AIRCRAFT GROUNDING SYSTEM

• US 20170021945A1
• Filed: 05/16/2016
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aerovironment
• Original Assignee: Aerovironment
• Inventors: Fisher, Christopher Eugene, Zwaan, John Peter, Thompson, David R., Schmalzel, Marc L., Klingbiel, Karl R., Jensen, Tyson R., Belik, Pavel, Aagaard, Eric James
• Granted Patent: US 9,957,065 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 1/02 designed to produce a jet, spray, or other discharge of particular shape or nature, e.g. in single drops, or having an outlet of particular shapeB05B1/26, B05B1/28, B05B1/34 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/48 using adhesives , i.e. using supplementary joining material; solvent bonding
• CPC Class Codes: B29L 2031/3076 Aircrafts blades, propellers B29L2031/08
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/12 for anchoring aircraft
• CPC Class Codes: B64F 1/16 Pickets or ground anchors; Wheel chocks
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/10 Methods of surface bonding and/or assembly therefor
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1788 Work traversing type and/or means applying work to wall or static structure

Abstract

Liquid dispensing assemblies including adhesive anchoring assemblies configured to adhere to a support surface external to a device such as a vehicle. An air vehicle includes (a) a fluid adhesive container assembly detachably attached to the air vehicle, wherein the fluid adhesive container assembly comprises: (i) an adhesive container comprising fluid adhesive; and (ii) one or more fibers, wherein the one or more fibers are configured, or a brush of fibers, or a fabric of fibers, is configured to conduct the fluid adhesive and to structurally support an adhesive bond between the one or more fibers and a surface; and (b) means for dispensing the fluid adhesive from the fluid adhesive container, to the one or more fibers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

adhering an air vehicle with an adhesive to an external surface.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein adhering the air vehicle further comprises:

adhering an adhesive anchoring assembly of the air vehicle, via the adhesive, to an air vehicle landing surface external to the air vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein adhering the adhesive anchoring assembly of the air vehicle further comprises:

adhering a contact member of the adhesive anchoring assembly to the air vehicle landing surface, wherein the contact member is connected to the air vehicle by an attachment member.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

detaching the attachment member from the air vehicle.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

detaching the contact member from the attachment member, wherein the attachment member remains connected to the air vehicle.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein adhering the adhesive anchoring assembly of the air vehicle further comprises:

rotating at least one cylinder of the adhesive anchoring assembly relative to the air vehicle, the at least one cylinder comprising an attachment joint disposed on one end of the at least one cylinder proximate to the air vehicle and a brush assembly disposed on a distal end of the at least one cylinder.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one cylinder is rotated relative to the air vehicle before the air vehicle has landed on the air vehicle landing surface.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one cylinder is rotated relative to the air vehicle after the air vehicle has landed on the air vehicle landing surface.

9. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

splaying the brush assembly over the air vehicle landing surface.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the air vehicle landing surface is substantially uneven relative to the air vehicle.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the air vehicle landing surface is proximate to a surface directly below the air vehicle center of drag.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

conducting the adhesive from a liquid adhesive reservoir to the brush assembly via a fluid conduit disposed between the liquid adhesive reservoir and the brush assembly.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein conducting the adhesive further comprises:

piercing, by a spear disposed on an end of the fluid conduit, a seal of the liquid adhesive reservoir.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

infusing the brush assembly with the adhesive, wherein the brush assembly comprises at least one of;

a filament array, a bristle array, one or more strips of fabric, one or more cotton balls, and one or more clumps of cloth.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

detaching the at least one cylinder from the adhesive anchoring assembly at the attachment joint.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

rotating a second cylinder of the adhesive anchoring assembly relative to the air vehicle, the second cylinder comprising a second attachment joint disposed on one end of the second cylinder proximate to the air vehicle and a second brush assembly disposed on a distal end of the second cylinder;

splaying the second brush assembly over a second air vehicle landing surface;

conducting a second adhesive from a second liquid adhesive reservoir to the second brush assembly; and

infusing the second brush assembly with the second adhesive, wherein the second brush assembly comprises at least one of;

a filament array, a bristle array, one or more strips of fabric, one or more cotton balls, and one or more clumps of cloth.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

detaching the second cylinder from the adhesive anchoring assembly at the attachment joint.

18. The method of claim 2 wherein adhering the adhesive anchoring assembly of the air vehicle further comprises:

releasing a resiliently loaded conduit of the adhesive anchoring assembly, the resiliently loaded conduit having a spear disposed on an end of the conduit;

piercing, by the spear, a liquid adhesive reservoir of the adhesive anchoring assembly having positive pressure above a local atmospheric pressure;

conducting, via the conduit, the adhesive to a brush assembly of the adhesive anchoring assembly; and

infusing the brush assembly with the adhesive.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

detaching a portion of the adhesive anchoring assembly from the air vehicle.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

adhering the air vehicle with a second adhesive to a second external surface.