A flexible round-hugging protection mechanism for a rocket or missile during transportation

Abstract

This invention discloses a flexible missile-holding protection mechanism during rocket or missile transport, comprising: a support plate; a connecting rod, one end connected to the support plate and the other end connected to a dome-shaped shell at the bottom, with a support ball in the middle; a housing for guiding the connecting rod and for mounting the dome-shaped shell, forming an air chamber between the housing and the dome-shaped shell to inflate and deflate the dome-shaped shell, achieving switching between two steady states of the dome-shaped shell; four dome-shaped shells on the sides and one on the bottom; the dome-shaped shells on the sides and bottom form a throat structure, which is sealed by the housing; in the inflated state of the air chamber, the throat structure contacts the support ball, and the elastic support of the dome-shaped shell supports the axial movement of the connecting rod, so that the missile-holding protection mechanism is in an elastically clamped state; in the negative pressure state of the air chamber, the four dome-shaped shells on the sides flip and separate from the support ball, and the bottom dome-shaped shell drives the connecting rod to retract, so that the missile-holding protection mechanism is in the open state. It provides transport protection while enabling rapid opening without affecting launch.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of rocket and missile transportation safety protection, and specifically relates to a rocket or missile holding protection mechanism. Background Technology

[0002] Large-caliber, long-range rockets and missiles are equipped with individual storage and launch containers (tubes) to achieve long-term storage and rapid loading and launch. Currently, there are two ways to connect the containers (tubes): one is with a guide rail, and the other is with an adapter. Both methods are used to constrain and guide the missile body. The adapter, made of an elastic material, is filled between the tubes and provides overload protection for the rocket or missile during transport. It moves with the missile body during launch and separates from it after exiting the tube; this is commonly seen in vertical launch systems. However, for inclined launch systems, gravity severely compresses the elastic material adapter, and due to its high coefficient of friction, the frictional resistance between the adapter and the launch tube is too high during launch, affecting launch safety and initial disturbance. Therefore, inclined launch systems often use metal guide rails with better rigidity and a lower coefficient of friction for orientation.

[0003] To avoid projectile blockage during launch, the guide rail and projectile slider are fitted with a clearance. This causes the projectile to repeatedly collide with the guide rail due to overload and bumps during transportation and hoisting. Under long-term effects, the projectile slider is prone to fatigue failure, posing a safety hazard that could cause the projectile to break free from the guide rail's constraint. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a flexible rocket-holding and protective mechanism during the transportation of rockets or missiles, which can reliably hold the projectile body and provide transportation protection, while also enabling rapid opening without affecting launch.

[0005] The technical solution to achieve the purpose of this invention is as follows:

[0006] A flexible rocket or missile protection mechanism for transport, comprising:

[0007] Support plate, used to contact the projectile to support it;

[0008] The connecting rod is connected to the support plate at one end and to the dome-shaped shell at the bottom at the other end, and can extend and retract relative to the shell; a support ball is provided in the middle, the diameter of which is larger than the size of the throat structure.

[0009] The housing is used to guide the connecting rod and to install the dome-shaped shell. An air chamber is formed between the housing and the dome-shaped shell to inflate and deflate the dome-shaped shell, thereby switching between two steady states of the dome-shaped shell.

[0010] The dome-shaped shell is made of elastic material, with four on the sides and one on the bottom. The inner walls of the dome-shaped shells on the sides and bottom form a throat structure with the shell, which is then sealed by the shell. The dome-shaped shell has two stable states: in the positive pressure state, the dome-shaped shell is in the first stable state, and the formed throat structure contacts the support ball, which elastically supports the axial movement of the connecting rod, so that the bomb-holding protection mechanism is in an elastically clamped state; in the negative pressure state, the dome-shaped shell flips under the negative pressure, forming the second stable state. The four dome-shaped shells on the sides separate from the support ball due to the flipping, and the bottom dome-shaped shell drives the connecting rod to retract, so that the bomb-holding protection mechanism is in the open state.

[0011] The significant advantages of this invention compared to existing technologies are:

[0012] (1) The contact between the bomb-holding mechanism of the present invention and the rocket or missile is flexible, which can achieve buffering and avoid rigid impact. The principle of buffering by the flexible bomb-holding mechanism is that when the metal connecting rod of the bomb-holding mechanism is hit by the projectile, the rigid ball on it will compress the elastic dome-shaped shell on the side, and the elastic dome-shaped shell connected to the connecting rod at the bottom will also be compressed. The dome-shaped shell deforms and provides elastic force to achieve buffering.

[0013] (2) The opening and closing function of the spring-holding mechanism of the present invention utilizes the bistable characteristics of the dome-shaped shell, eliminating the need for an additional opening mechanism. Under the driving load, the dome-shaped shells on the sides can quickly rotate inwards. During this rotation, the dome-shaped shells on the sides no longer obstruct the movement of the metal ball on the connecting rod, and the connecting rod opens as the bottom dome-shaped shell rotates. All the dome-shaped shells remain stable after rotation, preventing the metal connecting rod from rebounding. Therefore, the spring-holding mechanism of the present invention does not require a continuous power supply.

