Off-center parachute flight termination system including latch mechanism disconnectable by burn wire

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12338014-B2
Application number	US-202318511069-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 16, 2023
Priority date	Apr 25, 2019
Publication date	Jun 24, 2025
Grant date	Jun 24, 2025

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods including: a latching mechanism comprising: a first latch configured to attach to a door of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); a second latch configured to attach to a portion of the UAV distal from the first latch; a string connected between the first and second latch, where the string secures the door shut; at least two radio modules in communication with a ground control station; and at least two burn wires in contact with a portion of the string between the first latch and the second latch; where current from a backup battery passes to at least one burn wire when the burn signal is received, where the burn wire causes the connection between the first latch and the second latch to be broken and the door of the UAV is separated from the UAV, and where the parachute is deployed when the door of the UAV is separated from a rest of the UAV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a first burn signal at an interface of a first radio module of two or more radio modules of a latching mechanism;
receiving a second burn signal at a second interface of a second radio module of the two or more radio modules of the latching mechanism in response to a problem associated with the first burn signal;
toggling, via the second interface, at least one backup battery to pass current from the at least one backup battery to a conducting burn wire attached to the second radio module, wherein the conducting burn wire is attached to a portion of a string; and
melting, by the conducting burn wire, the portion of the string, wherein the string is connected between a first panel and a second panel.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the problem associated with the first burn signal comprises at least one of: a problem with the first radio module, a problem with the at least one backup battery, and a problem with a conducting burn wire attached to the first radio module, wherein the conducting burn wire attached to the first radio module at one end is attached to a portion of the string at the other end.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the string is made of a combustible material, and wherein the conducting burn wire attached to the second radio module is made of nichrome (NiCr).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the string secures a door of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) shut prior to being melted, and wherein the string is connected between the first panel and the second panel.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first panel is configured to attach to the door of the UAV, wherein the second panel is configured to attach to a portion of the UAV distal from the first panel.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
separating the door of the UAV from a rest of the UAV when the connection between the first panel and the second panel is broken.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
deploying an off-center parachute when the door of the UAV separates from the UAV, wherein deploying the parachute causes a drag force on a first side of the UAV, wherein the drag force slows down the first side of the UAV more than a second opposite side of the UAV inducing a torque on the UAV which results in a rotation of the UAV, and wherein the drag force combined with the induced torque causes the UAV to exit a current flight pattern and spiral down towards the ground.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the received first burn signal and received second burn signal are in response to a triggering event.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
restoring power to one or more control systems of the UAV to allow for steering control of the UAV if the triggering event ends.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
landing the UAV at a desired location once power has been restored to the one or more control systems of the UAV.

11. A system, comprising:
a latching mechanism, wherein the latching mechanism comprises:
at least two radio modules in communication with a ground control station; and
at least two burn wires in contact with a portion of a string, wherein the string configured to be connected between a first panel configured to attach to a door of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a second panel configured to attach to a portion of the UAV is configured to secure the door, wherein each burn wire of the at least two burn wires is attached to a respective radio module of the at least two radio modules;
wherein a first radio module of the at least two radio modules is configured to receive a first burn signal;
wherein a second radio module of the at least two radio modules is configured to receive a second burn signal in response to a problem associated with the first burn signal;
wherein if a burn signal from the ground control station is received by either the first radio module or the second radio module, current from a backup battery passes to a corresponding burn wire of the at least two burn wires based on receiving the burn signal.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein
the second panel is configured to attach to the portion of the UAV distal from the first panel.

13. The system of claim 12 , further comprising: a door of the UAV, wherein the door of the UAV is separated from a rest of the UAV when the connection between the first panel and the second panel is broken.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the burn wire is configured to melt the portion of the string in contact with the burn wire causing the connection between the first panel and the second panel to be broken.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
the UAV; and
a parachute disposed in the UAV, wherein the parachute is configured to be deployed when the door of the UAV is separated from the UAV.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the parachute is disposed off-center of the UAV, wherein deploying the parachute causes a drag force on a first side of the UAV, wherein the drag force slows down the first side of the UAV more than a second opposite side of the UAV inducing a torque on the UAV which results in a rotation of the UAV, and wherein the drag force combined with the induced torque causes the UAV to exit a current flight pattern and spiral down towards the ground.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the at least two burn wires are made of nichrome (NiCr).

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the string is made of a combustible material.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein each radio module comprises:
an antenna; and
an interface configured to receive the burn signal from the antenna, wherein the interface toggles the backup battery to pass current to the corresponding burn wire of the at least two burn wires.

Assignees

• Aerovironment Inc

Inventors

• Lisoski Derek
• Sechrist William Stuart

Classifications

• B64U70/83 Primary

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64U2201/20

  Remote controls · CPC title

• B64U20/65

  Composite materials · CPC title

• B64U10/13

  Flying platforms · CPC title

• B64D17/80

  in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof · CPC title