초록 ▼

A protective door assembly is disclosed which will cover missile altitude control system engines during storage and launch while still being easily jettisoned when the ACS engine is fired. The titanium door attaches to the missile skin by a hook on it's lower edge and by a tapered boss which attache

A protective door assembly is disclosed which will cover missile altitude control system engines during storage and launch while still being easily jettisoned when the ACS engine is fired. The titanium door attaches to the missile skin by a hook on it's lower edge and by a tapered boss which attaches to the skin and fits into a tapered hole near the door upper edge. Behind the door, the ACS engine nozzle is surrounded by a seal housing which prevents engine gases from escaping into the body of the missile and causing a pressure buildup when the engine is fired. At pressures between 35 and 60 psi, the door retainer screw fails in tension and the door is blown off.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A protective door assembly for use with a missile which houses an attitude control system engine within its missile skin; said protective door assembly comprising: a frame which is attached to said missile skin; and a means for covering said attitude control system engine during storage and l

1. A protective door assembly for use with a missile which houses an attitude control system engine within its missile skin; said protective door assembly comprising: a frame which is attached to said missile skin; and a means for covering said attitude control system engine during storage and launch operations, said covering means being fixed to said frame and being jettisoned by said attitude control system engine when said attitude control system engine is activated. 2. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 1, wherein said covering means comprises: a door plate which is attached to said frame so that it covers said attitude control system engine; and a means for fixing said door plate to said frame so that said door plate remains in place during the storage and launch of said missile, and which allows said door plate to be jettisoned when said attitude control system engine ignites. 3. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 2, wherein said fixing means comprises: a hook which connects the door plate's bottom half with said frame, said hook comprising a beveled appendage which projects into a notch in said frame so that said door plate's bottom half is fixed adjacent to said missile skin as long as said door plate's top is held in place, said beveled appendage of said hook easily sliding out of said notch of said frame when the top half of said door plate is released from said frame; and a means for attaching the top half of said door plate to said frame, said attaching means having a stress level which causes it to fail when said attitude control system engine ignites so that said door plate is jettisoned from said missile. 4. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 3, wherein said attaching means comprises: a metal screw which has a diameter and a chemical composition which is selected to cause said metal screw to have a failure at a stress level produced on it by exhaust of said attitude control system engine on said door plate, said metal screw being inserted through a first aperture on the top half of said door plate, and through a second aperture in said frame; and a nut which is connected to threads of said metal screw so that the metal screw holds the top half of said door plate to said frame until the metal screw experiences a failure caused by the exhaust of said attitude control system engine on said door plate. 5. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 4, wherein said door plate, said hook and said frame are composed of titanium metal. 6. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 5, wherein said metal screw is composed of a material selected from a group consisting of: Iconel metals, Refractaloy 26, Refractaloy 70, Refractaloy 80, Nimonic 80, Cromadur, Tinidur, and Vanidur. 7. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 6, wherein said attitude control system engine produces a thrust ranging between 35 and 60 psi, and wherein said metal screw is composed of Iconel X and has a diameter of about 0.2 inches. 8. A pressure activated door system which isolates a compartment when its interior has an interior pressure which approximately equates that of an exterior pressure which is outside of the compartment, said pressure activated door system opening when a pressure difference between said interior pressure and said exterior pressure surpasses a pressure threshold, said pressure activated door system comprising: a frame which is attached to said compartment and which circumscribes an opening in said compartment; a door plate which covers said opening when it is attached to said frame; a hook which connects a first side of the door plate with said frame, said hook comprising a beveled appendage which is fixed to said door plate and which projects into a notch in said frame so that the first side of the door plate is fixed adjacent to the compartment as long as the door plate's second side is held in place, said beveled appendage of said hook easily sliding out of said notch in said frame when the second side of the door plate is released from said frame; and a means for holding the second side of said door plate to said frame, said holding means being a mechanical part which has a stress level which causes it to fail when said pressure pressure difference exceeds said pressure threshold, said holding means detaching said second side of said door plate from said frame when the holding means fails. 9. A pressure activated door system, as defined in claim 8, wherein said holding means comprises: a metal screw which has a diameter and a chemical composition which is selected to cause it to fail and break when said pressure difference surpasses said pressure threshold, said metal screw being inserted through a first aperture on said second side of said door plate, and through a second aperture in said frame; and a nut which is connected to threads of said metal screw so that the metal screw holds the second side of said door plate to said frame until the metal screw experiences a failure and breaks. 10. A pressure activated door system, as defined in claim 9, wherein said door plate, said hook and said frame are composed of titanium metal. 11. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 10, wherein said metal screw is composed of a material selected from a group consisting of: Iconel metals, Refractaloy 26, Refractaloy 70, Refractaloy 80, Nimonic 80, Cromadur, Tinidur, and Vanidur. 12. A protective door assembly as defined in claim 11, wherein said metal screw is composed of Iconel X and has a diameter of 0.2 inches. 13. A protective door assembly for use with a missile which houses an attitude control system engine within its missile skin, said protective door assembly comprising: a frame which is fixed to said missile skin and which circumscribes an exhaust aperture through which said attitude control system engine emits its exhaust; a door plate which covers said exhaust aperture when it is attached to said frame said door plate having a beveled appendage on its bottom half which projects into a notch in said frame to hold the door plate in place when its top half is secured to said frame, said beveled appendage easily sliding out of said notch in said frame when said top half of said door plate becomes disengaged from said frame; a door plate boss which attaches the top half of said door plate to said frame, said door plate boss being capable of breaking and allowing said door plate to be jettisoned when said attitude control system engine ignites; and a means for sealing the missile's interior from exhaust from said attitude control system engine when it is operating and said door plate is jettisoned, said sealing means being fixed to said frame and said attitude control system engine within said missile skin. 14. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 13, wherein said door plate boss comprises: a metal screw which has a diameter and a chemical composition which is selected to cause said metal screw to have a failure at a stress level produced on it by exhaust of said attitude control system engine on said door plate, said metal screw being inserted through a first aperture on the top half of said door plate, and through a second aperture in said frame; a nut which is connected to threads of said metal screw so that the metal screw holds the top half of said door plate to said frame until the metal screw experiences a failure caused by the exhaust of said attitude control system engine on said door plate; and a metal cylinder which is loosely placed over said threads of said metal screw to allow it to pull free when it fails. 15. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 14, wherein said door plate, said hook and said frame are composed of titanium metal. 16. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 15, wherein said metal screw is composed of a material selected from a group consisting of: Iconel metals, Refractaloy 26, Refractaloy 70, Refractaloy 80, Nimonic 80, Cromadur, Tinidur, and Vanidur. 17. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 16, wherein said attitude control system engine produces a thrust ranging between 35 and 60 psi, and wherein said metal screw is composed of Iconel X and has a diameter of about 0.2 inches. 18. A protective door assembly, as defined in claim 17, wherein said sealing means comprises a titanium metal skin which is fixed to said frame and to an exhaust nozzle of said attitude control system in a manner that allows it to circumscribe said exhaust aperture and seal the missile's interior from the exhaust of the attitude control system engine when it is operating.