EP2336019B1 - System for launching a weapon from an underwater vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a system for launching a weapon from an underwater vehicle.

More particularly, the invention relates to a system of this type which comprises a tube intended to receive the weapon and which is provided at one end with a door equipped with a cylinder with double action of ejection of the weapon.

Such systems are for example used in submarines to launch a torpedo, these systems then being generally called "torpedo tube".

However other applications for example drones can be envisaged as well as different weapons such as for example missiles or others.

In general, the double-acting cylinder fitted to the tube door comprises a cylinder body in which deployable pistons are telescopically retractable relative to each other, this cylinder being connected to means forming a source of fluid under pressure through control means for injecting fluid under pressure into the cylinder body at the rear of the pistons to deploy the same.

An exemplary launching system, according to the preamble of claim 1, is described in EP 2 124 012 .

The systems of the state of the art all use hydraulic cylinders.

However it is known that these hydraulic cylinders have a low deployment speed which poses a number of problems for some applications envisaged.

The object of the invention is therefore to solve these problems.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a launching system according to claim 1.

• la source de gaz sous pression comporte des moyens formant bouteille de gaz sous pression ;
• la source de liquide sous pression comporte des moyens formant accumulateur hydropneumatique ;
• lors du déploiement du vérin, les orifices du corps de vérin et des pistons sont adaptés pour freiner les déplacements.de ceux-ci par laminage du fluide contenu entre le corps et le piston externe et entre les pistons eux-mêmes, éjecté lors du déploiement des pistons ; et
• le gaz sous pression est de l'air et en ce que le liquide sous pression est de l'eau.

According to particular embodiments, the invention may comprise one or more of the following characteristics, taken in isolation or in any technically possible combination:

• the pressurized gas source comprises pressurized gas bottle means;
• the source of pressurized liquid comprises means forming a hydropneumatic accumulator;
• during the deployment of the cylinder, the orifices of the cylinder body and pistons are adapted to slow the displacement thereof by rolling the fluid contained between the body and the outer piston and between the pistons themselves, ejected during the deployment of the pistons; and
• the pressurized gas is air and the pressurized liquid is water.

• la figure 1 représente un schéma synoptique illustrant un système de lancement d'une arme selon l'invention,
• la figure 2 représente un vérin à double action entrant dans la constitution d'un tel système et
• les figures 3 et 4 illustrent respectivement le déploiement et l'escamotage des pistons d'un tel vérin.

The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following description given solely by way of example and with reference to the appended drawings, in which:

• the figure 1 represents a block diagram illustrating a launching system of a weapon according to the invention,
• the figure 2 represents a double-acting cylinder used in the constitution of such a system and
• the Figures 3 and 4 respectively illustrate the deployment and retraction of the pistons of such a cylinder.

We have indeed illustrated in these figures and in particular on the figure 1 , a system for launching a weapon from for example an underwater vehicle, this system being designated by the general reference 1 in this figure.

In fact, this system comprises a tube designated by the general reference 2, intended to receive the weapon, this weapon being constituted for example by a wiggle or other.

This tube is provided at one end with a door designated by the general reference 3, this door being equipped with a cylinder with double action of ejection of the weapon. This double-acting cylinder is illustrated in more detail on the figure 2 .

On this figure 2 , this double-acting cylinder is designated by the general reference 4 and comprises a cylinder body designated by the general reference 5, in which are arranged deployable pistons telescopically retractable relative to each other.

In the exemplary embodiment illustrated, five pistons deployable and retractable telescopically relative to each other are shown and are designated by references 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 respectively.

The internal piston designated by the general reference 10 also comprises at its free end, a support plate on the weapon, designated by the general reference 11.

The front ends of the body 5 and the pistons with the exception of the internal piston 10 also comprise orifices such as for example the orifice designated by the general reference 12, for the cylinder body 5, and 13, for the first external piston 6, the function of which will be described in more detail later.

This jack is therefore associated with the door 3 of the tube and is connected to means forming a source of pressurized fluid through control means as shown in FIG. figure 1 .

In fact and as illustrated in this figure 1 the cylinder associated with the tube door is connected to pressurized fluid source means designated by the general reference 14 in these figures through control means 15, for injecting pressurized fluid into the cylinder body at the same time. rear of the pistons to deploy these and from outside the body through the orifices 12 and 13 provided at the front ends of this body and successive pistons with the exception of the inner piston, to cause their retraction in this body and into each other successively.

