Device for launching a projectile using a compressed fluid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9546842-B2
Application number	US-201514957386-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

A device for launching using compressed fluid, comprises: a projectile, a barrel having two ends, the projectile being positioned inside the barrel, a first of the two ends allowing the compressed fluid to enter the barrel, a second of the two ends allowing the projectile to leave, a reservoir of compressed fluid connected to the first of the two ends of the barrel. A connecting device comprises a first tape, able to make the transition from a configuration in which it is wound about an axis Z around a support to a configuration in which it is deployed along an axis X substantially perpendicular to the axis Z, the tape having an end fixed to the projectile, and wherein the support is fixed in the barrel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for launching using a compressed fluid, the device comprising:
a projectile including a front end and a back end;
a barrel having a first end and a second end, the projectile being positioned inside the barrel, the first end configured to allow the compressed fluid to enter the barrel, the second end configured to allow the projectile to exit the barrel;
a reservoir of the compressed fluid connected to the first end of the barrel

and including a connecting device,
wherein the connecting device includes a first tape configured to make a transition from:
a first configuration wound about an axis Z around a support that is fixed in the barrel, to
a second configuration deployed along an axis X that is substantially perpendicular to the axis Z,

wherein the tape includes an end fixed to the back end of the projectile by a connection element, and
wherein the connection element is a mechanical component configured to allow the projectile to rotate about the axis X and allow a portion of the tape including the end of the tape fixed to the back end of the projectile to remain along the axis X.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Vézain Stéphane
• Billot Carole
• Stanek Didier
• Baudassé Yannick

Classifications

• F41G7/32 Primary

  for wire-guided missiles · CPC title

• F41B11/83

  for launching harpoons · CPC title

• F42B15/04

  using wire, e.g. for guiding ground-to-ground rockets · CPC title

• F41B11/60 Primary

  characterised by the supply of compressed gas · CPC title