WO2009116714A1

WO2009116714A1 - Paraglider

Info

Publication number: WO2009116714A1
Application number: PCT/KR2008/006039
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gin Seok Song
Original assignee: Gin Gliders Inc.
Priority date: 2008-03-20
Filing date: 2008-10-14
Publication date: 2009-09-24
Also published as: KR100982577B1; KR20090100627A; EP2265496A1

Abstract

The present invention provides a paraglider that reduces the air resistance without increasing the number of division plates, thereby having the same advantages as a conventional paraglider in which the number of division plates is increased, and that can be manufactured with reduced fabrication costs. According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paraglider including: an upper wing; a lower wing; a plurality of division plates disposed between the upper wing and the lower wing to support the upper wing and the lower wing; and connection units connecting end portions of the upper wing and the lower wing to each other so as to divide air inlets that are connected to air rooms, each of which is defined by two adjacent division plates, the upper wing, and the lower wing, and so as to maintain shapes of the upper wing and lower wing.

Description

{PARAGLIDER}

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a paraglider, and more particularly, a paraglider having an enhanced structure that improves a gliding property by increasing resistance with respect to a pressure of the air induced between an upper wing and a lower wing and that can be manufactured with reduced fabrication costs. Background Art

[2]

[3] As well known in the art, paragliders are gliding units that fly in the air by generating a lifting force using wind, and are mainly used as leisure and sports facilities for people living in complex modern society. Paragliders have both of a gliding property of hang- gliders and a dropping property of parachutes, and thus, are widely used owing to their high gliding property and safety.

[4] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional paraglider 1, FIG. 2 is an expanded view showing part A of FIG. 1.

[5] Referring to FIG. 1, the paraglider 1 includes a canopy 40 that expands by inflow of air to generate a lifting force and make the paraglider 1 glide, and a plurality of suspension lines 10. First end portions of the suspension lines are connected to a lower portion of the canopy 40 at regular intervals and second end portions of the suspension lines 10 are classified into two bunches that are connected to a harness 30 used as a pilot seat.

[6] The canopy 40 comprises an upper wing 41, a lower wing 42, and division plates 43 disposed between the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42. Upper portions of the division plates 43 and the upper wing 41 are sewed to each other, and lower portions of the division plates 43 and the lower wing 42 are sewed to each other. Then, the upper wing 41, the lower wing 42, and the division plates 43 are coupled to each other. The plurality of division plates 43 are disposed between the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42 with regular intervals to support the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42. A plurality of air rooms 44 are defined by the upper wing 41, the lower wing 42, and the plurality of division plates 43 in the canopy 40, and air inlets 45 in the form of square openings are formed in front edge portions of the air rooms 44. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[7] The conventional paraglider having the above structure has the following disadvantages. [8] The division plates 43 support the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42, and at the same time, restrain a cross-sectional area of each of air rooms 44 from increasing more than a predetermined level when the air rooms 44 bulge due to the air induced into the air rooms 44. Therefore, when the plurality of air rooms 44 are defined by the division plates 43, the bulging amount of the air room caused by the air induced between the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42 can be reduced, and accordingly, the air resistance is also reduced.

[9] Therefore, as many as possible division plates 43 should be arranged at dense intervals therebetween. However, since it takes a long time to couple the division plates 43 to the upper wing 41 and the lower wing 42, the manufacturing yield is reduced. In addition, when the number of division plates 43 is high, the fabrication costs increase. Technical Solution

[10] The present invention provides a paraglider that reduces the air resistance without increasing the number of division plates, thereby having the same advantages as a conventional paraglider in which the number of division plates is increased, and that can be manufactured with reduced fabrication costs.

[11] According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paraglider including: an upper wing; a lower wing; a plurality of division plates disposed between the upper wing and the lower wing to support the upper wing and the lower wing; and connection units connecting end portions of the upper wing and the lower wing to each other so as to divide air inlets that are connected to air rooms, each of which is defined by two adjacent division plates, the upper wing, and the lower wing, and so as to maintain shapes of the upper wing and lower wing.

[12] The connection unit may include a connection portion that integrally extends from the lower wing and is coupled to the end portion of the upper wing on a side of the air room.

[13] The paraglider may further include: a compression member disposed along a center line that extends toward the upper wing and the lower wing from the connection unit, and elastically compresses the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit so as to prevent the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit from deforlming due to air resistance; and a coupling unit coupling the compression member to the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit.

[14] The reinforcing film may be formed of Mylar fabric.

