Patent Application
20140130300
Intercept vehicles, such as warheads or missiles, utilize highly sensitive optics to discriminate targets. In order to maintain optics sensitivity, the optical sensors are sealed prior to use and uncovered at the beginning of a mission. Typically, optics covers are ejected with a forward or side motion, and the vehicle is re-orientated, prior to release of the cover, to direct the cover away from possible interference with the vehicle. In some cases, optics covers are ejected without any re-orientation of the vehicle with the hope of a clean separation.
Features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which together illustrate, by way of example, features of the invention; and, wherein:
Reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated, and specific language will be used herein to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended.
As used herein, the term “substantially” refers to the complete or nearly complete extent or degree of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result. For example, an object that is “substantially” enclosed would mean that the object is either completely enclosed or nearly completely enclosed. The exact allowable degree of deviation from absolute completeness may in some cases depend on the specific context. However, generally speaking the nearness of completion will be so as to have the same overall result as if absolute and total completion were obtained. The use of “substantially” is equally applicable when used in a negative connotation to refer to the complete or near complete lack of an action, characteristic, property, state, structure, item, or result.
As used herein, “adjacent” refers to the proximity of two structures or elements. Particularly, elements that are identified as being “adjacent” may be either abutting or connected. Such elements may also be near or close to each other without necessarily contacting each other. The exact degree of proximity may in some cases depend on the specific context.
An initial overview of technology embodiments is provided below and then specific technology embodiments are described in further detail later. This initial summary is intended to aid readers in understanding the technology more quickly but is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the technology nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.
Current optical cover ejection techniques do not control the cover ejection angle and/or the direction of the cover's ejection path. The result is that covers are often ejected into the path of the vehicle or into the field of view of the optical sensors. Collision of the vehicle with the cover or an ejection path that puts the cover within the visible field of view can potentially jeopardized the mission. Re-orientation of the vehicle takes critical time away from the mission and expends precious energy from the propulsion system.
Accordingly, a releasable ball lock hinge is disclosed that facilitates separation of an optical cover to occur at a predetermined angular position. In one aspect, the separation angle can control the ejection path of the optical cover away from the vehicle. The releasable ball lock hinge can include a first body operable with a hinge ball and a release ball, each movable within respective openings of the first body. The releasable ball lock hinge can also include a second body configured to rotatably interface and removably couple with the first body. The hinge ball can releasably engage the second body. The second body can have a recess operable with the release ball to disengage the hinge ball and alternately couple and release the first body and the second body based on a relative position between the first body and the second body.
In one aspect, a releasable ball lock hinge is disclosed that can include a first body having first and second openings, first and second hinge balls configured to move within the first opening, first and second release balls configured to move within the second opening, and a second body configured to rotatably interface and removably couple with the first body. The second body can include hinge recesses to engage the first and second hinge balls when the first body and the second body are in a secured position, thereby providing an axis of rotation for the hinge. The second body can also include release recesses to receive the first and second release balls when the first body and the second body are in a release position. In the secured position, a portion of the second body can be configured to position the release balls such that the hinge balls are maintained in engagement with the hinge recesses. In the release position, the release recesses can facilitate movement of the release balls into the release recesses, and movement of the hinge balls out of engagement with the hinge recesses, thereby facilitating separation of the first body and the second body.
