EP0411258A2 - Bomblet fuze - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a detonator for a bomblet projectile with an axially displaceable ignition needle and a slide (16) with detonator charge (18) which can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of the projectile. Malfunctions can occur in known igniters of this type. With the present invention, the ignition and security device is to be further improved, while taking into account an improved or simplified production with a simultaneous reduction in weight, there is protection against unexploded ordnance. This is achieved according to the invention in that a lateral recess (82) on the slide (16) is extended in the form of a longitudinal groove (84) in such a way that the slide (16), after the centrifugal force ceases to exist, by renewed engagement of a spring-loaded securing bolt (80) in an intermediate position can be locked again in such a way that a lateral second firing needle (42) fixed to the housing remains at a distance from a self-destruct charge and the detonator charge (18) remains decentrally in an interrupted firing line with the first firing needle. <IMAGE>

Description

The invention relates to a detonator for an explosive projectile, in particular a submunition projectile (bomblet), with an axially displaceable ignition needle and a slide with a detonator charge which can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal direction of the projectile.

Bomblet levels are submunition levels or daughter levels, which in large numbers, e.g. B. 63 pieces, transported from a large-caliber carrier floor over distances of up to 30 kilometers over a target area and there at a height of z. B. ejected 300 meters and be mechanically fired when falling.

EP-A-0 284 923 discloses a bomb detonator with a safety device which has a safety bolt which can be actuated by centrifugal force and which is designed to be able to be engaged in a corresponding recess in the slide for locking purposes. In the slide, a firing element of a pyrotechnic delay line which can be ignited by a second firing needle is provided for a self-dismantling of the projectile after the detonator has not been triggered in the event of a target impact by the main firing needle. This can e.g. B. happen when such a projectile ejected from a carrier floor (bomblet) lands on soft ground, mud, snow, tree branches, tall grass or a camouflage net. A disadvantage of the known bomblet construction is the fact that when the ignition device is in focus, the slide protrudes laterally far and unprotected from the igniter housing. As a result, z. B. in rainy weather very easily malfunctions when initiating the detonator charge or the exposed igniter the delay charge for self-decomposition occur. Another disadvantage is the arrangement of the second ignition needle for igniting the ignition element on the outer unprotected end of the slide itself, which protrudes far out of the side of the fuse housing. The second ignition needle is provided with a heavy striking piece and is rotatably fastened to the slide by means of a bolt. When focusing by moving the slide laterally out of the detonator housing, the striking piece should be activated by centrifugal force from the self-rotation of the bomblet, and the solid ignition needle should move about 90 ° on a pitch circle with a small radius and penetrate into the ignition element. The shape of the ignition needle tip is solidly conical with a flattening on one side, possibly to facilitate penetration into the ignition element on a small circular arc. This detonator construction also has the major disadvantage that large unbalances during rotation and thus destabilizing forces act on the bomblet due to the slide projecting far out of the detonator housing with an outside heavyweight firing pin impact piece.

With the transverse displacement of the slider, it can now occur with a small projectile twist or insufficient centrifugal force that the slider moves outwards and the pivotable solid firing pin with striking piece is released, but the impact energy for igniting the pyrotechnic delay charge is not sufficient for self-dismantling of the projectile and the slide has not been locked in its outer focusing position (FIG. 6: spring pin 24 on the housing shoulder 25). A disadvantage of the free movement of the slide is that z. B. the spring-loaded pin 25 constantly exerts friction or braking action between the slide and the housing. After reducing the swirl or eliminating centrifugal force, the spring-loaded securing bolt 27 also presses constantly against the side wall of the slide and acts due to its friction and braking effect also against free sliding of the slide.
If the target hits softly, the detonator charge cannot be ignited by the first axially displaceable ignition needle. Such a bomblet is then a dangerous unexploded ordnance and can be brought to an immediate explosion triggered by the first firing pin or activated by the second firing pin by an impact or shock, such as a kick.

It is an object of the present invention to further improve the ignition and safety device of an explosive projectile, in particular a bomblet projectile. In particular, it should be guaranteed that unexploded ordnance will not be picked up. Furthermore, the functional safety should be increased while taking into account improved or simplified production (laboratory work) and weight reduction.

This is achieved according to the invention with the features specified in the characterizing part of patent claim 1. If for some reason the slide gets stuck in front of the side second firing pin without initiating the self-dismantling replacement, then after the bomblet has little or no rotation speed (swirl braking due to soft target impact) the spring-loaded safety pin engages in the side an extended catch groove arranged on the slide and locks the slide so that no further initiation of the detonator charge by the first ignition needle or the self-decomposition charge by the second ignition needle can take place due to external impact.

The invention is explained and described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments shown in the drawings.

