US 12,084,186 B1
Drone load release system
Joel Henry Witman, Essex, MD (US); Mark Thomas Butkiewicz, North East, MD (US); and Robert Eric Baltrusch, Oxford, PA (US)
Assigned to SURVICE Engineering Company, LLC, Belcamp, MD (US)
Filed by SURVICE Engineering Company, LLC, Belcamp, MD (US)
Filed on Aug. 29, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/897,707.
Int. Cl. B64D 1/12 (2006.01); B64U 101/69 (2023.01)
CPC B64D 1/12 (2013.01) [B64U 2101/69 (2023.01)] 22 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A load carrying system for attachment to a picatinny rail of a drone in order to carry a supply load, the load carrying system comprising:
a plate having a first relief, the plate adapted to be attached to the picatinny rail of the drone;
a payload release system adapted to be attached to the picatinny rail of the drone in spaced apart fashion from the plate, the payload release system having a housing that has a drop cam rotatably attached thereto, the drop cam having a receiver mouth and rotatable between a normally open position wherein the receiver mouth is facing away from the picatinny rail and a closed position wherein the receiver mouth is facing generally toward the picatinny rail; and
a receptacle having a base, a first end plate with a second relief and an opposing second end plate joined to the first end plate by a side plate having a tab, such that the tab is received within the first relief and the receiver mouth receives the second relief such that whenever the receiver mouth is in the closed position, the receptacle is secured to the picatinny rail with the first end plate of the receptacle held within the receiver mouth and the tab of the second end plate held within first relief and when the receiver mouth is in the open position, the first end plate gravitationally falls out of the receiver mouth of the payload release system and the tab gravitationally slides out of the first relief whenever the picatinny rail is facing a ground surface.