Drone Elevator System Using Lighter-Than-Air Craft and Cable

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current drone launch methods, such as using aircraft, are impractical and costly for frequent delivery operations, especially in urban areas, as they consume significant battery power lifting drones off the ground against gravity, reducing flight time and range.

Innovation Solution

A drone elevator system utilizing a looped cable with pulleys, where a lighter-than-air craft or powered aircraft lifts the cable to a desired height, and a motor rotates the pulley to lift the drone, with extension arms preventing contact with the cable, allowing efficient and cost-effective launching from elevated positions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a drone lifts off from the ground using its own motor, then the drone can achieve autonomous flight, but a significant amount of battery power is consumed during lift-off against gravity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveautonomous flight capabilityVSAvoidbattery power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The drone is preliminarily elevated to a desired height by the cable system before autonomous flight begins. This preliminary action of being lifted by the cable and pulley system reduces the energy burden on the drone's motor during the critical lift-off phase, allowing the drone to conserve battery power while still achieving autonomous flight capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If an aircraft is used to carry the drone to altitude, then the drone can be launched from elevated position, but the approach is impractical and expensive for frequent delivery operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelaunch from elevated positionVSAvoidlaunch system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A cable system with pulleys acts as an intermediary mechanism between the ground and the drone. The cable is elevated by a lighter-than-air craft or powered aircraft, and the pulley system provides mechanical advantage to lift the drone. This intermediary system enables practical, cost-effective frequent operations compared to using aircraft directly to carry drones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the complex mechanical system of aircraft carrying drones with a simpler cable-and-pulley mechanical system. The looped cable engaged to pulleys, combined with mechanical advantage from the pulley arrangement, substitutes for the more complex and expensive aircraft-based launch system while achieving the same function of elevating drones.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If the cable is elevated to increase separation distance, then safety is improved, but the cable may contact the ground creating hazards

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational safetyVSAvoidcable elevation height

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The cable system is designed to be dynamic rather than static. The cable can be elevated to different heights based on operational requirements, and the pulley system can adjust the cable position. This dynamic adjustment allows optimization of safety margins while minimizing unnecessary cable elevation that would increase hazards from ground contact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This method conserves battery power by reducing the initial lift-off power consumption, enabling longer flight times and increased range, making it suitable for frequent and cost-effective drone delivery operations in various environments.

Implementation Method 1

a first pulley of the pair of pulleys is coupled to a lighter-than-air craft such as a balloon, a blimp, or a dirigible

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectBuoyancy: Archimedes' Principle (Buoyancy)

Implementation Method 2

The second pulley is attached to a motor. The motor is operated to rotate the second pulley for moving the looped cable

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic conversion: Electromagnetic Induction

Implementation Method 3

Each tether includes an extension arm that prevents the tethered drone from making contact with the cable while the tethered drone is being lifted

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectMechanical constraint: Mechanical Force

Data Source

PatentUS11608192B2Drone elevator systems and methods

Publication Date: 2023.03.21 FORD GLOBAL TECH LLC

AI summary

This disclosure is generally directed to systems and methods for lifting drones to a desired height before launching. In one exemplary embodiment, a drone elevator system includes a looped cable that is engaged to a pair of pulleys. A first pulley of the pair of pulleys is coupled to a lighter-than-air craft and the second pulley is attached to a motor. The lighter-than-air craft moves upwards so as to raise the first pulley skywards and place the looped cable at an angle with respect to the ground. The motor is then operated to rotate the second pulley for moving the looped cable. The cable includes a set of tethers each of which is used to tether a drone. Each tether includes an extension arm that prevents the tethered drone from making contact with the cable when being lifted. Each tethered drone can be launched after being lifted to a desired height.