US 11,807,130 B2
Battery exchange and charging system for drones
John Richard Livingston, Stevensville, MT (US); and Orest Jacob Pilskalns, Missoula, MT (US)
Assigned to SKYYFISH, LLC, Stevensville, MT (US)
Filed by SKYYFISH LLC, Stevensville, MT (US)
Filed on May 20, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/325,797.
Prior Publication US 2021/0380019 A1, Dec. 9, 2021
Int. Cl. B60L 53/80 (2019.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01); B60L 53/14 (2019.01); B60L 58/12 (2019.01); B64C 39/02 (2023.01); B60L 53/30 (2019.01)
CPC B60L 53/80 (2019.02) [B60L 53/14 (2019.02); B60L 53/30 (2019.02); B60L 58/12 (2019.02); B64C 39/024 (2013.01); B64U 50/19 (2023.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drone battery exchange system comprising:
a first battery holder with multiple, movable docking bays each dimensioned to accept a battery module;
a second battery holder with multiple, movable docking bays each dimensioned to accept a similar battery module, wherein each of said movable docking bays of said first and second battery holders comprises a rail for suspending said battery module;
a surface upon which a drone with a depleted battery module can land, wherein the first and second battery holders and the surface are positioned so that a sequence of one of the docking bays of the first battery holder, the depleted battery module and one of the docking bays of the second battery holder can be aligned on an axis; and
a first piston that moves a freshly charged battery module from the aligned docking bay in the first battery holder into the drone and simultaneously causes the depleted battery module to enter the aligned docking bay of the second battery holder.