Aerial delivery system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11186376-B2
Application number	US-201916292944-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2019
Priority date	Mar 5, 2018
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

An aerial payload delivery system uses a cruciform parachute canopy that is connected to base by plurality of suspension lines including an adjustable control line. A control system includes an actuator to selectively adjust the length of the control line. By adjusting the length of the control line, the parachute can be selectively set to glide or descend substantially vertically subject to wind. In an embodiment, the suspension lines also include a short line and a plurality of long lines. The parachute is set to glide by adjusting the control line to be about the same length as the short line and set to vertically descend by adjusting the length of the control line to differ from the short line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An aerial payload delivery system for delivering a payload released from an elevated location to a target location below the elevated location, the delivery system comprising:
a base configured to support the payload as the delivery system descends from the elevated location;
a cruciform parachute canopy configured to be deployed to an open configuration as the payload delivery system descends from the elevated location;
a plurality of suspension lines connecting the base to the canopy to suspend the base from the canopy when the canopy is deployed to the open configuration, each of the suspension lines having a length extending from the base to the cruciform parachute canopy, the plurality of suspension lines including a control line; and
a control system comprising an actuator operatively connected to the control line to selectively adjust the length of the control line.

2. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a servo motor.

3. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the cruciform parachute canopy includes a central portion and a plurality of arm portions extending outward from the central portion in different directions, each of the plurality suspension lines being connected to one of the plurality of arm portions.

4. The delivery system as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the plurality of suspension lines includes the control line, a short line, and a plurality of long lines, the length of each of the long lines being greater than the length of the short line.

5. The delivery system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the plurality of arm portions includes a control arm portion connected to the base by the control line and at least one of the long lines; first and second symmetrical arm portions, each connected to the base by at least two long lines and an asymmetrical arm portion connected to the base by the short line and at least one long line.

6. The delivery system as set forth in claim 5 , wherein each arm portion extends outward from the central portion to a free end margin and each arm portion includes opposite corner regions at the respective free end margin, at least one of the plurality of suspension lines being connected to each corner region of each of the plurality of arm portions.

7. The delivery system as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the control line and the short line are connected to the control arm portion and the asymmetrical arm portion, respectively, at immediately adjacent corner regions thereof.

8. The delivery system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to selectively control the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be about the same as the length of the short line to cause the delivery system to glide as it descends.

9. The delivery system as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the control system comprises a controller configured to automatically direct the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be about the same as the length of the short line to cause the payload delivery system to glide toward the target location as it descends.

10. The delivery system as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of wind conditions as the delivery system descends from the elevated location and wherein the controller is configured to use the indication of the wind conditions to determine when to automatically direct the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be about the same as the length of the short line.

11. The delivery system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to selectively control the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be different than the length of the short line to cause the delivery system to descend substantially vertically subject to wind.

12. The delivery system as set forth in claim 11 , wherein the control system comprises a controller configured to automatically direct the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be different than the length of the short line to cause the payload delivery system to descend substantially vertically subject to wind onto the target location.

13. The delivery system as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to receive an indication of wind conditions as the delivery system descends from the elevated location and wherein the controller is configured to use the indication of the wind conditions to determine when to automatically direct the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be different than the length of the short line.

14. The delivery system as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the control system is configured to selectively control the actuator to adjust the length of the control line to be greater than the length of the short line to cause the delivery system to rotate about a vertical axis.

15. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to control yaw of the delivery system by adjusting the length of the control line.

16. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises a controller wirelessly connected to the actuator for controlling the actuator from a remote location as the aerial payload delivery descends from the elevated location.

17. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control system comprises a microcontroller and a power supply supported on the base and operatively connected to the actuator.

18. The delivery system as set forth in claim 17 , wherein the microcontroller comprises a programmable microprocessor having at least one data input, the control system further comprising at least one navigation data input device connected to the at least one data input, the at least one navigation data input device being at least one of a GPS receiver, a rate gyroscope, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a barometric pressure transducer.

19. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the base comprises an enclosure that encloses at least a portion of the control system.

20. A method of guiding a payload from an elevated location to a target location below the elevated location, the method comprising:
deploying a cruciform parachute from the elevated location, the payload being connected to the cruciform parachute;
adjusting a length of a control line of the cruciform parachute that connects a canopy of the cruciform parachute to a base to set the cruciform parachute on a glide path toward the target location; and
adjusting the length of the control line to cause the cruciform parachute to rotate about a vertical axis when the cruciform parachute is located generally above the target location such that the cruciform parachute will descend substantially vertically generally onto the target location.

21. The delivery system as set forth in claim 18 , wherein the at least one navigation data input device comprises a rate gyroscope.

22. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the actuator is a single actuator and the control system is configured to guide the aerial payload delivery system using only the single actuator to adjust the cruciform parachute canopy.

23. The delivery system as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the control system is configured to guide the aerial payload delivery system solely by adjusting one corner region of one of the arm portions of the cruciform parachute canopy.

Assignees

• Univ Missouri
• Us Navy
• Us Gov Sec Army
• The United Sates Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Navy

Inventors

• Fields Travis D
• Yakimenko Oleg A
• Benney Richard

Classifications

• B64D17/02 Primary

  Canopy arrangement or construction · CPC title

• B64D17/62

  Deployment · CPC title

• B64D17/34 Primary

  adapted to control direction or rate of descent · CPC title

• B64D17/04

  formed with two or more canopies arranged about a common axis · CPC title