Embodiments pertain to weapons systems that use launchers containing closely-spaced weapons. Some embodiments pertain to missile systems that include several rockets or missiles that are launched from a launcher tube.
Weapon systems often include several closely-spaced rockets or missiles that are individually launched from a launcher. These rockets or missiles may have external slots that contain equipment such as canards, sensors or antennas. Because these rockets or missiles are closely spaced in the launcher, the high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume and other debris (ejecta) generated by the launch of an adjacent or nearby rocket or missile may damage these slots and/or the equipment in the slots while the rocket or missile is still in the launcher.
Frangible covers that are fractured during deployment of canards have been used to protect these slots; however, the energy to fracture a frangible cover complicates the operation of the deployment mechanism. Furthermore, debris from the fractured covers may cause concern with some airborne applications.
Elastomer film covers have also been used to protect these slots; however, elastomer film is not able to withstand the high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume and other debris of an adjacent launch. Ablative shielded film covers have also been used; however, the shields require excessive penetration energy, complicating the operation of the deployment mechanism.
Thus, there are general needs for apparatus and methods for protecting external slots of rockets and missiles from the high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume and other debris generated from the launch of an adjacent or nearby rocket or missile.
The following description and the drawings sufficiently illustrate specific embodiments to enable those skilled in the art to practice them. Other embodiments may incorporate structural, logical, electrical, process, and other changes. Portions and features of some embodiments may be included in, or substituted for, those of other embodiments. Embodiments set forth in the claims encompass all available equivalents of those claims.
In accordance with some embodiments, friction holds the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 within the launcher tube 112 prior to launch and initially during launch of a missile 106. As the missile 106 is propelled from the launcher 108 during launch, the external slots 104 are exposed and the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may catch on a split ring to hold the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 in place during deployment of the missile 106. These embodiments are described in more detail below.
In some embodiments, the external slots 104 are canard slots from which canards may be deployed after launch, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In other embodiments, the external slots 104 may be sensor openings to allow operation of one or more sensors after launch. The sensors may include antennas, cameras, infrared (IR) sensors, ultraviolet (UV) light sensors, visible light sensors, as well as others.
As used herein, an adjacent or nearby missile may refer to any other missile in the launcher 108. A missile may include any flight vehicle or rocket including a guided as well as an unguided projectile. In some embodiments, the external slots 104 may have covers that may comprise a thin film or other material (e.g., an elastomer). In these embodiments, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may protect the slot covers from a high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume as well as ejecta resulting from the launch of an adjacent missile.
In some embodiments, a method for protecting external slots of a missile from a high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume of an adjacent missile launch is provided. In these embodiments, the method may include providing a translating adjacent-blast shield 102 circumferentially around each of a plurality of missiles 106 in the launcher 108 to cover at least portions of the external slots 104 of the missiles 106. The translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may be configured to protect the external slots 104 of the missile 106 from a high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume, as well as other ejecta, of an adjacent missile launch. The method may include allowing the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 to slide or translate along the missile 106 during its launch to expose the external slots 104 and remain on the missile 106 after launch.
The translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may be positioned circumferentially around a missile 106 (
In these embodiments, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 provides a full circumferential shield for the external slots 104. The forward portion 210 is located outside the launcher tube 112 prior to launch while the aft portion 208 is located within the launcher tube 112. As show in
The position stop 206 may comprise a raised lip to inhibit the forward portion 210 of the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 from being further inserted into a launcher tube 112. In these embodiments, the position stop 206 has a diameter greater than the diameter of a launcher tube 112. The aft portion 208, including the spring fingers 204, may be specifically configured for insertion into the launcher tube 112.
As further illustrated in
In embodiments with closely-spaced missiles, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may be installed on the missiles 106 prior to installation of a missile 106 into the launcher 108. In other embodiments, when there is more available space between the missiles 106, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may be installed on the missiles 106 while the missiles 106 reside in the launcher 108. In these embodiments, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may be slid over the nose of a missile 106 and the aft portion 208 may be pressed into the launcher tube 112 until the position stop 206 contacts the launcher tube 112.
In some embodiments, the inner shell 304 and the outer shell 306 comprise metal such as steel, stainless steel or an alloy of steel, although titanium and other materials may be used. The material may be selected to withstand the high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume of an adjacent missile launch. For example, a material that has a capability of momentarily withstanding the high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume may be used. In some embodiments, the material may comprise 17-4 stainless steel or 4140 steel, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect.
In some embodiments, the finger slots 205 may be fabricated in the outer shell 306 by a machining process or by a punching process leaving fingers. These fingers may be raised to provide the spring fingers 204 by compressing the end of the outer shell 306 until a desired finger height is achieved.
In some embodiments, the inner shell 304 and the outer shell 306 of the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 may each comprise a separate metal layer. In some embodiments, the inner shell 304 and the outer shell 306 may be spot welded together and may be a two-piece rolled-formed construction. In some alternate embodiments, a single metal layer may be used.
The parameters of the aft portion 208 including a width, height and spacing of the spring fingers 204 may be selected or tuned to provide an amount of friction to initially retain the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 within the launcher tube 112 and to allow the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 to be inserted into the launcher tube 112 by a single human. In these embodiments, other parameters such as a slot width of the finger slots 205, the material thickness and the material type may also be selected to provide a predetermined amount of friction. In these embodiments, the predetermined amount of friction may also be selected to allow the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 to be pulled from the launcher tube 112 by the missile 106 during launch after sliding onto a split ring.
Accordingly, the external slots 104 are not only protected from a high-temperature, high-pressure gas plume of an adjacent or nearby missile during launch of the adjacent or nearby missile, the external slots 104 are also exposed during launch. According, if the external slots 104 are canard slots, after launch, canards may deploy from the external slots 104. In some embodiments, each missile may include three or four canards, although the scope of the embodiments is not limited in this respect. In some embodiments, the canards may comprise flight surfaces including controllable flight surfaces to allow the flight of the rocket or missile 106 to be guided or controlled.
As illustrated in
In these embodiments, the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 is configured to be held in place by the forward-tapered split ring 402 after launch and travel with the missile 106 during flight. The forward-tapered split ring 402 may be a spring ring and may be provided circumferentially around the missile 106 in front of a ledge 404 or within a recess as illustrated in
In some alternate embodiments, instead of a forward-tapered split ring 402, other elements, such as a raised ridge, may be used to hold the translating adjacent-blast shield 102 in place after launch.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims. The following claims are hereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.