Expanding fin rocket with fin restraint
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorsSkyler Chupp, Nicholas Hanzlik
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expanding fin aerial rocket in combination with a sleeve for restraining the fins prior to deployment. The rocket has an elongate body with a fore end for a warhead and an opposed aft end for motor and guidance fins. The guidance fins are hingedly attached to the rocket body at a proximal end and extend outwardly to a distal end. Fins may be collapsed during storage to conserve space and prevent damage. The springs are outwardly spring biased for flight upon deployment. The rocket has a durable removable sleeve, which fits over the fins during storage, to retract the sleeves into a collapsed position. The sleeve is removed for deployment, so the fins may radially expend to an extended position. The durable sleeve may then be reused for another rocket.
Claims20
An elongate, powerable, expanding fin aerial rocket comprising:
- a body having a fore end for containing a warhead and an aft end opposed thereto, the aft end having at least one autonomously radially expandable fin joined thereto, the at least one fin being biased to expand outwardly from a collapsed position juxtaposed with the body to an extended position outward of the body;
- and
- a sleeve removably installed over the at least one fin in the collapsed position, the sleeve restraining the at least one fin in the collapsed position and being removable to allow the at least one fin to expand outwardly from the body, the sleeve having an inner surface oriented towards the body and outer surface opposed thereto, the inner surface of the sleeve being conductive whereby a charge occurring proximate the at least one fin is grounded to prevent ignition of a motor at the aft end of the rocket.
A longitudinally elongate, powered, expanding fin aerial rocket comprising:
- a body having a fore end for containing a warhead and an aft end opposed thereto, the aft end having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially expandable fins joined thereto, the plural fins being outwardly spring biased;
- and
- a hollow sleeve removably installed over each of the plural fins in a collapsed position, the sleeve restraining the plural fins in the collapsed position and being removable to allow the at least one fin to expanding outwardly from the body, the sleeve having an electrically conductive inner surface oriented towards the body and outer surface opposed thereto, the inner surface of the sleeve being conductive whereby a charge occurring proximate the aft end is grounded to prevent ignition of a motor at the aft end of the rocket.
A method of handling an expanding fin aerial rocket, the method comprising the steps of:
- a. providing at a storage location a first longitudinally elongate, powered, expanding fin aerial rocket, the rocket having a body having a fore end for containing a warhead and an aft end opposed thereto, the aft end having a plurality of circumferentially spaced, radially expandable fins joined thereto, the plural fins being outwardly spring biased from a collapsed position proximate the body to a radially extended position and a complementary hollow sleeve having an electrically conductive inner surface oriented towards the body and outer surface opposed thereto, the inner surface of the sleeve being conductive whereby a charge occurring proximate the aft end of the rocket is grounded to prevent ignition of a motor at the aft end of the rocket;
- b. removably installing the sleeve over each of the plural fins in the collapsed position, the sleeve restraining the plural fins in the collapsed position and being removable therefrom without damage to the fins;
- c. transporting the rocket to a deployment location;
- d. removing the sleeve from the plural fins;
- and
- e. loading the rocket onto a weapon without undue delay.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.