May 12, 2026

US12623781 - Payload container for unmanned aircraft and associated systems and methods

A payload container includes a nose cone electronics hub assembly, a collar assembly, a canister assembly, and a grid fin system. The nose cone electronics hub assembly has a nose cone housing electronic components in support of flight and detonator systems. The collar assembly includes a collar coupling the nose cone electronics hub and canister together. A canister of the canister assembly houses separate parts when in a shipping configuration that can be attached to an exterior of the payload container in a deployment configuration. A fin assembly facilitates vertical descent of the payload container when dropped from an unmanned aircraft.

Assignee: CaptureTec LLC
Inventors: Timothy P. Dunnigan, Sr., Timothy P. Dunnigan, Jr., William D. Randall, Jr., Andrew Terry
Filing date: 2023-12-13

unmannedaircraftmunitionfragmentationmilitary

The patent describes a modular munition system designed for unmanned aircraft, featuring a nose cone electronics hub, a canister for energetic material, and fragmentation inserts that activate upon detonation. It includes a fin assembly for controlled descent and a collar assembly that connects the components during both shipping and deployment configurations.

Claim 1

1 . A modular munition system, comprising: a nose cone electronics hub assembly housing electronic components; a canister assembly comprising a canister configured to selectively receive energetic material when the modular munition system is in a deployment configuration; one or more fragmentation inserts configured to fragment if, when the modular munition system is in the deployment configuration, the energetic material detonates; a fin system; a collar assembly coupling the nose cone electronics hub assembly to the canister assembly; wherein the canister assembly and the collar assembly house the one or more fragmentation inserts and the fin system when the modular munition system is in a shipping configuration. a nose cone electronics hub assembly housing electronic components; a canister assembly comprising a canister configured to selectively receive energetic material when the modular munition system is in a deployment configuration; one or more fragmentation inserts configured to fragment if, when the modular munition system is in the deployment configuration, the energetic material detonates; a fin system; a collar assembly coupling the nose cone electronics hub assembly to the canister assembly; wherein the canister assembly and the collar assembly house the one or more fragmentation inserts and the fin system when the modular munition system is in a shipping configuration.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12623781

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12623781