Aerial delivery system

• US 20090026319A1
• Filed: 08/11/2008
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Edward Strong
• Original Assignee: Edward Strong
• Inventors: Strong, Edward
• Application Number:
  US12/222,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20090026319A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 244/152
• CPC Class Codes: B64C 39/024 of the remote controlled vehicle type, i.e. RPV
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 1/08 the articles being load-carrying devices
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/08 Secondary or shock-absorbing canopies attached to load line
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/44 forming part of load
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/54 automatic
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/64 by extractor parachute
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 17/74 Sequential deployment of a plurality of canopies
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 10/50 Glider-type UAVs, e.g. with parachute, parasail or kite for landing B64U70/83
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/60 for transporting passengers; for transporting goods other than weapons
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2101/69 the UAVs provided with means for airdropping goods, e.g. deploying a parachute during descent
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 2201/10 autonomous, i.e. by navigating independently from ground or air stations, e.g. by using inertial navigation systems [INS]
• CPC Class Codes: B64U 30/12 Variable or detachable wings, e.g. wings with adjustable sweep

Abstract

An aerial delivery system including a ram-air parachute, one or more recovery parachutes, a mantle removably attached to a cargo, and a controller operably connected to the mantle, the ram-air parachute, and the one or more recovery parachutes. The controller may be configured to receive location information associated with a target, receive information related to an ambient condition, determine a recovery parachute opening point based on the target information and the ambient condition, and cause a navigation of the aerial delivery system to the determined recovery parachute opening point.

Claims

1. An aerial delivery system, comprising:

a ram-air parachute;

one or more recovery parachutes;

a mantle removably attached to a cargo; and

a controller operably connected to the mantle, the ram-air parachute, and the one or more recovery parachutes, and configured to

receive location information associated with a target;

receive information related to an ambient condition;

determine a recovery parachute opening point based on the target information and the ambient condition; and

cause a navigation of the aerial delivery system to the determined recovery parachute opening point.

2. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, further comprising:

a release bridle, having a first end, a second end, and a third end, the second end fixedly attached to a first one of the one or more recovery parachutes, and the third end releasably attached to a second one of the one or more recovery parachutes;

a drogue parachute affixed to the first end of the release bridle; and

a pilot parachute operably connected to the drogue parachute.

3. The aerial delivery system of claim 2, wherein the releasable attachment of the third end to the second one of the one or more recovery parachutes comprises a multi-ring release system.

4. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, wherein the information related to an ambient condition comprises at least one of an altitude dependent wind velocity.

5. The aerial delivery system of claim 4, wherein the recovery parachute opening point is determined to be at a location upwind of the target location, based on the altitude dependent wind velocity.

6. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, wherein the controller comprises a GPS receiver and a steering servo configured to manipulate a steering line associated with the ram-air parachute for causing the navigation.

7. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, wherein the mantle is configured to support a cargo having a weight ranging from about 1,000 pounds to about 3,000 pounds.

8. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, wherein the mantle is configured to support a cargo having a weight ranging from about 9,000 pounds to about 12,000 pounds.

9. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a cutter configured to facilitate removal of the cargo from the mantle based on the ambient condition.

10. The aerial delivery system of claim 1, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a latitude, a longitude, and an altitude.

11. A method for aerially delivering a cargo system from an aircraft at an altitude, the method comprising:

receiving location information associated with a target location;

receiving condition information related to an ambient condition;

determining a recovery parachute opening location based on the condition information and the location information;

deploying a navigable ram-air parachute operably connected to the cargo system;

navigating the cargo system to the recovery parachute opening location via the ram-air parachute and one or more steering lines associated with the ram-air parachute; and

deploying one or more recovery parachutes at the recovery parachute opening location.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining an extraction area for deploying the navigable ram-air parachute based on the condition information, and calculating a drop zone at the altitude of the aircraft defined by a base of an inverted cone having an apex at the target location.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the cone is oblique and is based on a position of the aircraft with respect to the target location.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining a recovery parachute opening location comprises:

identifying a wind velocity associated with one or more altitudes from the condition information; and

calculating a flight plan based on the identification.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the flight plan comprises at least one of a random turn, a sweeping circle, and a centered FIG. 8.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the navigating further comprises:

manipulating one or more steering lines associated with the navigable ram-air parachute to fly the flight plan.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein deploying one or more recovery parachutes comprises:

extracting a drogue parachute affixed to a first end of a release bridle, wherein a second end of the release bridle is fixedly connected to a first one of the one or more recovery parachutes, and a third end of the release bridle is releasably connected to a second one of the one or more recovery parachutes.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

releasing, when an angle between the second end and the third end reaches a predetermined value, a retaining pin associated with the releasable connection between the third end and the second one of the recovery parachutes, wherein the releasable connection comprises a multi-ring release system.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a latitude, a longitude, and an altitude.

20. An aerial delivery system, comprising:

a ram-air parachute;

one or more recovery parachutes;

a mantle removably attached to a cargo;

a release bridle having a first end, a second end, and a third end, the second end fixedly attached to a first one of the one or more recovery parachutes, and the third end releasably attached to a second one of the one or more recovery parachutes;

a drogue parachute affixed to the first end of the release bridle;

a pilot parachute operably connected to the drogue parachute; and

a controller operably connected to the mantle, the ram-air parachute, and the one or more recovery parachutes, and configured to

receive location information associated with a target;

receive information related to an ambient condition;

determine a recovery parachute opening point based on the target information and the ambient condition; and

cause a navigation of the aerial delivery system to the determined recovery parachute opening point.

21. The aerial delivery system of claim 20, wherein the releasable attachment of the third end to the second one of the recovery parachutes comprises a multi-ring release system.

22. The aerial delivery system of claim 20, wherein the ambient condition includes at least one of an altitude dependent wind velocity.

23. The aerial delivery system of claim 22, wherein the recovery parachute opening point is determined to be upwind of the target location, based on the altitude dependent wind velocity.

24. The aerial delivery system of claim 20, wherein the controller comprises a GPS receiver and a steering servo configured to manipulate a steering line associated with the ram-air parachute to cause the navigation.

25. The aerial delivery system of claim 20, wherein the location information comprises at least one of a latitude, a longitude, and an altitude.