Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110171511 | Compact and Low-Volume Mechanical Igniter and Ignition Systems For Thermal Batteries and the Like - An inertial igniter including: a body having a base and three or more posts, each post having a hole; a locking ball corresponding to each post, wherein a portion of the locking balls are disposed in the hole; a striker mass movably disposed relative to the posts and having a surface corresponding to the posts, the striker mass further having a concave portion corresponding to the locking balls, wherein a second portion of each locking ball is disposed in a corresponding concave portion for retaining the striker mass relative to the posts; a collar movable relative to the posts; and a biasing element for biasing the collar in a first position which retains the striker mass, the biasing element permitting movement of the collar to a second position to release the striker mass relative to the posts upon a predetermined acceleration profile. | 07-14-2011 |
20130074623 | Mechanical Stepper Motors for Guided Munitions and Industrial Machinery - A method for stepping a first member relative to a second member associated with a projectile. The method including: providing one of the first and second members with one of a plurality of pockets and more than three movable pins offset from each other with a first spacing; providing the other of the first and second members with the other of the plurality of pockets and more than three movable pins offset from each other with a second spacing, where the first spacing is different from the second spacing; and engaging at least one of the movable pins into a corresponding pocket to step one of the first and second members a predetermined linear and/or rotary displacement. Where the engaging includes selectively varying a step size between the first and second member. | 03-28-2013 |
20130206897 | VERY LOW-POWER ACTUATION DEVICES - An actuator including: a housing; a piston movably disposed in the housing, the piston being movable between an extended and retracted position; a plurality of gas generation charges generating a gas in fluid communication with the housing; and an exhaust port for exhausting gas from the cylinder generated by the plurality of gas generation charges; wherein activation of each of the plurality of gas generation charges results in an increase in pressure in the housing causing the piston to move in the housing from the refracted to the extended position. The actuator can further include a return spring for biasing the piston in the retracted position and the plurality of gas generation charges can be disposed in the housing. | 08-15-2013 |
20130277494 | Very Low Power Actuation Devices - A method of actuating a control surface in a munition. The method including: coupling a pair of fins to an actuation device; generating pressurized gas to selectively actuate the actuation device; and converting the actuation of the actuation device to rotation of the pair of fins. The converting can convert a linear output of the actuation device to the rotation of the pair of fins or a rotary output of the actuation device to the rotation of the pair of fins. The generated gas can be directly provided to the actuation device or the generated gas can be stored in a storage device before being provided to the actuation device. The method can further include repeating the coupling, generating and converting for a second pair of fins. | 10-24-2013 |
20130284044 | Rotary-Type Mechanisms for Inertial Igniters for Thermal Batteries and G-Switches for Munitions and the Like - A mechanism including: a toggle link rotatably connected to a base structure; a stop connected to the base structure for limiting a rotational travel of the toggle link; a biasing element having a first end attached to the base structure and a second end attached to the toggle link such that the toggle link is biased towards the stop when the toggle link is positioned on a first side of a singular position and the toggle link is biased towards an opposite direction from the stop when the toggle link is positioned on a second side of the singular position; and an inertial element movably disposed between the base structure and the toggle link such that that inertial element moves the toggle link from the first side of the singular position to the second side of the singular position when the base structure undergoes an acceleration event greater than a predetermined threshold. | 10-31-2013 |
20140248522 | Compact and Mechanical Inertial Igniters For Thermal Batteries and the like for Munitions With Short Duration Firing Setback Shock - An inertial igniter including: a body having a base; a striker release element rotatably disposed on the body, the striker release element having a first surface; a first biasing element for biasing the striker release element away from the base; a striker mass rotatably disposed on the base along a second axis, the striker mass having a second surface corresponding to the first surface of the striker release element, the first surface obstructing rotation of the striker mass; and a second biasing element for biasing the striker mass such that the second surface is biased towards the first surface; wherein when the body experiences an acceleration profile of a predetermined magnitude and duration, the striker release element rotates towards the base to release an engagement between the first and second surfaces and allow the striker mass to rotate under a biasing force of the second biasing element. | 09-04-2014 |
20150143988 | Pneumatic Actuation Devices For Valves and the Like - A stepper motor including: a plurality of actuators, each having an actuation rod movable between retracted and expended positions, the actuation rod having an actuation pin movable along with the actuation rod; and a shuttle rotatable about a shaft, the shuttle having a plurality of pockets corresponding to the actuation pin of the plurality of actuators, the plurality of pockets being partially offset from the plurality of pins such that actuation of one or more of the plurality of actuators moves the actuation rod and corresponding actuation pin into a corresponding one of the plurality of pockets to rotate the shuttle about the shaft. | 05-28-2015 |
20160102952 | Very Low-Power Actuation Devices - A munition including: a control surface actuation device including: an actuator comprising two or more pistons, each of the pistons being movable between an extended and retracted position, the retracted position resulting from an activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a movable rack having a portion engageable with a portion of the two or more pistons to sequentially move the rack upon activation of each of the two or more pistons; and a control surface operatively connected to the rack such that movement of the rack moves the control surface; Where the actuator comprises three pistons; the portion of the rack is a plurality of spaced portions and the portion of the piston is an end portion of the piston exposed when the piston is in the extended position or the movable rack is linear and moves linearly. | 04-14-2016 |