Not Applicable.
The present disclosure relates generally to dispensing devices, and more specifically to an overhead drone dispensing device for dispensing a controlled volume of a material from the dispensing device.
Dispensing devices are well known in the art. While such dispensing devices according to the prior art provide a number of advantages, they nevertheless have certain limitations. The present invention seeks to overcome certain of these limitations and other drawbacks of the prior art, and to provide new features not heretofore available. A full discussion of the features and advantages of the present invention is deferred to the following detailed description, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings.
According to one embodiment, the disclosed subject technology relates to a dispensing device for dispensing a material in an air/material mixture toward the ground from a dispenser located a distance above the ground.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device for connection to a drone, comprising: an outer housing; an inner housing interior of the outer housing, the inner housing having an inner cavity, the inner cavity having an entrance opening at a first end of the inner cavity and an exhaust opening at a second end of the inner cavity; an outer cavity between the outer housing and the inner housing, the outer cavity adapted to hold a material; an upper cap closing a first end of the outer cavity; a lower cap closing a second end of the outer cavity; an aperture in the inner housing proximal a bottom of the outer housing to provide fluid access between outer cavity and the inner cavity to allow material in the outer cavity to be transferred to the inner cavity and mixed with air to create an air and material mixture; a closure member adjacent the aperture to open and close the aperture as desired to dispense material from the outer cavity into the inner cavity for mixing with air in the inner cavity; a controller for controlling movement of the closure member between a first position where the aperture is closed, and a second position where the aperture is open; and, a fan adjacent the exhaust opening to the inner cavity to accelerate the air and material mixture out of the dispensing device.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device for connection to a drone, comprising: an outer housing; an inner housing interior of the outer housing, the inner housing having an inner cavity having an entrance opening at a first end of the inner cavity and an exhaust opening at a second end of the inner cavity; an outer cavity between the outer housing and the inner housing, the outer cavity adapted to hold a material; an upper cap closing a first end of the outer cavity; a lower cap closing a second end of the outer cavity; a fluid access opening to provide fluid access between outer cavity and the inner cavity to allow material in the outer cavity to be transferred to the inner cavity and mixed with air to create an air and material mixture; and, an air accelerator adjacent the inner cavity to accelerate the air and material mixture out of the dispensing device.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device for connection to a drone, comprising: an outer housing connected to a drone; an inner housing interior of the outer housing, the inner housing having an inner cavity having an entrance opening at a first end of the inner cavity and an exhaust opening at a second end of the inner cavity; an outer cavity between the outer housing and the inner housing, the outer cavity adapted to hold a material; an upper cap closing a first end of the outer cavity; a lower cap closing a second end of the outer cavity; an fluid access opening to provide fluid access between outer cavity and the inner cavity to allow material in the outer cavity to be transferred to the inner cavity; and, an air accelerator adjacent the inner cavity to accelerate the air and material mixture out of the dispensing device.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device wherein the closure member comprises a seal inside the inner cavity, the seal rotating between the first position and the second position.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device having a driver electrically connected to the controller, the driver moving the closure member between the first position and the second position. In one embodiment, the driver comprises a gear connected to the closure member to rotate the closure member between the first position and the second position. In an alternate embodiment, the driver comprises a motor, such as a servo motor, having a gear to drive rotation of the closure member.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device wherein the controller comprises a receiver for receiving a radio frequency signal from a remote device.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device having a cover over the entrance opening of the inner housing, the cover having a plurality of apertures there through.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device having a funnel below a surface of the cover to direct air into the entrance opening of the inner housing.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device having a connector to secure the dispensing device to the drone.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device wherein the air accelerator is a fan adjacent the exhaust opening to the inner cavity. In an alternate embodiment, the air accelerator is a fan adjacent the entrance opening to the inner cavity.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device having a closure member adjacent the fluid access opening to open and close the fluid access opening as desired to dispense material from the outer cavity into the inner cavity for mixing with air in the inner cavity;
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device wherein the outer housing is connected to the drone adjacent a side of the drone. In another embodiment the outer housing is connected to the drone adjacent a bottom of the drone.
The disclosed subject technology further relates to a dispensing device wherein the air accelerator accelerates the air and material mixture a distance beyond a turbulence area of the drone.
It is understood that other embodiments and configurations of the subject technology will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein various configurations of the subject technology are shown and described by way of illustration. As will be realized, the subject technology is capable of other and different configurations and its several details are capable of modification in various other respects, all without departing from the scope of the subject technology. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.
