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A hang glider in the form of an aerial wing of airfoil shape is disclosed. The wing is defined by an outer envelope of flexible material inflatable to the airfoil shape and having a plurality of chambers therein each receiving an inflatable bladder. Air inlet openings are provided in the bottom portion of the envelope adjacent the leading edge of the wing. Either the bladders or the chambers are inflated with a gas lighter than air and, during flight, air enters the openings and fills the available space in the others of the bladders or chambers to provide a complete smooth airfoil shape for the wing. Shroud lines are employed to suspend a person beneath the wing during flight.

InventorJames R. Bede
Original AssigneeJames R. Bede
Primary Examiner: Barry L. Kelmachter
Current U.S. Classification244/16; 244/138.00R; 244/142; D12/322
International Classification: B64C 3102

View patent at USPTO
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Citations

Cited PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US1376121Oct 4, 1919Apr 26, 1921A COBPOBATION OE
US2451815Jul 16, 1941Oct 19, 1948AIRSHIP
US3412963May 24, 1965Nov 26, 1968METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SUPPORTING AN OBJECT
US3521836Sep 24, 1965Jul 28, 1970INFLATED BUOYANT WING
US3524613Apr 8, 1968Aug 18, 1970FLEXIBLE GLIDING WING
US3558087Feb 27, 19671971CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION
US3749337May 27, 1970Jul 31, 1973AERIAL SLED

Referenced by

Citing PatentFiling dateIssue dateOriginal AssigneeTitle
US4116406Jun 17, 1977Sep 26, 1978Hang glider having inflatable airfoil
US4261534Oct 13, 1978Apr 14, 1981Inflated wing aircraft
US4403755Feb 14, 1980Sep 13, 1983Method and apparatus for use in harnessing solar energy to provide initial acceleration and propulsion of devices
US4730796Jan 20, 1987Mar 15, 1988Para-Flite, Inc.Canopy loading system for ram air parachutes
US4811920Feb 1, 1988Mar 14, 1989GQ Defence Equipment LimitedAerial device
US4928909Jun 18, 1987May 29, 1990Elliptical ram air pressurized airfoil parachute
US5012993Apr 10, 1989May 7, 1991Gliding parachute
US5069404Oct 2, 1989Dec 3, 1991Elliptical ram air pressurized airfoil parachute
US5172874Jul 9, 1991Dec 22, 1992Device for supplying air to a double surface-aerodynamic-profile
US5303883Jul 16, 1993Apr 19, 1994The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyGliding decelerator including an assembly for improving the lift to drag ratio associated therewith
US5474257Nov 23, 1993Dec 12, 1995USBI Co.Deployable wing
US5620153Mar 20, 1995Apr 15, 1997Light aircraft with inflatable parachute wing propelled by a ducted propeller
US5878979Nov 2, 1995Mar 9, 1999USBIMethod and apparatus for landing a wing
US5884863Oct 26, 1995Mar 23, 1999United Technologies CorporationMethod and apparatus for deploying a wing
US6019317Jun 1, 1998Feb 1, 2000Lockheed Martin CorporationAir-dropped, precision-guided, payload delivery system
US7097134Mar 22, 2004Aug 29, 2006Wing device for sporting activities

Claims

1. An aerial wing for soaring having opposite ends and a generally uniform airfoil shape between said ends comprising, an envelope of flexible sheet material inflatable to said airfoil shape and having leading and trailing edges, the interior of said envelope defining chamber means, inflatable bladder means within said chamber means and including wall means separate from said envelope and providing an airfoil shape for said bladder means generally corresponding in contour to said airfoil shape of said envelope, said bladder means being expandable and contractible within and relative to said chamber means and being sealed against fluid flow communication therewith, one of said chamber means and bladder means being adapted to receive and hold a quantity of gas, means defining air passageway means opening into the other of said chamber means and bladder means and having entrance means through said envelope adjacent said leading edge, and means to suspend a load beneath said wing.

2. The aerial wing according to claim 1, wherein said envelope has a bottom portion between said leading and trailing edges, said entrance means being through said bottom portion.

