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US 12,286,233 B2Granted
Parachute assemblies with multi-stage reefing
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsJeff Benjamin, Kassidy L Carson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A parachute assembly may comprise a canopy and one or more reefing lines. The one or more reefing lines may limit inflation of the canopy to attenuate impulse load or otherwise mitigate forces exerted by the parachute assembly on cargo or an occupant during deployment of the canopy. The one or more reefing lines may be broken in stages to selectively limit inflation of the canopy followed by selectively permitting inflation of the canopy in stages.
Claims19
A parachute assembly, comprising:
- a parachute canopy;
- a first reefing line disposed adjacent an edge of the parachute canopy to restrict inflation of the parachute canopy;
- a second reefing line comprising a reefing line insert coupled between a first portion of the first reefing line and a second portion of the first reefing line;
- and
- a first cutter configured to break the second reefing line in response to a passing of a first elapsed period of time after a first triggering event, wherein breaking the second reefing line causes a lengthening of the first reefing line.
2 more elements
A parachute assembly, comprising:
- a parachute canopy;
- a first reefing line having a first length and disposed adjacent an edge of the parachute canopy to restrict inflation of the parachute canopy;
- a second reefing line having a second length and disposed adjacent the first reefing line of the parachute canopy to restrict inflation of the parachute canopy;
- a first cutter configured to break the first reefing line in response to a passing of a first elapsed period of time after a first triggering event;
- a second cutter configured to break the second reefing line in response to a passing of a second elapsed period of time after the breaking the first reefing line;
- and
- a tether line connecting a trigger of the second cutter to the first reefing line to trigger the second cutter by the breaking of the first reefing line, a first end of the tether line is attached to the first reefing line and a second end of the tether line is attached to the second cutter, and the tether line is configured to be pulled with the first reefing line as the first reefing line breaks.
4 more elements
A method of staged parachute deployment comprising:
- deploying a parachute canopy of the parachute assembly;
- increasing a tensile load applied to a first reefing line having a first length and disposed adjacent an edge of the parachute canopy for restricting of inflation of the parachute canopy;
- breaking, by a first cutter, the first reefing line in response to a passing of a first elapsed period of time after a first triggering event;
- tensioning a tether line connecting a trigger of a second cutter to the first reefing line to initiate a start of a second elapsed period of time by the breaking of the first reefing line, a first end of the tether line is attached to the first reefing line and a second end of the tether line is attached to the second cutter, and the tensioning the tether line connecting the trigger of the second cutter to the first reefing line includes pulling the tether line with the first reefing line as the first reefing line breaks;
- subsequently to the breaking the first reefing line, increasing a tensile load applied to a second reefing line having a second length and disposed adjacent the first reefing line of the parachute canopy for the restricting of inflation of the parachute canopy, wherein the second length is selected to provide less restricting of inflation of the parachute canopy than the first length;
- and
- breaking, by the second cutter, the second reefing line in response to a passing of the second elapsed period of time.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.