• Figur 1 einen Längsschnitt durch einen erfindungsge­mäßen Bombletzünder,
• Figur 2 einen Querschnitt durch den erfindungsgemäßen Zünder gemäß Linie II in Figur 1 in Scharstellungsposition und
• Figur 3 den Zünder gemäß Figur 2 in erneuter Sicherungs­position.

Show it:

• FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a bomb detonator according to the invention,
• Figure 2 shows a cross section through the igniter according to the line II in Figure 1 in the position and
• 3 shows the igniter according to FIG. 2 in a new securing position.

In FIG. 1, the reference number 10 denotes an igniter housing, which is fixed in place on a bomblet housing 12 by means of a retaining ring 14. Arranged within the detonator housing 10 is a slide 16 with detonator charge 18 which can be displaced transversely to the central axis A of the bomblet floor.
The illustration shows the slide 16 in the securing position, the detonator charge 18 being shifted laterally out of the straight line between a main firing needle 20 and an amplifier charge 22 arranged in the upper bomblet housing 12 in order to ignite the main explosive charge 24. The centrally arranged main firing needle 20 is connected via a screw connection to a sleeve 26, which serves as an additional impact mass and can be displaced axially in the igniter housing 10. In the safety position shown, the firing needle 20 is screwed into the sleeve 26, so that it is supported upwards or backwards against a shoulder of the igniter housing 10. At the front, the tip 28 of the main firing needle 20 protrudes into a recess (blind hole) arranged on the top of the slide 16 and thus fixes the slide 16 in the securing position.

A folded stabilizing loop 30 is attached to the end of the main firing needle 20 protruding from the igniter housing 10. On the outside of the igniter housing 10 and the upper diameter-reduced area of the igniter housing 10 enclosing two radially outwardly pivotable, semicircularly curved swirl brake vanes 32, z. B. made of thin sheet steel. A securing band 34 is wound around the swirl brake vanes 32 folded in.
The securing band 34 and the stabilizing loop 30 are held in their wound-up position by a hood-like, two-part plastic securing shell 36, which in turn is held in position by a spring steel securing ring 38.

When transporting them to a target area by means of a long distance such. B. 30 km of large-caliber carrier floor, the daughter floors (bomblets) are stacked one inside the other in a space-saving manner as columns. Such a neighboring bomblet 60, which completely covers the detonator housing 10, is indicated in FIG. The detonator housing 10 extends far into the conical free space of the shaped charge insert of the adjacent bomblet 60.

When the bomblet projectiles are ejected from the carrier storey by means of an ejection charge over a target area, after the stack arrangement has been lifted, a number of steps take place in succession within a predeterminable period of time from the safety position of the bomble detonator until it is focused:
First of all, the stabilizing loop 30 is pulled out of its folded-in rest position and unfolded. At the same time, the two securing shells 36 with securing ring 38 detach from the igniter housing 10 and release the securing tape 34. The detachable securing band 34 then unwinds and releases the swirl brake blades 32 free, which swing out due to the centrifugal forces caused by the rotation and reduce the swirl of the now stabilized falling bomblet floor.

After the stabilizing loop 30 is unfolded, a torque acts on the firing needle 20, which unscrews a little to the rear from the sleeve 26, the tip 28 of the firing needle 20 lifts out of the recess in the slide 16 and the slide can - provided that it is released for this by additional safety devices that act separately - move it into its focusing position and is therefore in focus for a strike ignition.

The focus position is shown in Figure 2. By centrifugal force, the two securing bolts 80 are pressed out of the recess 82 or longitudinal groove 84 against the force of the double-armed wire spring 92, and by the centrifugal force and the compressive force of the spring 40, the slide 16 moves into the focusing position. As additional securing means, the firing needle 20, which has been unscrewed from the blind hole, and the locking pin 62, which is released by the swirl brake wings 32 and fastened on the slide 16, have made it possible to move the slide. When the slide 16 runs into the focusing position, the self-destruct charge consisting of ignition element 44, delay section 46, reinforcement set 48 and explosive charge 50 is initiated by the flat second firing needles 42 arranged laterally in the detonator housing 10. The slider 16 is locked in the focus position by a spring tongue 54 integrated into the spring washer 52 and engaging in a corresponding recess 56 in the underside of the slider 16. The spring tongue 54 is advantageously pressed down only when the slide 16 is moved; due to a flat gradation 98 above the spring tongue 54 in the underside of the slide 16 there is no disadvantageous load on the spring tongue 54 or no permanent frictional connection between the slide 16 and spring tongue 54 in the secured state.

