Patent · US Expired

Refurbishable aerial cargo delivery system and solid state circuit therefor

US4227663A · kind A · utility

9Cited by
2References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 6, 1978
Grant dateOct 14, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 6, 1998

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB64D17/56
  • WIPO fieldTransport
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

There is disclosed an electronic barometric staging unit or aerial cargo delivery actuator for use with cargo carrying or recovery parachutes having an electronic pressure sensing assembly for initiating actuating of a deployment or staging line cutter such that parachute canopy directing and deployment occurs as a programmed function of a barometrically corrected altitude. The invention features a two-part housing assembly carrying the relatively expensive portion of the assembly that is reusable and an expendible or discardable portion of the assembly so that by recovering or retrieving the electronic module, it may be mated up with a new portion so as to substantially reduce the cost of subsequent usages of the apparatus. Since the barometric transducer per se is solid state and of extremely light weight, deceleration moments due to impacting the ground do not in any way impair its operation so that it may be recovered for re-use. The battery pack and the pyrotechnically activated cutter itself are the basic components which are not re-used.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.