Raytheon Company

Alfred Sorvino

Randy Thompson

Hilario Tejeda

Christopher P Owan

Donald N McDuffee

A connection joint includes a first plate (), a second plate (), and connection members (). The connection members are coupled to the first plate and the second plate and positioned between the first plate and the second plate. The connection members are configured to resist rotation of the first plate with respect to the second plate around a first axis and allow a compression or expansion of the first plate with respect to the second plate on the first axis.

Anti-rotation isolator

A coupling between a device and a mating part includes an elastic material and perhaps a tensioner coupled to the elastic material. The elastic material is wrapped around at least part of the device. The tensioner or other method is used to stretch the elastic material, thereby reducing the thickness of the elastic material. With the thickness of the elastic material reduced by the stretching, the device is inserted into a hole in a mating part. Then the tension on the elastic material is removed, allowing the elastic material to increase in thickness, so as to fill at least part of the gap between the device and the mating part. The coupling may act as an effective heat transfer device for transmitting (by conduction) heat produced by the heat-producing device, to the mating part, which may act as, or be thermally coupled to, a heat sink.

Method of coupling a device to a mating part

A fin lock device ( ) for a missile. The device ( ) provides a mechanism for locking a missile fin ( ) by grasping an edge of the fin ( ) and a mechanism ( ) for retracting the locking mechanism ( ) to release the fin ( ). The fin ( ) is grasped by a notch ( ) therein adapted to receive the edge of the fin ( ). The piston ( ) is retracted by burning a pyrotechnic powder in a cavity adjacent to the piston ( ) to fill the cavity with gas and create a pressure differential to force the piston ( ) away from the fin.

Fin lock system

An in-line multi-plug self-aligning electrical connector assembly includes a receptacle, and a pair of connectors that matingly engage the receptacle. The receptacle has an alignment feature on a mating face of an end of the receptacle which mates with mates with the connectors. In an exemplary embodiment, the alignment feature is a wedge-shaped protrusion which corresponds in cross-sectional shape to one of the connectors. The receptacle may be cylindrical, and the connectors may be complimentary such that when engaging the receptacle they together form a cylindrical shape. The connectors may be coupled to different components. In an exemplary embodiment one of the connectors is electrically connected to a motor of a missile fin actuator and the other of the connectors is electrically connected to a potentiometer of the actuator.

In-line multi-plug self-aligning connector

Self aligning, blind mating connector bodies are provided for connecting to mating connector bodies. One embodiment of the connector body has an annular housing with two slots disposed 180 degrees apart. An inner body has two dowel pins disposed at locations corresponding to the slots in the annular housing. A compliant O-ring is disposed between and is resiliently coupled to the inner body and the annular housing. The inner body is free to rotate relative to the annular housing about an axis defined by the dowel pins to provide single axis gimbal motion. Another embodiment of the connector body has an annular housing with two holes disposed 180 degrees apart. An inner body has two dowel pins disposed at locations corresponding to the holes in the annular housing. An external housing ring is connected to the annular housing using a second pair of dowel pins located 180 degrees apart that are disposed at 90 degrees with respect to the first set of dowel pins. In this embodiment, the inner body is free to rotate relative to the annular housing about an axis defined by the first pair of dowel pins, and the annular housing is free to rotate relative to the external housing ring about an axis defined by the second pair of dowel pins, thus providing two axis, dual gimbal motion that allows nutation. In both instances, a pair of openings is provided in the inner body to engage a mating pair of guide pins on the mating connector body.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Alfred Sorvino