Post-type apparatus for containing and charging unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft and method of containing and charging unmanned vertical take-off and landing aircraft using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9975442-B2
Application number	US-201715455199-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2017
Priority date	Jul 16, 2014
Publication date	May 22, 2018
Grant date	May 22, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus and method for containing and charging an unmanned VTOL aircraft are disclosed. The apparatus for containing and charging an unmanned VTOL aircraft includes a post, an extended member, a cover, a fastening unit, and a charging unit. The post is placed on a ground. The extended member is connected to the post. The cover is provided on the extended member, and is configured to be opened or closed in order to contain and protect the unmanned VTOL aircraft. The fastening unit is provided in the cover, and is configured to fasten the unmanned VTOL aircraft. The charging unit is provided in the fastening unit, and is configured to charge the unmanned VTOL aircraft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for containing and charging an unmanned VTOL aircraft, comprising:
a post placed on a ground;
a plurality of lateral fastening holes formed in a side of the post; and
LED/IR lights formed in each of the plurality of fastening holes,
wherein the plurality of lateral fastening holes are disposed in the side of the post at different levels from the ground and spaced apart from each other, such that a plurality of unmanned VTOL aircrafts are allowed to be simultaneously connected to the post through the plurality of lateral fastening holes, with a pole of each of the plurality of unmanned VTOL aircrafts being allowed to be inserted and fastened into the lateral fastening holes,
wherein an entrance of each of the lateral fastening holes is formed in a cone shape, such that the pole of each of the plurality of unmanned VTOL aircrafts is easily inserted into the lateral fastening holes during fastening of the unmanned VTOL aircrafts, and
wherein the LED/IR lights are lit in order to guide the unmanned VTOL aircrafts through automatic insertion via vision of the unmanned VTOL aircrafts.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the pole is fixed not to move within the lateral fastening hole in a rolling direction so that the unmanned VTOL aircrafts do not roll in a state in which the pole has been inserted into the lateral fastening hole.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the pole has a plurality of side faces angled with each other, and the lateral fastening holes have a shape corresponding to the pole having the plurality of side faces angled with each other.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the LED/IR lights include a plurality of line lights, respectively, disposed at different depths from the entrance of the lateral fastening holes.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the plurality of line lights at different depths collectively form both of a target shape and a cross shape, taken from a front view of the lateral fastening holes.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of lateral fastening holes are spaced apart from each other in a height direction of the post by a distance greater than a height of the unmanned VTOL aircraft.

Assignees

• Korea Aerospace Res Inst

Inventors

• Lee Sang-Cherl
• Kim Hae-Dong
• Gong Hyeon-Cheol
• Choi Gi-Hyuk
• Hwang In-Hee
• Suk Byong-Suk

Classifications

• B64U80/70

  in containers (B64U80/60 takes precedence) · 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

• B64U10/10

  Rotorcrafts · CPC title

• B64C2201/024

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B64F1/12

  for anchoring aircraft · CPC title