[0014] (3) The metal outer shell and the dome-shaped shell of the bomb-holding mechanism of the present invention form a sealed air chamber. By controlling the pressure in the air chamber, the dome-shaped shell can be rotated, thereby realizing the opening and closing of the bomb-holding mechanism. Adjusting the pressure in the air chamber can also adjust the rigidity of the structure, thereby adjusting the load-bearing capacity of the bomb-holding mechanism. Using gas as the drive eliminates the need for a complex drive mechanism, and has the advantages of being simple, reliable, and easy to control. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the closed working condition of the spring-loaded mechanism;

[0016] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the operating condition of the spring-loaded mechanism;

[0017] Figure 3 This is an isometric drawing of the overall explosive mechanism;

[0018] Figure 4 This is an isometric view of the interior of the bomb-holding mechanism;

[0019] Figure 5 This is a cross-sectional view of the spring-loaded mechanism in its closed state.

[0020] Figure 6 Open state sectional view of the spring-loaded mechanism;

[0021] Figure 7 This is an axonometric view of a dome-shaped bistable shell.

[0022] The diagram shows: 1. Rocket / missile body; 2. Slider; 3. Guide rail; 4. Buffer pad; 1-1. Metal support plate; 1-2. Metal outer shell; 1-3. Metal connecting rod; 1-4. Dome-shaped shell; 1-5. Metal support ball; 1-6. Metal support frame; 1-7. Connecting vent; 1-8. Guide hole; 1-9. Air inlet; 1-10. Air chambers; 1-11 and 1-12. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present invention will be further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0024] This invention provides a missile holding mechanism for large-caliber rockets or missiles that use guide rails for orientation, which provides protection for the missile body during transportation and prevents the missile body slider from repeatedly colliding with the guide rail.

[0025] The missile holding mechanism 1 is installed in pairs between the missile body 2 and the launch box, with one end fixed to the side wall of the launch box and the other end in contact with the missile body 2. Figure 1 The diagram illustrates the working condition where the rocket-holding mechanism 1 closes to hold the missile body 2 during storage and transportation. Figure 2 The diagram shows the working condition of the rocket or missile before launch, where the holding mechanism 1 is activated and detaches from the missile body 2.

[0026] The overall structure of the spring-holding mechanism 1 is as follows: Figure 3 As shown. A buffer pad 1-1 made of elastic material is attached to the metal support plate 1-2 at the upper end of the bomb-holding mechanism linkage. Its function is to prevent rigid contact between the bomb-holding mechanism 1 and the projectile 2. After removing the metal outer shell 1-3 of the bomb-holding mechanism 1, the internal structure of the bomb-holding mechanism 1 is as follows. Figure 4As shown; the internal structure of the bomb-holding mechanism 1 consists of four square dome-shaped shells 1-5 connected to each other on the sides and one at the bottom, forming a cubic structure with narrow throats; the square dome-shaped shells 1-5 are also made of elastic material and have two stable states; the metal frame 1-7 set around the perimeter and bottom encloses the cubic structure formed by the dome-shaped shells to enhance the rigidity of the edges of the dome-shaped shells 1-5; the bottom dome-shaped shell 1-5 is connected to the connecting rod 1-4, and a metal support ball 1-6 with a diameter larger than the throat size is designed in the middle of the connecting rod, which contacts the dome-shaped shells 1-5 on the sides; the metal outer shell 1-3 seals the internal structure, forming two air chambers 1-11 and 1-12 on the sides and bottom, which are connected by four connecting air holes 1-8 located at the bottom. A cross-sectional view of the bomb-holding mechanism 1 in the closed state is shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the bottom of the metal outer shell 1-3 has an air inlet 1-10 to allow gas flow, thereby changing the pressure inside the air chamber. The upper cover plate of the metal outer shell 1-3 has a connecting rod guide hole 1-9 to guide the connecting rod 1-4. When the air chamber is filled with air, the internal pressure is positive, and the clutch mechanism is in the clutching state. When the air chamber is deflated, the internal pressure becomes negative (relative to ambient pressure), the dome-shaped shell flips over, and the clutch mechanism is in the open state.

[0027] Due to the large mass of large-caliber projectiles, multiple pairs of holding mechanisms can be used to jointly bear the significant inertial impact from the projectile body 2 during transport overload. Furthermore, the projectile body 2 has a limited range of movement under the constraint of the guide rail 4. To increase the reaction force generated by the holding mechanism 1 within its limited stroke, it is necessary to pre-compress the holding mechanism 1 during installation and increase the structural rigidity by increasing the air chamber pressure. The installation process of the holding mechanism 1 is described in detail below.

[0028] Step 1: Position six pairs of missile-holding mechanisms 1 at equal intervals between the front and rear sliders of the rocket and missile, and install them on both sides of the launch box. The missile-holding mechanism 1 has a certain angle with the horizontal direction to protect against both lateral and longitudinal overloads of the missile body.

