US 4,117,994 AGranted

Parachute with canopy opening assist and opening control

AssigneeIrvin Industries Canada Ltd.

InventorDavid B. Webb

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Abstract

The parachute opening assist and control arrangement is a small auxiliary canopy in combination with a series of transverse reefing lines. The auxiliary canopy is folded within the main canopy and is connected to the reefing lines. Each reefing line is connected between two opposed main support lines. When the parachute is fully open, the reefing lines are a series of transverse lines which cross each other at a central point. The ends of the reefing lines are connected to the main support lines at a point close to the skirt of the main canopy. The auxiliary canopy extends above the reefing lines. A positioning line is connected between the crown of the main canopy and the center point of the reefing lines. The positioning line may be foreshortened to increase the reefing effect during canopy opening. The auxiliary canopy and reefing lines together increase the speed of initial opening and control the opening to reduce the maximum shock during opening.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A parachute having rapid initial opening and controlled opening shock comprising:

a main canopy having a skirt portion
a plurality of support lines connected to said main canopy, each of said support lines having an end connected to a common confluence point,
an auxiliary canopy positioned within said main canopy when the parachute is in a squidded state,
the skirt of said auxiliary canopy being positioned a substantial distance above said skirt of said main canopy in said squidded state, and
a plurality of reefing lines, each of said reefing lines being fixidly connected to a respective one of said support lines at a point remote from said confluence point and below said canopy skirt portion,
said auxiliary canopy being connected to said reefing lines,
said point at which said reefing lines are connected to said support lines being sufficiently close to said skirt of said main canopy so that, during inflation, the force exerted by said auxiliary canopy on said reefing lines will provide substantial reefing of said canopy and so that on initial opening, said reefing lines will control the shape and size of the mouth opening of said main canopy.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.