Multicopter-assisted system and method for launching and retrieving a fixed-wing aircraft

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10745121-B2
Application number	US-201715431033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2017
Priority date	Apr 2, 2013
Publication date	Aug 18, 2020
Grant date	Aug 18, 2020

Abstract

The present disclosure provides various embodiments of a multicopter-assisted launch and retrieval system generally including: (1) a multi-rotor modular multicopter attachable to (and detachable from) a fixed-wing aircraft to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; (2) a storage and launch system usable to store the modular multicopter and to facilitate launch of the fixed-wing aircraft into wing-borne flight; and (3) an anchor system usable (along with the multicopter and a flexible capture member) to retrieve the fixed-wing aircraft from wing-borne flight.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A modular multicopter comprising:
a hub module defining multiple rotor arm receiving sockets, and including multiple first connectors each having a mechanical connector and an electrical connector, wherein the mechanical connectors and the electrical connectors are positioned radially exterior to respective ones of the rotor arm receiving sockets;
multiple rotor arm modules each:
removably attachable to and lockable to the hub module,
slidably receivable in one of the multiple rotor arm receiving sockets, and
including a second connector configured to mate with one of the multiple first connectors to mechanically and electrically connect the rotor arm module to the hub module,

wherein the multiple first connectors and the second connector of each of the multiple rotor arm modules are separate from the multiple rotor arm receiving sockets; and
a fixed-wing aircraft attacher connected to the hub module.

2. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the rotor arm modules are each individually lockable to the hub module.

3. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the hub module includes one or more supports, the one or more supports defining the rotor arm module receiving sockets.

4. The modular multicopter of claim 3 , wherein each first connector is attached to one of the one or more supports.

5. The modular multicopter of claim 4 , wherein each first connector is flexurally mounted to one of the one or more supports.

6. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , wherein each rotor arm module includes a rotor and a rotor motor drivingly engaged to the rotor.

7. The modular multicopter of claim 6 , wherein, for each rotor arm module, when the second connector of that rotor arm module is mated with one of the first connectors: (1) the rotor motor of that rotor arm module is electrically connected to the hub module; and (2) that rotor arm module is mechanically connected to the hub module.

8. The modular multicopter of claim 7 , wherein the hub module includes multiple rotor motor controllers, each of which is electrically connected to one of the first connectors.

9. The modular multicopter of claim 8 , wherein, for each rotor arm module, when the second connector of that rotor arm module is mated with one of the first connectors, the rotor motor of that rotor arm module is electrically connected to the rotor motor controller that is electrically connected to that first connector.

10. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , wherein:
the hub module defines four rotor arm module receiving sockets,
a portion of each rotor arm module is slidably receivable in one of the rotor arm module receiving sockets,
the hub module includes four first connectors, each rotor arm module includes a second connector, and each first connector is configured to mate with the second connector of one of the rotor arm modules,
the hub module includes eight rotor motor controllers, each first connector electrically connected to two different rotor motor controllers,
each rotor arm module includes an upper rotor, an upper rotor motor drivingly engaged to the upper rotor, a lower rotor, and a lower rotor motor drivingly engaged to the lower motor; and
for each rotor arm module, when the second connector of that rotor arm module is mated with one of the first connectors: (1) the upper rotor motor of that rotor arm module is electrically connected to one of the rotor motor controllers electrically connected to that first connector, and (2) the lower rotor motor of the rotor arm module is electrically connected to the other rotor motor controller electrically connected to that first connector.

11. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , which includes multiple landing gear modules each removably attachable to one of the rotor arm modules.

12. The modular multicopter of claim 11 , which includes multiple landing gear extension modules each removably attachable to one of the rotor arm modules and to one of the landing gear modules.

13. The modular multicopter of claim 12 , wherein each landing gear module is removably attachable to one of the rotor arm modules via one of the landing gear extension modules.

14. The modular multicopter of claim 1 , wherein the hub module includes a rotor arm attachment section and a power and control section, and wherein the power and control section is separate from and attachable to the rotor arm attachment section.

15. A modular multicopter comprising:
a hub module defining multiple rotor arm receiving sockets and having multiple first connectors each having a mechanical connector and an electrical connector, wherein the mechanical connectors and the electrical connectors are positioned radially exterior to respective ones of the multiple rotor arm receiving sockets;
multiple rotor arm modules receivable in the multiple rotor arm receiving sockets, each rotor arm module including a second connector configured to mate with one of the multiple first connectors;
multiple locking assemblies separate from the multiple rotor arm receiving sockets, and configured to mechanically connect the multiple rotor arm modules to the hub module; and
multiple latch plates respectively engageable by the locking assemblies to lock the rotor arm modules to the hub module.

16. The modular multicopter of claim 15 , wherein the latch plates are respectively engageable by the locking assembles to mechanically detach the rotor arm modules from the hub module.

17. The modular multicopter of claim 15 , wherein each locking assembly includes a drawcatch and each latch plate is engageable by the drawcatch of one of the locking assemblies to lock one of the rotor arm modules to the hub module.

18. The modular multicopter of claim 17 , wherein each latch plate includes: (1) a drawcatch engager engageable by the drawcatch of one of the locking assemblies to lock one of the rotor arm modules to the hub module; and (2) a detach element engageable by the drawcatch to detach the rotor arm module from the hub module.

19. The modular multicopter of claim 18 , wherein each locking assembly includes a drawcatch lock engageable by the drawcatch to lock the drawcatch.

20. The modular multicopter of claim 19 , wherein each drawcatch lock includes a lock device movable between a lock position in which the drawcatch lock can engage the drawcatch and a release position in which the drawcatch lock can disengage the drawcatch.

21. The modular multicopter of claim 15 , wherein:
each locking assembly includes a drawcatch and a drawcatch lock engageable by the drawcatch to lock the drawcatch,
each drawcatch lock includes a lock device movable between a lock position in which the drawcatch lock can engage the drawcatch and a release position in which the drawcatch lock can disengage the drawcatch,
each drawcatch lock includes a biasing element that biases the lock device to the lock position; and
each latch plate includes: (1) a drawcatch engager engageable by the drawcatch of one of the locking assemblies to lock one of the rotor arm modules to the hub module; and (2) a detach element engageable by the drawcatch to detach the rotor arm module from the hub module.

22. The modular multicopter of claim 15 , wherein the latch plates are attached to the hub module and the locking assembles are respectively attached to different rotor arm modules.

23. The modular multicopter of claim 15 , wherein the locking assemblies are attached to the hub module and the latch

Assignees

• Hood Tech Corp

Inventors

• Von Flotow Andreas H
• Roeseler Corydon C
• Reiss Daniel Pepin

Classifications

• B64U80/70

  in containers (B64U80/60 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U70/30

  for capturing UAVs in flight by ground or sea-based arresting gear, e.g. by a cable or a net · CPC title

• B64U50/19

  using electrically powered motors · CPC title

• B64C27/48 Primary

  Root attachment to rotor head · CPC title