Parachute Canopy Deployment Control Apparatus

This invention relates to a parachute deployment system.

There is a constant effort to develop parachute systems which will shorten the deployment time and to reduce or eliminate the problem of parachute inversion. It has been proposed to secure netting to the lower edge of the parachute canopy to reduce the chance of parachute inversion. Various other parachute systems have been employed to overcome the problems in parachute deployment.

The patents to Hensley, U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,269, and Brockelmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,726,500, show systems relating to the problems of parachute deployment.

According to this invention, two parachute reinforcing ribbons are sewn to the parachute canopy such that the distance of the second ribbon from the first ribbon is equal to the distance between the first ribbon and the edge of the parachute canopy. A pair of reefing rings are sewn inside the canopy to the second reinforcement ribbon on opposite sides of each radial seam. Reefing rings are also sewn inside the canopy edge band at each radial seam. A parachute anti-inversion netting is sewn to the outer surface of the parachute canopy along the first reinforcing ribbon and extends below the bottom edge of the canopy.

The bottom edge of the parachute canopy is turned in and a reefing line passes through the reefing rings inside the second reinforcement ribbon and the reefing rings at the bottom edge of the canopy. Netting control lines are connected to the lower edge of the anti-inversion netting at alternate radial seams. Each netting control line has a reefing ring which engages the reefing line adjacent the second reinforcement ribbon. Tne anti-inversion netting is secured to the parachute suspension lines with suspension line guide rings at the radial seams between those having the netting control lines.

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic isometric view of a parachute according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partially schematic cut away view showing details of the device of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially schematic sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 along the line 3--3.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged partially schematic sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 along the line 4--4.

FIG. 5 is a partially schematic view showing the canopy portion of FIG. 3 with the canopy in its reefed state.

FIG. 6 shows the positioning of the reefing rings and reefinglines in the device of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a partially schematic view showing the canopy portion of FIG. 4, with the canopy in its reefed state.

FIG. 8 shows the positioning of the reefing rings and reefing line in the device of FIG. 7.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1 of the drawing which shows a parachute 10 having a parachute canopy 12 with suspension lines 14 secured to each of the radial seams 16 of the parachute canopy. An anti-inversion netting 18 is secured to the other surface of the parachute canopy along a first reinforcing ribbon 20. A second reinforcing ribbon 22 is secured to the parachute canopy a distance D.sub.2 equal to the distance D.sub.1 between the first ribbon and the edge 24 of the canopy, as shown in FIG. 2.

A pair of reefing rings 26 are secured to the reinforcement ribbon 22 at each radial seam 16. Reefing rings 28 are secured to the canopy skirt band 30 at each radial seam 16.

At alternate radial seams, hereinafter designated as odd radial seams with odd suspension lines, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, suspension line guide rings 32 are secured to the anti-inversion netting edge band 34. The corresponding suspension lines 14 pass through the guide rings to position the anti-inversion netting. At the other radial seams, hereinafter designated as even radial seams with even suspension lines, as shown in greater detail in FIG. 4, an anti-inversion netting control line 36 is secured to the edge band 34. The control lines 36 are Y shaped lines and have one leg 36' connected to the suspension lines 14 at 38. The second leg 36" of each Y passes through a guide ring 40, secured to the suspension lines 14, is secured to a reefing ring 42.

In the reefing of the parachute the lower edge of the canopy is turned inward and the rings 28 are brought into alignment with rings 26 as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6. The reefing line 44 is then passed through all of the rings.

The reefing line 44 passes through a conventional reefing line pencil cutter 46, which is secured to the parachute canopy adjacent one of the radial seams 16.

At the even seams, the ring 42 and the ring 28 are brought into alignment with rings 26 with the rings as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The reefing line 44 passes through all of these rings. As the ring 42 is brought into alignment with rings 26, the control line 36 is drawn through guide ring 40 as shown in FIG. 7.

In the operation of the device of the invention when the parachute canopy is reefed, the lower portion of the canopy is turned inward and the rings 28 are brought into alignment with the rings 26 as shown in FIG. 6. At the even seams, the rings 42 are also brought into alignment with rings 26 as shown in FIG. 8. The reefing line 44 is passed through all of the reefing rings and through the pencil cutter 46. The reefing line is then drawn up and tied. This leaves the anti-inversion netting 18 extending below the canopy skirt as shown in FIGS. 5 and 7. The netting 18 is secured to the odd suspension lines 14 by means of ring 32 and to the even suspension lines 14 by rings 40 and control lines 36. Upon deployment of the parachute, the internal reefing with the canopy drawn up decreases the effective length of the suspension lines and reduces the effective canopy diameter. This allows faster canopy deployment since the suspension lines are shorter and faster parachute development since the volume of air necessary, to initially inflate the canopy, is reduced. As the force on the suspension lines increases beyond the radial forces to inflate the canopy, the canopy skirt will be pulled down, thus pulling down on the reefing line and causing the effective circumference of the reefing line to be reduced which reduces the high speed parachute opening loads. After the reefing line is cut by the pencil cutter, the netting 18 prevents the canopy skirt from passing through the lines and thus prevents canopy inversion.

There is thus provided a parachute system which will decrease the deployment time and which will substantially reduce the problem of parachute inversion.