Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
  • F42B—EXPLOSIVE CHARGES, e.g. FOR BLASTING, FIREWORKS, AMMUNITION
  • F42B12/00—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material
  • F42B12/02—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect
  • F42B12/36—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information
  • F42B12/46—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information for dispensing gases, vapours, powders or chemically-reactive substances
  • F42B12/50—Projectiles, missiles or mines characterised by the warhead, the intended effect, or the material characterised by the warhead or the intended effect for dispensing materials; for producing chemical or physical reaction; for signalling ; for transmitting information for dispensing gases, vapours, powders or chemically-reactive substances by dispersion

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a non-lethal projectile, intended to be projected, in particular fired from a tube in a predetermined longitudinal direction, and to diffuse a fluid under pressure in a controlled manner, in particular by impact on a target in said direction ,
• the projectile comprising for this purpose a longitudinal body having a nose towards the front and a tail towards the rear, a container which can be pierced for the fluid under pressure, disposed in said body between the nose and the tail thereof, a longitudinal striker for perforating said container, juxtaposed longitudinally thereto and carried by a transverse wall integral with the body, means for authorizing or bringing about a mutual longitudinal approximation of the container and the striker and the perforation of the container by the latter in a controlled manner , in particular by impact on a target in said direction, and means for distributing the fluid, to allow the fluid to exit the body, so n distributed transversely, after perforation of the container by the striker.
• tube will be understood here as well a weapon tube, directly housing the projectile until it is fired, as a tubular case, for example a casing, enveloping at least locally the projectile inside the tube. weapon and remaining in it when firing the projectile.
• Such a projectile assigned to the diffusion of a pressurized fluid chosen from a group comprising incapacitating fluids and marking fluids, is described in European patent application No. 96400608.4, filed on March 22, 1996 by the Applicant, in an embodiment in which the fluid distribution means consist of a plurality of transverse orifices arranged in a part of the body housing the container, in the immediate vicinity of the transverse wall carrying the striker.
• This known projectile is intended to be fired in a determined longitudinal direction from a weapon tube, and to release the fluid under pressure from the container upon impact on a target in this direction, under the effect of an inertial percussion during this impact.
• the object of the present invention is to remedy this drawback of the projectiles described in European patent application No. 96400608.4 and, for this purpose, it proposes a projectile of the type indicated in the preamble, characterized in that the means for distributing the fluid comprise a blind longitudinal passage through the striker, open towards the container and closed inside said wall, and a plurality of transverse channels, arranged in said wall, radiating from said passage and opening out of the body.
• such an embodiment of the means for distributing the fluid accommodates, however, any mode of percussion of the container, that is to say the use of any phenomenon capable of causing mutual longitudinal approximation of the container and the striker, under conditions capable of causing the puncture of the container by the striker, in particular during impact on a target and taking into account the impact energy deliberately limited in order to preserve the non-lethal nature of the projectile.
• Percussion can implement a longitudinal displacement of the striker relative to the transverse wall which carries it but, preferably, the striker is integral with the latter.
• the percussion may result from a longitudinal crushing of the body
• the means for authorizing or causing mutual longitudinal approximation of the container and the striker and the perforation of the container by the latter comprise a zone longitudinally compressible from the body, longitudinally intermediate between the container and said transverse wall, or else this crushing is supplemented or replaced by a sliding of the container, by inertia, towards the striker inside the body, in which case it is provided that the means for authorize or cause mutual longitudinal approximation of the container and the striker and the perforation of the container by the latter comprise an assembly of the container with longitudinal sliding relative to the body, the striker and said wall being placed in front of the container.
• Percussion by longitudinal crushing of the body is associated with a percussion control by the inertia of the body itself during an impact on a target in a determined longitudinal direction while percussion by sliding from the container towards the striker is compatible with any percussion control mode, in particular with control by the inertia of the container during an impact on a target in a determined longitudinal direction, or by pyrotechnic or mechano-pyrotechnic means generally acting without an impact providing the energy of percussion.
