{
  "patent_number": "US 12735211",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "Automated Drone Charging Hub with a Locking Arm",
  "original_title": "Charging hubs in base stations for unmanned aerial vehicles including locking mechanisms",
  "summary": "This patent describes a special charging station for drones that can move out to meet the drone, connect to it, and then lock it in place while it charges.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a charging hub designed for a drone base station. When a drone needs to charge, this hub can move, or 'reposition,' from a hidden 'retracted position' to an 'extended position' to meet the drone during docking. The hub includes a 'charger subassembly' which makes an electrical connection to the drone. Crucially, it also has a 'locking mechanism' that can pivot. This mechanism moves between a 'passive position' (when not in use) and an 'active position' where it engages with the drone to securely hold the charging hub to the drone while it charges. For example, a delivery drone could land on a base station, and this hub would extend, connect to the drone's charging port, and then a pivoting arm would swing into place to hold the drone firmly during charging.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover charging hubs that are fixed and do not move between a retracted and an extended position.",
    "Does not cover locking mechanisms that secure the drone without pivoting, such as those that slide, clamp, or use magnetic force.",
    "Does not cover systems where the drone itself repositions the charging hub, rather than the hub being repositionable.",
    "Does not cover charging systems that do not include a separate locking mechanism to secure the drone during charging.",
    "Does not cover manual drone charging or docking processes that require human intervention."
  ],
  "filed": "2025-04-25",
  "granted": "2026-09-15",
  "expires": null,
  "status": "active",
  "holder": null,
  "holder_url": null,
  "inventors": [],
  "times_cited": 0,
  "tags": [
    "consumer_electronics",
    "robotics",
    "aerospace",
    "telecommunications",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "A charging hub for a base station that is configured to receive an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during docking. The charging hub is repositionable between a retracted position and an extended position and includes a charger subassembly, which is configured for electrical connection to the UAV, and a locking mechanism, which is pivotable in relation to the charger subassembly between a passive position and an active position and is configured for engagement with the UAV to thereby secure the charging hub to the UAV in the active position.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735211/charging-hubs-in-base-stations-for-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-including-locking",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/12735211/charging-hubs-in-base-stations-for-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-including-locking/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US12735211",
  "relatedPatents": []
}