# US 11,027,859 B2 · Variable stiffness flyer plate for penetration device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,859 B2 - Document ID: US11027859B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/785,223 - Filed: 2017-10-16 - Published: 2019-04-18 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2017-10-16 - Assignees: The Boeing Company - Applicants: The Boeing Company - Inventors: Nicholas B. Muha; Jeremie Joel Albert; Robert W. Thomas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027859B2 ## CPC - F42B 1/02: Shaped or hollow charges (blasting cartridges with cavities in the charge F42B3/08; oil winning using shaped-charge perforators E21B43/116) - B64G 1/401: {Liquid propellant rocket engines (Ion or plasma engines B64G1/413; Arcjets and other resistojets B64G1/415)} - B64G 1/4021: {Tank construction; Details thereof} - F42B 10/48: Range-reducing, destabilising or braking arrangements, {e.g. impact-braking arrangements}; Fall-retarding means, {e.g. balloons, rockets for braking or fall-retarding}(F42B10/34 takes precedence) - B64G 1/64: Systems for coupling or separating cosmonautic vehicles or parts thereof, e.g. docking arrangements - F42B: EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION (explosive compositions C06B; fuzes F42C; blasting F42D) - B64G: COSMONAUTICS; VEHICLES OR EQUIPMENT THEREFOR ## Abstract A penetration device including a casing, a propellant positioned in the casing, and a flyer plate. The flyer plate is coupled to the casing and adjacent to the propellant. The flyer plate includes a center portion having a substantially constant first thickness and includes a peripheral portion around the center portion and defining an edge. The peripheral portion includes one or more recesses in a first surface of the peripheral portion. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A penetration device comprising: a casing; a propellant positioned in the casing; and a flyer plate coupled to the casing and adjacent to the propellant, the flyer plate comprising: a center portion having a substantially constant first thickness; and a peripheral portion around the center portion and defining an edge, the peripheral portion including one or more recesses in a first surface of the peripheral portion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the one or more recesses comprise through holes. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The penetration device of claim 2, wherein the through holes have a shape of a circle, a triangle, a rectangle, a square, a star, a diamond, a cone, or a combination thereof. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the edge of the peripheral portion comprises a peripheral edge of the flyer plate, and wherein the one or more recesses comprise notches, teeth, or scallops in the peripheral edge. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the one or more recesses comprise blind holes. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The penetration device of claim 5, wherein the first surface faces away from the propellant and the casing. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The penetration device of claim 5, wherein the one or more recesses comprise one or more concentric channels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, further comprising one or more second recesses in a second surface of the peripheral portion, wherein the second surface faces the propellant and the casing. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the first thickness of the center portion is approximately twice a second thickness of the one or more recesses. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein a first radius of the center portion is approximately ⅔ of a second radius of the flyer plate. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein a ratio of a second thickness of the one or more recesses to the first thickness of the center portion is within a range of 0.1 to 0.9, and wherein a ratio of a first radius of the center portion to a second radius of the flyer plate is within a range of 0.5 to 0.9. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the one or more recesses are arranged in a pattern around a center of the flyer plate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the peripheral portion of the flyer plate has a first stiffness that is less than a second stiffness of the center portion of the flyer plate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, wherein the flyer plate has a unitary structure comprised of a metal, an alloy, or a ceramic. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The penetration device of claim 1, the flyer plate further comprising a second peripheral portion around the peripheral portion and defining a peripheral edge of the flyer plate, the second peripheral portion including one or more second recesses, the one or more recesses having a first dimension that is different than a second corresponding dimension of the one or more second recesses. ### Claim 16 A flight vehicle comprising: a component including a skin and a plurality of support structures; and a penetration device in proximity to the skin and one or more support structures of the plurality of support structures, the penetration device comprising: a casing; a propellant positioned in the casing; and a flyer plate coupled to the casing and adjacent to the propellant, the flyer plate comprising: a center portion having a substantially constant first thickness; and a peripheral portion around the center portion and defining an edge, the peripheral portion including one or more recesses in a first surface of the peripheral portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The flight vehicle of claim 16, wherein the component comprises a propellant container and the plurality of support structures comprises a rib of the propellant container, and wherein the penetration device is configured to sever the rib. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The flight vehicle of claim 16, wherein the propellant is configured to propel the flyer plate through the skin to generate a hole and peripheral structural damage around the hole in the skin, and wherein the propellant is configured to accelerate the peripheral portion such that the peripheral portion impacts the skin within a threshold period of time after the center portion impacts the skin. ### Claim 19 A method of terminating flight of a vehicle, the method comprising: receiving a termination signal at a penetration device; triggering a propellant of the penetration device; propelling a variable stiffness flyer plate of the penetration device into a skin and one or more support structures of a propellant container of the vehicle, the variable stiffness flyer plate comprising: a center portion having a substantially constant first thickness; and a peripheral portion around the center portion and defining an edge, the peripheral portion including one or more recesses in a first surface of the peripheral portion. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein propelling the variable stiffness flyer plate causes the variable stiffness flyer plate to impact the skin and the one or more support structures to puncture the skin and sever the one or more support structures. ### Claim 21 A penetration device comprising: a casing; a propellant positioned in the casing; and a flyer plate coupled to the casing and adjacent to the propellant, the flyer plate comprising: a center portion having a first density; and a peripheral portion around the center portion and defining an edge, the peripheral portion including a plurality of filled recesses, wherein recesses of the filled recesses are filled with a material having a second density, and wherein the first density is different than the second density. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The penetration device of claim 21, wherein the second density is greater than the first density.