EP0051360A2 - Cerf-volant - Google Patents

Cerf-volant Download PDF

Info

Publication number
EP0051360A2
EP0051360A2 EP81304335A EP81304335A EP0051360A2 EP 0051360 A2 EP0051360 A2 EP 0051360A2 EP 81304335 A EP81304335 A EP 81304335A EP 81304335 A EP81304335 A EP 81304335A EP 0051360 A2 EP0051360 A2 EP 0051360A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
kite
inflatable
tube
inflated
compartments
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP81304335A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0051360A3 (en
Inventor
Keith Stewart
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Individual
Original Assignee
Individual
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Individual filed Critical Individual
Publication of EP0051360A2 publication Critical patent/EP0051360A2/fr
Publication of EP0051360A3 publication Critical patent/EP0051360A3/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
    • A63H—TOYS, e.g. TOPS, DOLLS, HOOPS OR BUILDING BLOCKS
    • A63H27/00—Toy aircraft; Other flying toys
    • A63H27/08—Kites

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a kite.
  • the invention provides a kite having an inflatable body and flaps each of sheet material and each having a trailing edge, an inflatable tube being provided along the trailing edge of each flap.
  • Each tube can be inflatable in several different ways, for example; by a scoop for directing ram air to the tube; by an inlet at a leading edge of the kite leading ram air to ducting connecting with the tube; by differential pressure between an inner and an outer skin of the kite; by a pump operated from the movement of parts of the kite in flight; or by a simple inflation inlet when a predetermined degree of inflation is sufficient.
  • the invention also provides a kite having an inflatable body portion divided internally into two or more compartments which can be inflated individually to desired degrees to vary the aerodynamic shape of the body portion.
  • the two compartments lie one on top of the other.
  • a first of the compartments can be defined entirely by an inner bag of flexible sheet material and a second of the compartments can be defined between an outer skin of the body portion and one face of the inner bag.
  • the inner bag has struts, ribs or the like which constrain its shape when inflated.
  • the inner bag can be divided into two portions front and back.
  • Separate inflation tubes can connect one with each compartment, or can inflate each compartment individually.
  • Each kite of the invention can have a bridle, between itself and the control line, consisting of several individual ligaments each connecting with the body of the kite at a separate connector. This reduces the loading on each connecting point.
  • the bridle can include one or more elastic ligaments to absorb shock loads and tlallow the kite body to change attitude when wind speed changes.
  • a preferred kite of the invention is made, as described in my aforesaid earlier application by disposing two or more layers of weldable, flexible, gas-impermeable plastics material in face to face relationship and welding or otherwise connecting them together in an air-tight manner along lines a - b, a - d, b - fn, d - e - m. and m - c and n - c.
  • These two layers form upper and lower outer skins of the inflatable body portion and an inner bag is sandwiched therebetween, and attached thereto at the aforesaid weld lines, as will be later described.
  • a bridle arrangement consisting of a front ligament r (attached at g), a pair of rear ligaments rl and r2 (attached at h and i) which join and connect to a rear common ligament r3 which connects with r at its junction with the line proper, r3 includes an elastic ligament r4, in parallel with a limiting in elastic ligament r5, for absorbing shock loads and allowing the kite body to change attitude when the wind speed changes.
  • Each attachment point g, h, i can be a piece of sheet material welded to the outer layer and individual smaller bridles can be provided, as best seen in Figs.5 and 6 to spread the load.
  • each flap p, q is provided with an inflatable tube (t, s) which can be inflated by inflation tubes I, II.
