Reserve parachutes
First Claim
1. In a reserve parachute for deployment at low speeds of descent and including a reserve parachute pack, a main reserve canopy, and rigging lines attached to said canopy, said canopy and rigging lines being packed within said reserve parachute pack for deployment therefrom;
- said main reserve canopy including an apex, an apex area, a skirt defining a canopy mouth, and expander means for expanding a portion of said canopy; and
restraint means attached to said reserve parachute pack and to a selected point along said rigging lines for allowing only a given length of rigging lines to said selected point to be deployed initially, said expander means providing an induced initial canopy deployment at said low speeds of descent having a drag profile with a greater drag action on said apex area of said canopy than that acting on said skirt, said restraint means operatively interacting with said expander means to facilitate said induced initial canopy deployment and said expander means enabling use of said restraint means in a reserve parachute, and said restraint means being operative after said induced initial canopy deployment to release the remainder of said rigging lines for full parachute deployment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A reserve parachute for deployment under low descent speeds includes a rubber ring packed with the canopy and rigging lines and attached to the canopy in the region of the canopy apex and being disposed concentric with respect to a vent hem of the canopy. Upon deployment the ring expands to increase profile drag to ensure the canopy mouth faces substantially downwardly during deployment. The peripheral hem of the canopy at the canopy mouth is stiffened with a tape loop treated with polyurethane so that the peripheral hem springs apart upon deployment. An inhibitor tie is attached to a loop of the folded rigging lines within the pack to permit only a part of the rigging to be released initially; the inhibitor tie breaks at a predetermined tension in the lines to permit the remainder of the rigging lines to be released and to permit fully canopy deployment.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. In a reserve parachute for deployment at low speeds of descent and including a reserve parachute pack, a main reserve canopy, and rigging lines attached to said canopy, said canopy and rigging lines being packed within said reserve parachute pack for deployment therefrom;
- said main reserve canopy including an apex, an apex area, a skirt defining a canopy mouth, and expander means for expanding a portion of said canopy; and
restraint means attached to said reserve parachute pack and to a selected point along said rigging lines for allowing only a given length of rigging lines to said selected point to be deployed initially, said expander means providing an induced initial canopy deployment at said low speeds of descent having a drag profile with a greater drag action on said apex area of said canopy than that acting on said skirt, said restraint means operatively interacting with said expander means to facilitate said induced initial canopy deployment and said expander means enabling use of said restraint means in a reserve parachute, and said restraint means being operative after said induced initial canopy deployment to release the remainder of said rigging lines for full parachute deployment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
- said main reserve canopy including an apex, an apex area, a skirt defining a canopy mouth, and expander means for expanding a portion of said canopy; and
Specification