In the event that the slide 16 once because of z. B. If the speed of rotation of the bomblet projectile is too low, the piercing energy stops, it stops in front of the second ignition needle 42 and there is no ignition of the self-dismantling kit and the detonator charge does not ignite when it hits the ground because it does not line up exactly under the main ignition needle 20 lies. Such a bomblet is then a dangerous unexploded ordnance in the terrain and can be shocked, e.g. B. kicking it and bumping into a vehicle tire.
In this case, the design of the bomb detonator according to the invention is used. This intermediate position - between the exact focusing position and the securing position - is shown in FIG. 3. As soon as the bomblet has only a very low or no rotation speed anymore, under the pressure of the wire spring 92, the securing bolt 80 enters the extended catch groove 84 (longitudinal groove) and locks the slide 16 in such a way that the second firing needle 42 is removed from the ignition set 44 the self-decomposing charge remains spaced and the detonator charge 18 remains decentrally inaccessible to the first main firing needle 20 in the interrupted ignition line. This ensures safe and reliable security against being picked up for such a bomblet.

Advantageously, the recess 82 or the longitudinal groove 84 on its end face 86 facing the compression spring 40 and the two securing bolts 80 in the circumferential area are each designed to be correspondingly obliquely to one another or to engage with one another at their end faces. Since two safety bolts 80 are provided in a fuse housing are, it is advantageous that each locking pin 80 is provided on both sides with the beveled end edge 98. This allows z. B. no more assembly errors with subsequent inoperability of the bomblet occur.

The beveling of the locking bolt outer edge 90 which can be engaged with one another and the end face 86 of the recess 82 or longitudinal groove 84 is in each case between 10 ° to 45 °, but preferably approximately 20 °. If one of the securing bolts 80 catches in the recess 82 or longitudinal groove 84, the slide 16 can no longer be moved into the ignition position by falling, bumping or rotating. This ensures a high level of handling safety for the detonator. With a normal firing order, the "teeth" or bevels of the longitudinal groove 84, 82 and end edges 90 of the securing bolts 80 do not come into engagement with one another.

The detonator construction according to the invention with the securing bolts 80 that can be easily inserted from the outside into the corresponding housing recesses, with the one-piece wire spring 92 and closing the housing recesses after inserting the locking bolt 80 by means of a bent-up tab 66 of the spring washer 52 is a simple and cost-effective possibility of production and simplified laboratory work of the individual parts.
The fuse housing 10 is expediently provided on the lower outer circumference with a bevel 94 between 1 ° to 10 °, preferably approximately 5 °, for frictionally locking mutual fixing (clamp fit) with a cup-shaped cover plate 58 with a flange edge 96.
This covering and fixing the inner parts in the detonator housing makes the bombardment of the bomb detonator according to the invention considerably easier.

In addition to the usual impact detonator function, the newly developed bomb detonator also contains a pyrotechnic self-dismantling function that is activated after the bomblets are ejected from the main floor. This means that even with unfavorable surcharges - e.g. B. deep powder snow - high functional reliability or low dud rate.

In order to ensure handling, transport, pipe and lifting safety, the detonator has three separate mechanical safeguards which lock the slide 16 serving as a detonator carrier: the ignition needle 20 or ignition needle tip 28, which is immersed in a blind bore in the slide 16, one of the two Swirl brake wing 32, which presses on the locking pin 62, which is pressed into the slide 16 and projects through the igniter housing 10, and two locking bolts 80, which each snap into the recess 82 or longitudinal groove 84 on the slide 16. The securing bolts 80 are primarily intended as transport, handling and anti-lifting devices. Should the fuse by the ignition needle and swirl brake fail during handling or transport of the bomblet, the compression spring 92 presses the slide 16 against the previously freely movable safety bolts 80. The conical toothing (bevel) of the safety bolts 80 and slide 16 ensures that the Lock cannot be released even by impact or impact. Complete unlocking of the bomb detonator is therefore only possible if the securing bolts 80 release the slide 16 before the ignition needle 20 is unscrewed and the swirl brake or swirl brake wing 32 opens. To do this, the bomblet must rotate at a certain minimum speed. While the safety bolts 80 of the bomb detonators in the bomblet column arranged centrally in the carrier floor already unlock when fired, the bomblet columns arranged in the safety bolts 80 in the outer circumference of the carrier floor can only after they have been ejected from the carrier floor unlock at the same time. After ejection from the carrier floor, the free-flying bomblets then rotate about their own axis, so that the centrifugal force presses the securing bolts 80 against the force of the return spring 92 out of the recess 82 or catch groove 84 of the slide 16. In the event of a failure of the ejection fuse in the carrier floor, the securing bolts 80 in the middle bomblet column also move back into the securing position as soon as the speed of the carrier floor falls below the minimum value. After recovering the main floor, the bomblets can then be safely dismantled.
As soon as the bomblets have separated from one another after ejection from the carrier storey, the two securing shells 36 are torn from the detonator housing under the action of centrifugal force, the stabilizing band 30 unfolds and unscrews the ignition needle 20. At the same time, the wound securing band 34 exposed to the air flow begins to loosen in layers until the swirl brake wings 32 are exposed, swing open and finally release the securing pin 62 fastened on the slide 16. During the time that the winding tape 34 is unwound, the igniter remains secured. This ensures the safety of the front pipe, ie the detonator is only activated when the individual bomblets are so far apart after they have been ejected that they are less likely to collide and trigger pre-ignition. The fully unlocked and unlocked slide 16 moves, accelerated by the spring force (40) and centrifugal force into the ignition position, where it is locked by the spring tongue 54. At the same time, the pyrotechnic burning section accommodated in the slide 16 is ignited for the self-dismantling. After a delay time of z. B. 15 to 20 seconds, the self-destruct charge detonates the detonator 18 if the impact ignition mechanism should fail. This increases the likelihood of unexploded ordnance significantly reduced. If the kinetic energy of the slide 16 is not sufficient to pierce the ignition element 44 of the self-destruct charge, the slide 16 is caught again by one of the two compression spring-loaded securing bolts 80, which engages in the longitudinal groove 84, as soon as the speed of the bomblet drops below a certain minimum speed. In this position, neither the detonator nor the delay element can be pierced. This means that impact ignition is no longer possible, but the bomblet is completely safe.

