Parachute steering system

Active Publication Date: 2007-01-25
CIMSA ING DE SISTEMAS
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a parachute steering system, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type and which has a robust structure, is substantially simpler than the guidance systems existing up to now and is much more reliable in operation.
[0008] With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a parachute steering system, of the type utilized to carry out the dropping of loads, to land them on a predetermined target. The parachute steering system comprises upper and lower platforms articulatingly joined to each other. The upper platform has a device for fastening a parachute, and the lower platform has a device for anchoring the load. An actuator system interconnects the platforms and allows parallelism, inclination and relative positioning in general between the platforms to be regulated, displacing a center of gravity of a combination of the load and the parachute.
[0009] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, there is provided a system allowing a variation of relative positions of the platforms, such as an articulated coupling between the platforms.
[0012] The articulated coupling permits, through the use of any kind of actuator system connected to both platforms and with a configuration significantly smaller than that of the conventional guidance devices, the possibility to control the relative angular position between the two platforms, both in their transversal and their longitudinal plane.
[0013] In this way, through the use of the relative angular displacement between the platforms, with respect to an imaginary axis of rotation parallel to the trajectory of the load-parachute combination, on one hand it is possible to displace the center of gravity of the combination, toward one side or another, producing such asymmetries in the parachute that as a consequence a turn is produced in the trajectory of the same, it being possible to control the radius of curvature of the turn as a function of the relative inclination between the two platforms.
[0015] It is pointed out that the transversal axis of rotation between the two platforms need not be centered, since an off-centered position of the same reduces the necessary force of the actuator to move the plaftforms.

Problems solved by technology

The problem with that type of system is that if a control line is wound over itself on the spool of the actuator, a problem automatically arises of the impossibility of releasing the control, which can cause loss of the load.
In addition, in that case, and even with recovery of the device, the preparation for the following drop is complicated by having to dismantle the spool.

Method used

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Embodiment Construction

[0027] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, it is seen how the parachute steering system which the invention discloses is incorporated based on an upper platform 1 and a lower platform 2 coupled in articulated fashion through any device 3 for articulation, such as a hinge joint.

[0028] Both platforms 1 and 2 have a similar geometry which in this example of a practical embodiment is realized in a square-based pyramidal geometry, facing each other and joined in articulated fashion by one of their vertexes, but which could have any other geometry which facilitates the angular displacement between the same, without it affecting the basic nature of the invention.

[0029] The upper platform 1 incorporates a device 4-4′ for securing a parachute 5, shown in FIG. 2, to the same, which can be realized in a pair of plates integral with the platform, disposed lengthwise, that is, in the forward direction of the load-parachute combinati...

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Abstract

A parachute steering system allows load drops to be guided until being landed on a defined target. The steering system includes an upper platform and a lower platform, joined in articulated fashion. The upper platform incorporates a device for fastening the parachute thereto, while the lower platform has a device for anchoring the load. The two platforms are connected to each other through the use of an actuator system which allows the parallelism or inclination between them to be altered, also displacing the center of gravity of the parachute-load combination, and therefore allowing the direction of the displacement of the load to be altered, as well as the speed of the same.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a parachute steering system which has been specially conceived for its installation in unmanned parachutes, that is, those intended for dropping guided loads. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] The current systems of parachute guidance usually employ radio-control or satellite localization (GPS) devices as the system header, as well as a number of electric actuators to pull on the control lines by winding the same onto their corresponding spool. [0005] The problem with that type of system is that if a control line is wound over itself on the spool of the actuator, a problem automatically arises of the impossibility of releasing the control, which can cause loss of the load. [0006] In addition, in that case, and even with recovery of the device, the preparation for the following drop is complicated by having to dismantle the spool. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] It is ac...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): B64D17/00
CPCB64D17/34
InventorZAPIRAIN, JOSE FRANCISCO
OwnerCIMSA ING DE SISTEMAS