• the applications of the present invention are not limited to the case of projectiles intended to be fired from a tube in a determined longitudinal direction and to release the fluid under pressure from the container during an impact on a target in this sense, and which can be produced in accordance with the present invention projectiles intended to be thrown by another means, in particular to be launched by hand as is the case with hand grenades.
• the percussion preferably implements a mounting of the container with longitudinal sliding relative to the body, towards the striker, but it is preferably controlled by means other than inertial, in particular by pyrotechnic or mechanical means.
• pyrotechnics known in themselves, in particular operated voluntarily by a user prior to launching and causing the container to slide towards the striker and its perforation by the latter under the effect of a gassing, generally delayed compared to the aforementioned voluntary actuation.
• the concepts of longitudinality, of determined longitudinal direction, and the concepts which are derived therefrom such as the concepts of transversality, front and rear, nose and tail of the projectile are then understood by reference to the direction of displacement of the container towards the striker inside the body.
• the projectile according to the invention comprises locking means for immobilizing the container with respect to the body as long as the projectile is placed inside the tube, and for automatically releasing the container from longitudinal sliding relative to the body at the exit of the projectile out of the tube.
• the body is made in the form of a wall of an elastically deformable material between the nose and the tail, has a smooth inner face for guiding the container.
• said outer face in longitudinal sliding in the body and a smooth outer face for guiding the projectile in longitudinal sliding in the tube, said outer face has a localized protuberance capable of retracting by forming a projection on said inner face when the projectile is engaged in the tube and to come back projecting on the external face by retracting the projection of the internal face when the projectile is out of the tube, and the container solidarily exhibits a localized depression, transversely opposite said protuberance when the container is juxtaposed with the striker.
• Said localized depression of the container may advantageously have the shape of a transverse annular groove, which allows the protuberance of the wall of the body to be produced in the form of a transverse bead, connected without discontinuity to this wall.
• the projectile comprises at least one elastically flexible tongue released from said wall, having a free end integral with the latter and offset with respect to said protuberance and a free end carrying said protuberance integrally; then, a a plurality of such tabs, advantageously oriented longitudinally, is preferably provided in an evenly distributed manner around the wall of the body.
• the aforementioned protuberance not only ensures the retention of the container against sliding, inside the body, which can lead to accidental percussion, but also contributes to retaining the projectile inside the tube insofar as, elastically urged towards the outside of the body, it comes to rest against the tube inside of it.
• this protuberance also ensures a seal between the projectile and the tube, which makes it possible to use for firing the projectile a gas pressure developed inside the tube, behind the projectile, for example the pressure of a gas such as compressed air introduced into the tube or the pressure of combustion gas of a pyrotechnic charge.
• the projectile according to the invention when it is intended to be fired from a weapon tube, in a determined longitudinal direction, advantageously comprises stabilizing fins attached from the body to the tail thereof, capable of occupying a retracted position in which they are retained under elastic stress by the tube when the projectile is engaged therein and to deploy by elasticity when the projectile is removed from the tube .
• These fins are advantageously made of an elastically deformable material and having an end secured to the body and a free end tending by elasticity to shift transversely outward relative to the end secured to the body, which is particularly simple, economical and safe, and can advantageously be shaped so as to produce a whistling sound during the flight of the projectile, which indicates the shooting and announces the imminence of an impact.
• the projectile according to the invention may include any provisions known in itself, such as a warhead attached to its nose and made of elastically compressible material, for example of shore A hardness of between 10 and 30 approximately, preferably between 12 and 15, and for example made of silicone.
• Figure 1 shows a view of a projectile according to the invention, taken out of the tube but before impact on a target, half in elevation and half in section by a half-plane defined by a longitudinal axis of this projectile .
• Figure 2 shows, on a larger scale, a detail identified in II in Figure 1.
• FIG. 4 shows, in a view similar to that of FIG. 1, the projectile after impact on its target, according to two modes of behavior of the projectile during impact, illustrated respectively in one and the other halves of this figure.
