Collet assembly of an umbilical plate that couples a launch vehicle to a ground station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12012236-B2
Application number	US-202217647351-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2022
Priority date	Feb 22, 2021
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A collet assembly, for an umbilical plate that connects a vehicle to a ground station prior to a launch of the vehicle, includes an active decoupler. The active decoupler includes a pin. A cuff has a central opening. The pin passes through the central opening. A plurality of fingers are pivotally coupled to the cuff. A plurality of levers are pivotally coupled to the plurality of fingers and the pin.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A collet assembly for an umbilical plate that connects a vehicle to a ground station prior to a launch of the vehicle, the collet assembly comprising an active decoupler comprising:
a pin;
a cuff having a central opening, wherein the pin passes through the central opening;
a plurality of fingers pivotally coupled to the cuff, wherein each of the plurality of fingers includes an extension beam having a cuff end, an intermediate portion, and a securing end opposite from the cuff end, and wherein the cuff end is pivotally coupled to the cuff through a first pinned coupling; and
a plurality of levers pivotally coupled to the plurality of fingers and the pin, wherein each of the plurality of levers includes a beam having a finger end and a pin end, wherein the finger end pivotally couples to a respective one of the plurality of fingers through a second pinned coupling, and wherein the pin end pivotally couples to the pin through a third pinned coupling.

2. The collet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a flight portion coupled to a ground portion, wherein the flight portion is configured to separate from the ground portion as the vehicle is launched.

3. The collet assembly of claim 2 , wherein the active decoupler is disposed within an extension arm of the ground portion.

4. The collet assembly of claim 2 , wherein the cuff is fixed within the ground portion.

5. The collet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the active decoupler is configured to move between an engaged position in which the plurality of levers outwardly brace the plurality of fingers, and a retracted position in which the plurality of levers inwardly pull the plurality of fingers.

6. The collet assembly of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of levers in the engaged position are substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the collet assembly.

7. The collet assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a spring coupled to the pin;
a linkage coupled to the pin; and
a roller operatively coupled to the linkage, wherein the roller is configured to be moved between a first position in which the linkage is linearly aligned and a second position in which the linkage is angularly aligned.

8. A method for connecting a vehicle to a ground station prior to a launch of the vehicle, the method comprising providing a collet assembly having an active decoupler, wherein said providing comprises:
passing a portion of a pin through a central opening of a cuff;
pivotally coupling a plurality of fingers to the cuff, wherein each of the plurality of fingers includes an extension beam having a cuff end, an intermediate portion, and a securing end opposite from the cuff end, and wherein the cuff end is pivotally coupled to the cuff through a first pinned coupling; and
pivotally coupling a plurality of levers to the plurality of fingers and the pin, wherein each of the plurality of levers includes a beam having a finger end and a pin end, wherein the finger end pivotally couples to a respective one of the plurality of fingers through a second pinned coupling, and wherein the pin end pivotally couples to the pin through a third pinned coupling.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said providing further comprises coupling a flight portion to a ground portion, wherein the flight portion is configured to separate from the ground portion as the vehicle is launched.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising disposing the active decoupler within an extension arm of the ground portion.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising fixing the cuff within the ground portion.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving the active decoupler between an engaged position in which the plurality of levers outwardly brace the plurality of fingers, and a retracted position in which the plurality of levers inwardly pull the plurality of fingers.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of levers in the engaged position are substantially perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the collet assembly.

14. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
coupling a spring to the pin;
coupling a linkage to the pin; and
operatively coupling a roller operatively to the linkage, wherein the roller is configured to be moved between a first position in which the linkage is linearly aligned and a second position in which the linkage is angularly aligned.

15. A system comprising:
a vehicle;
a ground station; and
an umbilical plate connecting the vehicle to the ground station prior to a launch of the vehicle, the umbilical plate comprising a collet assembly having an active decoupler, the active decoupler comprising:
a pin;
a cuff having a central opening, wherein the pin passes through the central opening;
a plurality of fingers pivotally coupled to the cuff, wherein each of the plurality of fingers includes an extension beam having a cuff end, an intermediate portion, and a securing end opposite from the cuff end, and wherein the cuff end is pivotally coupled to the cuff through a first pinned coupling; and
a plurality of levers pivotally coupled to the plurality of fingers and the pin, wherein each of the plurality of levers includes a beam having a finger end and a pin end, wherein the finger end pivotally couples to a respective one of the plurality of fingers through a second pinned coupling, and wherein the pin end pivotally couples to the pin through a third pinned coupling.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the collet assembly further comprises a flight portion coupled to a ground portion, wherein the flight portion is configured to separate from the ground portion as the vehicle is launched.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the active decoupler is configured to move between an engaged position in which the plurality of levers outwardly brace the plurality of fingers, and a retracted position in which the plurality of levers inwardly pull the plurality of fingers.

18. The system of claim 16 , wherein the collet assembly further comprises:
a spring coupled to the pin;
a linkage coupled to the pin; and
a roller operatively coupled to the linkage, wherein the roller is configured to be moved between a first position in which the linkage is linearly aligned and a second position in which the linkage is angularly aligned.

19. The collet assembly of claim 1 , wherein the intermediate portion outwardly bows away from a central longitudinal axis of the collet assembly.

20. The method of claim 8 , wherein the intermediate portion outwardly bows away from a central longitudinal axis of the collet assembly.

Assignees

• Boeing Co

Inventors

• Warden Harry Kendall
• Weathers Jeffrey Wayne
• Weathers James Boyd

Classifications

• B64G5/00 Primary

  Ground equipment for vehicles, e.g. starting towers, fuelling arrangements (B64G3/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F41F3/04 Primary

  for rockets · CPC title