CANOPY, IN PARTICULAR FOR A PARAGLIDER, PARACHUTE, FLEXKITE, OR SURFKITE CANOPY

Abstract

The invention relates to a canopy, in particular for a paraglider, parachute, flexkite, or surfkite, comprising an upper sail and a lower sail as well as profile-forming ribs, characterized in that at least two different zones are formed in the canopy that have different opening and emptying times.

Claims

1. A canopy (10), in particular for a paraglider, parachute, flexkite, or surfkite, comprising an upper sail (12) and a lower sail (14), and ribs (16) forming a profile, wherein at least two separate pressure zones (30, 32) are formed in the canopy (10) that have different opening and emptying times.

2. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure zones are formed by cells.

3. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 2, wherein the cells are formed by transverse ribs (22) that enable an air exchange between the pressure zones.

4. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 3, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones takes place through openings in the transverse ribs (22).

5. A canopy (10) accordance with claim 3, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones takes place through valves in the transverse ribs (22).

6. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones is adjustable by the dimensioning of the openings and/or valves such that different opening and emptying times result in the cells.

7. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 2, wherein at least two separate pressure zones/cells are closed in an airtight manner with respect to one another and the at least two pressure zones are ventilated and/or vented through separate openings and/or valves, with the separate openings and/or valves being dimensioned such that different opening and emptying times result in the pressure zones/cells.

8. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 6, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

9. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 1, wherein the cells disposed at the rear in the direction of inflow are emptied more slowly than the front cells on the emptying.

10. A paraglider, parachute, flexkite, or surfkite having a canopy in accordance with claim 1.

11. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 5, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones is adjustable by the dimensioning of the openings and/or valves such that different opening and emptying times result in the cells.

12. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 4, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones is adjustable by the dimensioning of the openings and/or valves such that different opening and emptying times result in the cells.

13. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 3, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones is adjustable by the dimensioning of the openings and/or valves such that different opening and emptying times result in the cells.

14. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 2, wherein the air exchange between the pressure zones is adjustable by the dimensioning of the openings and/or valves such that different opening and emptying times result in the cells.

15. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 14, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

16. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 13, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

17. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 12, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

18. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 11, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

19. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 7, wherein the cells disposed at the front in the direction of inflow are filled faster than the rear cells on the filling.

20. A canopy (10) in accordance with claim 19, wherein the cells disposed at the rear in the direction of inflow are emptied more slowly than the front cells on the emptying.

Description

[0019] Further features, details and advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to an embodiment shown in the drawing.

[0020] There are shown:

[0021] FIG. 1: a schematic cross-section through a canopy in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention in the filling phase;

[0022] FIG. 2: a representation of the canopy of FIG. 1 in normal flight;

[0023] FIG. 3: a canopy of FIGS. 1 and 2 with a disturbance in flight;

[0024] FIG. 4: a plan view of a conventional paraglider during the flight phase and with a deformed surface;

[0025] FIG. 5: the representation of FIG. 4, but here with a canopy in accordance with the invention;

[0026] FIG. 6: the pressure development of the inner pressure in the excess pressure range of a canopy in accordance with the invention and of a canopy in accordance with the prior art in comparison;

[0027] FIG. 7: a plan view and two partly sectioned views through a canopy in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention; and

[0028] FIG. 8: eight different embodiments of canopies in accordance with the present invention.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross-section through a canopy 10 in its filling phase. The canopy 10 has an upper sail 12 and a lower sail 14. Not shown in section here are the ribs 16 forming the profile. They can, however, be recognized in the representations in accordance with FIG. 5 or 7. Two separate pressure zones 30 and 32 are formed by the provision of the transverse rib 22. The pressure zones 30 and 32 have different opening and emptying times. They are controlled both in the longitudinal direction and in the transverse direction by corresponding openings or valves not shown in any more detail in the representation. The inlet opening into the front pressure zone 30 is shown by 28. The air flows in here.

[0030] A canopy 10 is now shown during the start process in the filling phase in FIG. 1. It becomes particularly clear here that the different pressure zones 30 and 32 have different opening and closing times. The pressure zone 30 is already filled by the ram pressure that was built up via the inlet opening 28. The second pressure zone 32, in contrast, is not yet completely filled. A shaping of the canopy cross-section is hereby produced that is in particular advantageous for the start phase of a paraglider. No leveraging or overshooting takes place here and only a small effort is required for the pilot on the raising.

[0031] The cross-section of the canopy 10 in normal flight is shown in FIG. 2. The pressure zones 30 and 32 are filled here. The same pressure is present in both pressure zones. There is no difference from the customary systems in this situation.

[0032] FIG. 3 now shows the cross-section of the canopy 10 on a disturbance in the flight, for example on the occurrence of turbulence. It can be seen here that the first pressure zone 30 has already emptied while the second pressure zone 32 only empties with a delay and still has a sufficiently high stability at the point in time shown here so that the canopy 10 of a paraglider, for example, still has a sufficiently large bearing lift that results in a higher buckling stiffness of the canopy 10 and makes a rotation after collapse more difficult or largely prevents it. The reopening of the canopy can also be accelerated and the pilot loses less height when dropping during the disturbance.

[0033] The corresponding buckling behavior of a canopy is shown in a conventional embodiment in FIG. 4. The collapse line and the deformed surface with conventional paragliders 10 are shown here.

[0034] In comparison with this, the collapse line and the deformed surface in the system in accordance with the invention are shown in FIG. 5.

[0035] A higher buckling stability is here achieved by the two pressure zones and by the cells hereby formed that results in more stable flight characteristics on this disturbance.

[0036] The inner pressure progression of a conventional canopy 10 of a traditional paraglider over time (bottom curve) is compared with the inner pressure progression of a canopy 10 in accordance with the invention in FIG. 6. Whereas the same pressure conditions apply in normal flight, a higher inner pressure is shown in the reopening phase for the canopy 10 in accordance with the present invention on the disturbance, which produces a faster filling and thus a faster stability of the canopy.

[0037] It can initially be recognized in the plan view in FIG. 7 that different cells are formed here. These cells 34, 36, and 38 here form the different pressure zones that are separated from one another via transverse ribs 22 and by the ribs 16 forming the profile. Openings/valves for the air exchange can be seen in the region of the connection point of the transverse ribs 22 to the upper and lower sails 12, 14. The ribs 16 are, however, closed or only have small openings or valves between the ribs within a chamber 34, 36, or 38. The respective openings and valves are selected here such that different opening and closing times result in the different pressure zones, i.e. zones 34, 36, and 38.

[0038] Different arrangements for the separate pressure zones 34, 36, 38, and 39 are now shown in FIG. 8 that are here naturally also shown only by way of example. The flight characteristics of the canopy 10 can be optimized as desired by these different pressure zones or regions 34, 36, 38, and 39.

[0039] Alternatively to the embodiment shown, the individual pressure zones 30, 32 could also be closed in an airtight manner with respect to one another, i.e. the transverse ribs 22 and/or the ribs do not provide any openings/valves for the air exchange. A separate inlet opening would have to be provided for ventilation/venting the pressure zone 32 in this case, said inlet opening being introduced, for example, just behind the transverse rib 22 at the lower sail 14 in the direction of inflow. The previously mentioned flight characteristics are achieved by suitable dimensioning of the two inlet openings.