Alternate methods of parachute construction
AssigneeIrvin Aerospace Canada Limited
InventorVladimir Drozd
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A novel parachute and method of manufacturing can be performed quickly and inexpensively. The parachute comprises a canopy having a plurality of gores with interior and exterior sides, and a pocket on the interior side of the gores formed either with folded or gathered or folded and gathered material from the gore. Preferably, each gore is fastened to adjacent gores at two spaced locations to form longitudinal apertures between gores. When the parachute is deployed some air initially passes through the apertures. However, instead of acting as a single unit like a traditional canopy each gore initially inflates separately in the crown region. As the gores become inflated they work together to close the apertures between the gores and trap air as a single unit.
Claims24
A method for making a parachute canopy from a suitable gore material comprising the steps of:
- (i) creating a pocket in an interior side of at least one of a plurality of gores having interior and exterior sides by a step selected from the group consisting of folding, gathering and folding and gathering a piece of said gore material;
- (ii) connecting surfaces of said folded, gathered or folded and gathered gore material of a given gore to form said pocket, and
- (iii) connecting said plurality of gores together to form said parachute canopy.
A method for making a parachute canopy comprising the steps of:
- folding a plurality of rectangular gores in half parallel to a pair of long sides, each of said gores having two short sides and two long sides;
- sealing a first short side of each of said plurality of gores to form an inflation pocket in each of said gores;
- connecting said plurality of gores together proximate said inflation pockets;
- and,
- connecting adjacent corners of a second short side of said plurality of gores.
A method for making a parachute canopy comprising the steps of:
- folding over an end portion of a first end of a plurality of rectangular gores, said gores comprising two short sides and two long sides, wherein said first end is one of said short sides and a second end is an opposite short side;
- sealing said long sides of said folded over end portion to form an inflation pocket in each of said gores;
- connecting said plurality of gores proximate said inflation pockets;
- and,
- connecting adjacent corners of said short sides at said second end of said plurality of gores.
A parachute, which comprises a canopy having a plurality of connected gores, said gores having interior and exterior sides, and a pocket comprising connected surfaces of said interior side of at least one of said gores, wherein said connected surfaces of said pocket are formed from folded, gathered or folded and gathered material of a given gore.
A method for making a parachute canopy from a suitable gore material comprising the steps of:
- (i) creating a pocket in an interior side of at least one of a plurality of gores having interior and exterior sides by a step selected from the group consisting of folding, gathering and folding and gathering a piece of said gore material into a plurality of surfaces which together form a polyhedral configuration;
- (ii) connecting said plurality of surfaces of said folded, gathered or folded and gathered piece of gore material to form said pocket, and
- (iii) connecting said plurality of gores together in at least two places along sides of said gores.
A method for making a parachute canopy from a suitable gore material comprising the steps of:
- (i) creating a pocket on an interior side of a plurality of gores having interior and exterior sides, said interior sides of said gores formed into said pocket by a step selected from the group consisting of folding, gathering, and folding and gathering a piece of said gore material for forming a pocket configuration;
- (ii) connecting surfaces of said folded, gathered or folded and gathered gore material of a given gore to form said pocket configuration, and
- (iii) connecting said plurality of gores together wherein each gore is affixed to an adjacent gore at least at two spaced locations.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.