METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED LAUNCH, RETRIEVAL, AND SERVICING OF A HOVERING AIRCRAFT
First Claim
1. A flying object capturing apparatus, said flying object capturing apparatus comprising:
- (a) a base;
(b) a docking station supported by the base and configured to receive a portion of a flying object;
(c) a member holder supported by the base and configured to receive a member of the flying object; and
(d) two arms supported by and extending from the base and defining an opening therebetween configured to admit the member of the flying aircraft into the member holder.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide an apparatus configured to automatically retrieve, service, and launch an aircraft. For retrieval, the aircraft drops a weighted cable, and pulls it at low relative speed into a broad aperture of the apparatus. In certain instances, the cable is dragged along guiding surfaces of the apparatus into and through a slot until its free end is captured. The aircraft becomes anchored to the apparatus, and is pulled downward by the cable into a receptacle. Guiding surfaces of the receptacle adjust the position and orientation of a probe on the aircraft, directing the probe to mate with a docking fixture of the apparatus. Once mated, the aircraft is automatically shut down and serviced. When desired, the aircraft is automatically started and tested in preparation for launch, and then released into free flight. A full ground-handling cycle is thus accomplished with a simple, economical apparatus.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A flying object capturing apparatus, said flying object capturing apparatus comprising:
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(a) a base; (b) a docking station supported by the base and configured to receive a portion of a flying object; (c) a member holder supported by the base and configured to receive a member of the flying object; and (d) two arms supported by and extending from the base and defining an opening therebetween configured to admit the member of the flying aircraft into the member holder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A flying object capturing apparatus, said flying object capturing apparatus comprising:
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(a) a base; (b) a docking station supported by the base and configured to receive a portion of a flying object; (c) a member holder supported by the base and configured to receive a member of the flying object and, thereafter, move the member relative to the docking station until the docking station receives the portion of the flying object; and (d) two arms supported by and extending from the base and defining an opening therebetween configured to admit the member of the flying aircraft into the member holder. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A flying object capturing apparatus, said flying object capturing apparatus comprising:
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(a) a base; (b) a docking station supported by the base and including a plurality of spaced-apart flying object receiving members extending therefrom, the flying object receiving members defining a flying object receiving slot therebetween, the flying object receiving slot configured to receive a portion of a flying object; (c) a member holder supported by the base and configured to receive a member of the flying object and, thereafter, move the member relative to the docking station until the docking station receives the portion of the flying object; and (d) two arms supported by and extending from the base and defining an opening therebetween configured to admit the member of the flying aircraft into the member holder.
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Specification