  • the tubes can be inflatable selectively by remote control, such as by a separate line or lines, by radio control, or by signals passing along a conductive line. In these cases inflation of the tubes (t,s) would best be achieved by a valved ram-air inlet at the tube or at a leading edge of the kite. As a further possibility differential pressure between varied skins of the inflatable body portion could be used to inflate the tubes.
  • a further possibility is the provision of a pump operated by movement of the various parts of the kite in flight.
  • a still further possibility is the provision of an electrically driven pump.
  • the pump can direct air from tube-to- tube or inflate the tubes.
  • Power can be supplied by a battery carried by the kite with control being exercised via a conductive line, or power can also be supplied via a conductive line.
  • the maximum layflat diameter of this tube must not be more than 17cms otherwise the kite will yaw in the opposite direction in an uncontrollable manner, and if both tubes are inflated instead of giving the kite a higher L/D ratio with stability the kite will have a lower L/D and be uncontrolled in movement.
  • the whole , system of yaw can either be operated by remotely controlled valves which are actuated to-release or increase pressure, and in certain circumstances can if required be operated by a second or possibly two extra lines to the operator.
  • the remote control can be by . means of a radio transmitter and receiver or by direct wire transmission from base.
  • the kite of the invention has its inflatable body portion divided into three compartments (w, o, z) by two inner layers or skins.
  • the two inner layers form a separate inflatable bag whose shape in controlled, by structures such as ribs or struts x, y, to that shown in Fig. 5.
  • the bag is separately inflatable by a tube (v) (Fig. 9).
  • a tube v
  • FIG. 9 On various different shapes of a kite and particularly on larger kites more than two ribs could be used.
  • Space w between the bag and the upper outer layer is inflatable by a tube (u).
  • Space z is normally uninflated, but could be via a separate tube (not shown) if desired.
  • the aerodynamic shape of the kite By varying the degree of inflation of compartment o and w it is possible to vary the aerodynamic shape of the kite to give an optimum L/D ratio for a given wind speed.
  • the ribs x, y prevent the inner bag taking up a shape too close to spherical, so giving the kite a flatter, more airfoil-shaped configuration.
  • kitse of the present invention can be incorporated in the kite of the present invention.
  • a selected one or selected ones of the compartments and/or the flap edge tubes can be inflated with a gas different from air, in particular helium, to vary the characteristics of the kite. It is particularly beneficial to fill the the inner bag with helium and the outer upper compartment with air.
  • the two or four layers of the kite need not be square, but can be of diamond shape, or any other convenient shape symmetrical about a centre line.
  • the kite can, in plan have a transversely extending section shaped like a conventional wing and a forwardly projecting generally triangular-shaped nose section, giving the kite an overall shape midway between a delta-wing shape and a conventional wing shape.
  • the conventional wing section can have reinforcing ribs which extend transversely of the kite to give great strength and rigidity. However, such ribs would give great wind resistance and they are thus covered by a second skin forming an inflatable compartment above the wing.
  • the lower face of the wing can be covered by an outer lower skin which remains uninflated.
  • the nose section can itself have one or more separately inflatable compartments. In particular the nose section can have an upper and a lower compartment each separately inflatable.
  • the kite 20 of Fig. 11 is similar in general form to those described above but has the leading edges 21 of its main body 22 outwardly deflected at 23 to form small wings 24.
  • Inflated tubes 25 extend rearwardly and inwardly along the trailing edges 26 of flaps 27 and are inflated simultaneously with body 22 by means of inflation tube 28.
