Granted Patent B2

US 8,141,468 · App. 12/405,306 · Granted Mar 27, 2012

Abstract

Claims (72)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a structural body comprising:

a cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber and having a substantially cylindrical shape; and

one or more end portions coupled to the cylindrical portion;

one or more attachment couplers coupled to the cylindrical portion, each attachment coupler configured to be coupled to a bomb rack of an aircraft;

an adjustable store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion, the adjustable store coupler having a plurality of apertures arranged in a substantially linear manner, the plurality of apertures comprising a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a fourth aperture, the plurality of apertures configured to couple one or more store systems to the adjustable store coupler;

a first store system, the first store system comprising first and second attachment members, the first and second attachment members of the first store system coupled to first and second apertures of the plurality of apertures;

a second store system, the second store system comprising third and fourth attachment members, the third and fourth attachment members of the second store system coupled to third and fourth apertures of the plurality of apertures; and

a tray removably disposed within the chamber, the tray configured to support one or more modules comprising electronics that perform one or more operations for the support systems.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the plurality of apertures comprising at least one attachment aperture defined by a surface of the adjustable store coupler.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the one or more store systems comprising one or more bomb ejectors, each bomb ejector configured to:

couple to a bomb; and

release the bomb.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising one or more missile launcher couplers, each missile launcher coupler configured to couple a missile launcher to the cylindrical portion.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 :

the cylindrical portion having a top line and a bottom line substantially parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical portion;

the one or more attachment couplers coupled along the top line; and

the adjustable store coupler coupled along the bottom line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 :

the cylindrical portion having a top line substantially parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical portion, the center axis defining a center point of a cross-section of the cylindrical portion, the top line defining a top point of the cross-section, the center point and the top point defining a center line of the cross-section, a first angle defined by a first amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, a second angle defined by a second amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, the first amount of rotation less than 150 degrees, the second amount of rotation the opposite of the first amount of rotation;

the apparatus further comprising:

a first additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the first angle; and

a second additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the second angle.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 :

the cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber; and

the cylindrical portion having a surface defining one or more umbilical apertures, each umbilical aperture configured to allow an umbilical from the chamber pass through to the exterior of the cylindrical portion.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a structural body comprising:

a cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber and having a substantially cylindrical shape; and

one or more end portions coupled to the cylindrical portion;

one or more attachment couplers coupled to the cylindrical portion, each attachment coupler configured to be coupled to a bomb rack of an aircraft;

an adjustable store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion, the adjustable store coupler having a plurality of attachment apertures arranged in a substantially linear manner, the plurality of apertures comprising a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a fourth aperture, the plurality of attachment apertures configured to receive:

a first store system by coupling first and second attachment members of the first store system to first and second apertures of the plurality of attachment apertures, and

a second store system by coupling third and fourth attachment members of the second store system to third and fourth apertures of the plurality of attachment apertures; and

a tray removably disposed within the chamber, the tray configured to support one or more modules comprising electronics that perform one or more operations for the support systems.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , the one or more bomb systems comprising one or more bomb ejectors, each bomb ejector configured to:

couple to a bomb; and

release the bomb.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising one or more missile launcher couplers, each missile launcher coupler configured to couple a missile launcher to the cylindrical portion.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 :

the cylindrical portion having a top line and a bottom line substantially parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical portion;

the one or more attachment couplers coupled along the top line; and

the adjustable store coupler coupled along the bottom line.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 :

the cylindrical portion having a top line substantially parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical portion, the center axis defining a center point of a cross-section of the cylindrical portion, the top line defining a top point of the cross-section, the center point and the top point defining a center line of the cross-section, a first angle defined by a first amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, a second angle defined by a second amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, the first amount of rotation less than 150 degrees, the second amount of rotation the opposite of the first amount of rotation;

the apparatus further comprising:

a first additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the first angle; and

a second additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the second angle.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 :

the cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber; and

the cylindrical portion having a surface defining one or more umbilical apertures, each umbilical aperture configured to allow an umbilical from the chamber pass through to the exterior of the cylindrical portion.

14. An apparatus comprising:

a structural body comprising:

a cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber and having a substantially cylindrical shape, the cylindrical portion having a top line and a bottom line substantially parallel to a center axis of the cylindrical portion; and

one or more end portions coupled to the cylindrical portion;

one or more attachment couplers coupled to the cylindrical portion along the top line, each attachment coupler configured to be coupled to a bomb rack of an aircraft;

an adjustable store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion along the bottom line, the adjustable store coupler having a plurality of attachment apertures arranged in a substantially linear manner, the plurality of apertures comprising a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a fourth aperture, the plurality of attachment apertures configured to receive:

a first store system by coupling first and second attachment members of the first store system to first and second apertures of the plurality of attachment apertures of the adjustable store coupler, and

a second store system by coupling third and fourth attachment members of the second store system to third and fourth apertures of the plurality of attachment apertures of the adjustable store coupler;

one or more missile launcher couplers coupled to the cylindrical portion, each missile launcher coupler configured to couple a missile launcher to the cylindrical portion; and

a tray removably disposed within the chamber, the tray configured to support one or more modules comprising electronics that perform one or more operations for the support systems.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , the one or more bomb systems comprising one or more bomb ejectors, each bomb ejector configured to:

couple to a bomb; and

release the bomb.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 :

the center axis defining a center point of a cross-section of the cylindrical portion, the top line defining a top point of the cross-section, the center point and the top point defining a center line of the cross-section, a first angle defined by a first amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, a second angle defined by a second amount of rotation from the center line about the center point, the first amount of rotation less than 150 degrees, the second amount of rotation the opposite of the first amount of rotation;

the apparatus further comprising:

a first additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the first angle; and

a second additional store coupler coupled to the cylindrical portion at the second angle.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 :

the cylindrical portion enclosing a chamber; and

the cylindrical portion having a surface defining one or more umbilical apertures, each umbilical aperture configured to allow an umbilical from the chamber pass through to the exterior of the cylindrical portion.

Assignments (9)