Methods for increasing the number of countermeasure expendables for dispensing systems
AssigneeBAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc.
InventorsDanny L. Plemons, Mark J. Dube, Daniel M. Gilbert
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Various systems and methods for leveraging legacy countermeasure dispensing systems (CMDSs). The legacy CMDSs are leveraged through the expansion of breechplates and magazines in a CMDS by expanding the amount of expendables carried by a CMDS while still maintaining the legacy sequencer and dispenser in a legacy military platform, such as an aircraft. In addition, various circuitry systems are included in a circuit card of the breechplate for duplicating and/or expanding the firing lines provided in a legacy CMDS.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a breechplate operably coupled to a countermeasures dispenser, the breechplate comprising a first set of firing pins and a second set of firing pins both electrically coupled to a sequencer, wherein the first set of firing pins is electrically coupled to a corresponding first set firing lines, and the second set of firing pins are paired firing pins, wherein the paired firing pins are electrically coupled to a corresponding second set firing lines;
- providing a magazine for insertion into the dispenser, the magazine operably engaging the breechplate and capable of housing a plurality of expendables;
- initiating, during flight, a countermeasure dispensing system, wherein the countermeasure dispensing system performs the following:
- determining which of the expendables from a plurality of expendables housed inside the magazine to be dispensed;
- selecting at least one firing pin from at least one of the first and second set of firing pins to allow for the determined expendables to be dispensed;
- sending a signal from the sequencer to at least one of the second sets of firing pins via the second set of firing lines;
- controlling, by a single circuit card, one or more switches that electrically couple at least one of the first and second sets of firing lines to the first and second sets of firing pins, respectively;
- and
- dispensing at least one of the determined expendables by at least one firing pin in the paired firing pins.
A computer program product including one or more non-transitory machine-readable mediums encoded with instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause a process to be carried out for countermeasures, the process comprising:
- initiating, during flight, a countermeasure dispensing system;
- determining a number of expendables from a plurality of expendables housed inside a magazine to be dispensed;
- selecting at least one selected firing pin from at least one of a first set of firing pins and a second set of firing pins, the first and second sets of firing pins being electrically coupled to a sequencer, with the first set of firing pins being electrically coupled to a corresponding first set firing lines, and wherein the second set of firing pins are paired firing pins, with the paired firing pins being electrically coupled to corresponding second set firing lines;
- controlling, by a single circuit card, one or more switches that electrically couple at least one of the first and second sets of firing lines to the first and second sets of firing pins, respectively;
- sending a first signal from the sequencer to at least the second set of firing pins;
- and
- dispensing at least one of the expendables by the at least one selected firing pin in the pair of firing pins.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.