Aerial Bomb Arming Assembly Lever Arm Mechanism

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing aerial bomb arming systems face challenges in ensuring optimal positioning of the arming device for deployment due to varying lanyard fixation points on different aircraft and bomb types, leading to inefficient arming mechanisms.

Innovation Solution

An aerial bomb arming assembly featuring an air-driven turbine with a lever arm and pivotable connection, allowing translational movement along a guide, which exposes the turbine to the atmosphere for arming, and includes a lanyard for pulling the arm to deploy the turbine, ensuring correct alignment and arming even with offset fixation points.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the lanyard fixation point is positioned at a non-optimal location relative to the arming device, then the bomb can be released from various aircraft configurations, but the arming device cannot be reliably deployed into the atmosphere

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompatibility with different aircraft and bomb typesVSAvoidreliable deployment of arming device
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A lever arm acts as an intermediary mechanical element between the lanyard fixation point and the arming device. The lever arm translates the pulling force from the lanyard (applied at any fixation point along its length) into rotational motion that reliably deploys the arming device, regardless of the distance between the fixation point and the device itself

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The solution moves from a direct linear connection (lanyard to arming device) to a rotational dimension by introducing the lever arm. The lever arm pivots about a fulcrum, converting linear pull force into rotational deployment motion, thereby solving the geometric mismatch problem between various fixation points and the arming device

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Device complexity

If the arming device is positioned externally for easy deployment, then the deployment mechanism is simple, but the internal space of the bomb is insufficient to accommodate the deployment mechanism

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of deployment mechanismVSAvoidinternal space of bomb
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSVolume of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The lever arm and its pivot connection are nested within the bomb's internal space. The pivot connection is positioned such that the lever arm can rotate within the available internal volume, and the arming device is deployed through this internal mechanism rather than from an external position

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Force

If the lever arm is made long to increase pulling force, then the arming device can be deployed from farther fixation points, but the internal space required increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepulling force on arming deviceVSAvoidspace required by lever arm
Core Design Contradiction:
ForceVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lever arm is segmented into two functional portions: a first portion that translates along the guide rod within the bomb's internal space, and a second portion that extends externally to provide the pulling force. This segmentation allows the lever arm to achieve sufficient external leverage while minimizing the internal volume occupied

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The solution enables reliable and consistent arming of aerial bombs by ensuring the turbine is exposed to the atmosphere, generating an electrical current for fuze activation, regardless of the lanyard's position relative to the arming device, enhancing the bomb's operational readiness.

Implementation Method 1

an air driven turbine, which is arranged to rotate and generate an electrical current when exposed to atmosphere

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentEP3746735B1Weapon delivery system
Publication Date: 2021.12.22 PORTSMOUTH AVIATION
  • EP3746735B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3746735B1 patent drawingFigure 1A
  • EP3746735B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An aerial bomb arming assembly, which comprises an air driven arming device (2), and the air driven arming device comprises a turbine which is arranged to rotate and generate an electrical current when exposed to atmosphere, and the turbine arranged for transition from a stowed condition to a deployed condition, and the assembly further comprising a lever arm (12) which comprises a first end (13a), a second end (13b) and an arm portion (14), and the first end is connected to the arm portion by way of a pivotable connection (15), and the first end is arranged for translational movement along a guide(20), and the second end of the arm portion arranged to provide a pulling force to the device when the first end translates on the guide.