IP Library › Granted Patent US 12686475

Granted Patent B1

US 12686475 · App. 18/504,241 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Apparatus and system for flexible member deployment using sabot cones

Inventors: Stephen Shepherd (Arlington, VA); Damien Bretall (Bethesda, MD)

Assignee: The United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy

B63G8/38 B63G8/001 B63B21/66 B63G2008/002

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12686475
App. No.: 18/504,241
Granted: Jul 21, 2026
Kind: B1

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Abstract

Example embodiments provide a deployment apparatus comprising a tube, a flexible member, a stopper plate, and at least one deployment stacking unit. The tube may have a diameter and having an opening into a water environment. The flexible member may have at least a portion residing within the tube and be configured to be deployed into a water environment. The stopper plate may be at the opening of the tube and be configured to allow the flexible member to deploy out of the tube. The at least one deployment stacking unit may surround the flexible member and be distributed along its length, the at least one deployment stacking unit may be configured to move about the tube. The at least one deployment stacking unit may be configured to receive an ejection force imparted on the tube, and facilitate the deployment of the flexible member out of the tube.

Claims (40)

1 . A deployment apparatus comprising:

a tube having a diameter and having an opening into a water environment;

a flexible member having at least a portion residing within the tube and configured to be deployed into a water environment;

a stopper plate at the opening of the tube and configured to allow the flexible member to deploy out of the tube; and

at least one deployment stacking unit surrounding the flexible member and distributed along a length of the flexible member, the at least one deployment stacking unit configured to move about the tube,

wherein the at least one deployment stacking unit is configured to receive an ejection force imparted on the tube, and in response facilitate the deployment of the flexible member out of the tube.

2 . The deployment apparatus of claim 1 , each of the at least one deployment stacking unit comprising:

a sabot cone configured to move along an axis defined by the flexible member, the sabot cone having an aft concave opening and a forward concave opening, wherein the forward concave opening is greater than the aft concave opening,

an array ring fixed on the flexible member and configured to reside within the aft concave opening of the sabot cone during a rest position.

3 . The deployment apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the forward concave opening of the sabot cone is configured to receive the ejection force and deploy the flexible member out the tube, wherein sabot cones of each the at least one deployment stacking unit is configured to stack on each other as the flexible member deploys out the tube.

4 . The deployment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the sabot cones are configured to stack at the stopper plate as the flexible member deploys from the tube, wherein each array ring deploys alongside the flexible member from the tube, wherein the each array ring is configured to generate drag with a freestream flow as the array ring exits the tube.

5 . The deployment apparatus of claim 3 , wherein an outer diameter of each array ring increases further in an aft direction of the flexible member, wherein an inner diameter of each sabot cone increases further in the aft direction of the flexible member.

6 . The deployment apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an ejection force unit configured to provide the ejection force in the tube to deploy the flexible member.

7 . The deployment apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the flexible member is a towed array.

8 . The deployment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the towed array is a thin lined towed array.

9 . A deployment system comprising:

a vessel configured to navigate in a water environment;

a deployment apparatus housed in the vessel, the deployment apparatus comprising,

a tube having a diameter and having an opening into a water environment;

a flexible member having at least a portion residing within the tube and configured to be deployed into a water environment;

a stopper plate at the opening of the tube and configured to allow the flexible member to deploy out of the tube; and

an ejection force unit configured to provide an ejection force on the tube to deploy the flexible member,

wherein the at least one deployment stacking unit is configured to receive the ejection force and, in response, facilitate deployment of the flexible member out of the tube.

10 . The deployment system of claim 9 , each of the at least one deployment stacking unit comprising:

an array ring fixed on the flexible member and configured to reside within the aft concave opening of the sabot cone during a rest position.

11 . The deployment system of claim 10 , wherein the forward concave opening of the sabot cone is configured to receive the ejection force and deploy the flexible member out the tube, wherein sabot cones of each the at least one deployment stacking unit is configured to stack on each other as the flexible member deploys out the tube.

12 . The deployment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ejection force unit is associated with a trim and drain system of the vessel, such that the ejection force is flushing water that is received by the at least one deployment stacking unit.

13 . The deployment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ejection force unit is associated with a compressed gas container of the vessel, such that the ejection force is an air blast that is received by the at least one deployment stacking unit.

14 . The deployment apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the ejection force unit is associated with a pump of the vessel, such that the ejection force is pumped water or air that is received by the at least one deployment stacking unit.

15 . The deployment system of claim 9 , wherein the vessel is one of a surface vessel and an underwater vessel.

16 . The deployment system of claim 9 , wherein the vessel is an unmanned underwater vessel.

17 . A deployment method comprising:

generating an ejection force on a tube housing at least part of a flexible member, the flexible member surrounded by at least one deployment stacking unit that is configured to move about the tube, each of the at least one deployment stacking unit comprising a sabot cone and an array ring;

receiving, by the at least one deployment stacking unit, the ejection force as the at least one deployment stacking unit traverses the tube;

deploying, by the at least one deployment stacking unit, the flexible member outside of the tube in response to the ejection force;

stacking, at a stopper plate at an end of the tube, the sabot cones from each of the at least one deployment stacking unit as each of the sabot cones reaches the end of the tube, the array ring from each of the at least one deployment stacking unit deploying with the flexible member; and

generating a complementary force by the array ring from each of the at least one deployment stacking unit interacting with a freestream flow.