Reduction of asymmetrical loading in parachute inflation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12492004-B2
Application number	US-202318393321-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2023
Priority date	Jan 18, 2023
Publication date	Dec 9, 2025
Grant date	Dec 9, 2025

Abstract

Systems and methods for a parachute or parachute system are described. The parachute or parachute system includes two or more panels and includes at least one band which may be in a lateral direction relative to the two or more panels. The at least one band may be secured at different points which are lateral mid-points in individual contiguous ones of the two or more panels. Further, a first distance between an individual set of points of the different points may be shorter than twice a second distance. The second distance is a lateral distance from at least one point of the individual set of points to a seam of one panel of the two or more panels having the at least one point.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A parachute system, comprising:
at least one parachute comprising two or more panels and comprising at least one band which is in a lateral direction relative to the two or more panels and is disposed entirely above a skirt band of the at least one parachute wherein the at least one band is secured at different points which are lateral mid-points in individual contiguous ones of the two or more panels, and wherein a first distance between an individual set of points of the different points is shorter than twice a second distance which is a lateral distance from at least one point of the individual set of points to a seam of one panel of the two or more panels having the at least one point.

2 . The parachute system of claim 1 , further comprising:
two or more parachutes of the at least one parachute, the two or more parachutes being part of a cluster to inflate at different rates and to generate different loadings.

3 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one band comprises different sub-bands, wherein an individual sub-band of the different sub-bands is secured at a first lateral mid-point of a first one of the two or more panels, and wherein the individual sub-band of the different sub-bands is secured at a second lateral mid-point of a second one of the two or more panels which is contiguous to the first one of the two or more panels.

4 . The parachute system of claim 3 , wherein a further individual sub-band of the different sub-bands is secured at a third lateral mid-point of a third one of the two or more panels which is contiguous to the first one of the two or more panels and which is on an opposite side relative to the second one of the two or more panels, and wherein the further individual sub-band of the different sub-bands is secured at the first lateral mid-point of the first one of the two or more panels.

5 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein the different points are independent of reinforcement stitches or reinforcement points of one or more parachutes.

6 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one band enables reefed inflation stages for the at least one parachute.

7 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein an inflated version of the at least one parachute is unaffected by distortion based at least in part on a relief action by the at least one band on at least one of the two or more panels.

8 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one band is secured at the different points which are outside or inside of individual panels of the two or more panels.

9 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one band passes over or under any reinforcement stitches or reinforcement points of the two or more panels.

10 . The parachute system of claim 1 , wherein two bands of the at least one band is provided, wherein at least a first of the two bands is located at a first distance which is at a first threshold relative to an apex or vent band of the at least one parachute, wherein at least a second of the two bands is located at a second distance which is at a second threshold relative to the apex or the vent band of the at least one parachute, wherein the first threshold is different than the second threshold.

11 . A parachute, comprising:
at least one band which is in a lateral direction relative to a two or more panels of the parachute and is disposed entirely above a skirt band of the parachute wherein the at least one band is secured at different points which are lateral mid-points in individual contiguous ones of the two or more panels.

12 . The parachute of claim 11 , wherein a first distance between individual set of points of the different points is shorter than twice a second distance which is a lateral distance from at least one point of the individual set of points to a seam of a panel of the two or more panels having the at least one point.

13 . The parachute of claim 11 , wherein the different points are independent of reinforcement stitches or reinforcement point of the parachute.

14 . The parachute of claim 11 , wherein the at least one band is secured at the different points which are outside or inside of the two or more panels, and wherein the at least one band passes over or under any reinforcement stitches or reinforcement points of the two or more panels.

Assignees

• Blue Origin Mfg Llc

Inventors

• Sinclair Robert James

Classifications

• B64G1/623

  Retarding devices, e.g. retrorockets · CPC title

• B64D17/62 Primary

  Deployment · CPC title

• B64D17/22 Primary

  Load suspension · CPC title