대표
청구항
▼
What is claimed is: 1. Winged body, comprising: a body structure having a front end, a back end, a length, and a circumference; a wing structure coupled to the body structure, wherein the wing structure is comprised of at least two wings, each wing having a respective wing tip, wherein the wings have a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically deformable to the stowed configuration from the deployed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically releasable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configu...
What is claimed is: 1. Winged body, comprising: a body structure having a front end, a back end, a length, and a circumference; a wing structure coupled to the body structure, wherein the wing structure is comprised of at least two wings, each wing having a respective wing tip, wherein the wings have a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically deformable to the stowed configuration from the deployed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically releasable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein the wings in the deployed configuration have respective shapes selected to provide a lift upon the body structure when pulled though water, and wherein the wings in the stowed configuration have respective shapes selected to wrap generally around at least a portion of the circumference of the body structure; a first communication cable coupled to the front end of the body structure, wherein the winged body is configured to be launched from a submarine, wherein the two wings are configured to automatically change from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration upon launch to generate the lift, and wherein the lift of the winged body has a lift magnitude sufficient to pull the first communication cable upward; and a second communication cable in communication with the first communication cable and coupled to the back end of the body structure. 2. The winged body of claim 1, wherein the winged body is adapted to fit into a tube having an inner dimension, and wherein the wings are held in the stowed configuration within the inner dimension of the tube. 3. The winged body of claim 1, wherein the winged body is adapted to fit into a tube having an inner dimension, and wherein the wings are held in the stowed configuration by the inner dimension of the tube. 4. The winged body of claim 1, wherein the winged body further comprises a retention mechanism configured to hold the wings in the stowed configuration, wherein the retention mechanism is configured to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 5. The winged body of claim 4, wherein each one of the wings comprises a feature, and wherein the retention mechanism comprises a lace configured to hold the feature of each one of the wings at a predetermined relative separation, resulting in the wings being retained in the stowed configuration. 6. The winged body of claim 5, wherein the winged body is adapted to fit into a tube having an inner dimension, and wherein the lace is adapted to hold the wings in the stowed configuration when the winged body is within the tube, and wherein the lace is adapted to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the winged body is removed from the tube. 7. The winged body of claim 5, wherein the retention mechanism comprises a pyrotechnic mechanism coupled to the lace, wherein the pyrotechnic mechanism is configured to break the lace to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the winged body is removed from the tube. 8. The winged body of claim 4, further comprising a band structure adapted to fit around the wing structure to hold the wings in the stowed configuration when the winged body is within the tube, and wherein the band structure is adapted to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the winged body is removed from the tube, in response to a drag of the band structure through the water. 9. The winged body of claim 1, further comprising a tail structure coupled to the body structure, wherein tail structure has a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the tail structure is elastically deformable to the stowed configuration from the deployed configuration, and wherein the tail structure is elastically releasable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein the tail structure in the deployed configuration has a shape selected to provide a stability to the body structure when pulled though water, and wherein the tail structure in the stowed configuration has a shape selected to wrap generally around at least a portion of the circumference of the body structure. 10. The winged body of claim 9, wherein the winged body is adapted to fit into a tube having an inner dimension, and wherein the tail structure is held in the stowed configuration within the inner dimension of the tube. 11. The winged body of claim 9, wherein the winged body is adapted to fit into a tube having an inner dimension, and wherein the wings are held in the stowed configuration by the inner dimension of the tube. 12. The winged body of claim 9, wherein the winged body further comprises a retention mechanism configured to hold the tail structure in the stowed configuration, wherein the retention mechanism is configured to release the tail structure from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration. 13. The winged body of claim 9, wherein the each one of the wings has a predetermined stiffness that allows the each one of the wings to elastically deform from the deployed configuration to a deformed-deployed configuration in response to a drag of the wings when pulled through the water, resulting in a lift upon the body structure when pulled though water less than a lift when the wings are in the deployed configuration. 14. The winged body of claim 1, wherein each one of the wings has a predetermined stiffness that allows the each one of the wings to elastically deform from the deployed configuration to a deformed-deployed configuration in response to a drag of the wings when pulled through the water, resulting in a lift upon the body structure when pulled though water less than a lift when the wings are in the deployed configuration. 15. The winged body of claim 14, wherein, when in the deformed-deployed configuration, a shape of the each one of the wings changes in proportion to a speed with which the winged body is pulled through the water. 16. The winged body of claim 1, wherein each one of the wings has two respective substantially parallel major surfaces, and wherein the wings provide the lift when pulled through the water as a kite. 17. The winged body of claim 1, wherein each one of the wings has respective first and second major surfaces, wherein the wings provide the lift when pulled through the water by a achieving a first pressure upon the first major surface of each one of the wings and by achieving a second pressure lower than the first pressure upon the second major surface of each one of the wings. 18. The winged body of claim 17, wherein the first and second major surfaces of the wing have different surface contours. 19. The winged body of claim 1, further comprising a cable pack coupled to the body structure, wherein the cable pack has an optical fiber wound therein. 20. The winged body of claim 6, wherein the lace comprises a ball feature at an end thereof, and wherein at least one of the wings comprises a hole feature configured to accept the ball feature and to retain the ball feature when the winged body is in the stowed configuration within the tube and to automatically release the ball feature when the winged body is deployed from the tube. 21. Winded body, comprising: a body structure having a length and a circumference; a wing structure coupled to the body structure, wherein the wing structure is comprised of at least two wings, each wing having a respective wing tip, wherein the wings have a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically deformable to the stowed configuration from the deployed configuration, wherein the wings are elastically releasable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein the wings in the deployed configuration have respective shapes selected to provide a lift upon the body structure when pulled though water, and wherein the wings in the stowed configuration have respective shapes selected to warp generally around at least a portion of the circumference of the body structure; a retention mechanism configured to hold the wings in the stowed configuration, wherein the retention mechanism is further configured to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein each one of the wings comprises a feature, and wherein the retention mechanism comprises a lace configured to hold the feature of each one of the wings at a predetermined relative separation, resulting in the wings being retained in the stowed configuration, wherein the lace is configured to hold the wings in the stowed configuration when the winged body is within a tube, and wherein the lace is configured to release the wings from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration when the winged body is removed from the tube; and a tail structure coupled to the body structure, wherein the tail structure has a deployed configuration and a stowed configuration, wherein the tail structure is elastically deformable to the stowed configuration from the deployed configuration, and wherein the tail structure is elastically releasable from the stowed configuration to the deployed configuration, wherein the tail structure in the deployed configuration has a shape selected to provide a stability to the body structure when pulled though water, and wherein the tail structure in the stowed configuration has a shape selected to wrap generally around at least a portion of the circumference of the body structure. 22. The winged body of claim 21, wherein the each one of the wings has a predetermined stiffness that allows the each one of the wings to elastically deform from the deployed configuration to a deformed-deployed configuration in response to a drag of the wings when pulled through the water, resulting in a lift upon the body structure when pulled though water less than a lift achieved when the wings are in the deployed configuration. 23. The winged body of claim 21, wherein the lace comprises a ball feature at an end thereof, and wherein at least one of the wings comprises a hole feature configured to accept the ball feature and to retain the ball feature when the winged body is in the stowed configuration within the tube and to automatically release the ball feature when the winged body is deployed from the tube.
