Offboard connection system
First Claim
1. 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 and freely rotates about 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, and wherein, when the cable tensioner applies tension, the aperture enables the cable to move radially inward through the second coupler to be coincident with the longitudinal central axis thereof, thereby axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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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 and freely rotates about 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, and wherein, when the cable tensioner applies tension, the aperture enables the cable to move radially inward through the second coupler to be coincident with the longitudinal central axis thereof, thereby axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A method comprising:
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deploying a cable from a mother ship; coupling the cable to a fixture that depends from an auxiliary craft by positioning the auxiliary craft with respect to the deployed cable so that the fixture snags the cable; axially aligning, by tensioning the cable, a first coupler associated with the mother ship and that freely rotates about the cable to a second coupler associated with the auxiliary craft, wherein the tensioning causes the cable to be received in an aperture that is defined in a body of a second coupler; and mating the first coupler and the second coupler by sliding the first coupler along the cable. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method comprising:
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deploying a cable from a mother ship; tensioning the cable, thereby causing; (a) the cable to be received in an aperture that is defined a body of a second coupler, which is associated with the auxiliary craft; and (b) a first coupler associated with the mother ship and slideably mounted to the cable to axially align with the second coupler; and (c) the cable to move radially inward through the aperture in the second coupler to be coincident with a longitudinal central axis of the second coupler, thereby axially aligning the first coupler and the second coupler; and mating the first coupler and the second coupler by sliding the first coupler along the cable to engage the second coupler. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification