US 12,227,319 B1
Launcher for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
Timothy Grondin, Panama City, FL (US); Andrew Schicho, Panama City, FL (US); Patrick Delay, Panama City, FL (US); and Halie Cameron, Panama City, FL (US)
Filed by United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy, Arlington, VA (US)
Filed on Apr. 11, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/133,077.
Int. Cl. B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 70/70 (2023.01); B64U 80/40 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 80/10 (2023.01) [B64U 70/70 (2023.01); B64U 80/40 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A device, comprising
a hopper adapted to hold a stack of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), said hopper having an open end disposed beneath the stack;
a retainer coupled to said hopper and disposed adjacent to said open end, said retainer operable to retain the UAVs in said hopper and to release one of the UAVs at said open end of said hopper, wherein a released UAV of the UAVs exits said hopper at said open end;
a movable carriage disposed beneath said retainer, wherein the released UAV is deposited on said carriage after exiting said hopper, said carriage operable to be moved along a first direction from beneath said retainer to a terminus and subsequently operable to be moved along a second direction from said terminus to beneath said retainer wherein, when moved in said first direction when the released UAV is on said carriage, said carriage moves the released UAV in said first direction to said terminus; and
a ramp aligned with said carriage, said ramp operable to guide said carriage along said ramp as said carriage is moved along said first direction and said second direction;
wherein said retainer comprises
a first hub disposed on a first side of said hopper at said open end;
a second hub disposed on a second side of said hopper at said open end;
a first set of radially-extending spokes coupled to said first hub;
a second set of radially-extending spokes coupled to said second hub, wherein said spokes from said first set are in a common plane with said spokes from said second set, and wherein said spokes from said first set mesh with said spokes from said second set; and
wherein said first hub and said second hub are operable to rotate in opposite directions and through less than one revolution each time said retainer is to release one of the UAVs at said open end.