR TO AIRCRAFT; FLIGHT SUITS; PARACHUTES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF POWER PLANTS OR PROPULSION TRANSMISSIONS IN AIRCRAFT - B64U: UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES [UAV]; EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract An unmanned aerial vehicle system includes an unmanned aerial vehicle, a tether assembly selectively coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle, a processor, and a memory. The memory contains instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to disconnect the tether assembly from the unmanned aerial vehicle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising: an unmanned aerial vehicle; a tether assembly selectively coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle; a processor; and a memory, containing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: disconnect the tether assembly from the unmanned aerial vehicle while the unmanned aerial vehicle is in flight. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising a ground station coupled to the tether assembly. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the unmanned aerial vehicle includes a quick release mechanism selectively coupled to the tether assembly to restrain movement of the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the quick release mechanism is electrically actuatable to decouple the tether assembly from the unmanned aerial vehicle for enabling the unmanned aerial vehicle to move freely. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 3, wherein the quick release mechanism includes a housing that supports a slider plate and a motor assembly, the motor assembly being actuatable to move the slider plate relative to the housing between a first position and a second position. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 5, wherein in the first position, the slider plate is coupled to a hook assembly and an electrical plug, and wherein in the second position, the slider plate is decoupled from the hook assembly and the electrical plug. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 6, wherein the slider plate includes a first finger that is selectively engageable with the hook assembly. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 7, wherein the slider plate includes a second finger that is selectively engageable with a release door of the housing to maintain the release door in a closed position. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 8, wherein the release door is spring-loaded and positioned to move to an open position when the slider plate moves to the second position. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 1, wherein the tether assembly includes an attachment segment for securing the tether assembly to the quick release mechanism of the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 10, further comprising an electrical plug to which the electrical segment is connected. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 10, further comprising a look assembly to which the attachment segment is secured. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 12, further comprising a drag device that is secured to the hook assembly. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 2., further comprising and an electrical segment for electrically coupling the ground station to the unmanned aerial vehicle. ### Claim 15 An unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising: a tether assembly; an unmanned aerial vehicle comprising: a housing; a slider plate supported by the housing; and a motor assembly coupled to the slider plate; a processor; and a memory, containing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the unmanned aerial vehicle to: move the slider plate relative to the housing to selectively decouple the tether assembly from the housing. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 15, further comprising a slider housing coupled to the slider plate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 16, wherein the slider housing is coupled to the housing by a spring. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 16, wherein the motor assembly includes an actuator that is engaged with the slider housing, the motor assembly actuatable to move the actuator relative to the motor assembly to slide the slider housing relative to the housing. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 16, wherein the slider plate includes a plug recess configured to selectively engage an electrical plug. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 19, wherein the slider plate includes a release portion for receiving the electrical plug and a retaining portion for securing the electrical plug to the slider plate. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 15, further comprising a drag device supported in the housing by a release door. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The unmanned aerial vehicle of claim 21, wherein the drag device is coupled to the tether assembly. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 15, further comprising a controller that is disposed in electrical communication with the motor assembly, the controller configured to actuate the motor assembly. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The unmanned aerial vehicle system of claim 21, wherein the slider plate includes at least one finger that is selectively engageable with a tab on the release door to maintain the release door in a closed position. ### Claim 25 An unmanned aerial vehicle system, comprising: a tether assembly that selectively couples a ground station to an unmanned aerial vehicle; a processor; and a memory, containing instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the system to: disconnect the tether assembly from the unmanned aerial vehicle.