Patent ID: 8338769

Claim:
A fin deployment mechanism, comprising: a gas generator that generates gas used to deploy a plurality of fins by rotating each of the fins about an axis that is substantially perpendicular thereto; a manifold, coupled to the gas generator and having a plurality of cylinders in fluid communication with the gas from the gas generator; a plurality of pistons disposed in the cylinders, a bottom of each of the pistons being coupled to a respective fin of the plurality of fins to provide deployment thereof when a corresponding top of each of the pistons is acted upon by the gas from the gas generator, wherein the deployment of each of the fins is from a non-deployed position to a deployed position after the top of each of the pistons is acted upon by the gas from the gas generator, and wherein the deployment of the plurality of fins is actuated by an electronic signal received by the fin deployment mechanism from an external source; and a fin retention mechanism that maintains the fins in a non-deployed position prior to actuation of the gas generator and maintains the fins in a deployed position after actuation of the gas generator; wherein the fin retention mechanism includes in each of the fins a first detent corresponding to the deployed position and a second detent corresponding to the non-deployed position.