Patent ID: 6948685

Claim:
A bomb, missile or torpedo comprising: a) a bomb housing having a head and tail; b) fins proximate the tail; c) a member disposed in a first position to hold the fins in a retracted position, and moveable to a second position where the fins are released and thereby deployed; d) a locking device which maintains the member in the first position, and resettably releases the member in response to actuation, the locking device including: e) a locking device housing; f) a plunger axially slidable within the locking device housing, at least a first portion of the plunger being made of a magnetically responsive material; g) a biasing member which urges the plunger in a first direction; h) one or more primary locking balls; i) a solenoid coil disposed around at least the magnetically responsive portion of the plunger; and j) each primary locking ball being disposed in an aperture in the locking device housing, the plunger having a second portion thereof containing at least one recess which receives each primary locking ball, the member to be locked being held in the first position with the plunger in a first locking position and each primary locking ball in a radially outward position out of alignment with the recess, wherein in response to actuation of the solenoid, the plunger moves against the biasing member to align the recess with each primary locking ball, so that each primary locking ball moves into the recess in the plunger thereby releasing the locked member, and deploying the fins.