Apple Inc.

Kitty Hawk Corporation

One Earth Designs Inc.

Other

Amy Qian

Jeremy C Franklin

Kevin David Gibbs

Damon Vander Lind

John Raff

Craig Western

Peter A Swan

Jiang Ai

Pinida Jan Moolsintong

Santhana Krishnan Balaji

Benjamin M Rappoport

Derek William Wright

Eric Miller

Timothy Mattson

Daniel D Sunshine

Samuel Gilkison Smith

Michael Kane Pilliod

Jared A Sartee

Bartley K Andre

Stephen Robert McClure

Sean S Corbin

Rajeev J Ram

Carl R Peterson

Scot G Frank

Catlin Powers

Orian Z Welling

Brad Simpson

Reja Amatya

Jonathan P Ive

Duncan Robert Kerr

Richard P Howarth

Eugene Antony Whang

Peter N Russell-Clarke

Christopher J Stringer

Martha Evans Hankey

Rico L Zorkendorfer

Daniele De Iuliis

Jody R Akana

Daniel J Coster

Matthew Dean Rohrbach

Jeremy D Bataillou

Julian Hoenig

Mikael M Silvanto

Shin Nishibori

John Patrick Ternus

Hao Zhu

Richard D Kosoglow

Kristina A Babiarz

Bruce E Berg

Jivan Kumar Khosla

Eugene C Cheung

Wai Man Raymund Kwok

Andrea L Blakemore

Joseph F Alverson

Ming Leong

Katie L Sassaman

Eva J Dixon

Ateet Piplani

Samuel T Reineman

In an embodiment, a system to deploy a plurality of parachutes includes a plurality of parachute canopies each packed in a canister, a plurality of rockets adapted to extract an associated canopy from the canister, and a controller. The controller is configured to determine that an aircraft is at least one of: in a hover mode of operation and a forward flight mode of operation. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the hover mode of operation, the controller applies a hover deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy substantially simultaneously. In response to the determination that the aircraft is in the forward mode of operation and above a threshold airspeed, the controller applies a forward deployment sequence including by instructing the plurality of parachutes to deploy in a predefined sequence.

Parachute architecture for low-altitude VTOL aircraft

In an embodiment, a parachute deployment system includes a parachute coupled to a release via a first load path. The first path includes crown lines. The release is adapted to attach the parachute to a rocket via the crown lines, and disengage the parachute from the rocket if a load shifts from the first path to a second path. The system also includes a line constrainer between the release and the parachute. The crown lines pass through the line constrainer, and the line constrainer is adapted to restrict an extent to which the crown lines are able to extend away from a longitudinal axis. An example release includes a back plate configured to couple a tow line to crown lines and a soft pin. The pin is adapted to separate from the back plate in response to tensioning of the release line, causing the parachute to disengage.

Parachute tow and release system with canopy extraction controlled by drag surface

A transparent article, such as a transparent cover, for use as a cover glass for an electronic device, as well as methods for producing transparent articles, are disclosed. The transparent article can form a part of a housing of the portable electronic device and can provide an outer surface for a portion of the housing. The transparent article can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. In one embodiment, the transparent article can be formed with a laminate structure. In another embodiment, the transparent article can be formed with a ribbed structure. In still another embodiment, a sapphire coating can be deposited on the transparent article to improve it strength. Advantageously, the transparent article is able to be not only thin and lightweight but also provide sufficient stiffness for use as a cover glass.

Exposed glass article with enhanced stiffness for portable electronic device housing

A preferred break point is provided in the airframe, where there is a ballistic parachute system which includes a rocket which sits in a rocket canister and a canopy which sits in a canopy canister. The airframe includes a composite material and covers the ballistic parachute system. The preferred break point is located in the airframe over the opening of the rocket canister. A preferred break path is provided in the airframe located at least partially over the opening of the rocket canister and at least partially over the opening of the canopy canister.

Preferred break points and paths in airframes for ballistic parachute systems

A parachute system includes a release that detachably couples a self-propelled projectile and parachute canopy to each other. The release detaches the two from each other in response to a triggering of the release. There is also a first path between the release and a payload where the first path includes the parachute canopy and a suspension line between the parachute canopy and the payload. At least part of the suspension line is bound such that the first path is effectively shorter than a second path. In response to the first path being drawn taut, the suspension line becomes unbound so that the first path becomes effectively longer than the second path. In response to the second path being drawn taut after the suspension line becomes unbound, the release is triggered.

Parachute deployment system using decoupled tow and release lines

An accessory unit includes a front flap and a rear cover. The rear cover includes a recessed portion that defines a chamber and a lip that extends about an opening of the chamber. The chamber is configured to receive a consumer electronic device, and the lip is configured to hold the consumer electronic device therein. The rear cover can include a shell formed from glass fiber reinforced plastics and a lip formed from a thermoplastic. The front flap may include segments formed from panels with folding regions therebetween, which allow the front flap to fold. Further, an end region of the front flap hingedly couples the front flap to the rear cover, such that the front flap may be moved between open and closed configurations. Methods of manufacturing the accessory unit are also disclosed.

Case for an electronic device and manufacturing methods for making a case

An accessory unit for use with an electronic device is described. Accessory unit includes a front flap and a rear cover. The rear cover includes a recessed portion that defines a chamber and a lip portion. The chamber is configured to receive a consumer electronic device, and the lip portion is configured to hold the consumer electronic device therein by an interference fit that exposes substantially all of a display portion of the consumer electronic product. The front flap can include segments formed from panels with folding regions therebetween, which allow the front flap to fold. Further, an end region of the front flap pivotally couples the front flap to the rear cover, such that the front flap may be moved between open and closed configurations. The front may include magnetic elements.

Features and manufacturing methods for a case for a portable electronic device

A parachute system includes a parachute which is coupled to a rocket via a first load path, which includes a tow line, one or more upper parachute lines, and one or more lower parachute lines, and a second load path, which includes a release line. The rocket is configured to tow the parachute via the tow line. There is a lower parachute line restrainer which when released permits the lower parachute lines to extend to full length. There is also a release which is configured to open in the event a load switches from the first load path to the second load path; when the release is open, the parachute and the rocket are permitted to separate.

Transparent articles for use as outer surfaces of electronic devices and methods therefor are disclosed. A transparent cover can be provided over a display of portable electronic device to provide a protective outer cover over the display. The transparent cover can include material to mark, mask or color a portion of the transparent cover, such portion thereupon becoming opaque. The material can be provided in a recessed portion of an inner surface of the transparent cover, such portion being a portion of the transparent cover that is not over a usable portion of the display. The electronic device can, for example, be a portable electronic device.

Exposed glass article with inner recessed area for portable electronic device housing

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Amy Qian