Patent Application
20060260499
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a safety and arming device for a spinning projectile fuze, including a fuze housing in the shape of a pot and having a bearing body, which contains a booster charge. A spherical rotor is mounted between the bearing body and booster charge and has a detonator arranged therein.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A safety and arming device of this type is known from EP 0 360 187 B1. In this known safety and arming device, the holding ring is formed with a wedge-shaped groove profile, which has supporting flaps, which point radially inwards, and have recesses between them. The supporting flaps and the recesses have base area dimensions of approximately the same size. This affects the spinning behavior of the holding ring, that is to say its behavior in terms of spreading apart when subjected to centrifugal forces. The spring device of this known safety and arming device is formed by a conical spiral compression spring. The spring behavior which is initiated by the firing acceleration of a corresponding spinning projectile is less than ideal in the case of this spring device in the form of a conical spiral compression spring.
Against the background of knowledge of these characteristics, the invention is based on the object of providing a safety and arming device of the type mentioned initially, in which both the spring characteristics of the spring device during the firing acceleration and the spreading-open characteristics of the holding ring on arming of the safety and arming device are further optimized.
In the case of a safety and arming device of the type mentioned initially, this object is achieved according to the invention by the features as detailed hereinbelow. Preferred refinements and developments of the safety and arming device according to the invention are further elucidated and set forth in the dependent claims.
Since, in the case of the safety and arming device according to the invention, the holding ring is designed to have at least one further narrow slot in addition to its separating slot, which further narrow slot extends from the inner edge of the holding ring to the vicinity of its outer edge, with the separating slot and the at least one further slot being provided at an equal distance from one another in the circumferential direction of the holding ring, this results in annular segment jaws with a comparatively large area, and corresponding masses. These relatively large masses of the annular segment jaws are associated with correspondingly large spin-dependent centrifugal forces, so that the holding ring is reliably spread open into the circumferential radial groove formed in the fuze housing in response to an acceleration-dependent mechanical load on the spring device.
Since, in the case of the safety and arming device according to the invention, the spring device has a pair of cup springs which together form a horizontal V-shaped spring profile, this results in matching spring characteristics, so that the spring device is reliably compressed only in response to the correct firing acceleration to such an extent that the holding ring comes to rest axially on the same plane as the circumferential radial groove in the fuze housing, so that the holding ring is spread open into the circumferential radial groove by the spin in this position.
In the case of the safety and arming device according to the invention, it has been found to be expedient for the holding ring to have a single further narrow slot, which is diametrically opposite the separating slot, such that the holding ring has two diametrically opposite annular segment jaws. The base areas of these two diametrically opposite annular segment jaws effectively correspond to the base area of the holding ring, that is to say the mass of the two annular segment jaws is a maximum, and this has a correspondingly positive effect on the spin-dependent centrifugal force.
The two-cup springs are preferably arranged such that the tip of the V-shaped spring profile points radially inwards. This has a positive effect on the guidance characteristics for the holding ring as the spin spreads open into the circumferential radial groove in the fuze housing.
One exemplary embodiment of the safety and arming device according to the invention for a spinning projectile fuze is illustrated in the drawing, and is described in the following details.
In the drawings:
The fuze housing 12, which is in the form of a pot, has a base 18 with a spherical bearing surface 20 and, at an axial distance from it, a circumferential radial groove 22, which is formed in the cylindrical casing 24 of the fuze housing 12, which is in the form of a pot.
On the inside, the bearing body 14 has a cylindrical attachment 25, whose end face facing the base 18 of the fuze housing 12 which is in the form of a pot has a spherical bearing surface 26. The cylindrical attachment 25 on the bearing body 14 is used for axially moving guidance of a holding ring 28, which has a radially oriented separating slot 30 and a further narrow slot 32—as illustrated in
A spherical rotor 42, in which a detonator 44 is provided, is arranged between the base 18 of the fuze housing 12, which is in the form of a pot, and the cylindrical attachment 25 on the bearing body 14. The spherical rotor 42 has a circumferential annular groove 46, against which the holding ring 28 is forced by means of a spring device 48 in the safe position as illustrated in
A conical recess 50 is formed diametrically opposite the circumferential annular groove 46 in the spherical rotor 42. A safety sleeve 52 engages in this conical recess 50 in the safe position. A firing needle 54 is provided in the safety sleeve 52. The firing needle 54 is used to strike the detonator 44 after firing the spinning projectile, which is not shown, when the detonator 44 is axially aligned with the firing needle 54 and the booster charge 16 by the acceleration and spin. In the safe position illustrated in
The spring device 48 has a pair of cup springs 58 which together form a horizontal V-shaped spring profile, as can be seen in
The booster charge 16 is fixed in the bearing body 14 by means of a cover element 66. The cover element 66 is connected to the bearing body 14 by means of a flanged edge 68. The flanged edge 68 is an integral component of the bearing body 14.
The safety and arming device 10 operates as follows:
The safety and arming device 10 of a spinning fuze, which is not illustrated, reacts to firing acceleration acting in the direction of the arrow 70 (see
The holding ring 28 is composed of a suitable metal or a suitable metal alloy, in order to ensure that it rests on the base 72 of the circumferential radial groove 22 as a result of the centrifugal forces acting on its annular segment jaws 40. During this process, the web 38, which connects the annular segment jaws 40 of the holding ring 28, is plastically, that is to say permanently, deformed.
The spherical rotor 42, which has now been released from the holding ring 28, is aligned in the armed position by virtue of its centre of gravity position, with the safety sleeve 52 being moved out of the conical recess 50, by means of said conical recess 50 in the spherical rotor 42. The spherical rotor 42 is locked by means that are not illustrated in the said armed position.
After completion of the acceleration phase of the projectile, the spring device 48 ensures that the holding ring 28 makes contact with the annular end surface 74 of the circumferential radial groove 22 in the fuze housing 12, which is in the form of a pot.
When a firing criterion is satisfied, then the firing needle 54 strikes the detonator 44 (which is in the armed position) in a known manner, and its firing energy then initiates the booster charge 16.
A further advantage of the spinning projectile fuze resides in that, even during a drop test of the ammunition, which is equipped with the aforementioned fuze, the spinning projectile fuze remains secure at a drop from a height of 12 meters. The plate spring device 48 ensures that the holding ring 28 retains the rotor 42 accordingly remains in its secured or safe position.
Moreover, the holding ring 28 possesses a single deformation zone in the region of the web. At the pick-up in the spin of the projectile, the holding ring is located in the weapon barrel in the region of the radial groove 22 due to the firing acceleration, and as a result thereof can expand radially. Consequently, singly and alone is the web 38 deformed. The holding ring 28 expands hereby in a side-shape, and in about a three-point form lies against he surrounding bottom 72 of the radial groove 22.
Accordingly, there is present a surprisingly simple configuration of the holding ring 28. The undisrupted functioning is afforded due to the simple assembly of the safely arrangement, especially the simple components; namely the holding ring and the plate spring device.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| BRD102005003942.1 | Jan 2005 | DE | national |