  • This kite 20 has an adjusting yoke 29 comprising inextensible front cords 30, 31 and 32, inextensible rear cords 33 and 34 and an extensible rear ligament 35 which normally functions when the kite is flying. Only when very high winds occur does the ligament 35 stretch to its maximum (the illustrated condition) where its stretch is limited by inextensible cord 36. The kite is able thus to adjust its attitude relative to winds of a range of strengths.
  • Figs. 13 to 16 show the way in which the kite automatically inflates from a gas cylinder 54 on being activated from a switch 56.
  • This switch 56 can be remotely controlled or time controlled.
  • the actual opening of the valve on the gas cylinder 54 can be by solenoid or pyrotechnics.
  • Fig. 15 is shown the non return valve 55 in its open position with the gas entering the kite and in Fig. 11 in the closed position.
  • the kite is held to the container by a line 45 which is shorter than line 46 which in turn is shorter than inflation tube 53.
  • Line 45 has an 0 ring at the aft end connected to a pin in a release mechanism 46 so that when the kite is fully inflated the pin can be withdrawn, again by means of a solenoid or pyrotechnics, either by remote control or by a timed mechanism to release the kite.
  • Fig. 14 is shown the kite fully inflated with line 45 attached to the rear bridle and release mechanism 46 just before release, and in Figs. 11 & 111 the detached .line 45 is shown after release from the container.
  • the line 47 is attached to the container at 48 and has a pin 49 inserted into a split circlip 50, and as the kite starts to deploy it puts pressure onto that line, 47, thereby withdrawing the pin from the circlip ' which then opens.
  • the pressure of the deploying kite transfers to the inflation tube 53 which is a loose fit (without the circlip 50) on valve 41. This immediately releases the inflation tube 53 from the valve 4l and the kite starts to deploy on the tethering line 51, which is affixed to the container at 58 (Fig. 13).
  • the tethering line 51 runs through a roller system 52, so that a small amount of resistance is always felt at the kite. This allows the kite to deploy in very light winds, but stops the line 51 which is flaked in the container, from having no resistance, which could force the kite to be swept along the surface of the sea (or land) by high winds. In other words the resistance is not enough to stop the kite from deploying in very light winds, but enable it to obtain aerodynamic lift in high winds.
  • a pressure release valve 57 can be utilised should the volume of gas in the cylinder 54 be considerably more than the required volume of gas in the kite. It is mainly a safety factor to ensure that the kite is not over-inflated, although for sea rescue purposes the cylinder 54 will contain the correct amount of gas for a particular kite.
  • Fig. 16 shows the non-return valve 55 in its closed position after inflation.
  • Fig. 17 shows a kite 50 having tapered trailing edge tubes 51, three inflation points 32, one for the body 53 and one for each tube 51, a bridle 54 as previously described and internal panels 55 attached to the upper and lower surfaces of the body 53 which limit the degree of inflation of the body 53 and improve its aerodynamic shape.
  • Fig. 18 shows the kite of Fig. 17 inflated.
  • Fig. 19 shows a kite 56 having a variation in a bridle 57 which has two portions 57a, 57b enabling two lines to be attached for flight control.
  • Fig. 20 shows a further variation in the shape of the trailing edge tubes 58 of a kite 59.
  • Each one of the kites shown can have three or more skins dividing its body into two or more separately- inflatable or non-inflatable compartments.
  • Each kite can be inflated with a light gas such as helium or hydrogen.
  • the kite of Fig. 20 is particularly useful when very large structures are contemplated, for example for towing a sea-going vessel.
  • Outwardly of tubes 58 can be provided one or more further tubes 60, 61, pairs of which can be optionally inflatable to enable the size of the kite 58 to be varied whilst it is flying.
  • the tubes 60, 6l have been shown to be individually inflatable by means of valves 63, in practice a remote-controlled arrangement will be adopted which can be actuated from the lower end of the line whilst the kite is aloft.
  • the number of pairs of tubes 60, 61 can be increased, but as their number does increase some stability at right ahgles to the length of these tubes will normally have to be provided.