• Figures 5 to 8 illustrate, in views corresponding respectively to those of Figures 1 to 4, an alternative embodiment of the projectile, Figure
• Figures 9 and 10 illustrate, in sectional views similar to those of Figures 1, 4, 5, 8, two preferred embodiments of a part grouping the striker and the transverse wall which carries it.
• Figures 1 1 and 12 show these two variants in perspective, respectively.
• Figures 13 and 14 illustrate, in views corresponding to those of Figures 4 and 8 but located around the striker and the transverse wall which carries it, the cooperation of the container, after its perforation itself consecutive to the impact of projectile on its target, with these two variants, respectively.
• This projectile 1 has a longitudinal axis 2 common, before firing, to a tube, constituted for example by a weapon tube 3, in which it is initially engaged and from which it exits in a longitudinal direction 4, predetermined, during firing .
• the axis 2 will serve as a reference to the concepts of longitudinality and transversality while the direction of fire 4 will serve as a reference to the concepts of front and rear.
• the projectile 1 comprises a body 5 defined in the example illustrated by:
• a nose 1 1 defining a front end of the body 5 and fixed to the wall 6 for example by fitting and bonding in a zone of its inner peripheral face 7 directly adjoining the front face 9 and bonding, the nose 1 1 having a shape general revolution around axis 2 with exceptions which will be described later;
• a tail 12 defining a rear end of the body 5 and fixed to the wall 6 for example by fitting and bonding in a zone of its inner peripheral face 7 directly adjoining its rear face 10 and bonding, this tail 12 having a generally tubular shape, of revolution around axis 2.
• the tubular wall 6 is made of an elastically flexible material, such as a plastic material in which the tail 12 can also be produced.
• the tail 12 has a wall 13 delimited by peripheral faces 14 respectively outer 14 and inner 15 frustoconical of revolution around the axis 2 and tapering towards the rear.
• each of these faces 14 and 15 is connected to a respective peripheral cylindrical face of revolution about the axis 2, namely respectively an outer peripheral face 16 with a diameter identical to that of the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6 and an inner peripheral face 17 with a diameter smaller than that of the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6.
• the peripheral face outer 16 is connected to an annular shoulder 18, plane, of revolution about the axis 2, turned forwards and placed in abutment, forwards, against the rear face 10 of the wall 6.
• This shoulder 18 connects the outer peripheral face 16 to another outer peripheral face 19 of the tail 12, which outer peripheral face 19 is cylindrical of revolution about the axis 2 with a diameter substantially identical to that of the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6 so to match a zone of this inner peripheral face 7 directly adjacent to the rear face 10 of the wall 6.
• the inner 17 and outer 19 peripheral faces of the tail 12 thus define, relative to the wall 13, a tubular rim 20 d nesting inside the wall 6.
• Towards the front, inner 17 and outer 19 peripheral faces of the rim 20 are mutually connected by an annular shoulder 81, plane, revolution around axis 2, thus delimiting the edge 20 forwards.
• the longitudinal dimension separating mutually the shoulders 18 and 8 1 is much less than the longitudinal dimension of the wall 6 between its front 9 and rear 10 faces.
• the outer 14 and inner 15 peripheral faces of the wall 13 are connected to a respective cylindrical peripheral face of revolution about the axis 2, namely respectively an outer peripheral face 22 and an inner peripheral face 21, connected mutually, towards the rear, by an annular shoulder, plane 23, of revolution about the axis 2 and turned towards the rear, so as to delimit a tubular end piece 24.
• This tubular end piece 24 is used for integral fixing, on the body 5, of a tail 25 intended to cause a nutation movement of the projectile 1 around the axis 2 after its firing, in order to stabilize its trajectory.
