Patent ID: 8890043

Claim:
A steering section for a guided munition, the steering section comprising: a steering body comprising: an external surface of cylindrical shape about a longitudinal axis XX′, and n control surfaces Gn around the longitudinal axis XX′, the n control surfaces Gn being in a folded position folded inside the steering body or in a deployed position protruding from the external surface of the steering body to guide the munition, n being a whole number greater than 1, a locking mechanism configured to lock the n control surfaces Gn when in the folded position inside the steering body, said locking mechanism comprising: a lock support comprising a first tube secured at one end to the steering body, the first tube having an axis of revolution AA′ coincident with the longitudinal axis XX′, the first tube being closed at an end nearest the n control surfaces Gn by a lock wall comprising a lock opening along the axis of revolution AA′, the lock opening having a diameter D 2 that is less than an inner diameter D 1 of the first tube of the lock support, the lock wall forming an annulus-shaped bearing surface within the lock support, a fixed sleeve having a cylindrical shape about the axis of revolution AA′ coinciding with the longitudinal axis XX′, the fixed sleeve comprising a fixing annulus in a plane perpendicular to the axis of revolution AA′ that is secured to the lock support at an end opposite the end closed by the lock wall, a locking barrel comprising a second tube of circular cross section having an outside diameter D 3 passing through the lock opening and comprising a free edge outside the lock support, a mobile sleeve comprising a third tube having a circular cross section and an external diameter D 4 surrounding the fixed sleeve, the mobile sleeve being configured to slide longitudinally along the axis of revolution AA′ along an external surface of the locking barrel, the mobile sleeve comprising a free end, at the closed end of the first tube nearest the n control surfaces Gn on the outside of the fixed sleeve, collaborating with the n control surfaces Gn to keep the n control surfaces Gn in the folded position inside the steering body and comprising another end, opposite to the free end inside the lock support, comprising a flange of diameter D 5 greater than the external diameter D 4 of the mobile sleeve, a translational-locking device configured to lock the longitudinal movement along the axis of revolution AA′ of the mobile sleeve on the locking barrel, the translational-locking device configured to be deactivated by an unlocking force F to trigger a sliding longitudinal movement of the mobile sleeve on the locking barrel and release of the n control surfaces Gn that move from the folded position into the deployed position, and an unlocking helical spring around the mobile sleeve, the unlocking helical spring configured to cause the mobile sleeve to slide on the fixed sleeve when the locking device is deactivated.