MITIGATING RECOIL IN A BALLISTIC ROBOT

• US 20110000363A1
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Published: 01/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flir Detection, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: iRobot Corporation, More Industries, LLC
• Inventors: More, Grinnell
• Granted Patent: US 7,878,105 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 89/43.01
• CPC Class Codes: F41A 25/04 adjustable , e.g. in relation to the elevation of the gun
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 11/16 Self-propelled mine-clearing vehicles; Mine-clearing devices attachable to vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F41H 7/005 Unmanned ground vehicles, i.e. robotic, remote controlled or autonomous, mobile platforms carrying equipment for performing a military or police role, e.g. weapon systems or reconnaissance sensors F41H11/16 takes precedence

Abstract

Recoil mitigating devices and methods for use with projectile firing systems such as a disrupter mounted to a robotic arm. A pair of parallel spring provides dampening of axial recoil movement of the disrupter relative to the robotic arm. Forward ends of the springs are attachable to the barrel of the disrupter while rearward portions of the springs are attachable to the robotic arm by a robot mount block. The robot mount block at least partially encloses the barrel of the disrupter in connecting the parallel springs and permits axial movement of the disrupter along or through the mount during firing.

Claims

1. A disrupter recoil mitigation device for use with a robot support platform, the device comprising:

first and second gas spring assemblies mountable in substantially parallel alignment with a barrel of a disrupter, the first and second gas spring assemblies spaced to accommodate the barrel of the disrupter between the first and second gas spring assemblies, wherein the first and second gas spring assemblies each comprise a gas cylinder and a piston rod, wherein the piston rod is slideably received within the gas cylinder, the piston rod defining a distal end extending outwardly from the gas cylinder;

a disrupter mount connected to one of the gas cylinder and the distal end of the piston rod; and

a robot mount block connected to the other of the gas cylinder and the distal end of the piston rod, the robot mount block configured for mounting to a robotic support platform, wherein the robot mount block is configured to at least partially enclose the barrel of a disrupter when the disrupter is mounted between the spring elements and is further configured to permit axial disrupter movement during discharge of the disrupter.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the disrupter mount is connectable to a forward section of a barrel of a disrupter.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the robot mount block is connectable to a robotic arm.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the disrupter mount comprises a barrel clamp configured to apply clamping forces to a disrupter barrel.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the barrel clamp comprises a barrel clamp base and a barrel clamp cap, the barrel clamp base and barrel clamp cap together defining complimentary clamping surfaces.

6. The device of claim 4 wherein the robot mount block comprises opposing sides each defining a clamping surface for clamping the gas cylinder of one of the first and second gas spring assemblies, and further comprising first and second robot mount block clamps attachable to the robot mount block to secure the first and second gas spring assemblies to the robot mount block.

7. The device of claim 4 further comprising a supplemental support for supporting the first and second gas spring assemblies and spaced apart from the robot mount block to reduce pitching during discharge of the disrupter.

8. A projectile launcher recoil mitigation device for use with a robot support platform, the device comprising:

a rail assembly comprising first and second rails in substantially parallel alignment and each having a forward end and a rearward end;

a rail slider carriage defining first and second rail apertures to receive the first and second rails respectively so as to be slidably moveable relative the first and second rails, wherein the rail slider carriage is configured to at least partially enclose a disrupter between the first and second rails and is further configured to allow axial movement of the carriage along the disrupter barrel during recoil of the disrupter;

first and second springs disposed respectively along the first and second rails and configured to bias the carriage towards one of the first and second ends of the first and second rails and to compress to dampen recoil forces during discharge of a disrupter;

a disrupter mount connected to one of the rail assembly and the rail slider carriage; and

a robot mount connected to the other of the rail assembly and the rail slider carriage.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the disrupter mount is connectable to a PAN disrupter.

10. The device of claim 8 wherein the robot mount is connectable to a robotic arm.

11. The device of claim 8 wherein the disrupter mount comprises a barrel clamp configured to apply clamping forces to a disrupter barrel.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the barrel clamp comprises a barrel clamp base and a barrel clamp cap, together defining a cylindrical barrel clamping surface.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising a compliant stop connected to one of the rail assembly and the carriage to limit movement of the carriage along the rail assembly.

14. The device of claim 8 wherein the disrupter mount includes first and second barrel clamps attachable to the rail assembly at the first and second ends of the first and second rails.

15. The device of claim 8 further comprising a gas spring attached to the carriage in parallel with the rail assembly to further dampen bi-directional movement of the carriage along the rail assembly.

16. In combination, an ordnance disrupter and a disrupter recoil mitigation device, the disrupter recoil mitigation device comprising:

first and second gas spring assemblies mountable in substantially parallel alignment with a barrel of a disrupter, the first and second gas spring assemblies spaced to accommodate the barrel of the disrupter between the first and second gas spring assemblies, wherein the first and second gas spring assemblies each comprise a gas cylinder and a piston rod, wherein the piston rod is slideably received within the gas cylinder, the piston rod defining a distal end extending outwardly from the gas cylinder;

a disrupter mount connected to one of the gas cylinder and the distal end of the piston rod; and

a robot mount block connected to the other of the gas cylinder and the distal end of the piston rod, the robot mount block configured for mounting to a robotic support platform, wherein the robot mount block is configured to at least partially enclose the barrel of a disrupter when the disrupter is mounted between the spring elements and is further configured to permit axial disrupter movement during discharge of the disrupter.

17. A method of mitigating recoil exerted on a robotic support platform during firing of a disrupter, the method comprising the steps of:

mounting first portions of a pair of spring elements to the barrel of the disrupter, the spring elements being substantially parallel to the barrel;

mounting second portions of the spring elements to the robotic support platform;

biasing the barrel in a forward position relative to the robotic support platform; and

compressing the spring elements as the disrupter is discharged to mitigate recoil transfer to the robotic support platform.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the spring elements comprise at least one of gas springs and coil springs.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein mounting the second portions of the spring elements includes positioning the barrel of the disrupter in a passage in a robot mounting block such that the barrel of the disrupter moves rearward through the passage during compression of the spring elements.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein mounting second portions of the spring elements includes supporting the spring elements at multiple axially spaced locations to resist pitching of the spring elements during discharge of the disrupter.