EP-4739581-A1 - SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOVING PAYLOAD

EP4739581A1EP 4739581 A1EP4739581 A1EP 4739581A1EP-4739581-A1

Abstract

System and method for moving a payload, which comprise an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units, a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, wherein the housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are coupled to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod, the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprises a control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod.

Inventors

ANDREEV, PAVEL RUSLANOVICH

Assignees

Andreev, Pavel Ruslanovich

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20240317

Claims (20)

A system for moving a payload, comprising: an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air, a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, wherein the housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are configured to couple to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod, the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprises a control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod.
The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air in the vertical plane.
The system according to claim 2, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move in the horizontal plane.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air simultaneously in the vertical plane and in the horizontal plane.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one of the air propulsion units of the aircraft apparatus is configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air in the vertical plane or in the horizontal plane.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the control device is further configured to control the operation of the aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus depending on the degree of extension of the flexible connecting rod and/or the degree of extension of the rigid connecting rod.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the housings of the aircraft apparatus and correcting apparatus are coupled to one another by means of at least one additional extendable flexible connecting rod.
The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said flexible connecting rods is operably coupled to one or more winch drives installed on the aircraft apparatus or correcting apparatus so as to enable altering of the length of release of at least one flexible connecting rod under the control of the control device.
The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said rigid connecting rods is operably coupled to one or more drives installed on the correcting apparatus or payload so as to enable altering of the length of said at least one rigid connecting rod under the control of the control device.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus is configured to partially or fully accommodate therein the housing of the correcting apparatus.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the correcting apparatus is configured to partially or fully accommodate therein the housing of the aircraft apparatus.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus or the housing of the correcting apparatus comprises a drive mechanism operably coupled to the housing of the correcting apparatus so as to enable rotation thereof with respect to the housing of the aircraft apparatus under the control of the control device.
The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is configured in the form of a telescopic rod.
The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is configured in the form of a folding hinged structure.
The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said connecting rods is rigidly coupled or hingedly coupled to the housing of the correcting apparatus.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the docking module is configured to be partially or fully accommodated in the housing of the correcting apparatus upon folding of said rigid connecting rods.
The system according to claim 1, wherein the docking module further comprises a guide configured to enable the payload to move therealong upon coupling the docking module to said payload.
The system according to claim 17, wherein the docking module further comprises a drive mechanism configured to interact with said payload so as to enable it to move along the guide under the control of the control device.
The system according to any one of claims 17-18, wherein the housing of the aircraft apparatus is further provided with one or more guides, at least one of which is configured to be combined with the guide of the docking module upon retracting at least one of said flexible connecting rods and/or retracting at least one of said rigid connecting rods so as to enable formation of a cluster guide for movement of the payload therealong.
A method for moving a payload, comprising the steps of: moving in the air the aircraft apparatus coupled to the correcting apparatus using one or more extendable flexible connecting rods so as to enable positioning of the correcting apparatus provided with a docking module installed on one or more extendable rigid connecting rods with respect to the payload to be moved; at least partially extending at least one of said extendable flexible connecting rods and/or at least partially extending at least one of said extendable rigid connecting rods under the control of the control device to position said docking module with respect to said payload; detachably coupling to one another the positioned docking module and said payload; and moving the aircraft apparatus together with said payload through the air to a target location.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOVING PAYLOAD FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to transportation equipment, in particular to means and methods for moving a payload, specifically to a system and method for moving a payload using aircraft apparatuses. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION To date, for the transportation or delivery of a payload, multiple distinct automated or semi-automated air transport systems have been developed which are based on the use of aircraft apparatuses and configured to move a payload (for example, a person, an animal or any object of the non-living world) through the air. However, despite the fact that modern automated or semi-automated air transport systems allow for relatively fast delivery or movement of a payload through the air to a target location, they have a significant disadvantage of the need to land aircraft apparatuses being part of such air transport systems in a region corresponding to said target location, followed by unloading same for placing said payload specifically in said target location. Accordingly, due to at least the above disadvantage of modern air transport systems based on the use of aerial vehicles for moving a payload through the air, there is a need to develop improved methods and systems for moving a payload. In particular, US patent application No.2017066530 (US 2017066530) published on March 03, 2017 provides a system of movement of a payload comprising an aircraft apparatus in the form of a helicopter whose body is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air, and further provided with an extendable flexible connecting rod in the form of a cable on which there is installed a docking module configured to detachably interact with the payload. It should be noted that the system for moving a payload disclosed in US 2017066530 solves the above disadvantage of the need to land the aircraft apparatus to place a payload in a target location; however, strong air flows generated by an aircraft apparatus being part of the system according to US 2017066530 may have an impact on and/or cause damage to living objects and/or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus. Thus, the main disadvantage of the known system for moving a payload disclosed in US 2017066530 is the possibility of having impact and/or causing damage, by air flows generated by the aircraft apparatus, on/to living objects and/or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus. There is an obvious need for further improvement of known systems and methods for moving a payload, in particular to minimize impacts and/or damage to living objects and/or non-living objects caused by air flows generated by an aircraft apparatus in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus. Accordingly, the technical problem solved by the present invention is to create a system and method for moving a payload, at least partially eliminating each at least the above disadvantage, of the known system for moving a payload, of the possibility of causing damage by air flows generated by the aircraft apparatus to living objects and/or non-living objects present in the target location in which the payload must be placed using such aircraft apparatus. DISCLOSURE The object of the present invention is to create a system and method for moving a payload, solving each at least the above-mentioned technical problem of the prior art, as well as to expand the range of means for moving a payload. The task at hand is solved in the first aspect of the present invention by the fact that in the subject system for moving a payload, comprising: (i) an aircraft apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the aircraft apparatus to move through the air; and (ii) a correcting apparatus whose housing is provided with one or more air propulsion units configured to enable the correcting apparatus to move with respect to the aircraft apparatus, wherein (a) the housings of the aircraft apparatus and the correcting apparatus are configured to couple to one another by means of an extendable flexible connecting rod; and (b) the correcting apparatus is provided with a docking module installed on at least one or more extendable rigid connecting rods and configured to detachably couple to the housing of the payload, and said system further comprises (iii) a control device configured to enable altering of the degree of extension of said flexible connecting rod and to enable altering of the degree of extension of said rigid connecting rod. Furthermore, the task at hand is solved in the second aspect of the present invention by the fact that the subject method for moving a payload using the system for moving a payload according to the first aspect of the pr