EP3112796B1

EP3112796B1 - Swiveling mount for a lightweight missile launcher having a single-use launch tube

Info

Publication number: EP3112796B1
Application number: EP16382275.2A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Andrés Fuentetaja Roca
Original assignee: Anortec SL
Current assignee: Anortec SL
Priority date: 2015-07-01
Filing date: 2016-06-15
Publication date: 2018-03-14
Anticipated expiration: 2036-06-15
Also published as: EP3112796A1; ES2671800T3; ES2585603A1; ES2585603B1

Description

Field of the Art

The present invention relates to the field of swiveling supports, also called mounts, provided for supporting lightweight missile launchers having a single-use launch tube, said mount being equipped with two degrees of freedom with respect to two rotational axes perpendicular to one another, by means of a first support articulated with respect to a base about a vertical axis, and a second support articulated with respect to the first support about a horizontal axis, thereby allowing a missile launcher anchored on said second support to move by means of lateral rotation or by means of vertical rolling.

State of the Art

Missile launchers having a single-use launch tube are well known. They are also known to have a reusable control unit suitable for being easily and quickly coupled to the mentioned launch tube to allow aiming and firing the missile from said control unit, or also to optionally allow guiding the fired missile. These missile launchers are lightweight and allow being carried by one or two users and being fired by supporting them on a tripod or even on the shoulder of the user in some models. An example of missile launchers of this type could be those marketed by the company Rafael, under the trademark known as Spike.
Swiveling mounts adapted for supporting missile launchers of this type are also known by means of patent documents US3389637 and GB 1223922 , for example. A mount for a leightweight missile launcher according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from document NL1008288C1 . None of these patent documents anticipates a mount that allows holding the launch tube in position in which it is decoupled from the control unit and from its connectors, preventing said connectors from becoming worn or from breaking while being transported, and which also allows quickly coupling both elements together by means of the movement of one of them guided by the mount itself, which would allow quickly preparing the mount for use.

Brief Description of the Invention

The present invention relates to a swiveling mount for a lightweight missile launcher having a single-use launch tube equipped with a reusable control unit that allows locating the target, firing the missile and/or guiding the missile according to the appended claims. Missile launchers of this type are designed to be carried by one or two soldiers and consist of a single-use launch tube containing a self-propelled missile and the mentioned control unit containing the optical and/or electronic elements that allow the user to locate the target, as well as the missile trigger mechanism. The control unit can also optionally contain instruments that allow guiding the missile in flight towards the target.
Both the launch tube and the control unit have complementary connectors that allow said elements to be carried separately but, in order to use them, the launch tube must be coupled both mechanically and electrically to the control unit, therefore becoming integral, allowing a user to hold the missile launcher on their shoulder, or to arrange it on a mount, to then aim and fire of the missile towards a target.
After firing, the launch tube, which no longer has a missile, can be separated from the control unit and replaced with another new launch tube that allows firing again.
Missile launchers of this type do not experience recoil because the missile is self-propelled, and they are furthermore provided for separately carrying the launch tube and control unit; for these reasons, the mentioned connectors are not very resistant and are not sized to withstand prolonged vibrations or large inertial loads. This limitation prevents being able to carry the control unit attached to the launch tube, because the connectors would end up breaking, and prevents arranging said missile launcher ready for use assembled in a mount, for example on a vehicle, thus being unviable the rapid use thereof against a quickly approaching enemy.
Therefore, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a swiveling mount that allows holding the control unit and the launch tube in a disarmed position, i.e., both elements uncoupled from one another, allowing carrying said swiveling mount with said missile launcher in the disarmed position, preventing the connectors from becoming worn, and said swiveling mount allowing a quick attachment of the launch tube with the control unit through said connectors, therefore being in an armed position, and allowing the missile launcher to be used by means of a simple and quick operation, thereby allowing a quick reaction to a threat.
The proposed mentioned swiveling mount includes:

a first support that can be fixed to a base, and equipped with a first articulation suitable for rotating about a vertical axis and for preventing axial movement in the direction of the vertical axis;
a second support attached to the first support by means of at least a second articulation suitable for pivoting about a horizontal axis and for preventing axial movement in the mentioned direction of the horizontal axis;
at least one locking element that allows fixing said first articulation and/or second articulation in a desired angular position;

When the first articulation rotates with respect to a vertical axis, it provides freedom of lateral angular movement to the first support. The base on which the first support is fixed can be, for example, a coupling configuration provided in a military vehicle. Said mount is also intended to include vibration absorption devices that reduce vibrations transmitted to the missile launcher coupled thereto. Said devices can be elastomeric elements, for example, arranged between the base and the vehicle, or in other locations.
These elements provide two degrees of freedom to the swiveling mount, allowing the missile launcher attached to said mount to be aimed in any direction.
Furthermore, in a novel manner, the proposed swiveling mount furthermore incorporates:

a guided carriage attached to the second support by means of guiding elements that allow a guided movement of said guided carriage with respect to said second support between a disarmed position and an armed position;
control unit anchors provided for precisely positioning and firmly and securely fixing the control unit to the mount; and
launch tube anchors provided for precisely positioning and firmly and securely fixing the single-use launch tube to the mount;

