Airbag projectile for impeding surface vessel

• US 20140066236A1
• Filed: 11/14/2011
• Published: 03/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: United States Secretary of the Navy
• Original Assignee: Department of Health and Human Services (State of Victoria)
• Inventors: Gamache, Raymond M., Emenheiser, Jeffrey Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/374,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20140066236A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 473/570
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/36 for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 21/00 Depth charges F42B12/00 takes precedence; for practice or training F42B8/28; laying aspects B63G
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 3/04 for producing gas under pressure generators of inflation fluid especially adapted for vehicle air bags B60R21/26

Abstract

A projectile can be fired at a surface vessel and, upon impact, an air bag may be deployed almost instantaneously from underneath the vessel. Through the rapid inflation of the air bag, the stability and orientation of the target surface vessel may be disturbed. Disturbance, at a minimum, may reduce and change the trajectory of the surface vessel, but, in some circumstances, the surface vessel may be overturned. The air bag may be designed with an anti-slip coating to directly couple to the wet hull of the surface vessel. In some embodiments, the projectile may include a delay to enable the air bag to be positioned under the vessel before inflation thereof.

Claims

1. A projectile for impeding a surface vessel on water, said projectile comprising:

an airbag in stowed configuration, said airbag being inflatable by reactive chemicals;

a trigger mechanism for initiating reaction of said chemicals thereby causing inflation of said airbag; and

a sensor for detecting impact of the projectile in the water and to trigger said trigger mechanism to inflate said airbag under the water adjacent the vessel.

2. The projectile of claim 1, further comprising a time delay mechanism adapted to delay triggering of said trigger mechanism responsive to said sensor detects the impact of the projectile.

3. The projectile of claim 1, further comprising a heating element for heating at least one of said chemicals in said airbag.

4. The projectile of claim 3, further comprising a battery for providing electrical current to energize said heating element.

5. The projectile of claim 1, wherein said chemicals include sodium azide, potassium nitrate and silicon dioxide disposed within said airbag.

6. The projectile of claim 1, further comprising a housing encasing said airbag.

7. The projectile of claim 1, further comprising an anti-slip coating on an exterior surface of said airbag.

8. A system for impeding motion of a surface vessel on water, comprising:

a projectile having a sensor, a triggering device, and an airbag, wherein

said sensor is adapted to determine an appropriate time to inflate said airbag, and

said triggering device receives a signal from said sensor to inflate said airbag under the water adjacent the vessel.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a time delay mechanism adapted to delay triggering of said trigger mechanism responsive to said sensor detecting impact of the projectile on the water.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a heating element for heating at least one of said chemicals in said airbag.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a battery for providing electrical current to energize said heating element.

12. The system of claim 8, further comprising an anti-slip coating on an exterior surface of said airbag.

13. A method for impeding motion of a surface vessel, the method comprising:

directing a projectile toward a hull of the surface vessel;

detecting either contact of the projectile with water or contact of the projectile with a surface; and

inflating an airbag when the projectile is disposed in a position under one side of the surface vessel.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising delaying the step of inflating the airbag for a predetermined period of time after the step of detecting either contact of the projectile with water or contact of the projectile with the surface.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising heating at least one chemical inside the airbag to initiate inflation of the airbag.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising coupling the airbag, after inflation thereof, to the hull of the surface vessel with an anti-slip coating disposed on an exterior surface of the airbag.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising capsizing the surface vessel due to buoyancy of the airbag inflated under one side of the surface vessel.