• the empennage 25 is advantageously produced by stamping and thermoforming a plastic plate, elastically flexible, thus defining:
• a flat mounting base 26, which is oriented transverse to the axis 2, centered on it and has on the one hand a central hole 27 passing through it longitudinally right through and delimited by an inner peripheral face 28 cylindrical of revolution around axis 2 with a diameter substantially identical to that of the inner peripheral face 21 of the endpiece 24, and on the other hand an outer periphery 29, in the shape of a regular polygon, and more precisely with four sides in the example illustrated, with an exinscribed circle diameter smaller than that of the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, with reference to the axis 2; the central hole 27 and the inner peripheral face 21 of the end piece 24, suitably tapped, receive coaxially, from the rear, a bolt 30 for tightening the base 26, flat, against the shoulder 23 of the end piece 24 in order to secure the empennage 25 with the body 5;
• each of these fins having a front end 82 secured to the base 26 along one side of the polygon and a free rear end 83 which, by elasticity of the material constituting the tail unit 25, tends to shift transversely towards the outside with respect to the front end 82, that is to say say to be more distant from the axis 2 than the latter, so that the tail 25 has a flared shape towards the rear with a diameter greater than that of the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6 with reference to axis 2, however with the possibility of folding the fins 31 towards the latter, up to a diameter corresponding to that of the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, which corresponds to a state of the tail 25 when the projectile 1 st st engaged in the weapon tube 3; by elasticity, the fins 31 move automatically to gain their flaring position of the tail 25 towards the rear as soon as the projectile 1 has left
• each fin 31 has a first flat plane 32 in the shape of a rectangular trapezoid whose side perpendicular to the bases coincides with one side of the periphery 29 of the base 26 to constitute the front end 82 of the fin 31 and the large base of which extends to the free end 83 thereof.
• this first panel 32 presents the oblique side of the trapezoid towards the rear, defining a rectilinear fold 33 in the fin 3 1, and a second plane panel 34 having the shape of a right triangle whose hypothenuse coincides with fold 33, whose long side of the right angle extends the small base of the rectangular trapezoid defined by the first panel 32, forming an angle with this small base so that the pan 34 is offset towards the outside with respect to the pan 32, and the short side of the right angle of which defines the free end 83 of the fin 31.
• the nose 1 1 has for its part a rigid transverse flat wall 35, for example metallic, delimited, in the direction of a distance from the axis 2, by an outer peripheral face 36 having a diameter substantially equal to that of the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6 inside which the wall 35 is thus fitted, with intimate mutual contact between the faces 36 and 7, in the immediate vicinity of the front face 9 of the wall 6.
• the outer peripheral face 36 is connected to an annular shoulder, plane 37, of revolution about the axis 2, this shoulder 37 being turned towards the rear and bearing flat on the front face 9 of the wall 6 for limit the penetration of the wall 35 inside thereof.
• this shoulder 37 is itself connected to an external peripheral face 38, cylindrical of revolution around the axis 2 with a diameter identical to that of the external peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, that this face 38 extends forward, without apparent discontinuity.
• This outer peripheral face 38 delimits, in the direction of a distance with respect to the axis 2, a rim 39, annular of revolution around this axis, which the wall 35 has projecting towards the front, in a single room.
• this rim 39 is delimited by an inner peripheral face 40 also cylindrical of revolution around the axis 2 while it is delimited towards the front by a flat annular face 41, of revolution around the axis 2, which is connected to the outer peripheral face 38 by a softened edge not referenced and to the inner peripheral face 40 by a flange 42, annular of revolution around the axis 2 and placed towards the latter relative to the inner peripheral face 40, in an extreme zone before it.
• this inner peripheral face 40 of the rim 39 is connected to a front face 43 of the wall 35, which front face 43 is flat, transverse, and more precisely has the shape of a disc perpendicular to the axis 2 and centered on it; this face 43 is for example coplanar with the shoulder 37.
• the face 43, the face 40 and the flange 42 thus define, immediately in front of the wall 35, a cavity 44 for receiving and immobilizing, for example by crimping by means of the flange 42 and gluing, of a warhead 45 , of general shape of revolution around the axis 2, intended to undergo the impact with the target and produced for this purpose in a material having the elasticity of the rubber, and for example in silicone with a shore hardness of between 10 and 30, preferably between 12 and 15, this example being in no way limiting.
