This invention relates to apparatus and system for simulating human or object free fall in air such as may be done in skydiving. The new system is a modular container package structure that has a base structure with apparatus to produce a current of air to flow upward through a vertical duct attached to the base structure at a velocity to approximate the terminal velocity of a person or object in free fall through still or ambient air. The field of the invention is also known as vertical wind tunnels.
Horizontal and vertical wind tunnels are known in the art for testing static devices and models as well as for simulating free fall in still or ambient air for purposes of training and entertainment of humans.
The present invention is directed to modular apparatus for simulating free fall in air comprising. A base structure may have a first center container and a second center container each of rectangular form with a general square width and height and an elongated length attached along an elongated side of each. A first side container may be attached to the first center container and a second side container may be attached to the second center container opposed to a center line of the attached elongated sides. A first inlet port of semicircular shape may be formed in a top wall of the first center container and a second inlet port of semicircular shape may be formed in a top wall of the second center container with the first inlet port and the second inlet port positioned to be adjacent along the attached elongated sides. A vertical duct of generally cylindrical form may be attached at an open bottom end over the first inlet port and the second inlet port wherein the vertical duct has a lower portion of generally constant diameter cross-section and an upper portion of a truncated inverted cone shape with an open top end. A fan with a connected power source may be positioned in each end of each of the first center container and the second center container to receive air from each end that is open to cause a current of air to flow toward a center of each of the first center container and the second center container to be channeled upwardly to exit through the first inlet port and the second inlet port for air to flow through the vertical duct to exit the open top end.
A circulating structure may have two pair of vertical containers attached at a lower end to each end of the center containers and a pair of elevated containers positioned and attached between the two pairs of vertical containers at an upper end. Each of the elevated containers may have an opening formed therein for engagement with the open top end of the vertical duct.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description represents the best currently contemplated modes for carrying out the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention.
Referring to
The base structure 14 may use shipping containers 12 that are rectangular metal structures that may be 40 feet long and 8 feet wide by 8 feet tall, and that may have doors 24 at one or both ends 26. The doors 24 may be hinged 30 at the vertical side walls 28 of the containers 12 as is well known in the shipping industry for shipping containers such as those of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The hinges 30 may be formed to allow removal of the doors 24 when they are opened such that one or more of containers 12 become open at each end 26 to form a long rectangular duct. The portion of the hinge 30 remaining attached to the vertical side walls 28 may be structured for use in attachment of one shipping container 12 to a second shipping container 12 depending on each containers 12 position in an assembled transportable system 10. Alternatively, the containers 12 may have flanges, brackets or the like attached at locations on each container 12 for use in assembly of a transportable system 10.
Referring to
The two side containers 50, 52 adjacent each of the center containers 40, 42 may have the power source 54 for operation of the four fans 46. The power source 54 may be electric or diesel motors and may be one or more motors with appropriate connecting power transfer between the power source 54 and the fans 46. Two electric motors with hydraulic power transfer are illustrated in
For an installation of a transportable system 10 the base structure 14 may be assembled or erected on an open field, a concrete pad, a parking lot, a drop zone (military), in an aircraft hangar or large open building, or other generally flat, level space, by arranging the four base containers 40, 42, 50, 52 side by side and attaching them together. The base structure 14 may be attached or anchored to the assembly site for stability. The vertical duct 16 may then be assembled and attached at its open bottom end 60 in an upstanding position on the base structure 14. The inlet port 20 may have a grate 34 positioned to act as a barrier or guard to prevent users or objects from falling into the base air ducts 44.
The vertical duct 16 or flight chamber 16 may have a lower portion 62 that is generally cylindrical with a constant diameter cross-section shape, and an upper portion 64 that is in the form of an inverted, truncated cone to diverge outwardly from approximately 12 feet to 16 feet in an expanding cross-sectional diameter from a bottom end 66 to an open top end 68 to form a divergent diffuser portion of the vertical duct 16. The upper portion 64 wall may curve outwardly as it expands in cross-sectional diameter, see
For ease of transport, assembly and disassembly the vertical duct 16 that may be generally cylindrical shape may be formed of two half cylinder walls 80, 82 or four quarter cylinder walls 84, 86, 88, 90 with flanges 92 or brackets along the elongated edges 94 for use in attaching the elements of the wall 78 together.
To allow recirculation of air flow in a transportable system 10, two vertical containers 100, 102 may be attached at a first end 104 to open ends 26 of the two center containers 40, 42 and two elevated containers 110, 112 may be attached at a second end 106 of the vertical containers 100, 102 to span across the open top end 68 of the vertical duct 16. The vertical containers 100, 102 may have vertical end ducts 108 that connect at a first end 104 to the base air ducts 44 and at a second end 106 to cross-member air ducts 114 in the elevated containers 110, 112. The cross-member air ducts 114 have an opening 116 to receive expelled air from the open top end 68 of the vertical duct 16. Louvers 36 with guide vanes 38 may be positioned at corners or ends of the two vertical containers 100, 102 in the air flow of ducts 108 to control air flow turbulence. There may be downward slanted surfaces 57 on curved ducts 58 centered in the air ducts 114 of the elevated containers 110, 112, as best viewed in
Access devices for users may be attached to the transportable system 10 as for example, a vertical ladder 120 attached on the vertical side wall 28 of a vertical container 100, 102 for access to an upper door 118 with a platform in the vertical side wall 28 of an elevated container 110, 112 for access to the access door 74 in the grate 70 at the top of the vertical duct 16. The ducting and air flow power elements such as fans and motors may be sized to cause vertical duct 16 or flight chamber conditions for air velocity of at least 150 mph up to 220 mph or 3 million cubic feet per minute or greater to simulate high velocity free fall air conditions. A vertical duct 16 diameter of approximately 12 feet in the lower portion 16 can be used to produce such conditions using commercial standard fans and motors.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with respect to the illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
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