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EP-4375200-B1 - VERTICAL AIR VEHICLE TAKEOFF AND LANDING STABILIZATION APPARATUSES AND METHODS

EP4375200B1EP 4375200 B1EP4375200 B1EP 4375200B1EP-4375200-B1

Inventors

  • HOWE, WAYNE RICHARD
  • MASON, TERRANCE

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220307

Claims (15)

  1. An apparatus (170) for assisting a vertical vehicle takeoff comprising: at least one vertically-oriented support element (171), said at least one vertically-oriented support elements having a vertically-oriented support element first end (171a) and a vertically-oriented support element second end (171b), said vertically-oriented support element first end proximate to a base (16), said vertically-oriented support element extending from the vertically-oriented support element first end to the vertically-oriented support element second end, said vertically-oriented support element comprising a first cooperating stabilizer element (171c), said first cooperating stabilizer element located proximate to the vertically-oriented support element second end; an enclosure (174), said enclosure dimensioned to substantially surround the at least one vertically-oriented support element; a pressurization unit in communication with the enclosure, said pressurization unit configured to increase pressure within the enclosure at least at a region of the enclosure interior; a pressure detector (177a); a controller (177b) in communication with at least one of the pressure detector or the pressurization unit; and a release mechanism (122) in communication with the controller, said release mechanism configured to release a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle from a substantially stationary position within the enclosure at a selected and/or detected pressure.
  2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said enclosure (174) comprises at least one moveable enclosure panel (176), said at least one moveable enclosure panel positioned proximate to the at least one vertically-oriented support element first end.
  3. The apparatus of claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a guide (172), said guide in communication with the second end of the plurality of vertically-oriented support elements, said guide further in communication with the at least one first cooperating stabilizer element.
  4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the guide further comprises: a guide inner surface (172c), said guide inner surface further comprising at least one guide inner surface channel (172d), said guide inner surface channel dimensioned to receive a second cooperating stabilizer element (29) of the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle into the guide inner surface channel, said guide inner surface channel in communication with the first cooperating stabilizer element.
  5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the at least one movable enclosure panel is configured to move from a closed position to an open position, and further configured to move from an open position to a closed position.
  6. A method (2400) for assisting takeoff of a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle comprising: providing (2402) an at least partially enclosed vertical takeoff and landing apparatus, the apparatus comprising; at least one vertically-oriented support element, said at least one vertically-oriented support elements having a vertically-oriented support element first end and a vertically-oriented support element second end, said vertically-oriented support element first end proximate to a base, said vertically-oriented support element extending from the vertically-oriented support element first end to the vertically-oriented support element second end, said vertically-oriented support element second end located at a selected distance away from the vertically-oriented support element first end, said vertically-oriented support element comprising a first cooperating stabilizer element, said first cooperating stabilizer element located proximate to the vertically-oriented support element second end; an enclosure, said enclosure dimensioned to substantially surround the at least one vertically-oriented support element; providing (2404) a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, said vertical takeoff and landing vehicle comprising at least one second cooperating stabilizer element, said second cooperating stabilizer element dimensioned to engage with the first cooperating stabilizer element; engaging (2406) the first cooperating stabilizer element of the vertically-oriented support element with the second cooperating stabilizer element of the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle; increasing pressure (2408) within at least a region of the enclosure from an ambient pressure to a takeoff pressure, said takeoff pressure greater than the ambient pressure, said region of the enclosure proximate to the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle; maintaining (2410) the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle in a substantially fixed position within the enclosure during a pressure increase; and releasing (2412) the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle from the substantially fixed position at the takeoff pressure.
  7. The method of claim 6, wherein the enclosure comprises at least one moveable enclosure panel, said at least one moveable enclosure panel positioned proximate to the at least one vertically-oriented support element first end.
  8. The method of claim 6 or 7, wherein the apparatus further comprises: a guide, said guide in communication with the second end of the plurality of vertically-oriented support elements, said guide further in communication with the at least one first cooperating stabilizer element.
  9. The method of claim 8, wherein the guide further comprises: a guide inner surface, said guide inner surface further comprising at least one guide inner surface channel, said guide inner surface channel dimensioned to receive the second cooperating stabilizer element into the guide inner surface channel, said guide inner surface channel in communication with the first cooperating stabilizer element.
  10. The method of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle includes a vertical takeoff and landing vehicle body, said vertical takeoff and landing vehicle body housing a motor, at least one rotor in communication with the motor, with the at least one rotor having a rotor length, and a rotor guard, with the rotor guard dimensioned to have a rotor guard diameter, and with the rotor guard radius exceeding the rotor length, wherein the vertical takeoff and landing device further includes a vehicle standoff element in communication with at least one of the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle body and the rotor guard.
  11. The method of claim 10, wherein the standoff element includes a male attachment portion.
  12. The method of claim 10, wherein the standoff element includes a female attachment portion.
  13. The method of any of any of claims 10 to 12, wherein the rotor guard is a circumferential rotor guard.
  14. The method of any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the vehicle standoff element extends outwardly from at least one of: the vertical takeoff and landing vehicle body and the rotor guard.
  15. The method of any one of claims 6 to 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises a pressurization unit in communication with the enclosure, wherein the pressure within at least the region of the enclosure is increased from the ambient pressure to the takeoff pressure using the pressurization unit.

