US 12,280,901 B2
Drone pod for receiving, storing, and presenting a drone
Patrick Smith, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Hans Moritz, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Mark Eastwood, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Brian Fairbanks, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Nathan Patulski, Scottsdale, AZ (US); and Matthew Carver, Cave Creek, AZ (US)
Assigned to Axon Enterprise, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 17/769,478
Filed by Axon Enterprise, Inc., Scottsdale, AZ (US)
PCT Filed Oct. 15, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/055812
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 15, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/076776, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 22, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/915,261, filed on Oct. 15, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0132239 A1, Apr. 25, 2024
Prior Publication US 2024/0228079 A9, Jul. 11, 2024
Int. Cl. B64U 70/93 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01); B64U 70/95 (2023.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01); B64U 80/80 (2023.01)
CPC B64U 70/93 (2023.01) [B64U 70/95 (2023.01); B64U 80/10 (2023.01); B64U 80/70 (2023.01); B64U 80/80 (2023.01); B64U 10/14 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A drone pod for receiving, storing, and presenting a provided drone, the drone pod comprising:
a canopy extending from a first end to a second end, the canopy comprising:
an inner surface; and
a gear rack congruent with and coupled to the inner surface of the canopy, the gear rack longitudinally extending between the first end of the canopy and the second end of the canopy; and
a housing extending from an aft end to a fore end, the housing comprising:
a drone bay;
a base coupled to the fore end of the housing, wherein the base includes a light bar configured to provide emergency indicia; and
a pinion meshed with the gear rack of the canopy, wherein the pinion is configured to:
drive the gear rack towards the aft end of the housing to move the canopy toward the aft end of the housing and expose the drone bay; and
drive the gear rack towards the fore end of the housing to move the canopy toward the fore end of the housing and enclose the drone bay.