To understand the present disclosure, it will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which embodiments of the disclosures are illustrated and, together with the descriptions below, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.
While the dispensing device discussed herein is susceptible of embodiments in many different forms, there is shown in the drawings, and will herein be described in detail, preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present description is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the dispensing device and is not intended to limit the broad aspects of the disclosure to the embodiments illustrated.
Referring now to the figures, and initially to
In one embodiment, as shown in
As shown in
To dispense material from the dispensing device 10, air or some other gas is accelerated through an inner cavity 46 of the inner housing 14 and further through the inner cavity 48 of the mixing device 16. In a preferred embodiment, the inner cavity 48 of the mixing device 16, as best shown in
With reference to
Referring to
Accordingly, the dispensing device 10 operates to exhaust a mixture of gas (i.e., air) and material (i.e., such as a powder present in the outer cavity 38) at a known and controllable flow rate, which is preferably an increased speed. The rate of mixing of the material with the gas is controlled by the flow of the gas through the venturi 50. The faster the flow of gas through the venturi 50 the greater the mix ratio.
An alternate embodiment is shown in
In a preferred embodiment, the material mixed with the accelerated gas that is dispelled out of the exhaust member 18 is dispelled approximately 15 feet from the dispensing device 10. When the dispensing device 10 is connected to a flying apparatus, such as a drone, it is preferred to exhaust the gas/material mixture a distance away from the dispensing device such that the gas/material mixture extends away from the turbulence of the flying apparatus caused by the rotary blades of the flying device. However, once the gas/material mixture is forced out of the zone of turbulence, the rotor wash of the rotary blades helps to further accelerate the gas/material mixture toward the ground.
In an alternate embodiment, the mixture in the cavity 38 of the dispensing device is merely dropped from the dispensing device due to gravity.
An alternate embodiment of the dispensing device 10 is shown in
As shown in
In one embodiment the inner housing 14 has at least one aperture 62 there through to provide fluid access between the outer cavity 38 and the inner cavity 46 to allow material in the outer cavity 38 to be transferred to the inner cavity 46 and mixed with air to create an air and material mixture. In one embodiment two apertures 62 are provided in opposing sides of the inner housing 14. The apertures 62 may have an angled shape about the circumference of the inner housing 14, however, this shape may be varied. Preferably, the apertures 62 are provided toward a bottom of the inner housing 14 as well as toward a bottom of the outer housing 12. The apertures 62 provide fluid access between the outer cavity 38 and the inner cavity 46. The apertures 62 operate as a mixing device as previously described. Alternately, a separate mixing device may be utilized instead of the apertures.
A closure member 64 is provided adjacent the apertures 62 to selectively open and close the apertures 62 in the inner housing 14. In one embodiment the closure member 64 is provided in the inner cavity 46 of the inner housing 14. In a preferred embodiment the inner housing 14 is tubular in shape, and a portion of the closure member 64 is similarly tubular or cylindrical in shape to match the shape of the inner wall of the inner housing 14. The closure member 64 preferably provides a valve or seal to seal the apertures when in the closed position.
As best shown in
In one embodiment a spacer 71 is provide between the exhaust opening 18 to the inner cavity 46 and the air acceleration device 32. Further, an enclosure 73 may be provided around the air acceleration device 32 and the driver 65, as shown in
Several alternative embodiments and examples have been described and illustrated herein. A person of ordinary skill in the art would appreciate the features of the individual embodiments, and the possible combinations and variations of the components. A person of ordinary skill in the art would further appreciate that any of the embodiments could be provided in any combination with the other embodiments disclosed herein. Additionally, the terms “first,” “second,” “third,” and “fourth” as used herein are intended for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the embodiments in any way. Further, the term “plurality” as used herein indicates any number greater than one, either disjunctively or conjunctively, as necessary, up to an infinite number. Additionally, the term “having” as used herein in both the disclosure and claims, is utilized in an open-ended manner.
It will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or central characteristics thereof. The present examples and embodiments, therefore, are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein. Accordingly, while the specific embodiments have been illustrated and described, numerous modifications come to mind without significantly departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of protection is only limited by the scope of the accompanying Claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/446,552, filed Jan. 16, 2017, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference and made a part hereof.
Number | Date | Country | |
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62446552 | Jan 2017 | US |