Description

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates generally to the field of vertical lift-off and vertical descent air vehicles. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to improving the use of vertical lift-off and vertical descent vehicles in proximity to inhabited locations. BACKGROUND The demand for point-to-point delivery of packages, payloads, and personnel has increased the potential need for air vehicles used for such delivery and personnel transportation. Rotor-driven aircraft (e.g., rotorcraft), including non-crewed smaller-scale rotorcraft collectively referred to as "drones" are typically vertical lift-off and vertical descent vehicles that create the lift required for flight by engaging one or more powerful rotors. Such "vertical air vehicles" can create significant air turbulence, noise, and safety issues during takeoff and landing, and otherwise adversely impact structures and people located at ground level during, for example, takeoff and landing. In addition, the vehicles themselves can incur damage due to instability due to ground effect turbulence during takeoff and landing. These issues and others have become impediments to the mass adoption of air vehicles in inhabited areas for delivery services and personnel transport. Unless explicitly identified as such, no statement herein is admitted as prior art merely by its inclusion in the Technological Field and/or Background section. WO 2016/137982 A1, according to its abstract, states that an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), a stand for launching, landing, testing, refueling and recharging a UAV, and methods for testing, landing and launching the UAV are disclosed. Further, transferring a payload onto or off of the UAV, and loading flight planning and diagnostic maintenance information to the UAV is disclosed. FIG. 3 of document WO 2016/137982 A1 is a more complete view of one embodiment of the stand with shafts for receiving collars of the UAV. In this embodiment, the stand has an upper base plate and a lower base plate to which the shafts are moveably affixed, as explained below. The two base plates provide strength and support for the shafts. The upper base plate may serve as a receiving plate similar to the receiving plate, having optical or RF sources/sensors. The lower base plate may be situated above a shelf of a stand supporting structure. In some embodiments, a single plate, or plurality of plates greater than two, may be utilized to capture or support the shafts. The stand supporting structure may provide space for electronics that include control electronics, power supplies and power charger and RF Communications, as well as networked Computing Systems, a server, a GPS base Station, RF or optical identifiers, material handlers, and/or other related stand mechanical and electronic Subsystems. FIG. 8 of document WO 2016/137982 A1 is a View of a clamping mechanism integrated with a shaft that prevents the UAV from ascending from the shafts when the clamping mechanism is open. The control system may also control clamping mechanisms to enable or prevent landing or launching, and may also control a plurality of electromagnets along an extent of one or more of the shafts to facilitate landing or launching of a UAV. At launch operational level, the stand powers up. Tests may be performed on at least some of the following Systems: the control Computer (electronics), the battery charger, the refueling system, the landing magnetics, stand sensors, Software, hardware, liftoff clamps, etc. If these tests check out OK, a UAV power-up procedure is performed. Note that when the UAV is first installed on the stand, a reference IMCU may record readings to verify the UAV IMCU readings during subsequent stand Operations. As part of the UAV power up procedure, the UAV battery system may be charged and verification is made that adequate Charge is achieved. If these Systems do not check out OK, test stand maintenance may be performed. At least some of the following UAV Systems may be tested: power supplies, battery Charge, UAV Controller, UAV Subsystems, Software, hardware and firmware. If these Systems check out OK, a communication base Station power-up procedure is performed. If these Systems do not check out OK, UAV maintenance may be performed. At least some of the following base Station Systems may be performed: stand metrological sensors may be checked to verify that operational weather conditions exist prior to takeoff; online weather conditions at the landing location and along the flight path may be verified as well; stand GPS is validated to ensure GPS locations of the UAV and the stand correspond; stand to UAV radio links are checked, as well as stand to fleet network control radio links; stand to near Stands network links and all other radio transmissions are validated. Metrological sensors may include a wind speed, wind gust, cross wind and direction sensor, a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor and barometric air pressure sensor