A UAV tether management system comprising: a tether-wound spool rotatably mounted on a base station, a free-pivoting angle arm, and an angle arm encoder, wherein the tether is configured to transfer power from the base station to the UAV while the UAV is in flight, and the angle arm comprises a tether guide mounted to a proximal end of the angle arm such that the tether passes through the tether guide as the tether pays out of, or is taken up by, the spool, wherein the angle arm further comprises a counter weight mounted to a distal end of the angle arm such that a center of mass of the angle arm is aligned with the spool's axis of rotation, and wherein the angle arm encoder is configured to measure an offset angle of the angle arm.
Tether Management System for a Tethered UAV
2021-01-14
Patent
Electronic Resource
English
IPC: | B64F GROUND OR AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-DECK INSTALLATIONS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH AIRCRAFT , Boden- oder Flugzeugträgerdeckeinrichtungen besonders ausgebildet für die Verwendung in Verbindung mit Luftfahrzeugen / B64C AEROPLANES , Flugzeuge / B66D Haspeln , CAPSTANS / H02G INSTALLATION OF ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES, OR OF COMBINED OPTICAL AND ELECTRIC CABLES OR LINES , Verlegen oder Installieren elektrischer Kabel oder Leitungen, Verlegen oder Installieren kombinierter optischer und elektrischer Kabel oder Leitungen |
CONSTANT TENSION TETHER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR TETHERED AIRCRAFT
European Patent Office | 2020
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