US 5,947,419 A · Aerial cargo container

Abstract

An aerial cargo container system for transporting cargo from an aircraft to the ground having a cargo box with a continuous side wall with six rectangular side panels, and rotor blades having stowed positions against alternating box side panels and deployed positions extending outwardly from the box in a generally horizontal plane. Each blade may include a lower panel and an upper panel that has two triangular sections behind the leading edge that forms an aerodynamic camber. The blades are hinged to a rotor hub secured across the top of the box. The upward deployment of the blades is limited by tethers extending from the blades down to a tether attach frame secured across the bottom of the box. The box and blades are preferably formed of corrugated paper or plastic material. The entire unit rotates with the load to create aerodynamic braking and lower cargo to the ground with a minimum of energy being translated to the cargo on impact.

Claims15

Dependent claims

An aerial cargo container comprising:

a) a cargo box having an upper end;
b) a rotor hub affixed across the upper end of said box, said hub includes a plurality of rotor blade hinge point pairs, each pair having a leading hinge point and a trailing hinge point, said leading hinge point being lower than said trailing hinge point;
and
c) a plurality of rotor blades having aerodynamic camber, leading and trailing edges, and roots hinged to said rotor blade hinge point pairs, said blades having a stowed position against said box and a deployed position extending outwardly from said box in a generally horizontal plane, said blades being rotatable with said hub and said box.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Aerial cargo container

Life of this patent

Aerial cargo container

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims15