US 12,304,631 B2
Parcel delivery system and methods using rail system for unmanned aerial vehicles
Julio Gil, Veldhoven (NL); Ethan Prescott Hill, Lexington, KY (US); and Jonathan Embry, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed by United Parcel Service of America, Inc., Atlanta, GA (US)
Filed on May 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/313,196.
Prior Publication US 2022/0355929 A1, Nov. 10, 2022
Int. Cl. B64D 1/22 (2006.01); B64C 17/02 (2006.01); B64U 101/64 (2023.01); B64U 101/67 (2023.01); B64U 101/69 (2023.01)
CPC B64D 1/22 (2013.01) [B64C 17/02 (2013.01); B64U 2101/64 (2023.01); B64U 2101/67 (2023.01); B64U 2101/69 (2023.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A parcel delivery system associated with an unmanned aerial vehicle, the parcel delivery system comprising:
a first parcel carrier adapted to transport a first cargo;
a rail system comprising:
a rail coupled to the unmanned aerial vehicle and comprising a toothed rack,
a cylindrical rod at least one of fixedly coupled to a bottom of the rail or integrally formed with the bottom of the rail, and
a collar coupled to the first parcel carrier and comprising a cylindrical bore that mates with the cylindrical rod such that the collar is supported on the cylindrical rod and is configured to translate along the cylindrical rod; and
a drive system comprising:
a motor-driven gear engaging the toothed rack, and
a motor operable to (1) rotate the motor-driven gear in a first direction relative to the unmanned aerial vehicle to have the motor-driven gear engage the toothed rack and translate the first parcel carrier in the first direction and (2) rotate the motor-driven gear in a second direction relative to the unmanned aerial vehicle to have the motor-driven gear engage the toothed rack and translate the first parcel carrier in the second direction.