Invention Application
- Patent Title: Systems and Methods for Controlling Rotation and Twist of a Tether
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Application No.: US15863973Application Date: 2018-01-07
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Publication No.: US20180127113A1Publication Date: 2018-05-10
- Inventor: Elias Wolfgang Patten , Damon Vander Lind , Bryan Christopher GilroySmith , Brian Hachtmann
- Applicant: X DEVELOPMENT LLC
- Main IPC: B64F3/02
- IPC: B64F3/02 ; F03D7/02

Abstract:
A system may include a tether, a slip ring, a tether gimbal assembly, a drive mechanism, a control system. The tether may include a distal tether end coupled to an aerial vehicle, a proximate tether end, and at least one insulated electrical conductor coupled to the aerial vehicle. The slip ring may include a fixed portion and a rotatable portion, where the rotatable portion is coupled to the tether. The tether gimbal assembly may be rotatable about at least one axis and is coupled to the fixed portion of the slip ring. The drive mechanism may be coupled to the slip ring and configured to rotate the rotatable portion of the slip ring. And the control system may be configured to operate the drive mechanism to control twist in the tether.
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