Mechanical stepper motors for guided munitions and industrial machinery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10132393-B2
Application number	US-201615152514-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 11, 2016
Priority date	Jul 10, 2007
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A projectile including: a body having an internal space; and a mechanical stepper motor disposed in the body, the mechanical stepper motor including: a shuttle having one of a plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing; a body portion having the other of the plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and actuation means for engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the shuttle and body portion a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement; wherein the mechanical stepper motor outputs the predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement to an actuated device operatively connected to the shuttle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A projectile comprising:
a body having an internal space; and
a mechanical stepper motor disposed in the body, the mechanical stepper motor comprising:
a shuttle having one of a plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing;
a body portion having the other of the plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and
actuation means for engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the shuttle and body portion a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement;

wherein the mechanical stepper motor outputs the predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement to an actuated device operatively connected to the shuttle.

2. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising locking means for locking a position of one of the shuttle and body relative to the other.

3. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein the locking means comprises means for maintaining one or more of the movable pins in a corresponding pocket after activation thereof.

4. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein the means for maintaining one or more of the movable pins in a corresponding pocket after activation thereof further comprises means for removing the one or more of the movable pins from the corresponding pocket prior to a subsequent activation of another of the movable pins.

5. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein the locking means comprises one or more friction pads normally biased against a surface of the shuttle.

6. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein the locking means comprises one or more braking pads selectively biased against a surface of the shuttle by an actuator.

7. The projectile of claim 6 , further comprising a biasing member for further normally biasing the one or more braking pads against the surface of the shuttle.

8. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein the activation of the movable pins disengages the locking means upon movement of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket and engages the locking means upon withdrawal of the movable pins from the corresponding pocket.

9. The projectile of claim 2 , wherein one or more of the movable pins and pockets have a profile to vary one of a force, torque or displacement profile during activation of the movable pin into a corresponding pocket.

10. A projectile comprising:
a body having an internal space; and
a mechanical stepper motor disposed in the body, the mechanical stepper motor comprising:
a shuttle having one of a plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing;
a body portion having the other of the plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and
actuation means for engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the shuttle and body portion a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement;

wherein the mechanical stepper motor applies one of a force or torque to an actuated device operatively connected to the shuttle.

11. The projectile of claim 10 , further comprising an elastic element connected between the shuttle and the actuated device to apply the one of force or torque to the actuated device.

12. A mechanical stepper motor comprising:
a shuttle having one of a plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing;
a body portion having the other of the plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and
actuation means for engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the shuttle and body portion a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement;

wherein the mechanical stepper motor outputs the predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement to an actuated device operatively connected to the shuttle.

13. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 12 , further comprising locking means for locking a position of one of the shuttle and body relative to the other.

14. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 13 , wherein the locking means comprises means for maintaining one or more of the movable pins in a corresponding pocket after activation thereof.

15. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 14 , wherein the means for maintaining one or more of the movable pins in a corresponding pocket after activation thereof further comprises means for removing the one or more of the movable pins from the corresponding pocket prior to a subsequent activation of another of the movable pins.

16. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 13 , wherein the locking means comprises one or more friction pads normally biased against a surface of the shuttle.

17. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 13 , wherein the locking means comprises one or more braking pads selectively biased against a surface of the shuttle by an actuator.

18. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 17 , further comprising a biasing member for further normally biasing the one or more braking pads against the surface of the shuttle.

19. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 12 , wherein the activation of the movable pins disengages the locking means upon movement of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket and engages the locking means upon withdrawal of the movable pins from the corresponding pocket.

20. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 12 , wherein one or more of the movable pins and pockets have a profile to vary one of a force, torque or displacement profile during activation of the movable pin into a corresponding pocket.

21. A mechanical stepper motor comprising:
a shuttle having one of a plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing;
a body portion having the other of the plurality of pockets and movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and
actuation means for engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the shuttle and body portion a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement;

wherein the mechanical stepper motor applies one of a force or torque to an actuated device operatively connected to the shuttle.

22. The mechanical stepper motor of claim 21 , further comprising an elastic element connected between the shuttle and the actuated device to apply the one of force or torque to the actuated device.

Assignees

• Rastegar Jahangir S
• Fischer Jacques
• Omnitek Partners Llc

Inventors

• Rastegar Jahangir S
• Fischer Jacques

Classifications

• F16H25/02 Primary

  the movements of two or more independently moving members being combined into a single movement · CPC title

• F42B3/006

  Explosive bolts; Explosive actuators (explosive valves F16K13/06; explosive cutting B23D15/145; explosive switches H01H39/00; pyrotechnical actuators F15B15/19) · CPC title

• Y10T74/18992

  Reciprocating to reciprocating · CPC title

• F42B15/01

  Arrangements thereon for guidance or control ({steering arrangements F42B10/60}; aircraft flight control B64C; guidance systems other than those installed aboard F41G7/00, F41G9/00; locating by use of radio or other waves G01S; flight control in general G05D1/00; computer aspects G06]) · CPC title

• F42B10/64

  of fins · CPC title