• the warhead 45 has, projecting forward relative to the front face 41 of the rim 39, a hemispherical shape around an unreferenced center located at the intersection of axis 2 with a plane geometric defined by the rim 41 and, projecting rearwards inside the cavity 44, a cylindrical post retained in compression preload inside the flange 42 in order to ensure a crimping effect and bonded to flat on the front face 43 of the wall 35, these examples of fixing being in no way limiting.
• the wall 35 is delimited by a transverse, planar face 46 parallel to the face 43 and having, for its part, an annular shape of revolution about the axis 2.
• this face 46 is connected to the face 36, the distance mutually separating the faces 43 and 46, also defining the longitudinal dimension of the face 36 and therefore the depth of penetration of the wall 35 inside the wall 6, being small relative to the longitudinal dimension of the latter between its front and rear faces 9 and 10 so that between the face 46 of the wall 35 and the shoulder 81 of the tail 12 remains a free longitudinal distance constituting most of the longitudinal dimension of the wall 6.
• this container 47 can cooperate with the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6, to the effect of '' a guide with relative longitudinal sliding, via a slide integral with this container 47 but mounted to slide longitudinally against the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6, in a manner not illustrated but easily conceivable by a person skilled in the art, or even cooperate directly for this purpose with the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6, as is the case in the illustrated example where the container 47 has the shape of an aerosol can having a tubular side wall 48, of revolution around the axis 2 and essentially delimited, in the direction a distance from it, by an outer peripheral face 49 cylindrical of revolution about this axis with a diameter substantially identical to that of the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6 so that it is established between the faces 49 and 7 a sliding guide contact with relative longitudinal sliding.
• this wall 48 is connected, advantageously by a single piece, to a flat bottom wall 50, perpendicular to the axis 4 and in particular delimited towards the front by a plane front face 51, in the form of disc centered on the axis 2 and connected to the face 49 by a softened edge, in the direction of a distance with respect to the axis 2.
• the wall 48 is integrally tightly connected, by a crimping, to a filling valve mechanism 52 arranged along the axis 2 and turned towards the rear, the crimping creating behind the outer peripheral face 49 an annular shoulder 53 of revolution around the axis 2, plane and turned rearward.
• the wall 48 is locally deformed towards the axis 2 so as to present inside the container 47 a rib limiting the penetration of the valve mechanism 52, as is well known of a person skilled in the art, and this deformation creates, in the external peripheral face 49 of the wall 48, a depression in the form of an annular groove 54, of revolution about the axis 2, closer to the shoulder 53 than of the front face 51.
• the longitudinal dimension separating mutually the shoulder 53 and the front face 51 is less than the longitudinal distance mutually separating the shoulder 81 and the rear face 46 from the wall 35, so that the container 47 can in particular occupy inside the body 5 and of the projectile 1 the position illustrated in FIGS.
• the striker 55 is delimited in the direction of a distance with respect to the axis 2 by an outer peripheral face 56 cylindrical of revolution around this axis with a diameter substantially less than that of the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6.
• This outer peripheral face 56 is connected forwards to the rear face 46 of the wall 35 and rearwards to a flat annular face 57, inclined for example by 45 ° relative to axis 2 and facing downwards, which defines for the striker 55 a free rear end, at a bevel, and connects this outer peripheral face 56 to an inner peripheral face 58, cylindrical of revolution around the axis 2 and delimiting inside the striker 55 a longitudinal passage 59 open towards the rear inside the bevelled face 57 and extending forward towards the inside of the wall 35, in which it is closed forward.
• this passage 59 opens into a plurality of channels 60, eight in number in the example illustrated, which radiate from it, radially with reference to the axis 2, up to to the outer peripheral face 36 of the wall 35 into which they open.
• Each of these channels 60 is for example defined by an inner peripheral face 61, cylindrical of revolution around a respective axis 62 perpendicular to the axis 2, the different axes 62 being regularly distributed angularly around the latter and the respective diameters of the inner peripheral faces 61 being mutually equal but less than the diameter of the inner peripheral face 58 of the striker 55.
