Delivery systems for pressure protecting and delivering a submerged payload and methods for using the same
AssigneeiRobot Corporation
InventorFrederick Vosburgh
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium includes a containment system. The containment system includes a container and a dehiscing system. The container includes a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber. The dehiscing system is operative to dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition.
Claims24
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium, the payload delivery system comprising a containment system including:
- a container including a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber;
- and
- a dehiscing system including a controller operative to automatically dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to detection of a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition.
A method for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium, the method comprising:
- providing a containment system including:
- a container including a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber;
- and
- a dehiscing system including a controller;
- mounting the payload in the containment chamber;
- submerging the container with the payload mounted in the containment chamber;
- thereafter
- detecting a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition;
- and
- responsive to detecting the prescribed event and/or the prescribed environmental condition, using the controller, automatically dehiscing the shell using the dehiscing system to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium.
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium, the payload delivery system comprising a containment system including:
- a container including a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber;
- and
- a dehiscing system operative to dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition;
- wherein the shell includes a flexible envelope defining the sealed containment chamber.
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium, the payload delivery system comprising a containment system including:
- a container including a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber;
- and
- a dehiscing system operative to automatically dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition;
- wherein the prescribed environmental condition includes an external pressure on the shell becoming less than a prescribed threshold pressure.
A payload delivery system for protecting and delivering a payload submerged in a submersion medium, the payload delivery system comprising a containment system including:
- a container including a pressure-resistant shell defining a sealed containment chamber;
- and
- a dehiscing system operative to dehisce the shell to open the containment chamber to the submersion medium responsive to a prescribed event and/or a prescribed environmental condition;
- wherein the containment system and the payload form a dispensable unit having a buoyancy enabling the dispensable unit to passively ascend in the submersion medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.