| 摘要 |
A parachute having radial reefing means for use in packing and opening the parachute canopy in a controlled manner. The parachute includes a circular canopy having a peripheral skirt and a plurality of evenly spaced radials. Suspension lines are attached at one end to the skirt at each radial and are bound together at the opposite end in a bundle. Identical sets of at least three reefing rings are attached to each of selected, non-adjacent radials, i.e., reefing radials, which are evenly spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to 25% to 40% of the length of a radial. The outermost reefing ring of each set is attached to its respective reefing radial at the skirt, and the remaining reefing rings of each set are evenly spaced apart by not more than about 2 feet over about 25% to 40% of the length of the reefing radial. A reefing line is attached to each reefing radial at the skirt, is threaded through its respective set of reefing rings, and is bound to the other reefing lines in a bundle which is suspended over the bundle of suspension lines. To reef the parachute canopy, the bundle of reefing lines is pulled downwardly and tied together with the bundle of suspension lines. During the initial stages of deployment, the canopy remains reefed, causing small air pockets to form in the lower part of the canopy. Later, at an appropriate time, a cutter disreefs the canopy, allowing the upper part of the canopy to be inflated.
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