Abstract:
A parachute canopy release mechanism. The canopy release releasably holds a strap holding member. The strap holding member is released by movement of a latch, which in turn is released by an actuating lever which is protected against inadvertent opening by a cover. The cover has a cover lock which further prevents the inadvertent release of the latch. The release mechanism can have a removable triggering unit which is activated when the mechanism is exposed to water.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The field of the invention is canopy release mechanisms and the invention related more particularly to the release of harnesses of the type used by the crew of an aircraft. 
     U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,247 assigned to the assignee of the present application discloses a buckle system having many features of the mechanism of the present invention. This patent is incorporated herein by reference for background purposes. 
     There is a need for canopy release mechanisms which require less strength-to open. The release mechanism shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,857,247 meets this requirement. It is essential, of course, that such easier opening mechanisms remain closed until the wearer actively releases the same. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is a locking bar of a parachute canopy release to keep the cover of the release mechanism closed down over the actuating lever until disconnect is desired. The locking bar prevents the cover of the canopy release from inadvertently opening when subjected to an angular acceleration about the webbing pin. When the canopy release is subjected to an angular acceleration of sufficient magnitude, the cover will begin to rotate outwardly from the actuation lever. The locking bar will rotate in the opposite direction and more fully engage the locking pins, preventing the cover from rising. When the locking bar is manually moved to an open position, the movable cover may be opened, exposing the actuating lever, thereby permitting the release mechanism to release the harness. Knurling is added to the leading edge of the locking bar to assist pilots and crew members to open the release while wearing gloves or while suffering an injury sustained before or during descent on the parachute. Preferably, an automatic release mechanism is included which activates the canopy release when immersed in water. The electronic portion of the water activating system is preferably removably held to the bottom of the frame of the release mechanism. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the parachute canopy release mechanism of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view of the parachute canopy release mechanism of the present invention showing the locking bar in a locked position. 
     FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view thereof showing the locking bar in a release position. 
     FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the cover in an opened position. 
     FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing the activating lever in an opened position. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view showing the latch mechanism in an opened position. 
     FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing the released strap holding member and the cover moved downwardly into contact with the actuating lever. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional side view of the parachute canopy release mechanism of FIG. 1 showing the water activated release mechanism prior to activation. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the mechanism of FIG. 8 showing the water activated release mechanism initiating the opening of the locking bar. 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view analogous to FIG. 8, except showing the locking bar in a fully unlocked position. 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional-view analogous to FIG. 1 showing the initiation of the opening of the cover. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view analogous to FIG.  11  and further showing the activation of an arm to open the actuating lever and to release the latch. 
     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing the final position of the actuating lever opening latch. 
     FIG. 14 is a side view of the water actuated opening mechanism of FIGS. 8-13. 
     FIG. 15 is analogous to FIG. 14 with the triggering lever rotated partially in a counter clockwise direction. 
     FIG. 16 is a side view analogous to FIG. 15 with the triggering lever in a further counter clockwise position. 
     FIG. 17 is a view analogous to FIG. 7 with the triggering lever in a fully counter clockwise position. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The parachute canopy release mechanism of the present invention is shown in exploded perspective view in FIG.  1  and indicated generally by reference character  10 . Mechanism  10  has a frame  11 , one side  38  of which is shown in FIG.  1 . The frame extends under the bottom of the mechanism and has a mirror image part not shown on the other side of the mechanism. The frame permanently supports a harness look securement pin  12 . A parachute strap holder  13  is shown in, for instance, FIG. 2 which is released from mechanism  10  when opened. 
     An actuating lever  14  is held by a pair of hinge pins  15  and  16 , held by frame  11 . Actuating lever  14  has a pair of latch holding ledges, one of which is shown in FIG.  1  and indicated by reference character  17 . Latch holding ledge  17  holds latch  18  in a closed position. The hinge pin for latch  18  is supported by the frame at the location indicated by reference character  18 . Latch  18  has a latch tooth  19  shown in FIG.  2 . Also as shown in FIG. 2, latch tooth  19  holds a tang tooth  20  of tang  21  of parachute strap holder  13 . 
     Actuating lever  14  is protected by an interlocking cover  22 . Interlocking cover  22  has a hinge pin  23  which passes through a pair of openings  24  to pivotally hold interlocking cover  22  in place. Hinge pin  23  is held by a pair of openings  25  in frame  11 . A spring  26  urges the cover in a closed position. A closed position for the actuating lever  14  is counter clockwise as viewed in FIG.  1 . Actuating lever  14  is urged in a closed position by spring  35  which is held at one end by groove  36  in actuating lever  14  and at the other end by retaining clip  37  which is held by latch  18 . 
     A canopy release locking bar  27  is held by a long pin  28 . Long pin  28  is held by a pair of openings  29  in interlocking cover  22 . A spring  30  is located over long pin  28  and urges the canopy release locking bar  27  in a locked position. A locked position is clockwise as viewed in FIG.  1 . 
