Raytheon Company

Martin Allen Kebschull

John Christopher Parine

Rudolph Adolph Eisentraut

Richard Dryer

Jeffrey H Koessler

Juan A Perez

Purnachandra R Gogineni

A missile has fins that rotate about a single axis to deploy from a stowed position to a deployed position. A foil longitudinal axis of each fin is angled relative to a shaft of the fin, such that a single-axis rotation of the shaft moves the foil from the stowed position to a deployed position. A coil spring may provide both torsion and compression forces to rotate the fin into the deployed position and lock it into place. Torsion rotates the shaft until it reaches a seat on a bushing that is around the shaft. Then compression forces from the spring engage a keyed protrusion on the shaft with a corresponding keyway in the bushing, locking the shaft in place. There may be an additional lock once the fin is deployed, such as a spring-loaded pin in the missile body that engages a depression in the shaft.

Single-axis fin deployment system

A deployment mechanism () in combination with a missile (), guided projectile () or other ordnance that automatically pivots and rotates a fin () from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism () includes a tubular cam () having a retention mechanism () that retains the fin () simply and reliably in the stowed orientation. The tubular cam also guides the fin () quickly to the deployed orientation.

Deployment mechanism for stowable fins

A missile in combination with a deployment mechanism that automatically pivots and rotates a fin from a stowed orientation to a deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism includes a spring that provides a biasing force that urges the fin to move quickly, simply and reliably from the stowed orientation to the deployed orientation. The deployment mechanism also includes one or more cams or the like for guiding the fin from the stowed orientation to the deployed orientation.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Martin Allen Kebschull