Method and apparatus for determining projectile fin deployment timeline

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11307009-B2
Application number	US-201916674442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 5, 2019
Priority date	Nov 5, 2019
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

A projectile is disclosed, comprising: a body; a fin having a magnet disposed thereon, the fin being coupled to the body, at least a portion of the fin being arranged to: (i) stay inside the body before the projectile is launched, and (ii) exit the body after the projectile is launched; a magnetic sensor disposed within the body, the magnetic sensor being arranged to detect changes in a position of the magnet relative to the magnetic sensor while the fin is exiting the body; and a data recorder disposed within the body, the data recorder being operatively coupled to the magnetic sensor, wherein the data recorder is configured to use the magnetic sensor to collect data indicating a displacement of the fin relative to the body after the projectile is launched.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A projectile, comprising:
a body;
a fin having a magnet disposed thereon, the fin being coupled to the body, at least a portion of the fin being arranged to: (i) stay inside the body before the projectile is launched, and (ii) exit the body after the projectile is launched;
a magnetic sensor disposed within the body, the magnetic sensor being arranged to detect changes in a position of the magnet relative to the magnetic sensor while the fin is exiting the body; and
a data recorder disposed within the body, the data recorder being operatively coupled to the magnetic sensor,
wherein the data recorder is configured to use the magnetic sensor to collect data indicating a displacement of the fin relative to the body after the projectile is launched.

2. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising a data port disposed on the body, the data port being coupled to the data recorder.

3. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the data recorder includes a wireless interface for transferring data that is collected by the data recorder.

4. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the fin is coupled to the body via a mounting pin, and arranged to rotate around the mounting pin when the fin is exiting the body.

5. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure sensor disposed in the body, the pressure sensor being operatively coupled to the data recorder.

6. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising an accelerometer disposed in the body, the accelerometer being operatively coupled to the data recorder.

7. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic sensor is disposed in a portion of the body that is formed of a non-ferrous material.

8. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising a switch that is activated when the projectile is fired, the switch including one of an accelerometer switch, a g-switch device, and a pressure-activated switch, wherein the data recorder is configured to collect data when the switch is switched on.

9. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the magnet is disposed at a location on the fin, such that the magnet is situated inside the body when the fin is in a stowed position, and the magnet is situated outside the body when the fin is situated outside of the body when the fin is in an extended position.

10. The projectile of claim 1 , wherein the data recorder includes a processor, a memory, and an enclosure that is arranged to house the processor and the memory, the processor and memory being encapsulated in an encapsulating material that is disposed inside the enclosure.

11. A projectile, comprising:
a body;
a plurality of fins coupled to the body;
a plurality of magnets, each of the magnets being disposed on a different respective one of the plurality of fins, wherein each of the magnets is disposed inside the body when the magnet's respective fin is in a stowed position, and each of the magnets the magnet is situated outside the body when the magnet's respective fin is in an extended position;
a plurality of magnetic sensors disposed inside the body, each of the magnetic sensors being disposed adjacent to a different one of the plurality of fins; and
a data recorder disposed inside the body, the data recorder being operatively coupled to each of the plurality of magnetic sensors,
wherein the data recorder is configured to collect data indicating a respective displacement of each of the plurality of fins after the projectile is launched.

12. The projectile of claim 11 , wherein the data recorder includes a wireless interface for transferring data that is collected by the data recorder.

13. The projectile of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality fins is coupled to the body via a respective mounting pin, and each of the plurality of fins is arranged to rotate about the fin's respective mounting pin when the projectile is launched.

14. The projectile of claim 11 , further comprising a pressure sensor disposed in the body, the pressure sensor being operatively coupled to the data recorder.

15. The projectile of claim 1 , further comprising a accelerometer disposed in the body, the accelerometer being operatively coupled to the data recorder.

16. A method for analyzing an operation of a fin-stabilized projectile, the method comprising:
receiving a position data set that is collected by a data recorder disposed inside a fin-stabilized projectile, the data set indicating a position of a fin of the projectile at different time instants;
receiving a pressure data set indicating a pressure experienced by the projectile at different time instants;
identifying an event of interest based on the pressure data set; and
generating a deployment curve for the fin, the deployment curve identifying the position of the fin at different time instants during a launch of the fin-stabilized projectile.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising identifying a time when the projectile has reached a muzzle brake of a barrel that is used to launch the projectile.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the deployment curve identifies radial displacement of the fin relative to a body of the projectile at different time instants.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising displaying a plot of the fin deployment timeline.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plot identifies a time when the projectile has reached a muzzle brake of a barrel that is used to launch the projectile.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Scott Mark A
• Eliason Douglas J

Classifications

• F42B10/14 Primary

  using fins spread or deployed after launch, e.g. after leaving the barrel · CPC title

• F42B30/006 Primary

  Mounting of sensors, antennas or target trackers on projectiles · CPC title