• each of the channels 60 is pierced right through a hole 63 delimited by an inner peripheral face 64 cylindrical of revolution around the respective axis 62 with a diameter identical to that of the inner peripheral face 61 of a channel 60, so that the passage 59 , the channels 60 and the holes 63 establish a communication between a cavity 65, which is also sealed, which define the walls 6 and 35 as well as the tail 12, and in which the container 47 is housed, and the exterior of the body 5.
• a cavity 65 which is also sealed, which define the walls 6 and 35 as well as the tail 12, and in which the container 47 is housed, and the exterior of the body 5.
• the container 47 tending to continue to move by inertia, forwards, inside the wall 6, for its part immobilized in this direction by the target 66 comes to bear with a consequent longitudinal force, towards the front, on the striker 55 which perforates the bottom 50, which frees the container 47 vis-à-vis sliding towards the front relative to the wall 6 , so that the container 47 advances in the body 1 until its bottom 50 comes to lie flat, by its face 51, against the rear face 46 of the wall 35 as illustrated in the figure 4.
• the pressurized fluid 68 initially enclosed in the container 57 escapes from the latter by successively traversing the longitudinal passage 59 of the striker 55, towards the front, then each of the channels 60 and the holes 63, in a centrifugal manner with reference to the axis 2, until leaving the body 5 of the projectile ], distributed transversely around it, and spreading over target 66.
• ⁇ ⁇ left half thereof illustrates an alternative embodiment of the projectile, according to which this effect is supplemented or replaced by a longitudinal crushing effect of the wall 6 on impact.
• the longitudinal compression of the wall 6 can be favored at least in a longitudinally intermediate zone between the container 47 and the transverse wall 35, for example as illustrated in the left half of FIG. 1, by digging in the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, localized immediately behind the rear face 46 of the wall 35, non-through longitudinal cuts 69 of a longitudinal dimension preferably corresponding approximately to twice the longitudinal distance mutually separating the front face 51 of the container 47 and the rear face 46 of the wall 35 when, as illustrated in the right half of FIG.
• the front face 51 is in support without constraint and without perforation, towards the front , against the striker 55.
• the notches 69 open and allow the formation , in the wall 6, of folds 70 projecting, in the direction of a distance relative to the axis 2, on the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, this formation itself resulting in an apparent shortening of the wall 6 between the shoulder 81 and the rear face 46 of the wall 35, thus forcing the bottom 50 of the container 47 to press against the striker 55 which pierces it.
• the formation of folds 70 outwards makes it possible to prevent the presence of the container 47 inside the wall 6 from hindering the apparent shortening of the wall 6 and also makes it possible to avoid constituting a hindrance.
• the materials, such as aluminum or aluminum-based alloys, constituting the walls of the aerosol cans which are preferably used to constitute the container 47 may however produce an imperfect tear in the bottom 50 of the container 47 around the perforation 60, in the sense that this tear releases in this bottom 50 a tongue which remains attached to the rest of the bottom and is pressed against the annular face 57 to the interior of which the passage 59 opens longitudinally towards the rear, which has the effect of closing the passage 59 and consequently preventing the routing of the fluid towards the channels 60 and the holes 63.
• FIGS 9, 1 1, 13 where there is illustrated a variant of the striker 55 which differs from the embodiment thereof described above only in that it is pierced transversely from in part, from one to the other of its inner 58 and outer 56 peripheral faces, at least one orifice thus opening on the one hand into the passage 59 and on the other hand inside the body 5, behind the wall 35 and more precisely at a longitudinal distance from the rear face 46 thereof at least equal and preferably greater than the thickness of the bottom 50.
• three of these orifices 85, 86, 87 are provided, each of which is oriented along a respective axis perpendicular to the axis 2 and has a cylindrical periphery of revolution around this respective axis, with a respective diameter as large as possible within limits compatible with an imperative of mechanical resistance of the striker 55 so as to offer the fluid a cumulative section of passage as close as possible to that of passage 59. More precisely, in the example illustrated and if reference is made to FIGS.