3. The aerial wing according to claim 1, wherein said envelope has a bottom portion between said leading and trailing edges, and said means to suspend a load includes means on said bottom portion for attaching shroud lines to said wing.

4. The aerial wing according to claim 1, and elevator means along said trailing edge and pivotal relative to said envelope.

5. The aerial wing according to claim 1, wherein said bladder means is said one of said chamber means and bladder means.

6. The aerial wing according to claim 1, wherein said chamber means is said one of said chamber means and bladder means.

7. The aerial wing according to claim 1, wherein said chamber means includes a plurality of chambers disposed side-by-side in said envelope, said chambers including sidewall means extending in the direction between said leading and trailing edges, and said bladder means includes an inflatable bladder in each chamber.

8. The aerial wing according to claim 7, wherein said sidewall means seal adjacent ones of said chambers against fluid flow communication therebetween and said bladder means is said other of said chamber means and bladder means, each said inflatable bladder having an opening thereinto, said envelope having a bottom portion between said leading and trailing edges, said entrance means through said envelope including openings through said bottom portion each communicating with a corresponding bladder opening.

9. The aerial wing according to claim 7, wherein said envelope includes a bottom portion between said leading and trailing edges and said chamber means is said other of said chamber means and bladder means, said entrance means through said envelope including an opening through said bottom portion into each of said chambers.

10. An aerial wing for soaring having opposite ends and a generally uniform airfoil shape between said ends comprising, an envelope of flexible sheet material, said envelope having end walls and top and bottom portions meeting to define generally parallel leading and trailing edges of said wing, a plurality of partitions of flexible sheet material in said envelope and attached thereto, said end walls and partitions having said airfoil shape and extending generally perpendicular to said top and bottom portions and to said leading and trailing edges, said end walls and partitions dividing the interior of said envelope into a plurality of chambers, an inflatable bladder in each chamber, each bladder including wall means separate from said envelope and providing said bladders with a contour generally corresponding to the contour of the corresponding chamber, each bladder being expandable and contractible within and relative to the corresponding chamber, each chamber and corresponding bladder being sealed against fluid flow communication therebetween, one of said chamber and corresponding bladder being adapted to receive and hold a quantity of gas, means defining an air passageway opening into the other of said chamber and corresponding bladder and having an entrance through said bottom portion of said envelope adjacent said leading edge, and means for attaching load supporting shroud lines to said bottom portion of said envelope.

11. The aerial wing according to claim 10, wherein said air passageway opens into said chamber and said entrance is defined by an opening through said bottom portion facing in the direction of said leading edge and extending generally parallel thereto.

12. The aerial wing according to claim 11, further including elevator means extending along said trailing edge and pivotal relative to said envelope, and means for attaching control line means to said elevator means.

13. The aerial wing according to claim 11, and air outlet means for said chamber, said outlet means opening through said envelope adjacent said trailing edge.

14. The aerial wing according to claim 11, wherein said means for attaching shroud lines includes a plurality of rows of individual webs of flexible sheet material attached to said bottom portion, said rows extending between said leading and trailing edges, and the webs in each row being generally coplanar.

15. The aerial wing according to claim 14, wherein said rows each underlie one of said end walls and partitions.

16. The aerial wing according to claim 10, wherein said air passageway opens into said bladder and said entrance is defined by an opening through said bottom portion facing in the direction of said leading edge and extending generally parallel thereto, said means defining said air passageway including an opening in said bladder and means connecting said bladder and bottom portion of said envelope for said openings to be in flow communication.

17. The aerial wing according to claim 16, and elevator means extending along said trailing edge and pivotal relative to said envelope, and means for attaching control line means to said elevator means.

18. The aerial wing according to claim 16, wherein said means for attaching shroud lines includes a plurality of rows of individual webs of flexible sheet material attached to said bottom portion, said rows extending between said leading and trailing edges, and the webs in each row being generally coplanar.

19. The aerial wing according to claim 16, wherein said rows each underlie one of said end walls and partitions.