The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 09, 2011
Filed:
Aug. 09, 2010
Peter Tchoryk, Jr., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Jane Camile Pavlich, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Anthony Beckman Hays, Jackson, MI (US);
Gregory Joseph Wassick, Petersburg, MI (US);
Greg Alan Ritter, Hamburg, MI (US);
Peter Tchoryk, Jr., Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Jane Camile Pavlich, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Anthony Beckman Hays, Jackson, MI (US);
Gregory Joseph Wassick, Petersburg, MI (US);
Greg Alan Ritter, Hamburg, MI (US);
Michigan Aerospace Corporation, Ann Arbor, MI (US);
Abstract
An end effector operatively coupled to an extendable tensile element extended from a first vehicle engages a primary receptacle of a second vehicle. The first and second vehicles are drawn together by retracting the extendable tensile element into the first vehicle until contact therebetween, after which roll axes of the first and second vehicles become substantially aligned responsive to a further retraction of the extendable tensile element into the first vehicle and a resulting tension in the extendable tensile element. At least one alignment post of at least one of the first and second vehicles engages with at least one surface of at least one corresponding secondary receptacle so as to at least substantially align the first and second vehicles in roll responsive to the tension in the extendable tensile element.