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US 4,944,210 AGranted
Missile launcher
AssigneeHughes Aircraft Company
InventorsThomas G. Flock, Scott D. Baysinger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An elongate gas-tight elastic bag has one open end unitarily secured to an inflator/thruster which can be actuated to rapidly fill the bag with gas. The bag and inflator/thruster are located within a missile launch tube and the bag expands upon being filled with gas to launch the missile.
Claims11
Apparatus for launching a missile, comprising:
- an open-ended tube for receiving the missile therewithin, said tube being longer than the missile and having fore and aft ends;
- a selectively actuatable pressurized gas generator having external dimensions enabling sliding receipt of the generator within the tube aft end, said generator having a diffusor through which gas can move along in a first direction and a plurality of openings through which gas can move in a second direction generally opposite to the first direction;
- and
- an expandable, air-tight, bag-like member, said bag-like member having an opening for receiving gas passing through the diffusor,
- whereby expansion of said bag-like member causes said missile to be launched from said tube.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.