     Canopy release locking bar has a frame engaging member which is a cam  31 . Cam  31  engages pins  32  held by frame  11 . The locking and unlocking details will be discussed below. Canopy release locking bar  27  preferably has knurling consisting of horizontal grooves  33  and vertical grooves  34 . This knurling  33 ,  34  is positioned on the leading edge of locking bar  27  and assists pilots and crew member to open the release while wearing gloves or suffering an injury sustained before or during descent on the parachute. 
     Frame  11  has a pair of vertical side plates  38  and  39 . Side plate  39  is shown in FIG. 2, as is the floor  40  of frame  11 . Frame  11  has a longitudinal axis  41  and a transverse axis  42 . 
     The operation of the canopy release locking bar  27  is shown by viewing FIGS. 2,  3 ,  4 ,  5 ,  6 , and  7 . In FIG. 2, locking bar  27  pivots about long pin  28  and is in a fully clockwise position. In this position, locking pin  32  holds cam  31  so that the hinged cover  22  cannot be opened. To open cover  22 , locking bar  27  is rotated in a counter clockwise direction shown in FIG.  3 . In this position, the cam  31  no longer contacts pin  32  and hinged cover is allowed to open as shown in FIG.  4 . This exposes actuating lever  14  so that the pilot or crew member can move it in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG.  5 . This releases the hold of ledge  17  on latch  18  and permits latch  18  to move in a counter clockwise direction as shown in FIG.  6 . Latch  18  is biased to move in a counter clockwise direction by actuating lever spring  35  as shown in FIG.  1 . This releases parachute strap holder  13  as shown in FIG.  7 . Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the hinged cover  22 , as well as locking bar  27 , are biased toward a closed position and contact actuating lever  14 . 
     It is useful that this series of opening steps be provided automatically in the event the pilot or crew member is unable to do so after landing in water. Such a mechanism is shown in FIGS. 8,  9 ,  10 ,  11 ,  12 , and  13 . The important feature of this mechanism is that the water activated release triggering mechanism  50  is removably held over a portion of floor  40 . In this way, any improvements in the release triggering units can be simply added by removing the old unit and replacing it with an updated unit. The details of the triggering unit are now shown herein since various mechanisms are known which can cause the movement when immersed in water. The parachute canopy release mechanism  10  has a triggering lever  51  which extends below the bottom of floor  40 . The release triggering unit  50  includes means to move triggering lever  51  forward as shown in FIG.  8 . Triggering lever  57  is linked to a lever cam  52  and a cover cam  53 . The unit is shown in a closed position in FIG.  8 . 
     Once immersed in water, the release triggering unit  50  moves triggering lever  51  forward, which in turn causes cover cam  53  to move in a clockwise direction as shown in FIG. 9. A contact cam  54  is formed on the bottom of canopy release locking bar  27 . In this way, the clockwise movement of cover cam  53  causes the counter clockwise movement of locking bar  27 . 
     As shown in FIG. 10, the locking bar  27  has been moved in a fully counter clockwise position and cover cam  53  continues in a clockwise direction shown in FIG. 11, where it lifts cover  22  sufficiently so that actuating lever  14  can be opened. This is accomplished by the clockwise motion of lever cam  52  as shown by comparing FIGS. 10,  11 , and  12 . When the triggering lever  51  is in its forward most position shown in FIG. 12, the latch tooth  19  has released latch tooth  20  analogous to the position shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings. 
     The mechanism of the driving of the lever cam and the cover cam are shown in FIGS. 14,  15 ,  16 , and  17 . Triggering lever  51  is pivoted about pin  54  and has a driving cam contact surface  55 . Surface  55  is contacted by a driving cam which is part of the removable water actuated release triggering unit. Lever  51  extends below floor  40  of frame  11  as the driving cam contact surface is urged forwardly to move triggering lever in a counter clockwise position shown in FIG.  15 . Triggering lever  51  has a cover cam portion  56  which contacts a cover cam contact surface  57  on lever  58  connected to cover cam  53 . As the triggering lever  51  is further moved counter clockwise to a position shown in FIG. 16, the lever trigger cam  59  contacts the lever cam arm contact surface  60 , moving lever cam  52  in a clockwise direction essentially as shown in FIG. 12 of the drawings. As the triggering lever  51  is moved to its forward most position, the lever cam  52  is permitted to move back to its counter clockwise position as the parachute strap holder has already been released. 
     Thus, it can be seen that the mechanism shown in FIGS. 14,  15 ,  16 , and  17  are actuated no matter how the triggering lever  51  is moved forward. Thus, various mechanisms can be affixed to the bottom of parachute canopy release mechanism  10  and will cause the automatic release of the parachute strap holder. 
     Directional terms such as clockwise or up or down are, of course, used to describe the devices as viewed in the drawings. It is to be understood that the mechanism operates in any orientation and that these terms are used to simplify the descriptions herein. 
     The present embodiments of this invention are thus to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are intended to be embraced therein.