According to the invention, this launch system comprises two different sources of fluid under pressure, including a source of pressurized gas designated by the general reference 16 and a source of pressurized liquid designated by the general reference 17.

The source of gas under pressure is adapted to ensure the deployment of the pistons while the source of pressurized liquid is adapted to ensure the retraction thereof.

In fact and as is schematized on the figure 1 the pressurized gas source may comprise pressurized gas cylinder means while the pressurized liquid source may comprise hydropneumatic accumulator means as illustrated.

The gas under pressure may indeed be air while the pressurized liquid may be water.

Of course other embodiments can be envisaged.

So and as is illustrated on the Figures 3 and 4 , air is injected under pressure into the cylinder body 5 at the rear of the pistons to cause the deployment of them. Before this deployment, fluid is contained in the chambers delimited between the outer piston 6 and the cylinder body 5 and between the pistons themselves, these chambers being filled with liquid such as for example water.

As soon as pressurized air is injected into the cylinder body 5, it causes the pistons to move successively forwards, the external piston 6 moving forwardly causing an ejection of the liquid contained in the piston. a chamber defined between the latter and the cylinder body 5 through the orifices 12, which makes it possible to control the speed of displacement of this jack, by rolling the fluid during its ejection through these orifices.

This control is also provided by the orifices 13 provided for example in front of the end of the piston 6 when the successive piston 7 moves forward and so on.

During the retraction of the various pistons, pressurized liquid such as for example water is injected through the orifices 12 of the cylinder body 5.

This then causes the piston 6 to move back to its retracted position to a position in which the orifices 13 of this piston 6 come into communication with the chamber defined between this piston and the cylinder body and thus with the orifices 12 of the body of the piston. cylinder 5, which makes it possible to inject liquid under pressure into the next chamber provided between the successive pistons of this jack up to the last, that is to say up to the internal piston 10, in order to completely retract those ci inside the cylinder body and into each other.

It is then conceivable that these orifices are on the one hand intended to allow the successive folding of the pistons into each other and into the cylinder body during their retraction and also to slow the displacement thereof by rolling of this fluid during the deployment of the cylinders, the fluid is then ejected through these orifices.

Such a structure makes it possible to obtain an extremely compact system making it possible to fill the chambers delimited between the cylinder body and the external piston and between the pistons themselves with water.

This structure with chambers and orifices also makes it possible to damp the movement of the pistons while allowing to obtain an optimal deployment speed whatever the type of weapon to be ejected.

It goes without saying of course that different embodiments can be envisaged.

Claims (5)

1. A system for launching a weapon from an underwater vehicle of the type comprising a tube (2) for receiving the weapon and provided at one end with a door (3) equipped with a dual-action actuator (4) for ejecting the weapon, comprising an actuator body (5) in which are disposed pistons (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) that can be deployed and retracted telescopically in relation to one another, the actuator (4) being joined to means (14) forming a source of pressurised fluid via control means (15) for injecting pressured fluid into the actuator body (5) at the rear of the pistons for deploying the latter, characterised in that orifices (12, 13) are provided at the front ends of this body and at the front ends of the successive pistons with the exception of the internal piston, via which the means (14) forming the fluid source are suitable for injecting fluid from the exterior of the body in order to bring about the retraction of these pistons into this body and one into the other successively,
   the system comprising two fluid sources at different pressures (16, 17): a pressurised gas source (16) for providing the deployment of the pistons and a pressurised liquid source (17) in order to provide retraction of the latter.
2. The system for launching a weapon according to Claim 1, characterised in that the pressurised gas source (16) comprises means forming a bottle of pressurised gas.
3. The system for launching a weapon according to Claim 2, characterised in that the pressurised liquid source (17) comprises means forming a hydropneumatic accumulator.
4. The system for launching a weapon according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that when the actuator is deployed, the orifices (12, 13) of the actuator body (5) and the pistons are adapted to brake the movements of the latter by throttling the fluid contained between the body (5) and the external piston (6) and between the pistons themselves (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) ejected when the pistons are deployed.
5. The system for launching a weapon according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the pressurised gas is air and in that the pressurised liquid is water.

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