초록 ▼

A system and method for resisting an uncontrolled descent or uncontrolled flight condition of an aerial vehicle, the system including a parachute having shroud lines attached to a canopy, a housing to store the parachute, an inflatable tube that attaches to and is stored in the housing, the tube hav

A system and method for resisting an uncontrolled descent or uncontrolled flight condition of an aerial vehicle, the system including a parachute having shroud lines attached to a canopy, a housing to store the parachute, an inflatable tube that attaches to and is stored in the housing, the tube having a distal end with a connector that connects to the shroud lines, and a source of fluid that couples to the tube and selectively introduces fluid into the enclosed interior of the inflatable tube to inflate the tube and force the distal end of the tube and the attached parachute out of the housing and away from the aerial vehicle, wherein the tube tethers the parachute to the aerial vehicle.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A system to reduce a velocity of an aerial vehicle, comprising: an aerodynamic decelerator that creates drag when in a deployed state to reduce the velocity of the aerial vehicle;a housing that attaches to the aerial vehicle and stores the aerodynamic decelerator in a stored state prior to deploy

1. A system to reduce a velocity of an aerial vehicle, comprising: an aerodynamic decelerator that creates drag when in a deployed state to reduce the velocity of the aerial vehicle;a housing that attaches to the aerial vehicle and stores the aerodynamic decelerator in a stored state prior to deployment, the housing including a hatch that opens in response to initiation of aerodynamic decelerator deployment;an inflatable tube that is stored in the housing and configured to extend from the housing and deploy the aerodynamic decelerator away from the aerial vehicle in response to inflation of the inflatable tube, the inflatable tube having a side wall, a first end having a fluid port, and a closed second end that cooperate to define an enclosed interior of the inflatable tube, the first end connects to the housing and the second end having an exterior and a connector on the exterior that connects via a lead line to the aerodynamic decelerator; anda source of fluid coupled to the fluid port to selectively introduce fluid into the enclosed interior of the inflatable tube and inflate the inflatable tube to force the second end of the inflatable tube and the aerodynamic decelerator out of the housing and away from the aerial vehicle, wherein the inflatable tube and the lead line tethers the aerodynamic decelerator to the aerial vehicle. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes a base that is structured to removably mount the housing to the aerial vehicle. 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing is rigidly connected to the aerial vehicle and the first end of the inflatable tube is rigidly connected to the housing. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a first base component and a second base component, the first base component is sized and shaped to fit inside the second base component and to provide a friction fit with the first end of the inflatable tube between the first and second base components. 5. The system of claim 4, wherein the first base component includes an aperture sized and shaped to provide fluid communication between the source of fluid and the inflatable tube. 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the inflatable tube is structured to maintain pressurization after the inflatable tube is fully inflated to become a rigid member. 7. The system of claim 1, wherein the aerodynamic decelerator is a parachute. 8. An aerial vehicle, comprising: a body with at least one motor providing power to at least one rotor;a descent detection system that is operable to detect an uncontrolled descent of the aerial vehicle and to output a detection signal indicating the uncontrolled descent; anda descent restraint system, including: a parachute having shroud lines that upon deployment and opening creates drag to reduce a velocity of the aerial vehicle;a housing that attaches to the aerial vehicle and stores the parachute in a stored state prior to parachute deployment, the housing including a hatch that opens in response to initiation of parachute deployment;an inflatable tube that is stored in the housing and configured to extend therefrom to deploy the parachute away from the aerial vehicle, the inflatable tube having a side wall, a first end, and a second end that form an enclosed interior of the inflatable tube, the first end connects to the housing, and the second end having an exterior with a connector on the exterior that connects to the shroud lines of the parachute; anda source of fluid that is electrically coupled to the descent detection system to receive the detection signal from the descent detection system, the source of fluid is further fluidly coupled to the first end of the inflatable tube to introduce fluid into the enclosed interior of the inflatable tube in response to receipt of the detection signal from the descent detection system to thereby inflate the inflatable tube and force the second end of the inflatable tube and the parachute out of the housing and away from the aerial vehicle to enable the parachute to open without entangling the shroud lines in the aerial vehicle, whereby the inflatable tube tethers the parachute to the aerial vehicle. 9. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing further includes a base that is structured to removably mount the housing to the aerial vehicle. 10. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing is rigidly connected to the aerial vehicle and the first end of the inflatable tube is rigidly connected to the housing. 11. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the housing includes a first base component and a second base component, the first base component is sized and shaped to fit inside the second base component and provide a friction fit with the first end of the inflatable tube between the first and second base components. 12. The aerial vehicle of claim 8, wherein the inflatable tube is structured to maintain pressurization after the inflatable tube is fully inflated to become a rigid member. 13. A system to reduce a velocity of an aerial vehicle, comprising: a parachute having shroud lines attached to a canopy;a housing that attaches to the aerial vehicle and is sized and shaped to store the parachute;an inflatable tube having a body with at least one sidewall, a proximal end that attaches to the housing, and a distal end that extends out of the housing and away from the aerial vehicle in response to inflation of the inflatable tube, the inflatable tube is sized and shaped to store inside the housing in response to deflation of the inflatable tube, and the body, the proximal end, and the distal end of the inflatable tube forming an enclosed interior of the inflatable tube, the distal end having an exterior surface and a connector on the exterior surface that connects to the shroud lines of the parachute; anda source of fluid that couples to the inflatable tube and selectively introduces fluid into the enclosed interior of the inflatable tube to inflate the inflatable tube and force the distal end of the inflatable tube and the attached parachute out of the housing and away from the aerial vehicle, wherein the inflatable tube tethers the parachute to the aerial vehicle. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the inflatable tube remains inflated to hold the parachute canopy and the shroud lines away from the aerial vehicle after the distal end of the inflatable tube and the parachute are forced out of the housing and the parachute canopy deploys. 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the proximal end of the inflatable tube has a fluid port that forms a fluid connection point for the source of fluid. 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the housing includes a first base component and a second base component, the first base component is sized and shaped to fit inside the second base component to provide a friction fit with the proximal end of the inflatable tube between the first and second base components. 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the proximal end of the inflatable tube has a fluid port and the first base component includes an aperture sized and shaped to connect with the fluid port and provide fluid communication with the source of fluid. 18. The system of claim 13 wherein the housing further includes a base that removably mounts the housing to the aerial vehicle.