Parachute device, flight device, and flying body ejection mechanism

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772803-B2
Application number	US-202017596603-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2020
Priority date	Jul 24, 2019
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A device is provided for preventing a parachute from being damaged. A parachute device ( 4 ) includes a flying body ( 43 ) including a parachute ( 400 ), a parachute accommodation section ( 40 ) configured to accommodate the parachute, at least one flying body ( 43 ) connected to the parachute, an ejection section ( 41 ) having a tube shape and configured to hold the flying body and to eject the held flying body, a gas generating device ( 60 ) configured to generate gas, and an extrusion member ( 42 ) capable of being at least partially inserted into the ejection section, the extrusion member being configured to extrude the flying body from the ejection section due to receiving pressure of the gas generated from the gas generating device.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A parachute device comprising:
a parachute;
a parachute accommodation section configured to accommodate the parachute;
a passive flying body connected to the parachute;
an ejection section having a tube shape and configured to hold the flying body and to eject the flying body held therein;
a gas generating device configured to generate gas to produce a thrust force;
an extrusion member capable of being at least partially inserted into the ejection section, the extrusion member being configured to extrude the flying body from the ejection section due to receiving the thrust force produced by pressure of the gas generated from the gas generating; and
a movement limiting section configured to limit a range of movement of the extrusion member, wherein
the parachute accommodation section includes:
a side wall portion being continuous in a circumferential direction and having a tube shape which defines an entirety of one end of the parachute accommodation section, and
a bottom portion formed to block an opening at the one end of the side wall portion,
the parachute is disposed in an accommodation space defined by the side wall portion and the bottom portion, and
the ejection section is disposed at an outer circumferential surface of the side wall portion.

2. The parachute device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas introduction path configured to introduce the gas generated from the gas generating device to the ejection section, wherein
the gas generating device includes:
a gas generating agent configured to generate the gas, and
a housing configured to house the gas generating agent and including a gas discharge chamber configured to discharge the gas generated from the gas generating agent,
the ejection section defining one end and an opposite other end, the ejection section is configured to hold the flying body at the one end and communicates with the gas discharge chamber through the gas introduction path at the other end,
the extrusion member is accommodated at least partially within the ejection section, and
the movement limiting section limits the range of the movement of the extrusion member within the ejection section.

3. The parachute device according to claim 2 , wherein
the ejection section includes:
a first tube-shaped member,
a second tube-shaped member disposed so as to be coaxial with the first tube-shaped member, and
a partition section provided between the first tube-shaped member and the second tube-shaped member, the partition section covering respective end portions of the first tube-shaped member and the second tube-shaped member facing each other, the partition section serving as the movement limiting section,
the flying body is provided at the first tube-shaped member,
the extrusion member includes a bar-shaped portion and a pressure receiving section comprising a cylindrical body, the pressure receiving section being fixed to one end of the bar-shaped portion and configured to receive thrust force produced by the pressure of the gas, and
the partition section is formed with a through hole whereby the bar-shaped portion can pass freely through the through hole, but the pressure receiving section cannot pass through the through hole.

4. The parachute device according to claim 1 , wherein
the gas generating device includes:
a gas generating agent configured to generate the gas, and
a housing configured to house the gas generating agent and including a gas discharge chamber configured to discharge the gas generated from the gas generating agent,
the extrusion member extends between the gas discharge chamber and the ejection section, and
the extrusion member includes:
a bar-shaped portion extending between one end and an opposite other end, the bar-shaped portion capable of being inserted into the ejection section at the one end, and
a pressure receiving section comprising a cylindrical body fixed to the other end of the bar-shaped portion and disposed in the gas discharge chamber, the pressure receiving section being configured to receive the thrust force produced by the pressure of the gas, and
a bottom portion of the housing defines the movement limiting section whereby the pressure receiving section cannot pass to limit the range of the movement of the extrusion member in the gas discharge chamber.

5. The parachute device according to claim 4 , wherein
the housing includes a tube-shaped portion defining the gas discharge chamber and configured to house the pressure receiving section movably therein, and
the tube-shaped portion is formed with a through hole whereby the bar-shaped portion can pass freely through the through hole but the pressure receiving section cannot pass through the through hole.

6. A flight device comprising:
an aircraft body unit;
a flight thrust force generation section connected to the aircraft body unit and configured to generate a flight thrust force;
a flight control section configured to control the flight thrust force generation section;
an abnormality detection section configured to detect an abnormality during flying;
the parachute device according to claim 1 ; and
a fall control section configured to cause the flying body to be ejected from the ejection section in response to detection of the abnormality by the abnormality detection section.

7. A parachute device comprising:
a parachute;
a parachute accommodation section configured to accommodate the parachute;
a plurality of passive flying bodies connected to the parachute;
a plurality of ejection sections, one ejection section provided for each of the flying bodies, each ejection section being configured to hold the corresponding flying body and to eject the flying body held therein;
one gas generating device configured to generate gas to produce a thrust force;
an extrusion member provided for each of the ejection sections, the extrusion member being capable of being at least partially inserted into the corresponding ejection section, the extrusion member being configured to extrude the flying body from the ejection section due to receiving pressure of the gas generated from the gas generating device; and
a movement limiting section provided for each of the extrusion members and configured to limit a range of movement of the corresponding extrusion member, wherein
the parachute accommodation section includes:
a side wall portion being continuous in a circumferential direction and which defines an entirety of one end of the parachute accommodation section, and
a bottom portion formed to block an opening at the one end of the side wall portion, and
the parachute is disposed in an accommodation space defined by the side wall portion and the bottom portion.

8. The parachute device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a gas introduction path configured to introduce the gas generated from the gas generating device to each of the ejection sections, wherein
the gas generating device includes:
a gas generating agent configured to generate the gas, and
a housing configured to house the gas generating agent and including a gas discharge chamber configured to discharge the gas generated from the gas generating agent, wherein
each of the ejection sections defining one end and an opposite other end, each ejection section is configured to hold the corresponding flying body at the one end and communicates with the gas discharge chamber through the gas introduction path at the other end, and
each of the extrusion members is accommodated in the corresponding ejection section, and
the movement limiting section limits a range of movement of the corresponding extrusion member within the ejection section.

9. The parachut

Assignees

• Minebea Mitsumi Inc

Inventors

• Sakamoto Yuzuru
• Shimohisa Shoji
• Mochida Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B64D17/72 Primary

  by explosive or inflatable means · CPC title

• B64D17/80

  in association with aircraft, e.g. for braking thereof · CPC title

• B64U70/83

  using parachutes, balloons or the like · CPC title

• B64D17/54 Primary

  automatic · CPC title