Missile provided with a separable nose cone comprising at least one ejectable shell cooperating with a support element

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10767968-B2
Application number	US-201816500528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2018
Priority date	Apr 21, 2017
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A missile includes a separable nose cone having an ejectable shell cooperating with a support element. The missile has a body with a main longitudinal axis and a nose cone having a shell connected by a rear end thereof to a support element of the missile and defined around a secondary longitudinal axis. The support element has a housing, and the rear end of the shell has a thickness adapted to be received in the housing in a contacting manner. The housing is configured to allow the shell to pivot and to maintain contact while the orientation of the shell is such that the secondary longitudinal axis is at an angle smaller than an ejection angle in relation to said main longitudinal axis, and to end the contact when the secondary longitudinal axis is at an angle higher than or equal to the ejection angle in such a way as to eject the shell from the missile.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A missile, comprising:
a body having a main longitudinal axis; and
at least one separable nose cone, said separable nose cone comprising at least one ejectable shell, said ejectable shell being connected by a rear end to a support element of the missile and being defined around a secondary longitudinal axis,
wherein said support element presents a circular arc shape centred on and arranged orthogonally in relation to the main longitudinal axis, said support element being provided with an edge assembly and a crown element, each presenting a circular arc shape centred on the main longitudinal axis, said crown element being arranged coaxially inside said edge assembly so as to create, between the edge assembly and the crown element, a housing, the rear end of the ejectable shell presenting a thickness configured to be received in said housing with a transverse contact in a bottom of the housing, a first longitudinal contact with the edge assembly and a second longitudinal contact with the crown element, said edge assembly being configured to enable a pivoting of the ejectable shell in relation to the body of the missile from a mounting position, wherein the secondary longitudinal axis of the ejectable shell is substantially parallel to said main longitudinal axis, towards at least one pivoted position, wherein the secondary longitudinal axis presents a non-zero angle in relation to said main longitudinal axis, said edge assembly also being configured to:
maintain at least partially said first longitudinal contact with said rear end of the ejectable shell, while the ejectable shell has an orientation in relation to the body of the missile for which said secondary longitudinal axis has, in relation to said main longitudinal axis an angle that is smaller than a predetermined ejection angle; and
end said first longitudinal contact with said rear end of the ejectable shell as soon as said secondary longitudinal axis has, in relation to said main longitudinal axis, an angle higher than or equal to said predetermined ejection angle.

2. The missile according to claim 1 , wherein said edge assembly comprises two circular arc edge sections, arranged symmetrically in relation to a longitudinal plane containing the main longitudinal axis, each of said circular arc edge sections being configured such that an orthogonal projection thereof on said longitudinal plane presents a rectilinear front edge forming, with a rear edge thereof, an angle equal to said predetermined ejection angle, said rear edge being orthogonal to said main longitudinal axis.

3. The missile according to claim 2 , wherein said rear end of the ejectable shell comprises a tapered rear portion configured to be received in said housing, followed towards a front of a thick portion forming a shoulder, said shoulder configured to enable an auxiliary transverse contact of the ejectable shell on the rectilinear front edge of the edge assembly in the mounting position.

4. The missile according to claim 2 , wherein said support element corresponds to a portion of the body of the missile.

5. The missile according to claim 2 , wherein said support element is an insert part, configured to mount on the body of the missile.

6. The missile according to claim 2 , wherein said rear end is provided with an interface part which is fixed to the ejectable shell.

7. The missile according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one controllable actuation device configured to generate a force that leads to the ejectable shell pivoting from the mounting position to an ejection position, wherein the secondary longitudinal axis of the ejectable shell presents an angle equal to the predetermined ejection angle in relation to said main longitudinal axis of the body of the missile.

8. The missile according to claim 2 , further comprising two complementary shells forming said separable nose cone, and an annular support part formed of two identical support elements, each of said ejectable shells being connected via a rear end to one of said support elements of the annular support part.

9. The missile according to claim 1 , wherein said rear end of the ejectable shell comprises a tapered rear portion configured to be received in said housing, followed towards a front of a thick portion forming a shoulder, said shoulder configured to enable an auxiliary transverse contact of the ejectable shell on the rectilinear front edge of the edge assembly in the mounting position.

10. The missile according to claim 9 , wherein said support element corresponds to a portion of the body of the missile.

11. The missile according to claim 9 , wherein said support element is an insert part, configured to mount on the body of the missile.

12. The missile according to claim 9 , wherein said rear end is provided with an interface part which is fixed to the ejectable shell.

13. The missile according to claim 9 , further comprising at least one controllable actuation device configured to generate a force that leads to the ejectable shell pivoting from the mounting position to an ejection position, wherein the secondary longitudinal axis of the ejectable shell presents an angle equal to the predetermined ejection angle in relation to said main longitudinal axis of the body of the missile.

14. The missile according to claim 9 , further comprising two complementary shells forming said separable nose cone, and an annular support part formed of two identical support elements, each of said ejectable shells being connected via a rear end to one of said support elements of the annular support part.

15. The missile according to claim 1 , wherein said support element corresponds to a portion of the body of the missile.

16. The missile according to claim 15 , further comprising two complementary shells forming said separable nose cone, and an annular support part formed of two identical support elements, each of said ejectable shells being connected via a rear end to one of said support elements of the annular support part.

17. The missile according to claim 1 , wherein said support element is an insert part, configured to mount on the body of the missile.

18. The missile according to claim 1 , wherein said rear end is provided with an interface part which is fixed to the ejectable shell.

19. The missile according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one controllable actuation device configured to generate a force that leads to the ejectable shell pivoting from the mounting position to an ejection position, wherein the secondary longitudinal axis of the ejectable shell presents an angle equal to the predetermined ejection angle in relation to said main longitudinal axis of the body of the missile.

20. The missile according to claim 1 , further comprising two complementary shells forming said separable nose cone, and an annular support part formed of two identical support elements, each of said ejectable shells being connected via a rear end to one of said support elements of the annular support part.

Assignees

• Mbda France

Inventors

• Quertelet Clément
• LAHEYNE Clyde

Classifications

• F42B10/46 Primary

  Streamlined nose cones; Windshields; Radomes {(F42B12/105 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F42B10/00

  Means for influencing, e.g. improving, the aerodynamic properties of projectiles or missiles; Arrangements on projectiles or missiles for stabilising, steering, range-reducing, range-increasing or fall-retarding (F42B6/00 takes precedence) · CPC title