WO2017213599A1

WO2017213599A1 - A modular seeker head

Info

Publication number: WO2017213599A1
Application number: PCT/TR2016/050174
Authority: WO
Inventors: Emre YENIGUN; Ufuk DOGAN
Original assignee: Aselsan Elektronik Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2016-06-09
Filing date: 2016-06-09
Publication date: 2017-12-14
Also published as: TR201807025U5

Abstract

The present invention is related to a modular seeker head (1) for easy installation, the seeker head comprising; a front part (2) having a cylindrical casing and domed portion in one end of the cylindrical casing, a rear part (3) having a cylindrical casing and having a connector providing power/data connection with electrical/electronical systems of an aircraft system, a middle part (4) having a cylindrical casing and located between the front part (2) and the rear part (3), a plurality of panel type connector (5) which are located on a bottom wall (B) of the front part (2) in the opposite side of the domed portion, a bottom wall (B) and a top wall (T) of the middle part (4) and a top wall (T) of the rear part (3) and providing electrical/data connections between the parts by means of electrical/data connection pins and sockets in a casing depending on the type of connector, a plug & play module (6) which is located on an inner wall of the middle part (4) and providing a plurality of electronic cards (E) to be easily inserted and removed, a plurality of guiding rods providing to align the panel type connectors (5) on the front part (2), the rear part (3) and the middle part (4) for connecting of them to each other by keeping them in the same axis.

Description

A MODULAR SEEKER HEAD

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to easy installation and improving EMC/EMI performance of a modular seeker head. Background of the Invention

Missiles, projectiles, aircrafts and the like that use a seeker head in order to track and follow a target. A common seeker head used in the prior art comprises three main parts; domed part, middle part and rear part. For working on them, these parts need to be disassembled into separated parts. In these parts there are many small sized sub-units that make engineering and design more difficult since the sub-units in the main parts are connected to each other via cables. During the process that these sub-units are being brought together in the seeker, cables are cut before pushed into the seeker for reducing unnecessary cable mesh. Because of this cutting process, the seeker head cannot be disassembled again and in this case, changing sub-units of the parts can be problematic.

United States Patent document no US4520973A, discloses a missile seeker head with stabilized gimbal platform. The electrical connections in the seeker head are made through miniature coaxial connectors and multi-pin rectangular connectors and all the interconnecting wires are routed back to an electronic section. In the patent document, routing back to all wires to electronic cards causes a cable mess problem. Therefore disassembling the main parts for working on each of them individually gets difficult. Summary of the Invention

The objective of the present invention is to provide a modular seeker head, which enables to be disassembled easily into three main parts by being connected together via panel type connectors instead of cables for reducing cable mesh.

With the claimed invention three separated main parts; a front part, a middle part and a rear part, are independent and can be disassembled by pulling each one from others to opposite direction. If desired, problematic parts in any of each part can be removed and the parts can be installed again. Since the parts can be removed, any engineer related to each part can work on it individually.

In addition, the all cards used in the missile seeker head are designed modular as well. This design is inspired by the Plug & Play function of drawer logic and the cards in the middle part can be removed/inserted. This function enables to maintain and to test cards in the seeker head more easily.

Since the middle part is like a closed aluminum box, this structure acts as a Faraday Cage and the EMC/EMI performance of the seeker head is improved a lot. Thus, the inventive seeker head can pass EMC/EMI tests.

Detailed Description of the Invention A modular seeker head developed to fulfill the objectives of the present invention is illustrated in the accompanying figures, in which:

Figure 1 is the perspective view of the modular seeker head.

Figure 2 is the schematic view of the modular seeker head

The components shown in the figure are each given reference numbers as follows: 1. Seeker head

2. Front part

3. Rear part

4. Middle part

5. Panel type connector

6. Plug & play module

E. Electronic card

C. Cable

T. Top wall

B. Bottom wall

A modular seeker head (1), comprising;

a front part (2) having a cylindrical casing and domed portion in one end of the cylindrical casing;

a rear part (3) having a cylindrical casing and having a connector providing power/data connection with electrical/electronical systems of an aircraft system;

a middle part (4) having a cylindrical casing and located between the front part (2) and the rear part (3);

a plurality of panel type connector (5) which are located on a bottom wall (B) of the front part (2) in the opposite side of the domed portion, a bottom wall (B) and a top wall (T) of the middle part (4) and a top wall (T) of the rear part

(3) , and providing electrical/data connections between the parts by means of electrical/data connection pins or sockets disposed in a casing depending on the male/female type of the connector used;

a plug & play module (6) which is located on an inner wall of the middle part

(4) and providing a plurality of electronic cards (E) to be inserted and removed;

- at least one guiding rod/pin with a spring located in one or both surface of a first panel type connector (5) and at least one hole located in one or both surface of a second panel type connector (5) providing to align the first and second panel type connectors (5) on the front part (2), the rear part (3) and the middle part (4) for connecting them to each other by keeping them in the same axis.