[0029] Step 2: The air in the air chamber of the spring mechanism is drawn back by the air pump, causing the bistable shell 1-5 to contract under the action of the internal and external pressure difference, and driving the connecting rod 1-4 to contract until the stroke of the connecting rod 1-4 reaches the designed pre-compression amount.

[0030] Step 3: Install the rockets and missiles into place.

[0031] Step 4: Readjust the air chamber pressure to the ambient pressure, so that the connecting rod 1-4 of the bomb-holding mechanism extends under the elastic restoring force of the dome-shaped shell 1-5 and comes into contact with the projectile 2.

[0032] Step 5: Inflate the air chamber with air using an air pump to increase the air chamber pressure until it reaches the design pressure.

[0033] Through the above steps, the missile holding mechanism 1 is installed in place and in a holding state. When the launch box is overloaded during transportation, the rocket or missile impacts the missile holding mechanism under inertia. The connecting rod 1-4 of the missile holding mechanism contracts, and the metal support ball 1-6 in the middle of the connecting rod compresses the elastic dome-shaped shell 1-5 on the side. The dome-shaped shell connected to the connecting rod at the bottom is also compressed. The bistable elastic dome-shaped shell 1-5 generates elastic reaction force under its own deformation and the pressure of the air chamber, which is transmitted to the missile body 2 through the connecting rod 1-4, restricting the movement of the rocket or missile, thereby preventing the missile body slider 3 from impacting the guide rail 4, and also playing a buffering role.

[0034] During launch, to avoid excessive frictional resistance between the missile holding mechanism 1 and the missile body 2, which could affect initial disturbance and launch safety, the missile holding mechanism 1 needs to be disengaged from the missile body 2. The gas inside the missile holding mechanism 1 is drawn back by an air pump, causing the dome-shaped shell 1-5 to concave inwards (relative to the outward convexity of the shell) under the pressure difference between the inside and outside. As the side dome-shaped shells concave inwards, the movement of the metal support balls 1-6 is no longer obstructed, and the connecting rod 1-4 retracts under the action of the bottom dome-shaped shell until the dome-shaped shell flips to the second steady state, thus opening the missile holding mechanism.

[0035] The principle of bistable dome-shaped shells is as follows: during the inward concavity process, the shell's surface undergoes bending deformation. As the deformation increases, the accumulated bending deformation energy is gradually released inward (outward on the convex side) until the internal energy of the dome-shaped shell reaches a stable state, at which point the dome-shaped shell reaches another stable state. This process is similar to flipping half of an elastic spherical shell inward and outward. This characteristic is determined by the shell's own geometry and does not depend on external factors. Figure 6 The diagram shows a cross-sectional view of the explosive mechanism 1 in the open state after the air chamber pressure returns to ambient pressure. The dome-shaped shell is in a second steady state and can maintain stability without continuous external drive.

[0036] When reloading is required, after loading is complete, the clutch mechanism 1 can be restored to a closed and clamped state by inflating the air chamber of the clutch mechanism.

Claims

1. A flexible rocket-holding and protective mechanism during the transport of rockets or missiles, characterized in that, include: Support plate, used to contact the projectile to support it; The connecting rod is connected to the support plate at one end and to the dome-shaped shell at the bottom at the other end, and can extend and retract relative to the shell; a support ball is provided in the middle, the diameter of which is larger than the size of the throat structure. The housing is used to guide the connecting rod and to install the dome-shaped shell. An air chamber is formed between the housing and the dome-shaped shell to inflate and deflate the dome-shaped shell, thereby switching between two steady states of the dome-shaped shell. The dome-shaped shell is made of elastic material, with four on the sides and one on the bottom. The inner walls of the dome-shaped shells on the sides and bottom form a throat structure with the shell and are sealed by the shell. The dome-shaped shell has two stable structures: in the positive pressure state of the air chamber, the dome-shaped shell is in the first stable state, and the formed throat structure is in contact with the support ball to elastically support the axial movement of the connecting rod, so that the explosive protection mechanism is in an elastic clamping state. Under negative pressure, the dome-shaped shell flips over, forming a second stable state. The four dome-shaped shells on the sides separate from the supporting ball due to the flipping, and the bottom dome-shaped shell drives the connecting rod to retract, putting the bomb-holding protection mechanism into the open state.

2. The flexible rocket-holding protection mechanism during the transport of rockets or missiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two air chambers are connected by multiple connecting vents located at the bottom.

3. The flexible rocket-holding protection mechanism during the transport of rockets or missiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dome-shaped shell has a frame around its edge to enclose the cubic structure formed by the dome-shaped shell.

4. The flexible rocket-holding protection mechanism during the transport of rockets or missiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support plate is equipped with a cushioning pad.

5. The flexible rocket-holding protection mechanism during the transport of rockets or missiles according to claim 1, characterized in that, They are installed in pairs between the projectile and the launch box, at an angle to the horizontal direction, to protect against both lateral and longitudinal overloads of the projectile.

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