Monolithic attitude control motor frame and system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12481287-B2
Application number	US-202318243262-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 7, 2023
Priority date	Jan 15, 2010
Publication date	Nov 25, 2025
Grant date	Nov 25, 2025

Abstract

A monolithic attitude control motor frame includes a monolithic structure including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. Adjacent cavities of the plurality of cavities share a side wall or side wall portion therebetween. Each of the cavities is configured to receive an attitude control motor. A monolithic attitude control motor system includes a monolithic frame including an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities extending radially from the outer surface of revolution. The system further includes a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude control motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A monolithic attitude control motor system, comprising:
a monolithic structure comprising an outer surface of revolution and a plurality of side walls defining a plurality of cavities in a geometric arrangement extending radially from the outer surface of revolution, wherein the monolithic structure defines an inner surface defining a central passageway; and a plurality of attitude control motors corresponding to the plurality of cavities, such that an attitude control motor of the plurality of attitude control motors is disposed in each cavity of the plurality of cavities; wherein the plurality of side walls defines the plurality of cavities and each cavity of the plurality of cavities exhibits a polygon shape at the outer surface of revolution; wherein adjacent attitude control motors share a side wall or a portion of a side wall therebetween; wherein each of the plurality of attitude control motors provides generally no individual pressurization containment; wherein the monolithic structure provides pressurization containment for the plurality of attitude control motors; and wherein the polygon shape is an octagon and each cavity of the plurality of cavities includes:
first cavity side walls tapering toward the centerline of the monolithic structure; second cavity side walls tapering toward the centerline of the monolithic structure;
a respective second cavity side wall, of the second cavity side walls, having a triangle shape between the outer surface of revolution and the inner surface of the monolithic structure; and
each first cavity side wall having a trapezoidal shape between the outer surface of revolution and the inner surface of the monolithic structure.

2 . A vehicle, comprising:
a body; and a monolithic attitude control motor system of claim 1 , operably associated with the body.

3 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is an air-traveling vehicle.

4 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is a water-traveling vehicle.

5 . The vehicle of claim 2 , wherein the vehicle is an exoatmospheric vehicle.

Assignees

• Lockheed Corp

Inventors

• Schroeder Wayne K

Classifications

• G05D2109/23

  Vertical take-off and landing [VTOL] aircraft; Short take-off and landing [STOL, STOVL] aircraft · CPC title

• F42B19/01

  Steering control · CPC title

• F42B10/661

  using several transversally acting rocket motors, each motor containing an individual propellant charge, e.g. solid charge · CPC title

• B64G1/26

  using jets · CPC title

• B64C15/00

  Attitude, flight direction, or altitude control by jet reaction · CPC title