This parachute comprising a canopy having a leading edge and a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, suspension lines each having a first end attached to the leading edge and a second end that is designed to bear a load, and a slider having through-elements for the suspension lines to pass through, said elements being connected to one another by attachment means, each of said through-elements being passed through by one of the suspension lines and being free to move in translation relative thereto, the slider being designed to slide along the suspension lines that pass through the through-elements in the direction from the first ends of said suspension lines towards their second ends under the effect of gravity and the force generated by the suspension lines spreading apart when the parachute starts a descent, tightening and spreading apart the suspension lines as the canopy inflates.

An improved slider for use with a parachute, particularly a ram-air type parachute, is provided. The slider includes a generally rectangular piece of material having grommets in the corners through which the suspension lines of the parachute run. At least one retaining structure is attached to or made in the slider material for securing one or more stiffening elements. The stiffening elements are flexible enough to allow for the packing of the parachute, but stiff enough to keep the material of the slider spread open in the fore/aft direction across the short axis of the slider and thereby prevent the slider from folding and flapping once the canopy has opened.

Disclosed herein are parachute canopies and sliders for use with parachutes. The parachute canopies can include one or more deformable vent panels that can be used to control an inflation rate of the canopies based on an internal pressure within the canopies. The sliders can include strips that form through holes that have a width that distributes a radial load on suspension lines and allow for the use of lower weight, high modulus suspension lines.

A parachute assembly may comprise a canopy and one or more reefing lines. The one or more reefing lines may limit inflation of the canopy to attenuate impulse load or otherwise mitigate forces exerted by the parachute assembly on cargo or an occupant during deployment of the canopy. The one or more reefing lines may be broken in stages to selectively limit inflation of the canopy followed by selectively permitting inflation of the canopy in stages.

A device for delaying the opening of a parachute of a person jumping exiting an aircraft or of a cargo dropped from an aircraft, characterized by a delaying means designed to provide a connection between a drogue parachute connectable with a detachable connection to the aircraft and a parachute bridal line, said delaying means being movable from a delaying position in which no deployment of the parachute takes place, to a deployment position in which the parachute is deployed. A delay of the opening of the parachute, defined as the time required for the movement from the delaying position to the deployment position, can be between 0.5 seconds and 2 seconds by suitable design of the delaying means. Advantageously, the deployment of the parachute is delayed and occurs outside a wake turbulence of the aircraft.

This parachute comprising a canopy having a leading edge and a trailing edge opposite the leading edge, suspension lines each having a first end attached to the leading edge and a second end that is designed to bear a load, and a slider having through-elements for the suspension lines to pass through, said elements being connected to one another by attachment means, each of said through-elements being passed through by one of the suspension lines and being free to move in translation relative thereto, the slider being designed to slide along the suspension lines that pass through the through-elements in the direction from the first ends of said suspension lines towards their second ends under the effect of gravity and the force generated by the suspension lines spreading apart when the parachute starts a descent, tightening and spreading apart the suspension lines as the canopy inflates.

An electronic drogue reefing release system includes a drogue parachute having a canopy, one or more reefing lines coupled to the canopy, one or more reefing line cutters coupled to the canopy, and one or more signal lines configured to deliver an electrical signal. The reefing lines are configured to restrict expansion of the canopy while in a first reefing state. The reefing line cutters are configured to place the at least one reefing line into a second reefing state in response to receiving the electrical signal so as to expand the canopy.