IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,637,240
Granted Patent B2
US 12,637,240 · App. 16/772,233 · Granted May 26, 2026

Charging station and combined charging station

Inventors: Jens Werner (Wilsdruff STT Kesselsdorf, DE); Phil Pezus (Wilsdruff STT Kesselsdorf, DE); Matthias Bieler (Wilsdruff STT Kesselsdorf, DE); Florian Franke (Wilsdruff STT Kesselsdorf, DE)
Assignee: GermaniumTech GmbH
B64U80/25B60L53/00B60L53/16B60L53/31B60L53/36B60L53/50B64C7/00B64C21/02B64C29/0016B64D9/00B64F1/00B64F1/22B64F1/30B64F1/362B64U10/16B64U20/40B64U30/12B64U50/31H02J7/0013B60L2200/10B64C2001/0072B64U30/20B64U50/19B64U2101/61
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,637,240
App. No.
16/772,233
Filed
Jan 11, 2021
Granted
May 26, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2859
USPC
320/109
Abstract

Disclosed is a charging station ( 2 ) for a vertical take-off and landing aircraft ( 1 ) comprising one or more energy stores, the station having a charging device for transferring electrical energy to the energy store or stores. Also disclosed is a combined charging station ( 12 ) for vertical take-off and landing aircraft, each aircraft comprising one or more energy stores, the combined charging station ( 12 ) having multiple charging stations.

Claims (19)

1 . A charging station, wherein the charging station is configured for charging one or more electrical energy stores of a flight module of a vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the aircraft comprising (i) the flight module which has a support structure with one or more drive units for driving the aircraft and (ii) a transport module for transporting people and/or loads that is reversibly couplable to the flight module and wherein the charging station comprises a charging device for transferring electrical energy to the one or more energy stores of the flight module that has landed at or on the charging station.

2 . The charging station of claim 1 , wherein the charging station further comprises one or more positioning devices for holding, fixing, and aligning the flight module of the aircraft, and wherein the one or more positioning devices hold the support structure of the flight module and align the flight module to enable an electrical connection between the flight module and the charging device.

3 . The charging station of claim 2 , wherein the one or more positioning devices comprise booms which have a hollow profile in which electrical cables of the charging device are arranged.

4 . The charging station of claim 1 , wherein the charging device comprises a connector which is configured for allowing a flexible connection of the charging device to the flight module.

5 . The charging station of claim 1 , wherein the charging device comprises a coupling counterpart which can be coupled to a coupling device of the flight module that is configured for coupling of a transport module such that electrical energy is transferred to the one or more energy stores via the coupling device of the flight module.

6 . The charging station of claim 2 , wherein the one or more positioning devices comprise one or more gripper and/or support devices for accommodating the support structure of the flight module of the aircraft.

7 . The charging station of claim 2 , wherein the one or more positioning devices comprise one or more forked mounting fixtures for accommodating support beams of the support structure of the flight module of the aircraft.

8 . The charging station of claim 7 , wherein the one or more positioning devices comprise one or more forked mounting fixtures in the form of brackets for accommodating the support beams of the support structure of the flight module.

9 . The charging station of claim 2 , wherein the positioning devices are arranged in a star-shaped arrangement and/or at equal distance from each other.

10 . The charging station of claim 1 , wherein the charging station comprises fiber-reinforced composite material or consists of fiber-reinforced composite material.

11 . The charging station of claim 1 , wherein the charging station is configured for arrangement on a lighting column, a pillar, or a roof.

12 . A composite charging station, wherein the composite charging station comprises two or more charging stations according to claim 1 .

13 . The composite charging station of claim 12 , wherein the two or more charging stations each comprise one or more positioning devices for holding, fixing, and aligning the flight module of the aircraft.

14 . The composite charging station of claim 12 , wherein the two or more charging stations are configured to be movable vertically and/or horizontally.

15 . The composite charging station of claim 12 , wherein the composite charging station further comprises a housing for enclosing the two or more charging stations.

16 . The composite charging station of claim 12 , wherein the two or more charging stations are positioned in a rack arrangement.

17 . The composite charging station of claim 16 , wherein the rack arrangement is formed by a rack system in the form of a paternoster lift.

18 . The composite charging station of claim 12 , wherein the two or more charging stations are positioned in a revolver arrangement.

19 . The charging station of claim 8 , wherein the brackets are configured to be capable of being closed after the support beams are positioned in the forked mounting structure.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 22, 2026
From: INNOTEC LIGHTWEIGHT ENGINEERING & POLYMER TECHNOLOGY GMBH
To: GERMANIUMTECH GMBH
Reel/Frame 075446/0335 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 12, 2021
From: THYSSENKRUPP CARBON COMPONENTS GMBH
To: INNOTEC LIGHTWEIGHT ENGINEERING & POLYMER TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Reel/Frame 055887/0146 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 18, 2020
From: WERNER, JENS; PEZUS, PHIL; BIELER, MATTHIAS; FRANKE, FLORIAN
To: THYSSENKRUPP CARBON COMPONENTS GMBH
Reel/Frame 052976/0001 →
Priority Claims (5)
DE 102017130251.4 · Dec 15, 2017 · national
DE 102017130252.2 · Dec 15, 2017 · national
DE 102017130253.0 · Dec 15, 2017 · national
DE 102017130254.9 · Dec 15, 2017 · national
DE 102017130255.7 · Dec 15, 2017 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20210206511A1 · Jul 8, 2021
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