Missile with odd symmetry tail fins
AssigneeRaytheon Company
InventorsChris Eugene Geswender, Shawn Brent Harline, George A. Blaha
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A missile, either a powered missile or an unpowered projectile, includes a freely-rolling tail assembly having an odd number of fins. Having an odd number of fins may reduce oscillations caused by the rotation of the freely-rotating tail. This may make a more stable platform for a seeker, such as an uncooled focal point array or other imaging infrared (IIR) or millimeter wave radio frequency (MMW) seeker, in the body of the missile. Also, minimizing oscillation by using an odd number of fins may facilitate control of the missile.
Claims25
A guided missile comprising:
- a body;
- and
- a tail assembly coupled to the body;
- wherein at least part of the tail assembly is freely rotatable as a unit about a central longitudinal axis of the missile, such that the at least part of the tail assembly rotates unpowered and uncontrolled, relative to the body;
- wherein the tail assembly has an odd number of substantially planar fins;
- wherein the at least part of the tail assembly includes the fins;
- and
- wherein the substantially planar fins are substantially co-planar with an axis of the at least part of the tail assembly.
An unpowered guidable projectile comprising:
- a body, wherein the body includes:
- a seeker;
- a gimbal to which the seeker is mounted;
- and
- canards;
- and
- a tail assembly coupled to the body;
- wherein at least part of the tail assembly is freely rotatable as a unit about a central longitudinal axis of the missile, such that the at least part of the tail assembly rotates unpowered and uncontrolled, relative to the body;
- wherein the tail assembly has an odd number of fins;
- wherein the at least part of the tail assembly includes the fins;
- and
- wherein the substantially planar fins are substantially co-planar with an axis of the at least part of the tail assembly.
A guided missile comprising:
- a body, wherein the body includes:
- a seeker;
- a gimbal to which the seeker is mounted;
- and
- canards;
- and
- a tail assembly coupled to the body, wherein the tail assembly includes:
- a base fixedly connected to the body;
- a fin retainer to which the fins are connected;
- and
- a bearing assembly coupled to the base and the fin retainer;
- wherein at least part of the tail assembly is freely rotatable as a unit about a central longitudinal axis of the missile, such that the at part of the tail assembly rotates unpowered and uncontrolled, relative to the body;
- wherein the tail assembly has an odd number of fins;
- and
- wherein the fins are circumferentially evenly spaced around the tail;
- wherein the fin retainer has slots therein corresponding to each of the fins, with the fins within the slots when the fins are in a stowed position;
- and
- wherein the at least part of the tail assembly includes the fins and the fin retainer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.