Elastomeric launch assembly and method of launch

A launch assembly for launching a device from an underwater vehicle comprising:

• a housing including at least a pair of threaded rails supported at either end by an outboard ring and an inboard ring;
• an elastomeric tube supported by the housing and having a closed inboard end and an open outboard end, and constructed and dimensioned to receive at least an inboard end of the device to be launched;
• an extending device including a movable ring operatively connected to both the outboard end of the tube and to the threaded rails, the extending device being constructed and arranged to move along a length of the housing;
• a drive assembly operatively engaged with the housing to move the extending device along the length of the housing;
• a release mechanism constructed and arranged to restrain and releasably engage the inboard end of the tube;
• and
• wherein moving the extending device along the length of the housing causes the outboard end of the tube to move in an outboard direction, as the inboard end of the tube is restrained by the release mechanism such that the tube becomes elongated, and wherein to launch the device the inboard end of the tube is released by the release mechanism such that the inboard end of the tube moves toward the outboard end of the tube, and the tube contracts thus accelerating the device within the tube and launching the device from within the tube.

A method of launching a device from an underwater vehicle comprising the steps of:

• providing an elastomeric tube supported within a housing, the tube having a closed inboard end, an open outboard end, and constructed and dimensioned to receive an inboard end of the device to be launched;
• moving the outboard end of the elastomeric tube along a length of the housing a predetermined distance while restraining the inboard end of the tube such that the inboard end of the tube remains substantially stationary and the tube becomes elongated;
• stopping movement of the outboard end of the tube at the predetermined distance;
• releasing the inboard end of the tube such that the inboard end travels toward the outboard end with a sufficient velocity to launch the device from within the tube at a desired speed.