Umbilical cord breaker
AssigneeAB Bofors
InventorsLars Evert Fredriksson, Gunnar Jacobson, Olof Bertil Olsson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An improved device for breaking the connection between an electric control system and a missile by separating a control cable or umbilical cord joining the missile to its launcher housing during launch. A plurality of continuous, flexible conductors are passed through openings in a non-conductive insert in the surface of the missile. Because the conductors are secured to both the missile and the housing on opposite sides of the insert, they are tensioned against and bent over the outer edge of the opening during launch and broken due to the concentration of tensile and bending stress at the point of contact.
Claims15
Apparatus for breaking a plurality of continuous, flexible electrical conductors which connect a missile having an outer wall to a missile container, during launch of said missile from said container, comprising:
- first means for securing one end of each of said continuous, flexible conductors in said missile container;
- second means spaced from said first means for securing the other end of each of said continuous flexible conductors in said missile, so that said continuous flexible conductors extend across an open annulus separating said missile from said missile container;
- an insert of electrically non-conductive material mounted in said outer wall of said missile and spaced from said container with said continuous flexible conductors extending through said annulus;
- a plurality of holes, each having a diameter larger than the diameter of at least one of said continuous flexible conductors, extending through said insert through each of which holes at least one of said continuous, flexible conductors is passed from said first to said second securing means, each of said holes having an exterior outlet opening with an edge located at or below the outer surface of said outer wall, said at least one conductor being movable across said opening into contact with said edge, over which edge said at least one continuous, flexible conductor is bent as said continuous, flexible electrical conductors are tensioned between said first and second securing means when said missile moves out of said container during launch;
- whereby during launch the tensile stresses in each continuous, flexible conductor are combined with the bending stress in each continuous, flexible conductor at the point where said conductor is bent over said edge, thereby producing a concentration of stress at said point sufficient to break said conductors at said point and thus to provide said missile with a smooth outer surface without conductor ends extending beyond said surface following breaking of said conductors.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.