US 11,939,046 B1
Attachment sub-systems for vertically-stacked multicopters
Benjamin Otto Berry, Mountain View, CA (US); Graham Bowen-Davies, San Jose, CA (US); Madeline Elliott Parker, San Francisco, CA (US); Cameron Robertson, San Mateo, CA (US); and Christopher Scott Saunders, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Kitty Hawk Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed by Kitty Hawk Corporation, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Oct. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/513,256.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/107,089, filed on Oct. 29, 2020.
Int. Cl. B64C 27/08 (2023.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01)
CPC B64C 27/08 (2013.01) [B64C 39/02 (2013.01); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64C 2211/00 (2013.01); B64U 10/13 (2023.01); B64U 30/20 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a plurality of propellers that generate vertical thrust at least some of the time;
an attachment sub-system that detachably couples to a vertical connector, wherein a plurality of vertically-stacked multicopters detachably couple to the vertical connector in order to transport a load at a bottom end of the vertical connector; and
an opening in a vehicle frame that: (1) receives the vertical connector prior to the attachment sub-system detachably coupling to the vertical connector and (2) holds the vertical connector while the attachment sub-system is detachably coupled to the vertical connector; wherein:
the system is included in a second-from-top multicopter in the plurality of vertically-stacked multicopters;
the attachment sub-system:
detaches from the vertical connector; and
after moving into a topmost position associated with the vertical connector, detachably couples to the vertical connector; and
the system further includes a flight controller that: after the attachment sub-system detaches from the vertical connector, generates one or more control signals for the plurality of propellers associated with moving to the topmost position.