The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 15, 1994
Filed:
Aug. 02, 1991
Charles M DeLair, Tucson, AZ (US);
Russell B Cline, Tucson, AZ (US);
Hughes Aircraft Company, Los Angeles, CA (US);
Abstract
A control fin actuator (28) for a guided missile (20) includes a pressure actuator (40) having a slidable piston (44) inside a housing (42). Rolling diaphragm seals (50, 56) of the top piston face (46) and the bottom piston face (48) to the inside wall of the housing (42) divide the interior of the housing (42) into at least two chambers (54, 58). The rolling diaphragm seals (50, 56) eliminate sliding friction as the piston (44) moves within the housing. The two chambers (54, 58) are controllably pressurized to slide the piston (44) within the housing (42), thereby moving a push rod (78) attached to the piston (44) and extending out of the housing (42). The push rod (78) is connected to a missile control fin output shaft (24) by a taut band connector (80) that avoids backlash. A magnet (86) may be positioned adjacent to the push rod (78) to induce eddy currents in the push rod (78), thereby providing a damping force that increases with increasing rate of movement. Pressure in the control chamber (54) is achieved by operating the inlet valve (70) and the exhaust valve (72) in response to feedback information from a rotary position sensor (29), a linear position sensor (88), and/or pressure sensors (90, 92).