Optionally, there also being a coupling element or another guided carriage arranged between the element of the missile launcher fixed to the second support and said second support has been envisaged, which thereby allows adapting the mount to different missile launcher models, or which allows relative movement with respect to the rest of the mount of any of the two parts making up the missile launcher.
Therefore, said guided carriage can move with respect to the rest of the second support in a guided manner by means of the guiding elements, moving the launch tube of the missile launcher with respect to the control unit of the missile launcher between the disarmed position, in which both parts are uncoupled from one another, and the armed position, in which both parts are coupled through the mentioned connectors and ready to be fired.
It will be understood that an embodiment in which the launch tube was fixed on the second support and the control unit was fixed on the guided carriage would be perfectly feasible and completely obvious in view of the embodiment set forth, both embodiments being considered identical and integrated in the proposed invention.
It is also understood that the anchors can be of very different types, being able to be, for example, belts, clamps, pins, screws, or anchors produced by the interaction of complementary geometries, such as rib and slot configurations.
According to an additional embodiment, the guided carriage allows lateral movement and axial movement with respect to the axis defined by the firing direction. These two directions of movement combined provide a bolt-type movement or a movement in an L-shaped path, which allows the coupling of the launch tube with the control unit to take place by means of the lateral insertion of the connectors and the sliding thereof in the firing direction. However, other coupling paths are also contemplated, such as a U-shaped path or others.
Additionally, the lateral movement of the guided carriage is intended to follow a curved path, which allows the lateral insertion path of the connectors of the launch tube with respect to the connectors of the control unit to be more like the one it would follow if it were done manually by the user of the missile launcher.
According to another embodiment, a lever is connected to the guided carriage and allows a user to actuate the guided movement by means of operating said lever, which makes it easier for the user to put the missile launcher in the armed position or disarmed position, operating the lever with just one hand.
Said lever optionally projects from a lower face of the guided carriage and the second support.
Additionally, the guiding elements include the lever attached to the guided carriage and a cam slot integrated in the second support defining the trajectory of the lever.
Retaining means that allow locking the position of the guided carriage in the disarmed position and/or in the armed position are also provided.
The disarmed position keeps the control unit and the launch tube physically disconnected and separated from one another, which protects the connectors attaching said control unit with the launch tube from breaking or becoming worn as a result of vibrations or shaking, for example while it is carried on board a vehicle. Therefore, as a result of said mount, the missile launcher can be carried on board a vehicle fixed to the mount in the disarmed position, without the risk of becoming damaged, and at the same time allowing being able to put the missile launcher in the armed position in a few seconds, which allows quickly reacting to a threat.
It will be understood that references to geometric position, such as, for example, parallel, perpendicular, tangent, etc. allow deviations of up to ±5° with respect to the theoretical position defined by said nomenclature.
Other features of the invention will be seen in the following detailed description of an embodiment.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The foregoing and other advantages and features will be better understood based on the following detailed description of an embodiment in reference to the attached drawings, which must be interpreted in an illustrative and non-limiting manner, in which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the mount from a first viewpoint, according to a first embodiment, the mount being assembled and not provided with a missile launcher;
Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the mount shown in Figure 1 from a second viewpoint opposite the first viewpoint, the mount being assembled and not provided with a missile launcher;
Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the mount shown in Figure 1 from the first viewpoint, the mount being disassembled and not provided with a missile launcher;
Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the mount shown in Figure 2 from the second viewpoint, the mount being disassembled and not provided with a missile launcher;
Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the mount shown in Figure 2 from the second viewpoint, the mount being assembled and provided with a missile launcher in the disarmed position, with the launch tube physically separated from the control unit;
Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the mount shown in Figure 2 from the second viewpoint, the mount being assembled and provided with a missile launcher in the armed position, with the launch tube attached and connected to the control unit.