• the orifice 85 is arranged along an axis 88 located in this plane and cuts the axis 2 perpendicularly to the intersection of this with the geometric plane, not referenced, of the face 57;
• the orifices 86 and 87 have the same axis 89 perpendicular to the plane of Figures 9 and 13 and intersecting the axis 2 perpendicularly between the intersection of the axis 88 with it and the rear face 46 of the wall 35, and they have the same diameter which is less than that of the orifice.
• the striker 55 differs from that which has been described with reference to Figures 1 to 8 only by the fact that it is hollowed out, at its free rear end, by a step 90 which forms a recess towards the front with respect to its annular face 57, in the region thereof closest to the wall 35, and opens longitudinally rearward in this region and transversely in the interior peripheral faces 58 and exterior 56.
• the annular face 57 has an interruption 91 located in its zone closest to the wall 35, symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to the annular face 57 and including the axis 2, namely the plane of Figure 1 1, and the step 90 is delimited by two plane longitudinal faces 92, 93, mutually symmetrical with respect to this plane and connecting rearwardly to the annular face 57, respective nt on either side of the interruption 91 thereof, and by a flat transverse face 94, turned towards the rear and mutually connecting these two longitudinal faces 92, 93 in front of the annular face 57.
• the transverse face 94 is preferably placed at a longitudinal distance from the face 46 of the partition 35, behind that here, greater than the thickness of the bottom wall 50 of the container 47.
• the two longitudinal faces 92, 93 are for example located in the same non-referenced plane parallel to the axis 2 and perpendicular to the plane of Figure 1 1.
• the plane of the faces 92, 93 is located on the same side of the axis 2 as the zone of the annular face 57 closest to the wall 35, so that the interruption 91 of the annular face 57, and with it the step 90, extend over less half of the periphery of this annular face 57, and for example over 120 ° with reference to axis 2, this value being indicated only by way of nonlimiting example.
• a person skilled in the art will readily understand that other conformations of the step 90 can be adopted without departing from the scope of the present invention.
• the bottom 50 of the container 47 advances towards the wall 35, it first comes into contact with the striker 55 through the region of the bevel face 57 furthest from this wall 35, which causes its perforation and can cause the progressive release of a tongue 84, as the bottom 50 comes into contact with areas of the face 57 respectively closer and closer to the wall 35; this tongue 84 tends to remain applied against the face 57, in an oblique orientation relative to the axis 2.
• the bottom 50 When the bottom 50 reaches the level of the interruption 91 of the face 57, it crosses the step 90 whose longitudinal faces 92, 93 then the transverse face 94 straighten the tongue 84 so as to tend to orient it parallel to the axis 2 before the bottom 50 abuts forward against the face 46 of the wall 35, as has been illustrated in Figure 14; thus, when the container 47 comes to stop against the face 46 of the wall 35, the tongue 84 possibly formed in its bottom 50 is oriented so that it does not risk closing the mouth of the passage 59 of the striker 55 in the annular face 57, that is to say that it does not constitute any obstacle to the exit, towards the passage 59, the channels 60 and the holes 63, of the fluid initially contained in the container 47.
• locking means for immobilizing the container 47 relative to the body 5 as long as the projectile 1 is placed inside the weapon tube 3, and for automatically releasing the container 47 from longitudinal sliding by relative to the body 3 when the projectile 1 leaves the weapon barrel 3.
• FIGS. 1 to 4 A first embodiment of these locking means has been illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4, and a second example in FIGS. 5 to 7, it being understood that these examples are also compatible with the variants of the striker illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 14.
• FIGS. 1 to 4 where these locking means have been illustrated in the form of a transverse annular bead 71, annular of revolution around the axis 2, arranged projecting from the peripheral face outer 8 of the wall 6 of the body 5 in an area placed transversely opposite the groove 54 forming a depression in the outer peripheral face 49 of the wall 48 of the container 47 when the latter is supported rearward, by the shoulder 53, on the shoulder 81 of the tail 12 of the body 5.
