A control surface deployment apparatus having a base part, a drive actuator operably installed adjacent to the base part and having a drive actuator shaft extending beyond the base part, a knuckle part installed on the drive actuator shaft so as to selectively rotate therewith, a hinge part pivotally installed on the knuckle part as through a hinge pin, a fin rigidly installed on the hinge part so as to extend away from the knuckle part, and a spring biasing element configured to pivotally bias the hinge part relative to the knuckle part.

A control surface deployment apparatus having a base part, a drive actuator operably installed adjacent to the base part and having a drive actuator shaft extending beyond the base part, a knuckle part installed on the drive actuator shaft so as to selectively rotate therewith, a hinge part pivotally installed on the knuckle part as through a hinge pin, a fin rigidly installed on the hinge part so as to extend away from the knuckle part, and a spring biasing element configured to pivotally bias the hinge part relative to the knuckle part.

The present invention is broadly directed to an unmanned surface vessel (USV) 10 broadly comprising: 1. a vessel body (12) adapted to contain a payload (14); 2. a front fin (16) and a rear fin (18) connected to and protruding from the vessel body (12); 3. a forward foil (20) and a rearward foil (22) connected to a distal end region of the respective front and rear fins (16) and (18); 4. propulsion means (24) operatively coupled to the rear fin (18) for propulsion of the fin (18) and the foil (22) through the water.

A nose or tail assembly for a flight vehicle is provided in which the deployment of the canards or fins is driven by energy imparted by the shroud when it is released. A tip section is rotatably coupled to a base, and both are stowed in a volume between the shroud and nose/tail assembly. As the shroud is released, a drive feature engages the tip section to rotate and join the base to form a complete canard or fin. This eliminates the need for storing the canards or fins in or wrapped around the body and eliminates the need for a complex deployment mechanism occupying an internal volume of the body. Although viable for all sizes of flight vehicles, the shroud-driven deployment system scales to very small diameter vehicles in which internal volume is not available to store either flight surfaces or deployment mechanisms.

The present invention relates to the control of munitions, missiles and projectiles, in flight. The present invention further relates to systems and methods for control of munitions, missiles and projectiles in flight with the use of activatable or deployable flow effectors that remain stowed or inactive during launch or firing, and can be actuated after launch or firing on demand. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for control of munitions, missiles, and projectiles by activating and/or deactivating a control actuation system (CAS) based on measurements of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and sensors integrated into such IMU, the IMU and sensors being at least part of a configurable guidance sensor suite (CGSS).

The present invention relates to the control of munitions, missiles and projectiles, in flight. The present invention further relates to systems and methods for control of munitions, missiles and projectiles in flight with the use of activatable or deployable flow effectors that remain stowed or inactive during launch or firing, and can be actuated after launch or firing on demand. More specifically, the present invention relates to systems and methods for control of munitions, missiles, and projectiles by activating and/or deactivating a control actuation system (CAS) based on measurements of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and sensors integrated into such IMU, the IMU and sensors being at least part of a configurable guidance sensor suite (CGSS).

A torsion bar spring is disclosed. The torsion bar spring can include a first elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The first elongated spring bar can have a first coupling interface portion at a distal end and an interior opening oriented along a longitudinal axis. The torsion bar spring can also include a second elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The second elongated spring bar can have a second coupling interface portion at the distal end. The second elongated spring bar can be disposed at least partially in the interior opening of the first elongated spring bar. The first and second elongated spring bars can be directly coupled to one another at the first and second coupling interface portions such that uncoupled portions of the first and second elongated spring bars are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis.

A torsion bar spring is disclosed. The torsion bar spring can include a first elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The first elongated spring bar can have a first coupling interface portion at a distal end and an interior opening oriented along a longitudinal axis. The torsion bar spring can also include a second elongated spring bar made of a resiliently flexible material. The second elongated spring bar can have a second coupling interface portion at the distal end. The second elongated spring bar can be disposed at least partially in the interior opening of the first elongated spring bar. The first and second elongated spring bars can be directly coupled to one another at the first and second coupling interface portions such that uncoupled portions of the first and second elongated spring bars are rotatable relative to one another about the longitudinal axis.

A closed, self-contained ballistic apogee detection module for use in a projectile, such as a rocket, mortar round, or artillery round, fuses data from multiple built-in sensors, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope, and processes the data using a microprocessor through a custom quaternion extended Kalman filter to provide accurate state and orientation information about the projectile so as to accurately predict apogee. The module outputs a signal indicating apogee detection or prediction which they projectile uses to initiate fuze arming, targeting control, airbody transformation, maneuvering, flow effector deployment or activation, payload exposure or deployment, and/or other mission activity. Because the system and method of the invention does not rely on external environmental data to detect apogee, it need not use a pressure sensor and can be completely sealed in and closed without requiring access to air from outside the projectile for barometric readings.

A closed, self-contained ballistic apogee detection module for use in a projectile, such as a rocket, mortar round, or artillery round, fuses data from multiple built-in sensors, such as an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and a gyroscope, and processes the data using a microprocessor through a custom quaternion extended Kalman filter to provide accurate state and orientation information about the projectile so as to accurately predict apogee. The module outputs a signal indicating apogee detection or prediction which they projectile uses to initiate fuze arming, targeting control, airbody transformation, maneuvering, flow effector deployment or activation, payload exposure or deployment, and/or other mission activity. Because the system and method of the invention does not rely on external environmental data to detect apogee, it need not use a pressure sensor and can be completely sealed in and closed without requiring access to air from outside the projectile for barometric readings.