Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080223977 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR PROJECTILE GUIDANCE - Methods and apparatus for projectile systems according to various aspects of the present invention comprise a projectile attached to an auxiliary control system. The auxiliary control system may include a control system and a transverse propulsion system. The control system controls the trajectory of the projectile system, for example by activating the transverse propulsion system to adjust the trajectory. | 09-18-2008 |
20100000438 | Methods and apparatus for selectable velocity projectile system - Methods and apparatus according to various aspects of the present invention comprise a propelling system for propelling projectiles with variable velocity. In one embodiment, a cartridge comprises a cartridge case, the propelling system, and the projectile attached to the cartridge case. | 01-07-2010 |
20100213307 | Hybrid spin/fin stabilized projectile - A hybrid spin/fin stabilized projectile. The novel projectile includes a body, a first mechanism for spin stabilizing the body during a first mode, and a second mechanism for fin stabilizing the body during a second mode. In an illustrative embodiment, the projectile includes a rifling band adapted to engage with rifling in a gun during gun launch to impart a spin rate compatible with spin stabilization to the projectile, and a plurality of folding fins attached to an aft end of the body. A fin locking mechanism locks the fins in an undeployed position during the first mode and unlocks to deploy the fins at a predetermined time to switch the projectile to fin stabilization during the second mode. The projectile also includes a mechanism for reducing the spin of the projectile to a rate compatible with guided flight during the second mode. | 08-26-2010 |
20100237185 | PROJECTILE CONTROL DEVICE - A spin-stabilized projectile is steered by taking air from an air intake at the front of the projectile, and expelling the air along an outer surface of the projectile to alter its trajectory toward the desired impact location. Air taken in through the air intake is directed toward a rotor that is able to rotate relative to the rest of the projectile. The rotor has an outlet that may direct the air taken in at the air inlet out in a direction having both radial and circumferential components. The force produced in the radial direction provides a steering force substantially normal to the projectile axis, used to steer the projectile. The force produced in the circumferential direction is used to provide impetus to spin the rotor. A brake is used to control the rotational speed of the rotor, to control the direction that the air is expelled from the projectile. | 09-23-2010 |
20110309186 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FAST ACTION IMPULSE THRUSTER - Methods and apparatus for a fast action impulse thruster according to various aspects of the present invention may comprise a projectile comprising an impulse thruster system. The impulse thruster system may comprise a guidance system and a fast action impulse thruster system. The guidance system may control the trajectory of the projectile, for example by activating the fast action impulse thruster system to adjust the projectile's trajectory. The fast action impulse thruster system may be configured such that it may provide an impulse force to guide the projectile with a reaction time that is not affected by the rotational velocity of the projectile. The impulse force may be achieved by ejecting at least one mass from the projectile at high velocity such that a resulting momentum exchange may alter the trajectory of the projectile. The fast action impulse thruster system may also be configured in such a way so as to provide a significant improvement to the overall safety during the production, assembly, and handling of the projectile. | 12-22-2011 |
20120012021 | GUN FIRED PROPELLANT SUPPORT ASSEMBLIES AND METHODS FOR SAME - A gun fired projectile includes a rocket motor housing including a pressure chamber and an exhaust nozzle. A plurality of propellant cells are positioned within the pressure chamber. The rocket motor propellant is mechanically supported during the severe gun fire event. This support may take several forms, each of which is discussed herein. The projectile further includes a support structure including one or more supports: wherein each of the one or more supports is engaged with the rocket motor housing. Each of the one or more supports is engaged with one propellant cell of the plurality of propellant cells, and each of the one or more supports suspends an individual propellant cell from the remainder of the plurality of propellant cells. All of these approaches provide the opportunity to tailor the performance of the rocket motor by combining a combination of propellant formulations and geometries to optimize the projectile performance. | 01-19-2012 |
20120012691 | LIGHTPIPE FOR SEMI-ACTIVE LASER TARGET DESIGNATION - A semi-active laser (SAL) sensing system is provided that uses a lightpipe to pass received reflected laser light from an aperture to a detector. The lightpipe facilitates further miniaturization of the SAL sensing system by taking the place of a larger lens system that would otherwise be required. For example, the use of the lightpipe in a missile or guided projectile can facilitate the placement of the SAL sensing system with other sensors in the limited available space at the front of the missile. In one embodiment, the lightpipe is formed from cladded optical fibers that are bundled together, shaped, and fused together. The core material from the optical fibers are then dissolved away, leaving the outer cladding. This remaining outer cladding remains fused together, and maintains its shape, thus forming a lightpipe that can be used in a SAL sensing system. | 01-19-2012 |
20120017795 | PROJECTILE MODIFICATION METHOD - A method of modifying a projectile includes removing material from an aft end of the projectile, and coupling a device to the aft end. The method may be used to convert a spin-stabilized projectile into a fin stabilized projectile, by modifying the aft end of a spin-stabilized projectile to accept a fin kit. The modifying may involve removing material with lathe, and may include forming external threads on the aft end that may engage corresponding internal threads on the device, to effect the coupling of the device to the aft end. The modification method allows versatility in employing projectiles, including existing stocks of projectiles. In particular the method allows spin-stabilized projectiles to be converted to more accurate fin-stabilized projectiles. | 01-26-2012 |
20120181375 | Modular Guided Projectile - A modular artillery projectile and method of engaging a target. A modular artillery projectile may include a payload module, a guidance module coupled to the payload module and a rear module coupled to the guidance module. The payload module may be selected from a plurality of interchangeable payload modules containing different payloads. The guidance module may include a transverse propulsion system to propel the modular artillery projectile transversely to a longitudinal axis of the modular artillery projectile, a global positioning system receiver, and a control system to control the transverse propulsion system responsive to the global positioning system receiver to guide the modular artillery projectile to a predetermined target position. | 07-19-2012 |
20120248239 | STEERABLE SPIN-STABILIZED PROJECTILE - A spin-stabilized projectile has a collar around the middle of its spun fuselage, longitudinally spanning a center of mass of the projectile. The collar includes lift-producing aerodynamic surfaces. Positioning the collar relative to the spinning fuselage produces a direct lift force on the projectile that may be used to steer the projectile. Since the projectile is constantly spinning, the positioning may be accomplished by a brake, such as a magnetic brake or a fiction brake, that allows the collar to be positioned substantially fixed relative to inertial space, with the collar not rotating with the fuselage about a longitudinal axis of the projectile. Since the lift force is applied close to the center of mass of the projectile, the steering occurs with no substantial change in the angle of attack of the projectile. | 10-04-2012 |