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AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
InventorsDarin L. Kielsmeier, Gregory L. Johnson, Robert N. Evans, John R. Esslinger, Jr.
Estimating the term…
The Collapsible Support Frame for Kinetic Energy Penetrator supports a long-rod kinetic energy penetrator inside a kinetic energy missile air frame in handling and flight environments but, upon impact of the missile on the selected high-obliquity target, gives way. This greatly reduces the lateral loading inflicted on the penetrator by the interaction of the missile body and the target and consequently maximizes the effectiveness of the penetrator against the target. The Collapsible Support Frame comprises concentric outer and inner rings that are mounted inside the missile and designed to hold and support the penetrator. When the missile strikes the target and the extremely high impact shock loading conditions of the penetrator process occurs, the outer ring captures a high impact shock loading pulse and transmits it to the inner ring, whereupon the inner ring fails in its supportive function, thus freeing the penetrator.
A system for supporting and maintaining a penetrator inside a kinetic energy missile during said missle's flight toward a pre-selected high-obliquity target for impact with said target, said impact generating a shock pulse, said system comprising a missile carrying a penetrator therein, said missile having interior surface and;
A system as set forth in claim, 1 wherein said outer and inner rings are located at any pre-selected point along the length of said penetrator.
A system for supporting and maintaining a penetrator inside a kinetic energy missile during said missile's flight toward a pre-selected high-obliquity target for impact with said target, said impact generating a shock pulse, said system comprising:
A collapsible support frame for supporting and rigidly maintaining a penetrator inside a kinetic energy missile, said missile having interior surface, during said missile's flight toward a pre-selected high-obliquity target, said frame collapsing and removing lateral load from said penetrator upon said missile's impact on said target and consequent generation of a shock pulse, said collapsible frame comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.