Line capture devices for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8944373-B2
Application number	US-201213483330-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2012
Priority date	Sep 27, 2010
Publication date	Feb 3, 2015
Grant date	Feb 3, 2015

Abstract

Line capture devices for unmanned aircraft, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A system in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a line capture device body having a line slot with an open end and a closed end. A retainer is positioned proximate to the line slot and has a rotor with a plurality of rotor arms positioned to extend at least partially across the line slot as the rotor rotates relative to the body. A joint rotatably couples the rotor to the body, and a ratchet device is operably coupled to the rotor to allow the rotor to rotate in a first direction and at least restrict the rotor arm from rotating in a second direction opposite the first. In other embodiments, the retainer can include other arrangements, for example, one or more wire-shaped elements.

First claim

We claim:

1. An aircraft system comprising:
a line capture device body having a first surface with a first opening, a second surface facing away from the first surface and having a second opening, and a line slot, the line slot having an open end and a closed end; and
a retainer rigidly attached to the line capture device body, the retainer including a wire-shaped element having a first end and a second end, the first opening receiving the wire-shaped element toward the first end, the second opening receiving the wire-shaped element toward the second end, the wire-shaped element being twistable between a first position and a second position, with the wire-shaped element positioned across the line slot to at least restrict access to the line slot when in the first position, and positioned to allow a flexible recovery line to enter the line slot when in the second position, the wire-shaped element being spaced apart from the closed end of the slot by a distance sufficient to receive the recovery line.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the wire-shaped element is a first wire-shaped element, and wherein the system further comprises a second wire-shaped element being independently twistable relative to the line capture device body, the first and second wire-shaped elements being spaced apart by a distance sufficient to receive the recovery line.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the line slot is narrower toward the closed end than toward the open end.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the line capture device body includes a receptacle positioned at the line slot to receive the wire-shaped element when the wire-shaped element is in its second position.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an aircraft having a fuselage and a wing, and wherein the line capture device body is attached to the wing.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein axes of the first and second openings are spaced apart from each other in a plane generally parallel to the first surface.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the first and second openings are coaxial.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the line capture device body has a leading edge, and wherein the leading edge is swept aft relative to the fuselage.

9. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the recovery line; and
a support carrying the recovery line.

10. An aircraft system comprising:
a line capture device body having a line slot, the line slot having an open end and a closed end; and
a retainer rigidly attached to the line capture device body, the retainer including a wire-shaped element having a first end and a second end and being attached to the line capture device body toward each of the first end and the second end,
the wire-shaped element being twistable between a first position and a second position and positioned across the line slot to at least restrict access to the line slot when in the first position, and positioned to allow a flexible recovery line to enter the line slot when in the second position, the wires-shaped element being spaced apart from the closed end of the line slot by a distance sufficient to receive the recovery line.

11. The system of claim 10 , further comprising an aircraft having a fuselage and a wing, and wherein the line capture device body is attached to the wing.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the line capture device body has a leading edge, and wherein the leading edge is swept aft relative to the fuselage.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising:
the recovery line; and
a support carrying the recovery line.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the line capture device body includes a receptacle positioned at the line slot to receive the wire-shaped element when the wire-shaped element is in its second position.

15. The system of claim 2 wherein the line capture device body includes a first receptacle positioned at the line slot to receive the first wire-shaped element when the first wire-shaped element is in its second position, and wherein the line capture device body includes a second receptacle positioned at the line slot to receive the second wire-shaped element.

Assignees

• Dickson Matthew Robert
• Thomasian Craig Aram
• Insitu Inc

Inventors

• Dickson Matthew Robert
• Thomasian Craig Aram

Classifications

• B64U70/30

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

• B64U30/20

  Rotors; Rotor supports · CPC title

• B64U80/84

  Waterborne vehicles · CPC title

• B64F1/029 Primary

  using a cable or tether · CPC title