Arrangement and method with a flyable unmanned transporting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11136122-B2
Application number	US-201916252824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2019
Priority date	Jan 22, 2018
Publication date	Oct 5, 2021
Grant date	Oct 5, 2021

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an arrangement comprising a flyable unmanned transporting device and a movable catch arm, which is provided at a ground station, for holding the transporting device at the ground station, wherein at least one recess is provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at its end facing away from the ground station, has at least one expansion element which can be introduced into the at least one recess and, in the introduced state, can be expanded in order to produce a form fit between the at least one recess and the at least one expansion element.

First claim

We claim:

1. An arrangement comprising a flyable unmanned transporting device and a movable catch arm, which is provided at a ground station, for holding the transporting device at the ground station, wherein at least one recess is provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at an end facing away from the ground station, has at least one expansion element which can be introduced into the at least one recess to enter into an introduced state and, in the introduced state, can be expanded, the expansion producing a form fit and a force fit between the at least one recess and the at least one expansion element.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the catch arm, at the end facing away from the ground station, has a plurality of expansion elements which can be arranged variably in their distance from one another at the end.

3. The arrangement according claim 1 , wherein the at least one expansion element is configured to be inflatable, and/or the at least one recess is provided on a lower side of the transporting device.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of recesses which are spaced apart from one another are provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at its end facing away from the ground station, has a plurality of expansion elements which are spaced apart from one another.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess is designed as a sleeve and/or the at least one expansion element is designed as a spike.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess has a funnel shaped opening for the introduction of the at least one expansion element.

7. The arrangement according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one recess is extended in profile in a keyhole shaped and/or cavity shaped manner from an opening facing away from the transporting device towards the transporting device.

8. A method for holding a flyable unmanned transporting device at a ground station by a movable catch arm provided at the ground station, wherein at least one recess is provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at an end facing away from the ground station, has at least one expansion element, comprising the following steps: introducing the at least one expansion element into the at least one recess to enter into an introduced state, and expanding the at least one expansion element in the introduced state, the expansion producing a form fit and a force fit between the at least one recess and the at least one expansion element.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catch arm, at the end facing away from the ground station, has a plurality of expansion elements, and comprising the following step:
arranging the plurality of expansion elements at the end in a manner corresponding to a plurality of recesses.

10. The method according to claim 8 , comprising the following step:
aligning the at least one expansion element during a flight and/or a landing of the transporting device with respect to the at least one recess, and/or after production of the form fit and/or of the force fit, aligning the transporting device relative to the ground station by means of the catch arm.

11. The method according to claim 8 , comprising the following step:
detecting a wind speed and/or wind direction at the ground station and aligning the at least one expansion element with respect to the at least one recess depending on the detected wind speed and/or wind direction.

12. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the expansion step comprises inflating the at least one expansion element, and/or comprising the following step:
contracting the at least one expansion element in order to release the form fit and/or the force fit.

13. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one expansion element is configured to be inflatable, and/or the at least one recess is provided on a lower side of the transporting device.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein a plurality of recesses which are spaced apart from one another are provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at its end facing away from the ground station, has a plurality of expansion elements which are spaced apart from one another.

15. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one recess is designed as a sleeve and/or the at least one expansion element is designed as a spike.

16. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one recess has a funnel-like opening for the introduction of the at least one expansion element.

17. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the at least one recess is extended in profile in a keyhole shaped and/or cavity shaped manner from an opening facing away from the transporting device towards the transporting device.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein at least one air outlet is provided in the keyhole shaped and/or cavity shaped extension.

19. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catch arm is designed to be changeable in height or horizontally and/or to be rotatable, and/or has at least one rotatable joint.

20. An arrangement comprising a flyable unmanned transporting device and a movable catch arm, which is provided at a ground station, for holding the transporting device at the ground station, wherein at least one recess is provided on the transporting device, and the catch arm, at an end facing away from the ground station, has at least one expansion element which can be introduced into the at least one recess to enter into an introduced state and, in the introduced state, can be expanded in order to produce a form fit and/or a force fit between the at least one recess and the at least one expansion element, wherein the catch arm, at its end facing away from the ground station, has a plurality of expansion elements which can be arranged variably in their distance from one another at the end.

Assignees

• Deutsche Post Ag

Inventors

• Vorwerk Felix
• Pruski Matthäus
• Muller Paul

Classifications

• B64D9/00 Primary

  Equipment for handling freight; Equipment for facilitating passenger embarkation or the like · CPC title

• G06Q10/083 Primary

  Shipping · CPC title

• B64U2101/64

  for parcel delivery or retrieval · CPC title

• B64U70/99

  Means for retaining the UAV on the platform, e.g. dogs or magnets · CPC title

• B64C39/024

  of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV · CPC title