One embodiment of a releasable ball lock hinge 100 is illustrated in
For ease of reference,
In the secured position, a portion 123 of the second body 120 can be configured to position the release ball 132 such that the hinge ball 131 is maintained in engagement with the hinge recess 121. For example, the portion 123 of the second body 120 can provide a surface for the release ball 132 to roll on and/or slide against as the first body 110 is rotated relative to the second body 120 in order to maintain the hinge ball 131 in engagement with the hinge recess 121 while in the secured position, which can include an angular range defined by a release angle 102. The first body 110 and the second body 120 can therefore be rotatable to facilitate contact between the release ball 132 and the portion 123 of the second body 120 to maintain engagement of the hinge ball 131 and the hinge recess 121 in the secured position. In the release position, the release recess 122 can facilitate movement of the release ball 132 into the release recess 122 and movement of the hinge ball 131 out of engagement with the hinge recess 121, thereby facilitating separation of the first body 110 and the second body 120. The first body 110 and the second body 120 can therefore be rotatable to align the release ball 132 with the release recess 122 which can facilitate separation of the first body 110 and the second body 120. A spring 129 can be included to apply a force to the first body 110 tending to separate the first body 110 from the second body 120. The spring 129 is discussed further hereinafter with respect to
In one aspect, the release angle 102 or, in other words, the angle of the release position of the first body 110 and the second body 120, can be variable and set to any suitable angle. This can be accomplished by moving or relocating the release recess 122. For example, the release recess 122 can be formed in a disk 140 that is movable to vary the angle 102 of the release position. A clamp 141 and fasteners 142 can be operable with a shoulder 143 of the disk 140 to facilitate variation of the angle 102 by rotating the release recess 122. Thus, one attribute of the releasable ball lock hinge 100 can include an adjustable release angle 102, which can facilitate separation of the first and second bodies 110, 120 to occur at a precise and predetermined angular opening. The release angle 102 can be set to any arbitrary value as needed for a given application. In one aspect, the release angle 102 can be greater than 180 degrees. This can allow for a significant amount of relative rotation between the first and second bodies 110, 120 prior to separation. In a highly dynamic situation with a high rate of relative rotation between the first and second bodies 110, 120, a large release angle 102 (i.e., greater than 180 degrees) can facilitate separation of the first and second bodies 110, 120 and direct one body away from the other.
As shown, the second body 120 can include supports 124a, 124b for the first body 110. Although the hinge ball 131 and the release ball 132 on one side of the first body 110 have been shown and described, it should be recognized that a hinge ball and a release ball can be operable with the first body 110 on an opposite side shown. Thus, in one aspect, one or both of the supports 124a, 124b can have formed therein a hinge recess and a release recess. The supports 124a, 124b can include features to facilitate variation of the angle 102 by rotating the release recess, such as a disk and clamp discussed above.
In one aspect, the second body can include a base component 125 and a carriage 126 movable relative to the base component 125 to adjust a position of the axis of rotation 101. The carriage 126 can be configured to translate with respect to the base component 125 in direction 103. For example, the carriage 126 can include a tongue 127 configured to slide within a groove 128 of the base component 125. In addition, the relative movement and position of the carriage 126 and the base component 125 can be controlled or achieved by an adjustment mechanism 150. The spring 129 of
The spring 129 can apply a force to the first body 110 tending to separate the first body 110 from the second body 120. In one aspect, the spring can be configured to direct at least some force in a direction parallel to direction 105 to assist in separation the first body 110 from the second body 120. In another aspect, the spring 129 can be preloaded in contact with the first body 110, such that the first body 110 is forced away from the second body 120 upon reaching the release position. Although a cantilever spring is shown, the spring 129 can be of any suitable configuration, such as a coil spring or a torsion spring. It should be recognized that separation of the first body 110 and the second body 120 can occur without a spring force, as momentum from the rotating first body 110 can cause separation of the first and second bodies 110, 120 upon reaching the release position. The spring 129 can, however, be incorporated to facilitate or assist separation by providing a separation force.
