Expandable ogive
AssigneeLoral Vought Systems Corporation
InventorJeffrey A. Giacomel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An expandable ogive is disclosed which incorporates a plurality of sections (20, 22, 24) which move into an extended position. The ogive is locked in the extended position by mating tapered surfaces on the piston sections of an actuator (44) which are tapered at an angle of less than about 2.degree. relative to the center line axis of the missile or rocket. The mating surfaces lock sufficiently tightly to resist the aerodynamic loadings on the ogive during missile or rocket flight and therefore maintain the proper ogive configuration independent of the gas pressure in the actuator (44) which initially moves the ogive sections into the extended position.
Claims13
An expandable ogive for a missile or rocket, comprising:
- a plurality of concentric sections, at least a first of the concentric sections, having a trailing surface and at least a second of the concentric sections having a leading surface;
- the plurality of concentric sections moveable between a compact configuration with the concentric sections nested to an expanded configuration with the concentric sections forming an ogive;
- the trailing surface or the first concentric section engaging the leading surface of the second concentric section in the expanded configuration;
- the trailing surface of the first of the concentric sections having an expanding portion and a groove and the leading surface of the second of the concentric sections having a lip, the lip being expanded over the expanding portion as the first of the concentric sections moves to the expanded configuration, the lip entering the groove with the concentric sections in the expanded configuration.
A method for expanding an ogive for a missile or rocket having a centerline axis, comprising the steps of:
- nesting at least a first ogive section within a second ogive section in a compact configuration;
- actuating an actuator including a plurality of piston sections, to move the first ogive section along the centerline axis relative to the second ogive section to an extended configuration, at least a portion of each of the piston sections having a taper to lock the piston sections in the extended configuration to form the ogive.
A method for expanding an ogive for a missile or rocket having a centerline axis, comprising the steps of:
- nesting at least a first ogive section within a second ogive section in a compact configuration;
- actuating an actuator to move the first ogive section along the centerline axis relative to the second ogive section to an extended configuration to form the ogive:
- the step of actuating the actuator including the step of moving piston sections relative each other along the centerline axis, at least a portion of the piston sections having a taper of less than about two degrees to lock the piston sections in the extended configuration.
A method for expanding an ogive for a missile or rocket having a centerline axis, comprising the steps of:
- nesting at least a first ogive section within a second ogive section in a compact configuration;
- actuating an actuator including a plurality of piston sections, to move the first ogive section along the centerline axis relative to the second ogive section to an extended configuration to form the ogive;
- and
- slowing the movement of the first ogive section along the centerline axis by the locking of a taper in the piston sections as the first ogive section moves into the extended configuration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.