Electronic drogue reefing release system
AssigneeRockwell Collins, Inc.
InventorsAkash Mukherjee, John L. Hampton, Osvaldo Sanchez, Joseph Chamberland, Talyn Meyer, Tyler John Esposito
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic drogue reefing release system includes a drogue parachute having a canopy, one or more reefing lines coupled to the canopy, one or more reefing line cutters coupled to the canopy, and one or more signal lines configured to deliver an electrical signal. The reefing lines are configured to restrict expansion of the canopy while in a first reefing state. The reefing line cutters are configured to place the at least one reefing line into a second reefing state in response to receiving the electrical signal so as to expand the canopy.
Claims20
An electronic drogue reefing release system comprising:
- a drogue parachute including:
- a canopy;
- at least one reefing line coupled to the canopy, the at least one reefing line configured to restrict expansion of the canopy while in a first reefing state;
- at least one electrically controlled reefing line cutter coupled to the canopy, the at least one electrically controlled reefing line cutter configured to place the at least one reefing line into a second reefing state in response to receiving an electrical signal so as to expand the canopy;
- and
- at least one signal line in signal communication with the at least one electrically controlled reefing line cutter to deliver the electrical control signal.
An electronic drogue reefing release system comprising:
- a drogue parachute including:
- a canopy;
- at least one reefing line coupled to the canopy, the at least one reefing line configured to restrict expansion of the canopy while in a first reefing state;
- at least one reefing line cutter coupled to the canopy, the at least one reefing line cutter configured to place the at least one reefing line into a second reefing state in response to receiving an electrical signal so as to expand the canopy;
- and
- at least one explosive assembly line having a first end coupled to an electrically controlled detonator and an opposing second end coupled to an energy output terminal,
- wherein the electrically controlled detonator is configured to receive an electrical control signal and to generate an explosion force in response to the electrical control signal, and
- wherein the energy output terminal is configured to deliver the explosion force to the at least one reefing line cutter.
A method to electrically control release of a drogue parachute reefing line, the method comprising:
- determining at least one flight metric;
- detecting activation of a seat ejection sequence;
- determining a reefing cutting time duration based on the at least one flight metric;
- deploying a drogue parachute having at least one reefing line existing in a first reefing state that restricts expansion of a canopy;
- determining expiration of the after deploying the drogue parachute;
- generating an electrical control signal in response to the expiration of the after deploying the drogue parachute;
- and
- initiating at least one reefing line cutter to place the at least one reefing line into a second reefing state based at least in part on the electrical control signal to expand the canopy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.