[15] The paraglider may further include: reinforcing plates, formed of a material having a strength higher than that of the upper wing, and coupled to the lower surface of the upper wing so that an end portion of the compression member can be disposed between the reinforcing plates and the lower surface of the upper wing. Advantageous Effects

[16] Since the paraglider having the above structure according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the connection unit, there is no need to increase the number of division plates, and thus, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved. In addition, the fabrication process of the paraglider can be improved and the fabrication costs of the paraglider can be reduced. Description of Drawings

[17] The above and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[18] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a conventional paraglider;

[19] FIG. 2 is an expanded view expanding a part of a paraglider according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[20] FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of the paraglider of FIG. 2;

[21] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the paraglider taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3; and

[22] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a paraglider according to another embodiment of the present invention. Best Mode

[23] Hereinafter, a paraglider according to embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to accompanying drawings.

[24] FIG. 2 is an expanded view expanding a part of a paraglider according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a partially cross-sectional view of the paraglider of FIG. 2, andFIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the paraglider taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3.

[25] As shown in the drawings, a paraglider according to the present embodiment includes an upper wing 100, a lower wing 200, division plates 300, and a connection unit 400.

[26] A plurality of air rooms 101 are defined by the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and a plurality of division plates 300. Air inlets 102 are formed in front edge portions of the air rooms 101.

[27] The division plates 300 are disposed between the upper wing 100 and the lower wing

200 like in a conventional paraglider, in order to support the upper and lower wings 100 and 200. In addition, although it is not shown in the drawings, the division plates 300 include air through holes which make the air flow between the neighboring air rooms 101. As described above, since the air flows through the air rooms 101, all of the air rooms 101 are expanded evenly, and a lifting force can be generated evenly throughout the upper and lower wings 100 and 200.

[28] The connection unit connects an end portion of the lower wing 200 on the air inlet

102 side and an end portion of the upper wing 100 on the air inlet 102 side to each other so as to divide the air inlet 102 of each of the air rooms 101 into two parts.

[29] In the present embodiment, the connection unit is a connection portion 400, and the connection portion 400 integrally extends from the lower wing 200 to be coupled to the end portion of the upper wing 200. The connection unit 400 and the upper wing 100 are coupled to each other by sewing.

[30] The paraglider of the present embodiment may include a compression member 500 and a coupling unit. The compression member 500 is formed as an elongate bar, and is disposed along a center line C that extends toward the upper wing 100 and the lower wing 200 based on the connection unit 400. The compression member 500 is formed of a synthetic resin, for example, plastic, and thus, is elastic when it is bent along the center line C.

[31] The compression member 500 elastically compresses the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 so as to prevent the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 from being deformed due to the air resistance.

[32] Meanwhile, in order to couple the compression member 500 to the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400, the coupling unit of the present embodiment includes a sewing pocket 600 and a reinforcing film 700 as shown in FIG. 6.

[33] The sewing pocket 600 is coupled to a lower surface of the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 (hereinafter, referred to as lower surface of coupling portion) by sewing it along the center line C after wrapping it along the compression member 500. That is, the sewing pocket 600 includes an insertion hole for receiving the compression member 500. When the compression member 500 is inserted into the insertion hole, the sewing pocket 600 is coupled to the lower surface of the coupling portion by sewing, and thus, the compression member 500 can be fixed in the sewing pocket 600. The sewing pocket 600 is formed of the same material as the upper wing 100 and the lower wing 200.

[34] The reinforcing film 700 is disposed between the lower surface of the coupling portion and the sewing pocket 600, and is coupled to the lower surface of the coupling portion with the sewing pocket 600. The reinforcing film 700 is formed of a material having a higher strength than the materials of the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 so as to reinforce the strength of the paraglider. In the present embodiment, the reinforcing film 700 is formed of Mylar fabric. Mylar fabric is a specialized and reinforced fabric that is used in leisure facilities for safety reasons.

[35] The reinforcing film 700 distributes the air resistance applied to the compression member 500 evenly onto a surface of the reinforcing film 700 so that the air resistance does not concentrate onto the compression member 500 during gliding. Even when the air resistance is applied to the upper wing 100, the original shape of the upper wing 100 can be maintained by the reinforcing film 700, and thus, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved.

[36] In addition, the paraglider of the present embodiment further includes a reinforcing plate 800 that is coupled to the lower surface of the upper wing 100 on a position corresponding to an end portion of the compression member 500, and a reinforcing plate 800 that is coupled to the lower surface of the lower wing 200 on a position corresponding to the other end portion of the compression member 500. The reinforcing plates 800 is formed of Mylar fabric or a material having higher strength than that of the upper wing 100, for example, scrim fabric that is mainly used for yachts sails.

[37] The reinforcing plates 800 prevent the air resistance from concentrating on the end portion and the other end portion of the compression member 500 so as to improve the gliding property of the paraglider.

[38] Hereinafter, operations of the paraglider according to the present embodiment will be described in detail.