The safety pin 62 protruding from the igniter housing 10 on the slide 16 enables the slide position to be recognized and thus a distinction between the unexploded ordinance into tapping failures and those which are still in the secured position.

Reference symbol list

• 10 igniter housing
• 12 bomblet cases
• 14 retaining ring
• 16 sliders
• 18 detonator charge
• 20 main firing pin
• 22 amplifier charge
• 24 main explosive charge
• 26 sleeve
• 28 top
• 30 stabilization loop
• 32 swirl brake blades
• 34 securing tape
• 36 securing cup
• 38 circlip
• 40 compression spring
• 42 second firing pin
• 44 igniter
• 46 delay line
• 48 reinforcement set
• 50 explosive device
• 52 spring washer
• 54 spring tongue
• 56 recess
• 58 cover plate
• 60 neighboring bomlet
• 62 locking pin
• 64 opening (10)
• 66 tab 52
• 80 safety bolts
• 82 recess
• 84 longitudinal groove
• 86 end face 16
• 88 end face 80
• 90 front edge 80
• 92 wire spring
• 94 Chamfer 10
• 96 flange edge 58
• 98 gradation

Claims (8)

1. Detonator for an explosive projectile, in particular a submunition projectile (bomblet), with an axially displaceable firing needle (20) and a slide (16) with detonator charge (18) which can be displaced transversely to the longitudinal axis of the projectile (A), with a through next to the slide (16) Centrifugal force actuatable securing bolt (80) is provided in the igniter housing (10), which is designed to be able to engage in a corresponding recess (82) in the slide (16) for locking purposes,
characterized in that
the lateral recess (82) on the slide (16) is extended in the form of a longitudinal groove (84) in such a way that the slide (16) can be locked in an intermediate position again after the centrifugal force has been eliminated by renewed engagement of the spring-loaded securing bolt (80), so that a lateral firing needle (42) fixed to the housing remains spaced from the self-decomposing charge (44, 46, 48, 50) and the detonator charge (18) remains decentrally in an interrupted firing line with the first firing needle (20). 2. detonator according to claim 1,
characterized in that
the recess (82, 84) in the slide (16) is formed at least on one of its end faces (86) and the securing bolt (80) in the circumferential area on one of its end faces (88) each at an angle to one another. 3. igniter according to claim 1 or 2,
characterized in that
the bevel of the interlocking outer edge of the safety bolt (90) and the end face (86) of the recess (82, 84) is in each case between 10 ° to 45 °, preferably about 20 °. 4. igniter according to claim 1, 2 or 3,
characterized in that
the securing bolt (80) is provided with the beveled front edge (90) on both sides. 5. igniter according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4,
characterized in that
A recess (82, 84) and a corresponding securing bolt (80) are provided on both sides of the slide (16). 6. igniter according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 5,
characterized in that
Both securing bolts (80) can be pressed into the recesses (82, 84) in the slide (16) by a common double-arm wire-shaped spring (92). 7. igniter according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 6,
characterized in that
the detonator housing (10) has a chamfer (94) on the lower outer circumference for frictional mutual fixing with a cup-shaped cover plate (58) with a flange edge (96) for covering the inner parts in the detonator housing (10). 8. igniter according to one of the preceding claims 1 to 7,
characterized in that
the detonator housing (10) has a bevel (94) on the lower outer circumference of 1 to 10 °, preferably 5 °.

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