System and method for improved securing of an aerostat to a receiving structure
OwnerBenoît Le Blanc, Bastien Lefrancoisinventors
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Abstract
A tie-down system for securing an aerostat to a receiving structure, comprising a tie-down cable designed to be attached to the aerostat by one of the ends thereof, a mast designed to be rotatably mounted on the receiving structure, the mast comprising a winch with a winding drum winch comprising a slot designed to receive a portion of the cable located on the side of the other end of the tie-down cable. The tether is weighed down by a weight at the other end thereof, and the mast further comprises a forked guide device having two branches extending in two opposite directions.
Claims20
A system for securing an aerostat to a receiving structure, comprising:
- a tie-down cable to be attached to the aerostat by a first end of its opposing ends;
- a mast to be rotatably mounted on the receiving structure, the mast comprising a winding drum winch having a slot arranged to receive a portion of the tie-down cable located on a side of a second end of the opposing ends of the tie-down cable;
- wherein:
- the tie-down cable is weighted down by a weight at the second end thereof;
- and
- the mast further comprises a forked guide device having two branches extending in two divergent directions, and a pulley capture device having a movable pulley adapted to receive the tie-down cable.
A kit, including:
- a tie-down cable arranged to be attached to an aerostat by a first end of its two opposing ends;
- a mast arranged to be rotatably mounted on a receiving structure, the mast comprising a winding drum winch having a slot arranged to receive a portion of the tie-down cable located on a side of a second end of the two opposing ends of the tie-down cable;
- wherein:
- the tie-down cable is weighted down by a weight at the second end thereof;
- and
- the mast further comprises a forked guide device having two branches extending in two divergent directions, and a pulley capture device having a movable pulley adapted to receive the tie-down cable.
-10. (canceled)
A method for securing an aerostat to a receiving structure, implemented in a docking system comprising a tie-down cable for attachment to the aerostat by a first end of its two opposing ends, a mast arranged to be rotatably mounted on the receiving structure, the mast comprising a winding drum winch having a slot arranged to receive a portion of the cable located on the side of a second end of the two opposing ends of the tie-down cable, the mast further comprising a forked guide device having two branches extending in two divergent directions and a trapping device including a fork pulley, and a pulley capture device having a movable pulley and a fixed pulley adapted to receive the tie-down cable, the method comprising the following steps:
- orienting the mast so that the bisector of an angle formed by the two branches and of the forked guide device is downwind, in the opposite direction to the wind flow;
- unwinding the winding drum in a controlled manner so as to release the tie-down cable and allow a weight to pull on the tie-down cable while limiting tensile forces on the tie-down cable;
- and
- detecting that the tie-down cable cuts a detection axis of the trapping device before part of the tie-down cable touches the fork pulley.
The system of claim 21, further comprising a motor for rotating the winding drum winch and a controller configured to drive the motor based on data read by the reader.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.