Simmonds Precision Products, Inc.

Rosemount Aerospace Limited

Jason Graham

Craig R Bibeau

Robert D Rutkiewicz

Gary Willenbring

Owen Daniel Evans

Neal R Whatcott

A heatsink system includes a heatsink plate having a first set of slots defined in a first face thereof and a second set of slots defined in a second face thereof opposite the first face. The first and second sets of slots are configured to house phase change material (PCM) therein.

Phase change material (PCM) heatsinks

A heatsink can include a body, one or more thermal fin arrays defined by and/or extending from the body, and a phase change material disposed in contact with the one or more fin arrays. The phase change material can be configured to be a first phase in a cool state and a second phase in a heated state. The phase change material is configured to be cooled back to the solid state.

Heatsinks comprising a phase change material

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a system includes a reinforcement structure configured to seat in an air gap between one or more solder balls of a ball grid array of a surface mount packaging component. The reinforcement structure is configured and reduce bending of the circuit board during acceleration of the circuit board.

Reinforcement structures for surface mount packaging components

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, a thermal management system for an electronics assembly includes, a reservoir housing a compressible fluid in a compressed state, a throttling orifice disposed in fluid communication with the reservoir and configured to expand the compressible fluid, cooling the compressible fluid, and a heat exchange volume in fluid communication with the throttling orifice to receive cooled compressible fluid from the throttling orifice.

Systems and methods for cooling electronics

In accordance with at least one aspect of this disclosure, an actuation system for a guided munition, includes a reservoir disposed in a guided munition body housing a compressible fluid in a compressed state, a fluid path connecting the reservoir in fluid communication with a heat exchange volume, a throttling orifice disposed in the fluid path configured to expand the compressible fluid, and an actuation path connecting the heat exchange volume in fluid communication with a moveable component. The actuation path can be configured to supply pneumatic pressure to the moveable components.

Joule-Thompson cooler actuation systems

A system includes a guided munition having a housing. A first reservoir is defined within the housing holding a first chemical reactant. A second reservoir is defined within the housing, wherein the second reservoir holds a second chemical reactant configured to undergo an endothermic reaction with the first chemical reactant. A frangible barrier separates between the first and second reservoirs. The frangible barrier is configured to break under forces acting on the guided munition as the guided munition is fired from a weapon. An electronic device can be housed within the housing in thermal contact with at least one of the first reservoir and/or second reservoir for cooling the electronic device with an endothermic reaction upon mixing of the first and second chemical reactants.

Acceleration initiated endothermic reaction

In certain embodiments, an imaging system includes an enclosure with an objective aperture opening into an interior space of the enclosure, an optical assembly optically coupling the objective aperture to an imaging sensor within the enclosure, a spatial light modulator (SLM) mounted to the objective aperture for selectively blocking and admitting illumination through the objective aperture into the interior space, and an illuminator mounted to illuminate the interior space of the enclosure.

Spatial light modulator seeker calibration

A guided munition system includes a munition body including at least one fluid dynamic control for changing course of the munition body in flight. A seeker onboard the munition body is operatively connected to control the at least one fluid dynamic control. The seeker includes a coded aperture imaging device facing outward from the munition body for image based control for guiding the munition body in flight.

Coded aperture seeker for navigation

A method includes forming a first image of a scene through a static coded aperture onto a sensor with the static coded aperture in a first position relative to the sensor, shifting the coded aperture to a second position relative to the sensor, and forming a second image of the scene through the static coded aperture onto the sensor with the static coded aperture in the second position. Two or more images can be formed in this way. The method includes forming a combined image by deconvolving the two or more images and combining data from the two or more images into the combined image. The combined image can be a more accurate representation of the scene than either of the first and second images.

Actuated static masks for coded aperture imaging

A method includes forming an image of a scene on a sensor through a coded aperture, wherein the coded aperture and sensor are optically coupled within an imaging platform to form a superpositioned, physically encoded image of the scene on the sensor. The method includes generating raw image data from the sensor representative of the superpositioned, physically encoded image of the scene, and transmitting the raw image data to a platform remote from the imaging platform so the raw data is encrypted during transmission. The method can include using the platform remote from the imaging platform to deconvolve the superpositioned, physically encoded image into a decoded image.

Secure image transmission

Apparatus and associated methods relate to creating corrected images of a scene for a terminal-imaging seeker using an electrically-controllable coded-aperture mask pattern embodied in a programmable spatial light modulator. The coded-aperture mask pattern includes a plurality of pinhole-like apertures, each of which is configured to perform pinhole-like lensing of the scene. The plurality of pinhole-like apertures form a multiplex of overlapping images on a focal plane array aligned with the optical axis. An image processor reconstructs, based on a configuration of the plurality of pinhole-like apertures and the multiplex of overlapping images, a single image of the scene.

Terminal-imaging seeker using a spatial light modulator based coded-aperture mask

A circuit card assembly (CCA) stack includes a first circuit card assembly (CCA) with circuit components mounted thereto, wherein the first CCA includes a power contact and a return contact for powering the first CCA. A plurality of additional CCAs in a stack with the first CCA, wherein each CCA in the plurality of additional CCAs includes respective power and return contacts, and wherein each CCA in the plurality of additional CCAs includes a first aperture and a second aperture for passage of power buses. The first power bus can include one or more power wires bonded to power contacts of the CCAs, and one or more return wires bonded to return contacts of the CCAs.

Cascading power bus for circuit card assembly stacks

An optical system configured to counteract vibrations due to a munitions launch includes a cylindrical optical lens stack. The system also includes an accelerometer attached to the lens stack and connected to a control system and power supply. The system further includes a mechanical actuator attached to the lens stack and connected to a control system and power supply. The mechanical actuator is a piezoelectric actuator.

Active isolation for seeker optics

An optical lens stack includes an inner ring of a mounting structure containing axially spaced circumferential lens mounting surfaces on an inside diameter of the inner ring. The inner ring further includes a groove over a fixed axial length on the outer diameter. An outer ring formed to fit over the inner ring contains a groove on the inner diameter of the outer ring that corresponds to the groove on the inner ring and forms a circumferential cavity when the outer ring is mounted on the inner ring. The resulting cavity is filled with an energy absorbing material and serves as a vibration isolator for the lens stack.

Growing community of inventors

Prior Lake, MN, United States of America

Jason Graham