Offboard Connection System

• US 20110067619A1
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Pellen, Alain T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,146,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 114/322
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 21/00 Tying-up; Shifting, towing, or pushing equipment; Anchoring of buoys B63B22/04; dynamic anchoring B63H25/00 ; equipment for shipping on coasts, in harbours or on other fixed marine structures, e.g. for landing purposes, E02B
• CPC Class Codes: B63B 27/36 Arrangement of ship-based loading or unloading equipment for floating cargo deployment or recovery of underwater vehicles using lifts of hoists B63B27/16
• CPC Class Codes: B63C 11/42 with independent propulsion or direction control

Abstract

A system for connecting an auxiliary craft and a mother ship includes a cable suspended from the mother ship, a cable tensioner, a mother-ship coupler that is slideably engaged to the cable, a fixture that depends from the auxiliary craft, and an auxiliary-craft coupler. The auxiliary craft is maneuvered to engage the cable. Once engaged, the cable tensioner tensions the cable, thereby maintaining the auxiliary craft in position next to the mother ship. As the cable is tensioned, the auxiliary-craft coupler axially aligns to the mother-ship coupler. After axial alignment, the mother-ship coupler is released to slide into mating engagement with the auxiliary-craft coupler. Mated couplers enable bi-directional electrical or optical communications as well as the transfer of power, fuel or other fluids from the mother ship to the auxiliary craft.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a cable that depends from a mother ship;

a first coupler associated with the mother ship, wherein the first coupler is slideably mounted to the cable;

a second coupler associated with an auxiliary craft; and

a first alignment mechanism for axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the first alignment mechanism comprises the cable and a cable tensioner that is connected to the cable.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first alignment mechanism further comprises a first aperture, wherein the first aperture is defined within the second coupler and is dimensioned to receive the cable.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising coarse alignment features for rotationally aligning the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the coarse alignment features provides a definable maximum rotational misalignment, and wherein rotational misalignment prevents connectors disposed in the first coupler and the second coupler from engaging each other.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the coarse-alignment features comprise:

a projecting guide, wherein the projecting guide depends from a first major surface of the second coupler; and

a receiver, wherein the receiver is disposed in the first coupler and is dimensioned and arranged to receive the projecting guide of the second coupler.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the projecting guide includes a second aperture portion that, in conjunction with a first aperture portion of the second coupler, enables the cable to advance radially inward to a central axis of the second coupler.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the definable maximum rotational misalignment is a function of the width of the second aperture portion.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein:

the receiver further comprises a key; and

the projecting guide further comprises a guideway, wherein the key is configured to engage the guideway and wherein engagement thereof results in rotation of the first coupler.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising fine-alignment features for rotationally aligning the first coupler and the second coupler, wherein the fine-alignment features rotationally align the first coupler and the second coupler sufficiently for mating a connector that is disposed in the first coupler and a connector that is disposed in the second coupler.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the fine-alignment features include:

an tapered boss that is disposed on a first major surface of the second coupler, wherein the tapered boss is axially aligned with the connector in the second coupler; and

an tapered counterbore that is disposed in a first major surface of the first coupler, wherein the tapered counterbore is axially aligned with the connector in the first coupler, and wherein the tapered counterbore is dimensioned to receive the tapered boss.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first coupler receives utilities and signals from the mother ship.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the second coupler receives the utilities and signals from the first coupler and conducts the utilities and signals to the auxiliary craft.

12. A system comprising:

a cable that depends from a mother ship;

a first coupler associated with the mother ship, wherein the first coupler is slideably mounted to the cable;

a second coupler associated with an auxiliary craft;

a first alignment mechanism for axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler; and

alignment features for rotationally aligning the first coupler and the second coupler.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the first alignment mechanism comprises the cable and a cable tensioner that is connected to the cable.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the alignment features comprise:

coarse rotational-alignment features for rotationally aligning the first coupler and the second coupler to within a definable maximum rotational misalignment; and

fine rotational-alignment features for correcting any rotational misalignment remaining after coarse rotational alignment.

15. A system comprising:

a cable that depends from a mother ship;

a cable tensioner that is operable to apply tension to the cable;

a first coupler associated with the mother ship, wherein the first coupler is slideably mounted to the cable;

a fixture that depends from an auxiliary craft, wherein the fixture is suitably configured to engage the cable, thereby tethering the auxiliary craft to the mother ship;

a second coupler, wherein the second coupler is rotatably coupled to the fixture, wherein the second coupler has an aperture that enables the cable to align with a central axis of the second coupler when the cable tensioner applies tension, thereby axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising rotational alignment features that rotationally align the first coupler and the second coupler with respect to connectors that are disposed in each of the first coupler and the second coupler.

17. A method comprising:

deploying a cable from a mother ship;

coupling the cable to a fixture that depends from an auxiliary craft;

axially aligning a first coupler associated with the mother ship to a second coupler associated with the auxiliary craft by tensioning the cable; and

mating the first coupler and the second coupler by sliding the first coupler along the cable.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the operation of deploying a cable further comprises deploying the cable so that it hangs in the form of a loop.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the operation of mating the first coupler and the second coupler further comprises employing releasing a tether that maintains the first coupler above the second coupler.

20. The method of claim 17 further comprising rotationally aligning the first coupler to the second coupler.