In accordance with the invention, the seeker head (1) has a modular structure comprising three parts; the front part (2), the middle part (4) and the rear part (3).

The front part (2) has a cylindrical casing with a domed section. In the front part (2), there are some electronical equipment such as detectors, gyro, encoders and motors for tracking and following a target. On the outer surface of the rear/bottom wall (B) in the opposite direction of the domed section, there is a panel type connector (5) providing electronical/data connection of the equipment in the casing between the other equipment inside the rear part (3) and the middle part (4).

The middle part (4) has a cylindrical casing wherein there is a play & plug module (6) into which some electronic cards (E) inserted. To replace an electronic card (E) broken down with a new one, the card is pulled out from the play & plug module (6) like a drawer and the new electronic card (E) is inserted thereto. The play & plug module (6) can be any module used in the state of the art. There is also two panel type connectors (5) on the outer surface of each of a bottom wall (B) and a top wall (T). In addition to them, inner surface of the middle part (4) is constructed from or covered with a conductive material (such as an aluminum sheet) which is forming a Faraday Cage and protecting the sensitive electronic cards (E) in the middle part (4) by shielding the interior from external electromagnetic interference. Since the middle part (4) wherein all the electronic cards (E) located is a closed aluminum box, EMC/EMI performance of the seeker head (1) is greatly increased. The rear part (3) has also a cylindrical casing like the middle part (4). There is a panel type connector (5) on the outer surface of a top wall (T) which can be connected to another panel type connector (5) of the middle part (4) for electronical connection. There is also an out world connector on the inner surface of the bottom wall (B) of the rear part (3) which provides to receive/sent data from/to electronic or power systems of aircraft. In the other words, this connector provides data and/or power connection between the electronic cards (E) in the middle part (4) and aircraft. In the seeker head (1), there are used two types of the panel type connectors (5); male panel type and female type connectors. Male type connectors have multiple pins in a circular casing and the pins can be inserted into the sockets compatible with the pins in the female type connector. All the panel type connectors (5) on the wall of the related parts are connected to another panel type connector (5) in the same axis located on another part and the electronic equipment in the parts receive/sent information from/to the electronic cards (E) in the middle part (4) through cables (C) each of which connected to the panel type connectors (5).

For aligning the panel type connectors (5) on the walls of the middle part (4) with the other panel type connectors (5) on the wall of the front part (2) and the rear part (3) in the same axis easily, guide rods/pins can be used. In one embodiment, at least one guide pin with a spring is located in the one or both surface of a first panel type connector (5) and at least one guide hole is located in one or both surface of a second panel type connector (5) to be connected to the first panel type connector (5) (not shown). To connect the first and second panel type connectors (5), they are converging to each other and the second panel type connector (5) pushes the guide pin into the first panel type connector (5). The guide pin pushed into the first panel sets the spring preload by compressing it. When the first and the second panel type connectors (5) are aligned in the same axis, the guide pin on the first panel type connector (5) is pushed into the hole on the second panel type connector (5) by the preloaded spring. An alternative embodiment of the present invention comprising only two main parts independent from each other and these parts are connected via a panel type connector (5) located in the same axis on the walls facing each other. In this embodiment, the middle part (4) disclosed in the previous paragraphs is combined with the front part (2) or the rear part (3) and the electronical equipment in the middle part (4) (such as the plug & play module (6) and the electronical cards thereon) are also distributed to the front part (2) or the rear part (3).

Claims

A modular seeker head (1), comprising;

a plurality of panel type connector (5) which are located on a bottom wall (B) of the front part (2) in the opposite side of the domed portion, a bottom wall (B) and a top wall (T) of the middle part (4) and a top wall (T) of the rear part (3) and providing electrical/data connections between the parts by means of electrical/data connection pins or sockets in a casing depending on the type of connector used.

The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein a plug & play module (6) is located on an inner wall of the middle part (4), enabling a plurality of electronic cards (E) to be inserted and removed.

The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein inner surface of the middle part (4) is constructed from or covered with a conductive material.

The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein at least one guiding pin with a spring located in one or both surface of a first panel type connector (5) and at least one hole located in one or both surface of a second panel type connector (5) providing to align the first and the second panel type connectors (5) on the front part (2), the rear part (3) and the middle part (4) for connecting them to each other by keeping them in the same axis. The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein panel type connectors (5) are in male type and female type.

The seeker head (1) according to claim 5, wherein male type connectors has multiple pins in a circular casing and the pins can be inserted into the sockets compatible with the pins in the female type connector.

The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the electronic equipment in the parts receive/sent information from/to the electronic cards (E) in the middle part (4) through cables (C) connected to the panel type connectors (5).

The seeker head (1) according to claim 1, wherein the middle part (4) is combined with the front part (2) or the rear part (3) and the electronical equipment in the middle part (4) are distributed to the front part (2) or the rear part (3).