In one aspect, one or both of the openings 211, 212 can extend through the first body 210. In another aspect, the opening 211 can be configured to capture the hinge balls 231a, 231b within the first body 210, such that a portion of the hinge balls 231a, 231b protrude from the first body 210 in the secured position to facilitate engagement with the recesses 221a, 221b of the second body 220. Similarly, the opening 212 can be configured to capture the release balls 232a, 232b within the first body 210. This can prevent loose hardware when the first body 210 is separated from the second body 220. As illustrated, at least one of the openings 211, 212 of the first body 210 can be swaged to capture the hinge balls 231a, 231b and/or the release balls 232a, 232b within the respective openings 211, 212. By capturing the hinge balls 231a, 231b, the swaging of the hinge recesses 221a, 221b can also prevent the hinge balls 231a, 231b from escaping the hinge 200 via hinge recesses 221a, 221b in the second body 220, which may be configured as a through hole. Thus, all ball hardware can be captured by swaging the openings 211, 212 in the first body 210 of the hinge 200, trapping the balls in place. As a result, the hinge 200 can be configured such that there are no loose components whether the hinge 200 is separated or not. In one aspect, as illustrated in
The releasable ball lock hinge 200 can also include an intermediate ball 233 disposed between the hinge balls 231a, 231b and the release balls 232a, 232b. The intermediate ball 233 can be configured to transfer forces between the hinge balls 231a, 231b and the release balls 232a, 232b to maintain the engagement of the hinge balls 231a, 231b and the second body 220, such as the hinge recesses 221a, 221b, in the secured position. In one aspect, in the secured position, the intermediate ball 233 can be in simultaneous contact with the hinge balls 231a, 231b and the release balls 232a, 232b. Thus, the portion 223 of the second body 220 can position the release balls 232a, 232b, which are in contact with the intermediate ball 233, such that the intermediate ball 233 contacts the hinge balls 231a, 231b and maintains the hinge balls 231a, 231b in engagement with the hinge recesses 221a, 221b.
An adjustment mechanism of the hinge 300, as disclosed herein, can be used to effectively seal the optical cover 362 to the vehicle body 361. Upon release of the cover 362 by the release mechanism 363, the cover can rotate in direction 304 about the hinge 300 to expose optical sensor 364, as shown in
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a method for operating a releasable hinge is disclosed. The method can comprise aligning first and second hinge balls operable within a first opening of a first body with hinge recesses of a second body, wherein the first and second hinge balls are movable and engageable with the hinge recesses to provide an axis of rotation. The method can further comprise aligning first and second release balls operable within a second opening of the first body with release recesses of the second body, wherein the first and second release balls are movable and extend at least partially into the release recesses, thereby providing a release position. Additionally, the method can comprise moving the first body and the second body relative to one another about the axis of rotation to a secured position, wherein a portion of the second body is configured to position the release balls such that the hinge balls are maintained in engagement with the hinge recesses. It is noted that no specific order is required in this method, though generally in one embodiment, these method steps can be carried out sequentially.
In one aspect, the method can further comprise moving the first body and the second body relative to one another about the axis of rotation to the release position, wherein the release recesses facilitate movement of the release balls into the release recesses, and movement of the hinge balls out of engagement with the hinge recesses, thereby facilitating separation of the first body and the second body. In another aspect, the method can further comprise displacing an intermediate ball disposed between the hinge balls and the release balls.
It is to be understood that the embodiments of the invention disclosed are not limited to the particular structures, process steps, or materials disclosed herein, but are extended to equivalents thereof as would be recognized by those ordinarily skilled in the relevant arts. It should also be understood that terminology employed herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment.
As used herein, a plurality of items, structural elements, compositional elements, and/or materials may be presented in a common list for convenience. However, these lists should be construed as though each member of the list is individually identified as a separate and unique member. Thus, no individual member of such list should be construed as a de facto equivalent of any other member of the same list solely based on their presentation in a common group without indications to the contrary. In addition, various embodiments and example of the present invention may be referred to herein along with alternatives for the various components thereof. It is understood that such embodiments, examples, and alternatives are not to be construed as de facto equivalents of one another, but are to be considered as separate and autonomous representations of the present invention.
Furthermore, the described features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. In the following description, numerous specific details are provided, such as examples of lengths, widths, shapes, etc., to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention.
While the foregoing examples are illustrative of the principles of the present invention in one or more particular applications, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications in form, usage and details of implementation can be made without the exercise of inventive faculty, and without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention. Accordingly, it is not intended that the invention be limited, except as by the claims set forth below.
