Anti-recoil assembly having energy attenuator coupled to a movable shaft, and ejection seat stability system including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11614138-B2
Application number	US-202017076276-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2020
Priority date	Oct 21, 2020
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

An anti-recoil assembly may include a housing, a shaft, and an energy attenuator. The housing generally defines a cavity, with the housing having a first end portion and a second end portion, according to various embodiments. The shaft may be at least partially disposed within the cavity, and the shaft may be configured to move within the cavity in a first direction from the first end portion to the second end portion. In various embodiments, the energy attenuator is disposed within the cavity at the second end portion. In response to movement of the shaft in the first direction, the energy attenuator is configured to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in a second direction opposite the first direction, according to various embodiments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An anti-recoil assembly comprising:
a housing defining a cavity, the housing comprising a first end portion and a second end portion;
a shaft at least partially disposed within the cavity, the shaft configured to move within the cavity in a first direction from the first end portion to the second end portion; and
an energy attenuator disposed within the cavity at the second end portion;
wherein in response to movement of the shaft in the first direction, the energy attenuator is configured to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in a second direction opposite the first direction, and
wherein the energy attenuator is coupled to an end section of the shaft, wherein in response to the energy attenuator impacting the second end portion of the housing, the energy attenuator is configured to deform to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in the second direction.

2. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein in response to the movement of the shaft in the first direction, at least an end section of the shaft is configured to penetrate the energy attenuator to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in the second direction.

3. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 2 , wherein the end section comprises a barbed fitting configured to enable the barbed fitting to penetrate the energy attenuator in the first direction and to inhibit extraction of the barbed fitting from the energy attenuator in the second direction.

4. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 2 , wherein the end section comprises protrusion.

5. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 4 , wherein the end section has a smaller cross-sectional dimension than a body of the shaft.

6. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 2 , wherein the shaft comprises a piston head configured to slide in fluid sealing engagement along interior walls of the housing, wherein the piston head divides the cavity into an annular power chamber and an anchoring chamber.

7. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 6 , wherein the end section extends from the piston head in the first direction into the anchoring chamber.

8. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a spring-loaded locking pin configured to engage a shoulder of the shaft to provide redundant inhibition of the shaft recoiling in the second direction.

9. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end portion of the housing comprises at least one of converging and diverging sidewalls such that at least a portion of the cavity at the second end portion comprises a conical shape.

10. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the energy attenuator is floating within the cavity at the second end portion such that the energy attenuator is freely moveable within the cavity relative to the housing before an end section of the shaft penetrates the energy attenuator.

11. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein deformation of the energy attenuator comprises at least one axial compression and radial expansion.

12. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second end portion of the housing comprises at least one of converging and diverging sidewalls such that at least a portion of the cavity at the second end portion comprises a conical shape.

13. The anti-recoil assembly of claim 1 , wherein in response to the energy attenuator impacting the second end portion of the housing, the end section of the shaft is configured to penetrate further into the energy attenuator.

14. An ejection seat stability system configured to control seat pitch during an ejection event, the ejection seat stability system comprising:
a stabilizing gyro configured to be mounted to an ejection seat, the stabilizing gyro comprising a pinion;
a shaft comprising gear teeth configured to engage the pinion of the stabilizing gyro;
a housing defining a cavity, the housing comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the shaft is disposed at least partially disposed within the cavity;
an actuator configured to translate the shaft in a first direction, as defined from the first end portion to the second end portion, within the cavity of the housing to drive rotation of the pinion of the stabilizing gyro; and
an energy attenuator disposed within the cavity at the second end portion;
wherein in response to movement of the shaft in the first direction, the energy attenuator is configured to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in a second direction opposite the first direction, and
wherein the energy attenuator is coupled to an end section of the shaft, wherein in response to the energy attenuator impacting the second end portion of the housing, the energy attenuator is configured to deform to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in the second direction.

15. The ejection seat stability system of claim 14 , wherein in response to the movement of the shaft in the first direction, at least an end section of the shaft is configured to penetrate the energy attenuator to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in the second direction.

16. The ejection seat stability system of claim 14 , wherein the shaft comprises a piston head configured to slide in fluid sealing engagement along interior walls of the housing, wherein the piston head divides the cavity into an annular power chamber and an anchoring chamber.

17. The ejection seat stability system of claim 16 , wherein the actuator comprises a source of pressurized fluid, wherein in response to activation of the actuator, pressurized fluid from the source of pressurized fluid is directed to the annular power chamber to drive the shaft in the first direction.

18. An ejection seat stability system configured to control seat pitch during an ejection event, the ejection seat stability system comprising:
a stabilizing gyro configured to be mounted to an ejection seat, the stabilizing gyro comprising a pinion;
a shaft comprising gear teeth configured to engage the pinion of the stabilizing gyro;
a housing defining a cavity, the housing comprising a first end portion and a second end portion, wherein the shaft is disposed at least partially disposed within the cavity;
an actuator configured to translate the shaft in a first direction, as defined from the first end portion to the second end portion, within the cavity of the housing to drive rotation of the pinion of the stabilizing gyro; and
an energy attenuator disposed within the cavity at the second end portion;
wherein in response to movement of the shaft in the first direction, at least an end section of the shaft is configured to penetrate the energy attenuator to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in a second direction opposite the first direction, and
wherein the energy attenuator is coupled to an end section of the shaft, wherein in response to the energy attenuator impacting the second end portion of the housing, the energy attenuator is configured to deform to inhibit the shaft from recoiling in the second direction.

Assignees

• Ami Ind Inc

Inventors

• Hampton John
• Carson Kassidy L
• Roseke Ryan

Classifications

• F16F7/12

  using plastic deformation of members {(F16F9/30 takes precedence; yieldable means for mounting bumpers on vehicles B60R19/26; yieldable or collapsible steering columns B62D1/192)} · CPC title

• B64D25/10 Primary

  Ejector seats · CPC title

• F16F7/003 Primary

  One-shot shock absorbers (using plastic deformation of members, e.g. using sacrificial, fibre-reinforced composite members F16F7/12) · CPC title