[39] When the paraglider glides, air is induced into the plurality of air rooms 101 that are defined by two adjacent division plates 300, the upper wing 100, and the lower wing 200, through the air inlets 102 formed on the front edge portions of the upper wing 100 and the lower wing 200. However, the air that cannot be induced into the air rooms 101 crashes into front surfaces of the upper wing 100 and the lower wing 200, and applies pressure onto the upper and lower wings 100 and 200.

[40] According to the present embodiment, since the air inlet 102 is divided into two parts by the connection unit to resist the air pressure applied onto the upper wing 100 and the lower wing 200 and disperse the pressure, the distortion of front portions of the air rooms 101 caused by the external air pressure can be prevented. Then, the resistance of the air rooms 101 against the external air increases, and accordingly, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved.

[41] In particular, the connection portion 400 of the present embodiment extends integrally from the lower wing 200 and is coupled to the end portion of the upper wing 200 on the air room 102 side so that an additional division plate 300 is not required, and thus, the efficiency of the fabrication process of the paraglider can be improved and the fabrication costs can be reduced.

[42] On the other hand, the compression member 500 is disposed on the lower surfaces of the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400. The compression member 500 applies an elastic force to the lower surfaces of the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 toward the upper portion so as to prevent the upper wing 100, the lower wing 200, and the connection unit 400 from deforming due to the air resistance.

[43] Here, the compression member 500 is formed as an elongated bar, and thus, the air resistance may be concentrated onto the compression member 500. However, in the present embodiment, the reinforcing film 700 formed of Mylar fabric that can disperse the air resistance applied to the compression member 500 is disposed. Therefore, according to the paraglider of the present embodiment, the concentration of air resistance onto the compression member 500 during gliding of the paraglider can be prevented, and thus, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved.

[44] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a paraglider, which corresponds to the cross- section of FIG. 3, according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[45] The paraglider according to the present embodiment further include an auxiliary compression member 501' and a filling member 502'. The auxiliary compression member 501' have both end portions that are coupled to portions adjacent to both end portions of a compression member 500', and remaining portion of the auxiliary compression member 501' except for the end portions are bent as an arc to be separated from the compression member 500'.

[46] The filling member 502' is coupled to the compression member 500' and the auxiliary compression member 501' so as to fill the distance between the compression member 500' and the auxiliary compression member 501'.

[47] According to the above structure, the resistance against to the air pressure applied to front portions of an upper wing 100' and a lower wing 200' can be maximized. In addition, the bulging of the air rooms can be restrained without increasing the number of division plates. Therefore, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved.

[48] Since the paraglider having the above structure according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the connection unit, there is no need to increase the number of division plates, and thus, the gliding property of the paraglider can be improved. In addition, the fabrication process of the paraglider can be improved and the fabrication costs of the paraglider can be reduced.

[49] While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

[ 1 ] A paraglider comprising: an upper wing; a lower wing; a plurality of division plates disposed between the upper wing and the lower wing to support the upper wing and the lower wing; and connection units connecting end portions of the upper wing and the lower wing to each other so as to divide air inlets that are connected to air rooms, each of which is defined by two adjacent division plates, the upper wing, and the lower wing, and maintain shapes of the upper wing and the lower wing.

[2] he paraglider of claim 1, wherein the connection unit comprises a connection portion that integrally extends from the lower wing and is coupled to the end portion of the upper wing on a side of the air room.

[3] The paraglider of claim 2, further comprising: a compression member disposed along a center line that extends toward the upper wing and the lower wing from the connection unit, and elastically compresses the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit so as to prevent the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit from deforlming due to air resistance; and a coupling unit coupling the compression member to the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit.

[4] The paraglider of claim 3, wherein the compression member is formed of a plastic material in a bar shape with a circular cross section.

[5] The paraglider of claim 3, wherein the coupling unit comprises: a sewing pocket coupled to lower surfaces of the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit along with the center line after wrapping the compression member; and a reinforcing film disposed between the lower surfaces of the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit and the sewing pocket, coupled to the lower surfaces of the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit with the sewing pocket when the sewing pocket is coupled to the lower surfaces of the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit, and formed of a material having a strength higher than materials of the upper wing, the lower wing, and the connection unit so as to disperse the air resistance applied to the compression member.

[6] The paraglider of claim 3, wherein the reinforcing film is formed of Mylar fabric.

[7] The paraglider of claim 3, further comprising: reinforcing plates, formed of a material having a strength higher than that of the upper wing, and coupled to the lower surface of the upper wing so that an end portion of the compression member can be disposed between the reinforcing plates and the lower surface of the upper wing.

[8] The paraglider of claim 4, further comprising: an auxiliary compression member having both end portions that are coupled to portions adjacent to both ends of the bar type compression member, and a remaining portion except for the end portions, which bends in an arc shape so as to be separated from the compression member; and a filling member coupled to the compression member and the auxiliary compression member so as to be filled in a distance between the compression member and the auxiliary compression member.