Patent ID: 11873114
Assignee: AEROVIRONMENT, INC.
Field: Transport (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC B | IPC B

Claim 0:
1. An airframe-mounted package launching system comprising:
an airframe structure of an aircraft including an external airframe opening; and
a package launching device mounted in an interior portion of the airframe structure proximate the external airframe opening, wherein the package launching device comprises
a launch bed configured to support a package during a launching process; and
a launch assembly configured to impart a launching force to the supported package on the launch bed during the launching process, wherein the launch assembly includes
a launch carriage configured to translate under an applied force from a first locked position toward a second stopped position during the launching process, and
a trigger assembly configured to
hold the launch carriage in the first locked position,
release the launch carriage from the first locked position when the trigger assembly receives a trigger input thereby initiating the launching process,
retrieve the launch carriage from the second stopped position during a retrieval process, and
translate, during the retrieval process, the launch carriage against the applied force into the first locked position.