Fin deployment system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9989338-B2
Application number	US-201515111448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2015
Priority date	Feb 26, 2014
Publication date	Jun 5, 2018
Grant date	Jun 5, 2018

Abstract

A fin deployment system for a projectile is provided, the fin deployment system defining a longitudinal axis and including: an actuator plate, a first mechanical stop arrangement, an actuation assembly, a plurality of fin assemblies, and a second mechanical stop arrangement. The actuator plate is pivotable from a first pivot position to a second pivot position about the longitudinal axis. The first mechanical stop arrangement is configured for initially locking the actuator plate at the first pivot position, and for selectively unlocking the actuator plate from the first pivot position responsive to an actuating force, to thereby allow the actuator plate to pivot to the second pivot position. The actuation assembly is for selectively applying the actuating force to the first mechanical stop arrangement, to thereby unlock the actuator plate from the first pivot position. Each fin assembly includes a fin pivotable from a stowed position to a deployed position about a respective fin hinge defining a respective deployment axis, each fin assembly forming a kinematic pair with the actuator plate such that the pivoting of the actuator plate between the first pivot position and the second pivot position, and the pivoting of each fin from the respective the stowed position to the respective the deployed position, are concurrent. The second mechanical stop arrangement is for locking the fin assemblies in the respective deployed positions responsive to the actuator plate pivoting from the first pivot position to the second pivot position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A fin deployment system for a projectile, the fin deployment system defining a longitudinal axis, the fin deployment system comprising:
an actuator plate, pivotable from a first pivot position to a second pivot position about the longitudinal axis;
a first mechanical stop arrangement, configured for initially locking the actuator plate at the first pivot position, and for selectively unlocking the actuator plate from the first pivot position responsive to an actuating force to thereby allow the actuator plate to pivot to the second pivot position;
an actuation assembly for selectively applying the actuating force to the first mechanical stop arrangement to thereby unlock the actuator plate from the first pivot position;
a plurality of fin assemblies, each of the plurality of fin assemblies including a fin pivotable from a stowed position to a deployed position about a respective fin hinge defining a respective deployment axis, each of the plurality of fin assemblies forming a kinematic pair with the actuator plate such that said pivoting of the actuator plate between the first pivot position and the second pivot position, and said pivoting of each fin from the respective said stowed position to the respective said deployed position, are concurrent; and
a second mechanical stop arrangement for locking the fin assemblies in the respective deployed positions responsive to the actuator plate pivoting from the first pivot position to the second pivot position.

2. The fin deployment system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an outer casing; and
an inner support bracket internally mounted to outer casing;
wherein the plurality of fin assemblies are pivotably mounted to the outer casing about the respective deployment axes;
wherein the actuation assembly is mounted to the inner support bracket.

3. The fin deployment system according to claim 2 , wherein the actuation assembly is configured for selectively applying the actuating force to the first mechanical stop arrangement along an axial direction parallel to the longitudinal axis, to thereby unlock the actuator plate from the first pivot position.

4. The fin deployment system according to claim 3 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises an actuation piston, axially displaceable with respect to the inner support bracket from a first axial position to a second axial position.

5. The fin deployment system according to claim 4 , wherein the actuation assembly comprises a pyrotechnic component operable for selectively displacing the actuation piston to the second axial position when fired.

6. The fin deployment system according to claim 5 , wherein the first mechanical stop arrangement comprises a pin support bracket carrying at least one pin and mounted with respect to the inner support bracket to prevent relative rotation of the pin support bracket about the longitudinal axis, the at least one pin being engaged in a complementary hole provided in the actuator plate when the actuator plate is in the first pivot position to thereby lock the actuator plate with respect to the inner support bracket in the first pivot position, the pin support bracket being selectively axially displaceable responsive to actuation of the actuation piston to disengage the at least one pin from the complementary hole and to thereby unlock the actuator plate from the first pivot position.

7. The fin deployment system according to claim 6 , wherein:
the pin support bracket is affixed to one end of the actuation piston;
in said first axial position the at least one pin is engaged in the complementary hole; and
in said second axial position, the at least one pin is disengaged from the complementary hole.

8. The fin deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the second mechanical stop arrangement is configured for locking the plurality of fin assemblies in the respective deployed positions responsive to the actuator plate pivoting from the first pivot position to the second pivot position, by mechanically locking the actuator plate in the second pivot position.

9. The fin deployment system according to claim 8 , wherein the second mechanical stop arrangement comprises at least one first tooth provided on the actuator plate in a general overlying abutting relationship with at least one second tooth provided on the inner support bracket, said at least one first tooth and said at least one second tooth having a respective moderate slope and a respective steep slope, wherein in said first pivot position the respective moderate slopes are in abutting contact, permitting relative rotation between the actuator plate and the inner support bracket about the longitudinal axis to the second pivot position, and wherein in said second pivot position, the respective steep slopes of the at least one first tooth and the at least one second tooth are in abutting contact, preventing relative rotation between the actuator plate and the inner support bracket from the second pivot position to the first pivot position.

10. The fin deployment system according to claim 9 , further comprising a biasing spring for biasing the actuator plate towards the inner support bracket.

11. The fin deployment system according to claim 10 , wherein the biasing spring further biases the respective steep slopes of the at least one first tooth and the at least one second tooth into abutting contact in said second pivot position.

12. The fin deployment system according to claim 2 , wherein the actuation plate is pivotably mounted with respect to the inner support bracket.

13. The fin deployment system according to claim 1 , wherein the actuator plate comprises a plurality of radial through-slots corresponding to the plurality of fin assemblies, each of the plurality of fin assemblies comprising an actuating arm rigidly mounted to a root of the respective fin and comprising an axial pin spaced from the fin root, the axial pin being received in the respective said through-slot and radially movable with respect to the respective slot concurrently with pivoting of the actuator plate from the first pivot position to the second pivot position to thereby concurrently pivot the respective fin from the stowed position to the deployed position.

14. The fin deployment system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a torque applicator configured for applying a driving torque to at least one of the actuator plate and the plurality of fin assemblies, to thereby pivot the actuator plate from the first pivot position to the second pivot position, responsive to the actuator plate being unlocked from the first pivot position.

15. The fin deployment system according to claim 14 , wherein the torque applicator comprises at least one of a torsion bar or torsion spring at each fin hinge and biased to apply the driving torque to the respective fin assembly, to thereby pivot the respective fin to the deployed position, and concurrently pivot the actuator plate from the first pivot position to the second pivot position, responsive to the actuator plate being unlocked from the first pivot position.

16. The fin deployment system according to claim 14 , wherein the torque applicator comprises at least one of a torsion bar or torsion spring coupled to the actuator plate, and biased to apply the driving torque to the actuator plate, to thereby pivot the actuator plate from the first pivot position to the second pivot position, responsive to the actuator plate being unlocked from the first pivot position, and concurrently pivot the fins to the respective deployed positions.

17. The fin depl

Assignees

• Israel Aerospace Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Osdon Tal

Classifications

• F42B10/16 Primary

  Wrap-around fins · CPC title