Landscapes

  • Toys (AREA)
EP81304335A 1980-10-02 1981-09-22 Kite Withdrawn EP0051360A3 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB8031834 1980-10-02
GB8031834 1980-10-02

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0051360A2 true EP0051360A2 (fr) 1982-05-12
EP0051360A3 EP0051360A3 (en) 1982-07-14

Family

ID=10516443

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP81304335A Withdrawn EP0051360A3 (en) 1980-10-02 1981-09-22 Kite

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0051360A3 (fr)
CA (1) CA1170638A (fr)
ZA (1) ZA816713B (fr)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0222263A1 (fr) * 1985-10-29 1987-05-20 Robert W. Cameron Profil aérodynamique gonflable
GB2216431A (en) * 1988-03-04 1989-10-11 Michael Stanley Ringham Kites

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
CA2862489A1 (fr) * 2012-03-27 2013-10-03 Ocean Rodeo Sports Inc. Degonflage de cerf-volant en vol et systemes de commande
WO2017042685A1 (fr) * 2016-06-24 2017-03-16 Universidad Tecnológica De Panamá Projecteur d'ombre flottant

Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2451571A (en) * 1947-06-09 1948-10-19 Marshall Alfred Dive stabilizer for kites
FR1085385A (fr) * 1953-04-03 1955-02-02 Cerf-volant et planeur
US3093354A (en) * 1961-10-10 1963-06-11 Gen Mills Inc Inflatable kite
GB1211347A (en) * 1967-01-23 1970-11-04 Walter Young Improvements in or relating to kites
FR2075579A5 (fr) * 1971-01-13 1971-10-08 Zuber Francois
FR2159734A5 (fr) * 1971-11-10 1973-06-22 Alpina
US3791611A (en) * 1972-09-11 1974-02-12 L Babbidge Captive inflated lighter-than-air structures
US3941079A (en) * 1974-11-18 1976-03-02 Mcneill John Emergency locating device
US3980260A (en) * 1973-04-04 1976-09-14 Vonco Products, Inc. Inflatable kite
GB1492496A (en) * 1975-07-16 1977-11-23 Powell Kites Ltd P Kites
DE2920538A1 (de) * 1978-05-23 1979-11-29 Lynn Mitchell Davis Steuerbarer flugdrachen und insbesondere dafuer vorgesehene steuervorrichtung

Patent Citations (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2451571A (en) * 1947-06-09 1948-10-19 Marshall Alfred Dive stabilizer for kites
FR1085385A (fr) * 1953-04-03 1955-02-02 Cerf-volant et planeur
US3093354A (en) * 1961-10-10 1963-06-11 Gen Mills Inc Inflatable kite
GB1211347A (en) * 1967-01-23 1970-11-04 Walter Young Improvements in or relating to kites
FR2075579A5 (fr) * 1971-01-13 1971-10-08 Zuber Francois
FR2159734A5 (fr) * 1971-11-10 1973-06-22 Alpina
US3791611A (en) * 1972-09-11 1974-02-12 L Babbidge Captive inflated lighter-than-air structures
US3980260A (en) * 1973-04-04 1976-09-14 Vonco Products, Inc. Inflatable kite
US3941079A (en) * 1974-11-18 1976-03-02 Mcneill John Emergency locating device
GB1492496A (en) * 1975-07-16 1977-11-23 Powell Kites Ltd P Kites
DE2920538A1 (de) * 1978-05-23 1979-11-29 Lynn Mitchell Davis Steuerbarer flugdrachen und insbesondere dafuer vorgesehene steuervorrichtung

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0222263A1 (fr) * 1985-10-29 1987-05-20 Robert W. Cameron Profil aérodynamique gonflable
GB2216431A (en) * 1988-03-04 1989-10-11 Michael Stanley Ringham Kites

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0051360A3 (en) 1982-07-14
CA1170638A (fr) 1984-07-10
ZA816713B (en) 1982-09-29

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US4533099A (en) Kite
US20060006281A1 (en) Unmanned air vehicles and method of landing same
US5244169A (en) Inflatable structure paraglider
US6315242B1 (en) Propulsion system for a semi-buoyant vehicle with an aerodynamic
US4722498A (en) Inflatable air foil
US3796398A (en) In-flight aircraft recovery system
US6082667A (en) Inflated wing
AU720283B2 (en) An improved method and apparatus for deploying a wing
US5878979A (en) Method and apparatus for landing a wing
US3987984A (en) Semi-rigid aircraft wing
US6565041B1 (en) Parachute assembly for a miniature aircraft
EP0303491A3 (fr) Dispositif de localisation de secours
US5120006A (en) Kite-like flying device with independent wing surface control
WO1989007072A1 (fr) Cerf-volant a plan de sustentation controlable
US4026504A (en) Maneuverable, inflatable kite
US4365772A (en) Aircraft having buoyant gas balloon
CA1052357A (fr) Dirigeables amphibies
EP0051360A2 (fr) Cerf-volant
US5303883A (en) Gliding decelerator including an assembly for improving the lift to drag ratio associated therewith
US4919365A (en) Airfoil
US2398744A (en) Kite balloon
US3232001A (en) Jet propelled model vehicle
US3116037A (en) Balloon body structure for towed balloon
US3664613A (en) Inflatable kite with releasable accessory
CA1154003A (fr) Aerostat

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
PUAI Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009012

PUAL Search report despatched

Free format text: ORIGINAL CODE: 0009013

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LU NL SE

AK Designated contracting states

Designated state(s): AT BE CH DE FR GB IT LU NL SE

17P Request for examination filed

Effective date: 19830113

STAA Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent

Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN

18D Application deemed to be withdrawn

Effective date: 19860402