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US 5,890,678 AGranted
Device to control inflation characteristics of parachutes
AssigneeButler Aerospace Technologies, Inc.
InventorManley C. Butler, Jr.
Life of this patent
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AssigneeButler Aerospace Technologies, Inc.
InventorManley C. Butler, Jr.
Estimating the term…
A round conventional parachute is shown with a small auxiliary canopy for controlling the inflation characteristics of the main canopy, especially large generally axisymmetrical canopies for heavy payloads. The main canopy has a central vent at the apex, and suspension lines descend from the lower edge or skirt of the canopy to risers or harness. The small auxiliary canopy is slidably attached to the suspension lines between the main canopy and the harness. The auxiliary canopy includes a generally hemispherical central inner section made of a low air permeable material and a generally annular flat outer section made of a high air permeable material, preferably one offering little or no resistance to air flow therethrough. The outer section is provided with spaced fittings around the periphery to slidably receive individual suspension lines therethrough. When packed, the auxiliary canopy is located near the mouth of the main canopy to control the shape of the mouth of the main canopy during opening but slides down the suspension lines as the main canopy fully inflates thereby controlling the opening sequence. By controlling the inflation characteristics of the parachute with the auxiliary canopy, the opening forces and/or the time to full open can be reduced, or increased, for a given speed.
A parachute having inflation control characteristics which comprises a main canopy, suspension lines connected to said main canopy and descending therefrom to lower ends for attachment to a load, and an auxiliary canopy having an inflatable inner section made of a less permeable material and an outer section made of a more permeable material, said outer section slidably attached to at least a portion of said suspension lines between said main canopy and said lower ends.
A parachute having inflation controlling characteristics which comprises:
In a packed parachute having a large main canopy with attached suspension lines extending from the peripheral edge of said canopy and adapted to engage a load harness, a small auxiliary canopy connected to said suspension lines by a slidable connection at the extremity, said extremity of said auxiliary canopy superimposed on said peripheral edge of said main canopy and said slidable connection located on said suspension lines at said peripheral edge of said main canopy, said auxiliary canopy having a central section made of a material of lower air permeability and an annular outer section of a material of higher air permeability, whereby said smaller auxiliary canopy of said packed parachute deploys first and provides a radial reefing and shaping force on said main canopy and directing air flow about said central section for uniform deployment of said main canopy during its opening sequence.
An auxiliary canopy for controlling the inflation characteristics of a main canopy of a parachute which comprises an arcuate downwardly concave facing circular central inner section made of a less air permeable material connected along its outer periphery with a generally flat surrounding outer section made of a more air permeable material, and a series of spaced reinforced openings along the periphery of said outer section for receiving suspension lines connected to said main canopy.
The method of initially shaping and temporarily restricting the opening of a mouth of a generally axisymmetric parachute main canopy having suspension lines attached around a lower edge thereof which comprises forming a generally circularized initial opening for said mouth during the initial stage of inflation of said main canopy by inflating an auxiliary canopy which circumferentially and radially shapes said lower edge of said main canopy into said generally circular initial opening, providing an air flow path into said mouth for inflating said main canopy, and reefing said lower edge by slidingly engaging said suspension lines at spaced locations around said auxiliary canopy.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.