Rigidized assisted opening system for high altitude parafoils
First Claim
1. A parafoil comprising:
- a base structure;
a first elongated wing tip support having a lower end and an upper end opposite the lower end, the lower end coupled with the base structure and extending outward relative to a vertical orientation, the first wing tip support comprising a first flexible rod configured to flex to store energy of flexure;
a second elongated wing tip support having a lower end and an upper end opposite the lower end, the lower end coupled with the base structure and extending outward relative to the vertical orientation, the second wing tip support comprising a second flexible rod configured to flex to store energy of flexure; and
a canopy extending between a first wingtip end and a second wingtip end opposite the first wingtip end, the first wingtip end of the canopy coupled with the upper end of the first wing tip support, and the second wingtip end of the canopy coupled with the upper end of the second wing tip support,wherein the parafoil is configured to be restrained in a stowed configuration and to be released from the stowed configuration to spring open using at least in part the stored energy of flexure of the first and second flexible rods into a deployed flight configuration,wherein, in the stowed configuration, the upper ends of the first and second wing tip supports are located above the respective lower ends and converge inward relative to the vertical orientation, andwherein, in the deployed flight configuration, the canopy is spread open and the first and second wing tip supports extend outward relative to the vertical orientation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described are a parafoil for operation at high altitudes, in low density air, or at low airspeeds, and methods for opening same. The parafoil comprises flexible members connected to the parafoil canopy. When the parafoil canopy is in a stowed configuration, the members are deformed, storing elastic energy. When the canopy is released from its stowed configuration, the members spring back to their undeformed shapes, thereby opening or assisting with opening the canopy. The flexible members may also be attached to a base structure, which is attached to the payload. The members may comprise rods or hollow tubes that can be flexed using a fulcrum near the base structure, or a spacer plate, so that the ends connected to the canopy are restrained by a parachute bag containing the stowed or packed canopy. The parachute bag can be opened prior to or during detachment of the parafoil from the flight vehicle.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A parafoil comprising:
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a base structure; a first elongated wing tip support having a lower end and an upper end opposite the lower end, the lower end coupled with the base structure and extending outward relative to a vertical orientation, the first wing tip support comprising a first flexible rod configured to flex to store energy of flexure; a second elongated wing tip support having a lower end and an upper end opposite the lower end, the lower end coupled with the base structure and extending outward relative to the vertical orientation, the second wing tip support comprising a second flexible rod configured to flex to store energy of flexure; and a canopy extending between a first wingtip end and a second wingtip end opposite the first wingtip end, the first wingtip end of the canopy coupled with the upper end of the first wing tip support, and the second wingtip end of the canopy coupled with the upper end of the second wing tip support, wherein the parafoil is configured to be restrained in a stowed configuration and to be released from the stowed configuration to spring open using at least in part the stored energy of flexure of the first and second flexible rods into a deployed flight configuration, wherein, in the stowed configuration, the upper ends of the first and second wing tip supports are located above the respective lower ends and converge inward relative to the vertical orientation, and wherein, in the deployed flight configuration, the canopy is spread open and the first and second wing tip supports extend outward relative to the vertical orientation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A parafoil for releasably supporting a payload from a flight vehicle, the parafoil comprising:
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a canopy coupled with a base structure via first and second elongated wing tip supports, the first and second wing tip supports each comprising a flexible rod configured to flex to store energy of flexure in a stowed configuration and to spring open using at least in part the stored energy of flexure of the flexible rods from the stowed configuration into a deployed flight configuration wherein the canopy is spread open, wherein, in the stowed configuration, lower ends of the first and second elongated wing tip supports extend outward relative to a vertical orientation and upper ends of the first and second elongated wing tip supports are located above the respective lower ends and converge inward relative to the vertical orientation; and a tether releasably coupled with the base structure, the tether extending through the canopy in the stowed configuration and configured to couple with a connection device for connection to a flight vehicle that is located above the parafoil, wherein releasing the tether from the base structure will release the parafoil from the flight vehicle. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of using a parafoil comprising a canopy coupled with a base structure via first and second elongated wing tip supports comprising respectively a first flexible rod and a second flexible rod, the method comprising:
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flexing the first and second wingtip supports into a stowed configuration, wherein in the stowed configuration the first and second flexible rods are flexed to store energy of flexure such that lower ends of the first and second wingtip supports extend outward from the base structure at an initial angle relative to a vertical orientation and upper ends of the first and second wingtip supports are located above the respective lower ends and converge inward relative to the vertical orientation; restraining the first and second wingtip supports in the stowed configuration; storing the canopy of the parafoil in a parachute bag; attaching the parafoil to a flight vehicle; and attaching the base structure to a payload. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification