Inflatable kite arrangement and launcher

Details Inflatable kite arrangement and launcher Inflatable kite arrangement and launcher

1996-03-13

1998-10-06

Mojica, Virna Lissi

Aeronautics and astronautics

Kites

244155, 244146, 244901, B64C 3106, A63H 2708, F41J 910

Patent

active

058165371

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to an inflatable kite arrangement and more particularly to a kite for use in an emergency as a location marker. In addition the invention also relates to means for and a method of launching such a kite.
In Australian Patent Application AU-A-29210/84 there is disclosed a location marking arrangement in which a kite is housed in a container with a bottle of compressed gas for inflating the kite. To deploy the kite, it is inflated by manual operation of valve means for releasing the gas in the container. The kite is six-sided with a central rectangular inflated region comprising four spaced and interconnected parallel tubes. Also the longitudinal inflatable tubes of the kite are interconnected at both ends to constitute a substantially symmetrical arrangement. This means that it may be difficult to launch the kite.
The present invention seeks to overcome or reduce this problem.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kite comprising a plurality of longitudinal tubes having front ends and rear ends, a transverse inflatable tube being provided at the rear ends which, when inflated, defines a rear cross-sectional area of the kite, characterised in that the front ends of the longitudinal tubes define a front cross-sectional area of the kite, which, when the kite is deployed, is larger than the rear cross-sectional area.
At least some of the longitudinal tubes are inflatable, but in preferred arrangements there is no transverse inflatable tube at the front end of the kite. Preferably, when the kite is deployed, the rear end is substantially flat and is generally co-planer with the side edges of the kite whereas the front end forms an approximately semi-circular shape in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of the kite. Alternatively both ends of the kite may define such a semi-circular shape, with the front semi-circle being larger than the rear semi-circle.
Moreover, in the above-mentioned prior art arrangement, the degree of inflation is determined by a user, and there is a risk that this will not be effected properly; too low inflation and the kite will not function properly and may not launch at all, too high inflation and the kite may rupture.
The present invention also seeks to overcome this problem.
According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for inflating and releasing an inflatable kite according to the first aspect of the present invention, comprising a container having an inlet and an outlet for inflation gas, a piston member which can slide within the container under the effect of incoming gas, and engagement means on said piston member which is arranged to hold the inflatable member in communication with the outlet, the arrangement being such that the engagement means is disengaged from the inflatable member when the piston member has been caused to slide a predetermined distance within the container.
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
FIG. 1 shows a plan view of a kite in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, before inflation;
FIG. 2 shows a perspective view on a reduced scale of the kite of FIG. 1 when inflated and in flight;
FIG. 3 shows a side view of a container for a location marker arrangement in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a front view of the contents of the container of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective schematic and enlarged view of an inflation and release device for a kite in accordance with the present invention, before release;
FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 5, just after release;
FIG. 7 is a top perspective view of a kite in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention laid flat;
FIG. 8 is a perspective underside view of the kite of FIG. 7 in its deployed and inflated condition;
FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the deployed kite of FIGS. 7 and 8; and
FIG. 10 shows a sealed punch for holding a kite i

REFERENCES:
patent: 3860204 (1975-01-01), Checkley
patent: 4279394 (1981-07-01), Loy
patent: 4533099 (1985-08-01), Stewart
patent: 4768739 (1988-09-01), Schnee
patent: 4919365 (1990-04-01), Mears
patent: 5007367 (1991-04-01), Matteucci et al.

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