Protection covering for folded tail fin of projectile

• US 10,458,768 B1
• Filed: 05/17/2019
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Agency For Defense Development (Government of The Republic of China)
• Original Assignee: Agency For Defense Development (Government of The Republic of China)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin-Seok, Choi, Jae-Hyun, Kang, Byung-Duk
• Primary Examiner(s): Freeman, Joshua E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cochran, Bridget A
• Application Number:
  US16/416,087
• Publication Number:
  US 20190353468A1
• Time in Patent Office: 165 Days
• Field of Search: 102520
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 10/14 using fins spread or deployed after launch, e.g. after leaving the barrel
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 14/064 Sabots enclosing the rear end of a kinetic energy projectile, i.e. having a closed disk shaped obturator base and petals extending forward from said base

Abstract

A protection covering for folded tail fins of a projectile. The protection covering is installed to surround outer portion of the folded tail fins of the projectile and protects the tail fins against external high pressure, whereby the tail fins are not damaged even at high pressure generated in a launching process of the projectile. After the launch of the projectile, the protection covering is separated from the projectile by the pressure applied on the inner side surface of the circular plate portion of the protection covering by the accumulated combustion gas inside the air pocket. The protection covering is automatically separated from the projectile without providing any other mechanical structure immediately after the launch of the projectile, thereby providing an effect to allow the tail fins to be deployed quickly and economically.

Claims

1. A protection covering for folded tail fins of a projectile, the protection covering, for protecting the folded tail fins provided at a rear end of a projectile, comprising:

a body portion having a cylindrical shape and having an inner part into which a portion of the projectile having tail fins installed thereat is inserted, wherein the tail fins are constrained;

a circular plate portion provided at a rear end of the body portion to close the rear end of the body portion; and

a combustion gas suction hole provided at a center of the circular plate portion so as to be coaxial with the circular plate portion, wherein the rear end of the projectile is configured open;

a plurality of inner grooves each having a space corresponding to depth and width of each of the inner grooves is provided between the rear end of the projectile and each inner groove provided on the inner side surface of the circular plate portion of the protection covering;

when the projectile is inserted into the body portion, the rear end of the projectile being open is closed by the circular plate portion, wherein the inner side of the rear end portion of the projectile becomes an air pocket; and

after the projectile moves away from a gun barrel, the accumulated combustion gas flowed into the air pocket through the combustion gas suction hole during the launch of the projectile automatically separates the protection covering from the projectile by pressure applied on the inner side surface of the circular plate portion, wherein the plurality of inner grooves are provided in radial directions from the combustion gas suction hole on the inner side surface of the circular plate portion so as to increase an area of the inner side surface of the circular plate portion on which the pressure is applied in a direction to separate the protection covering.

2. The protection covering of claim 1, wherein, when the projectile is inserted into the body portion, the rear end of the projectile is positioned in close contact with the inner surface of the circular plate.

3. The protection covering of claim 1, the body portion includes a first end portion being a portion with a predetermined length from the rear end toward a front end of the body portion, a second end portion being a portion with a predetermined length from the first end portion toward the front end of the body portion, and a third end portion being a portion from the second end portion to the front end of the body portion.

4. The protection covering of claim 3, wherein an inner diameter of the body portion is constant within a range until reaching the third end portion starting from the first end portion of the body portion.

5. The protection covering of claim 3, wherein, in the body portion, the third end portion is configured to have a greater thickness than the first end portion.

6. The protection covering of claim 3, wherein the second end portion is configured such that a thickness thereof is gradually increased as approaching toward the third end portion from the first end portion.

7. The protection covering of claim 1, wherein the inner grooves are configured in a symmetrical shape.

8. The protection covering of claim 1, wherein, when the plurality of inner grooves is provided in the circular plate portion, angles between adjacent inner grooves are configured to be the same to each other.

9. The protection covering of claim 1, wherein each of the inner grooves is an elliptical shape.