Recharging station for electric aircrafts and a method of its use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036882-B2
Application number	US-202318137900-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 21, 2023
Priority date	Jun 29, 2021
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

An apparatus and method for a recharging station including a landing pad, a rechargeable component coupled to the landing pad, and a power delivery unit configured to deliver power from a power supply unit or power storage unit to the recharging component. Rechargeable component includes a plurality of charging units placed at predetermined spacings from one another. The plurality of charging units allows for the electric aircraft to land in any orientation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A recharging station for an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the apparatus comprising:
a landing pad having an upper surface;
a rechargeable component mounted to the landing pad, wherein the rechargeable component comprises:
a power delivery unit configured to deliver stored power from a power supply unit to an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft;
at least a charging unit comprising:
a charging connector configured to mate with a port of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft;
at least a cable reel module comprising a reel and a charging cable,

wherein the charging cable electronically connects the charging connector and the power delivery unit; and
a rotation mechanism configured to rotate the reel of the cable reel module in a forward direction and a reverse direction, wherein rotation of the reel in the forward direction causes charging cable to extend from the cable reel module, wherein rotation of the reel in the forward direction causes charging cable to extend from the cable reel module;

wherein the rechargeable component is mounted to an elevated platform mounted to a support base, and wherein the elevated platform is at a height of at least one foot below the landing pad.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the platform is elevated at least 2 ft from the ground.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the rechargeable component is mounted to the platform, wherein the platform is at a height of at least 3 ft below the landing pad.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the landing pad is at least 1100 square feet in area.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least a charging unit comprises a plurality of charging units arranged in a square configuration with each charging unit at a corner of the square.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charging cable is configured to be retrieved using a hydraulic lift system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the landing pad comprises an integrated lighting system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of supporting structures comprising at least a net meshing.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an integrated deicing system configured to keep the landing pad free of weather obstruction.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the power delivery unit is configured to deliver power stored in a power storage unit.

11. A method of charging an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft using an elevated landing pad, the method comprising:
providing a landing pad;
providing a rechargeable component mounted to the landing pad, the rechargeable component comprising:
a power delivery unit; and
at least a charging unit; and

connecting an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft on the landing pad to the rechargeable component, wherein connecting the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft comprises:
retrieving a charging cable from a lower platform;
ascending to the landing pad;
plugging in a charging connector of the charging cable to a port of the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, wherein plugging in the charging comprises extending the charging cable from a cable reel module of the at least a charging unit using a rotation mechanism configured to configured to rotate a reel of the cable reel module in a forward direction and a reverse direction; and
charging the electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with power delivered by the power delivery unit of the rechargeable component;
wherein the rechargeable component is mounted to an elevated platform mounted to a support base, and wherein the elevated platform is at a height of at least one foot below the landing pad.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the platform is elevated at least 2 ft from the ground.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the landing pad is at least 1100 square feet in area.

14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a plurality of charging units arranged in a square configuration with each charging unit at a corner of the square.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein retrieving the charging cable comprises using a hydraulic lift system.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the landing pad comprises an integrated lighting system.

17. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing a plurality of supporting structures comprising at least a net meshing.

18. The method of claim 10 , further comprising providing an integrated deicing system configured to keep the landing pad free of weather obstruction.

Assignees

• Beta Air Llc

Inventors

• Pill Jake
• Hanson Cole William

Classifications

• H02J2101/22

  Solar energy · CPC title

• H02J7/84

  Control of state of health [SOH] · CPC title

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• H02J7/40

  characterised by the exchange of charge or discharge related data · CPC title

• H02J2101/24

  Photovoltaics · CPC title