• the bead 71 is continuous, connected without discontinuity to the wall 6 and advantageously produced in one piece with the latter.
• the projectile 1 is engaged in the weapon tube 3, having an inner peripheral face 72 cylindrical of revolution about an axis then coinciding with the axis 2 with a diameter substantially identical to that of the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, in order to cooperate with this outer peripheral face 8 to guide the body 5 to longitudinal sliding in the weapon tube 3 during firing
• the bead 71 bearing on this inner peripheral face 72 which applies compression to the axis 2 causes an at least partially elastic, and if necessary slightly plastic, deformation of the wall 6 in the direction of approximation with respect to the axis 2, which gives birth, on the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6, to a bead 73 also annular of revolution around the axis 2 and forming a projection towards it relative to the inner peripheral face eure 7 of the wall 6, that is to say penetrating inside the groove 54 so as to immobilize the container 47 by relative to the wall 6, in the support
• the bead 71 resting under stress on the inner peripheral face 72 of the weapon tube 3 due to the elasticity of the material constituting the wall 6, ensures retention of the projectile 1 by friction between this inner peripheral face 72, on the one hand, and a seal between the projectile 1 and this face 72, on the other hand, in a particularly advantageous manner when, as is frequently the case, the shot 1 is carried out by accumulation of gas under pressure between it and a cylinder head (not shown) closing the tube 3 towards the rear, whether by introduction of a gas under pressure or direct generation of such a gas under pressure, for example by combustion of a suitable pyrotechnic composition.
• Each tongue 74 thus integrally formed with the wall 6, has one end 75, here before, connected integrally to the rest of this wall 6, and a free end 76, here rear, bearing integrally, for example by making a single piece, a protrusion 77 projecting in the direction of a distance relative to the axis 2, on the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6 when, as shown in Figures 5, 6, 8, the projectile 1 is out of the weapon barrel 3.
• this tongue 74 tends elastically to maintain a conformation in which the part of the inner 7 and outer 8 peripheral faces which it corresponds to it remains arranged in the same respective geometrical cylinder as the rest of the respectively inner or outer peripheral wall of the wall 6.
• the inner peripheral face 72 thereof bearing on the respective protuberance 77 makes the projection disappear than that -this form relative to the outer peripheral face 8 of the wall 6, that is to say causes a bending of each tongue 74 towards the axis 2 at the level of the protrusion 77, so that the free end 76 of each tongue 74 forms a projection towards the axis 2 on the inner peripheral face 7 of the wall 6.
• the container 47 would be mounted for sliding inside the body 5 by means of a slide, the bead 71 or the tongues 74 could cooperate, in a manner identical to that which has been described with reference to the groove 54, with a similar groove arranged in the slide.
• the bead 71 or the tongues 74 could cooperate, in a manner identical to that which has been described with reference to the groove 54, with a similar groove arranged in the slide.
• provisional retention of the container 47 could be ensured against sliding inside the body 5 by pins working in shear and breaking when the gas pressure generated by the aforementioned pyrotechnic means would be sufficient to exceed a predetermined threshold, or even when the combination of this effect and an inertial effect exerted on the container 47 upon impact became sufficient to exceed this predetermined threshold for breaking the pins.
• the production of the projectile 1 according to this variant, as well as according to other variants, falls within the normal aptitudes of a person skilled in the art and would not depart from the scope of the present invention.

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• 1996
  • 1996-06-21 FR FR9607780A patent/FR2750206B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1997
  • 1997-06-20 EP EP97930562A patent/EP0906556B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1997-06-20 US US09/202,842 patent/US6209461B1/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-06-20 CA CA002259452A patent/CA2259452C/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-06-20 WO PCT/FR1997/001109 patent/WO1997049969A1/fr active IP Right Grant
  • 1997-06-20 DE DE69703042T patent/DE69703042T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1997-06-20 AU AU34471/97A patent/AU3447197A/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1997-06-20 ES ES97930562T patent/ES2150265T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime

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