A hold down device positioned on the projectile to exert a known spring force in opposition to the centrifugal force provides an inexpensive, light weight and reliable delayed fin deployment mechanism for boosted fin-stabilized spinning projectiles. When the forcing moment produced by the centrifuga
A hold down device positioned on the projectile to exert a known spring force in opposition to the centrifugal force provides an inexpensive, light weight and reliable delayed fin deployment mechanism for boosted fin-stabilized spinning projectiles. When the forcing moment produced by the centrifugal force acting on the fin exceeds the opposing moment produced by the hold down device, the hold down device will release the fin allowing it to swing into its deployed position. Thus, proper selection of the spring force and positioning of the hold down device will cause the fins to deploy at a predetermined spin rate. The spin rate can be correlated to a time or travel distance of the projectile from launch. The incorporation of the hold down devices requires minimal design changes to existing rockets and may, in some cases, be retrofit to the existing base of rockets if desired.
대표청구항▼
I claim: 1. A delayed tail fin deployment mechanism, comprising: a projectile having an engine and nozzle configured to spin up the projectile during a boost phase following launch; a fin that is pivotally mounted on the projectile, said fin being stowed at launch so that the centrifugal force of t
I claim: 1. A delayed tail fin deployment mechanism, comprising: a projectile having an engine and nozzle configured to spin up the projectile during a boost phase following launch; a fin that is pivotally mounted on the projectile, said fin being stowed at launch so that the centrifugal force of the spinning projectile produces a moment that rotates the fin into a deployed position; and a hold down device that holds the fin in its stowed position until the moment of centrifugal force exceeds an opposing moment produced by a spring force of the hold down device, said spring force being predetermined to correspond to a particular spin rate of the projectile. 2. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 1, wherein the particular spin rate of the projectile is correlated to the travel distance of the projectile from launch. 3. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of said fins positioned around the projectile and a like plurality of said hold down devices that hold respective fins in their stowed positions. 4. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 3, wherein all of said hold down devices are designed to release at the same spin rate. 5. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 4, wherein the spring force of said hold down devices will have some amount of variability, further comprising a plurality of cams positioned between adjacent fins so that when the hold down device having the weakest spring force releases the deployment of its fin pushes the cam against the adjacent fin causing its hold down device to release and so forth in a daisy chain until all of the hold down devices have been released and the fins deployed. 6. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 5, wherein each said fin has an interior longitudinal edge that is pivotally mounted along a main axis of the projectile and an exterior longitudinal edge, said cams are positioned axially between the interior longitudinal edge of one fin and the exterior longitudinal edge of the adjacent fin so that when the hold down device having the weakest spring force releases the deployment of its fin pushes the cam against the exterior longitudinal edge of the adjacent fin causing its hold down device to release and so forth in the daisy chain. 7. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 1, further comprising a primary fin and a plurality of secondary fins positioned around the projectile, said hold down device holding the primary fin in the stowed position, further comprising: a first attachment lug; a second attachment lug; and a lanyard between the first and second attachment lugs around said projectile that restrains the secondary fins in their stowed positions, wherein the deployment of the primary fin releases the lanyard from said first attachment lug thereby allowing the secondary fins to deploy. 8. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first attachment lug is positioned on the primary fin and the second attachment lug is positioned elsewhere on the projectile. 9. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 8, wherein each said fin has an interior longitudinal edge that is pivotally mounted on a fin rotation hub along a main axis of the projectile and an exterior longitudinal edge, wherein the first attachment lug is positioned on the primary fin's fin rotation hub and the second attachment lug is positioned on the secondary fin's fin rotation hub immediately adjacent to the exterior longitudinal edge of the primary fin. 10. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 9, where the first attachment lug is configured so that the lanyard slips off when the primary fin's fin rotation hub rotates. 11. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 7, wherein the first attachment lug is positioned on the hold down device. 12. The fin deployment mechanism of claim 11, wherein the plurality of fins are stowed in a jack-knife configuration inside the projectile. 13. A delayed fin deployment mechanism for a weapon system, comprising: a multi-tube rocket launcher, a plurality of rockets in and extending out from said tubes, each said rocket including: a rocket engine and nozzle configured to propel and spin up the rocket during a boost phase following launch; a fin that is pivotally mounted on the projectile, said fin being stowed at launch so that the centrifugal force of the spinning projectile produces a forcing moment that rotates the fin into a deployed position; and a hold down device that holds the fin in its stowed position until the forcing moment exceeds an opposing moment produced by a spring force of the hold down device, said spring force being predetermined to correspond to a particular spin rate of the projectile that is correlated to a travel distance of the projectile selected to clear adjacent rockets before the fins deploy. 14. The weapon system of claim 13, further comprising a plurality of said fins positioned around the rocket and a like plurality of said hold down devices that hold respective fins in their stowed positions. 15. The weapon system of claim 14, wherein the spring force of said hold down devices have some amount of variability, further comprising a plurality of cams positioned between adjacent fins so that when the hold down device having the weakest spring force releases the deployment of its fin pushes the cam against the adjacent fin causing its hold down device to release and so forth in a daisy chain until all of the hold down devices have been released and the fins deployed. 16. The weapon system of claim 13, further comprising a primary fin and a plurality of secondary fins positioned around the rocket, said hold down device holding the primary fin in the stowed position, further comprising: a first attachment lug; a second attachment lug; and a lanyard between the first and second attachment lugs around said rocket that restrains the secondary fins in their stowed positions, wherein the deployment of the primary fin releases the lanyard from said first attachment lug thereby allowing the secondary fins to deploy. 17. A method for delayed deployment of tail fins on a boosted fin-stabilized spinning projectile, comprising: passively applying a spring force to hold a fin in its stowed position, said spring force corresponding to a particular spin rate of the projectile; boosting the projectile over a boost phase to propel the projectile towards a target; manipulating the boost to spin up the projectile; and passively releasing the fin to a deployed position when the centrifugal force of the spinning projectile produces a forcing moment that exceeds an opposing moment produced by the spring force. 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising: correlating the particular spin rate at which the fins deploy to a desired travel distance. 19. The method of claim 17, wherein approximately the same spring force is applied to each of a plurality of fins positioned around the rocket so that when the fin having the weakest applied spring force deploys that fin interferes with the adjacent fin causing the adjacent fin to deploy and so forth in a daisy chain until all of the fins have been deployed. 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the spring force is applied to a single primary fin, further comprising looping a lanyard between first and second attachment lugs around said projectile to restrain a plurality of secondary fins in their stowed positions, whereby the deployment of the primary fin releases the lanyard from said first attachment lug thereby allowing the secondary fins to deploy.
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이 특허에 인용된 특허 (9)
August Henry (Chatsworth CA), Aerotumbling missile.
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