Description Detailed of an Embodiment

The present invention relates to a swiveling mount for a lightweight missile launcher 40 having a single-use launch tube 42 and a reusable control unit 41, the control unit 41 being what allows locating the target and firing, and also optionally being responsible for guiding the missile in flight to the target. In said missile launcher 40, the launch tube 42 is attached to the control unit 41 by means of connectors 43 that are complementary and can be coupled to one another located both in the control unit 41 and in the launch tube 42. Said connectors 43 allow both mechanically holding the launch tube 42 attached to the control unit 41 and electrically connecting both halves of the missile launcher 40 to one another, allowing ignition of the missile, among other functions thereof, to be controlled from the control unit 41.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 1 in an illustrative, non-limiting manner, the proposed mount 1 consists of a first support 11 articulated with respect to a base 2 about a vertical axis EV, providing freedom of horizontal angular rotation.
Said first support 11 has a vertical side arm, with an upper end approximately parallel to said vertical axis EV, at the end of which there is attached in an articulated manner a second support 21, which is articulated about a horizontal axis EH, allowing a second degree of freedom of the mount 1 in a pivoting direction.
Control unit anchors 22 provided for detachably fixing the mentioned control unit 41 of the missile launcher 40 to the second support 21 are arranged on said second support 21, the shape and position of said control unit anchors 22 being complementary to the shape and position of the control unit 41 in the operative position (armed or disarmed), or a part thereof.
Said second support 21 also holds a guided carriage 30 which, by means of guiding elements 32, 33, 34, 35, can move with respect to the rest of the second support 21 following a path determined by said guiding elements 32, 33, 34, 35. The path determined by said guiding elements 32, 33, 34, 35 will depend on the path required for the attachment and connection of the control unit 41 with the launch tube 42, typically being an L-shaped bolt-type path, but other different paths can be contemplated, for example a U-shaped path.
Launch tube anchors 31 provided for precisely and securely fixing said launch tube 42 to the guided carriage 30 are arranged on said guided carriage 30. In the present embodiment, said launch tube anchors 31 consist of adjustable quick-closing clamps that clamp said launch tube 42 against the guided carriage 30.
In this example, the guided carriage 30 and the guiding elements 32, 33, 34, 35 consist of a pair of parallel walls perpendicular to the firing direction DD defined by the launch tube 42, said walls being arranged on the second support 21, each equipped with side guiding slots 34. The ends of two cylindrical shafts 35 parallel to one another and with respect to the firing direction DD are inserted in said side guiding slots 34, allowing lateral movement, with respect to the firing direction DD, of said two cylindrical shafts 35, following the path defined by the side guiding slots 34, which are curved in this case. Both cylindrical shafts 35 are connected to one another to maintain a constant distance between them, and they preferably have bearings to make their movement along the side guiding slots 34 easier.
The guided carriage 30 is arranged on said cylindrical shafts 35, attached thereto by means of skids provided for sliding along said cylindrical shafts 35, allowing axial movement of the guided carriage 30 in the firing direction DD.
The guided carriage 30 has a lever 32 attached to its lower face and projecting downwards through a cam slot 33 made in the second support 21. Interaction between the lever 32 and the cam slot 33 defines the path of the guided carriage 30 between the armed position, in which the launch tube 42 is coupled to the control unit 41, and the disarmed position, in which said components of the missile launcher 40 are uncoupled and separated from one another, which allows the missile launcher 40 to be carried safely without the risk of vibrations from being carried damaging the connectors 43. The path defined by the lever 32 and the cam slot 33 obviously must be contained within the freedom of movement allowed both by the side guiding slots 34 and by cylindrical shafts 35.

Claims

A swiveling mount for a lightweight missile launcher having a single-use launch tube containing a self-propelled missile, said launch tube being coupleable both mechanically and electrically to a reusable control unit (44) through complementary connectors, said control unit allowing locating a target, firing the missile and/or guiding the missile, said swiveling mount including:
• a first support (11), that can be fixed to a base (2), equipped with a first articulation (10) suitable for rotating about a vertical axis (EV) and for preventing axial movement in the direction of the vertical axis (EV);

• a second support (21) attached to the first support (11) by means of at least a second articulation (20) suitable for pivoting about a horizontal axis (EH) and for preventing axial movement in the mentioned direction of the horizontal axis (EH);

• at least one locking element (14) that allows fixing said first articulation (10) and/or second articulation (20) in a desired angular position;
characterized in that the mount (1) furthermore incorporates:
• a guided carriage (30) attached to the second support (21) by means of guiding elements that allow a guided movement of said guided carriage (30) with respect to said second support (21) between a disarmed position, in which the launch tube and the control unit of the missile launcher are uncoupled from one another, and an armed position, in which the launch tube and the control unit of the missile launcher are coupled through the mentioned connectors and is ready to be fired;

• control unit anchors (22) provided for precisely positioning and firmly and securely fixing the control unit (41) of the missile launcher (40) to the mount (1); and

• launch tube anchors (31) provided for precisely positioning and firmly and securely fixing the single-use launch tube (42) to the mount (1);
wherein the control unit anchors (22) and the launch tube anchors (31) being respectively attached on the second support (21) and on the guided carriage (30) or vice versa, allowing a guided movement of the launch tube anchors (31) with respect to the control unit anchors (22); and
wherein said guided movement of the guided carriage (30) includes, with respect to an axis defined by a firing direction (DD), which is defined by the launch tube (42), lateral movement and axial movement in the firing direction (DD).
The mount according to claim 1, characterized in that the lateral movement of the guided carriage (30) follows a curved path defined by side guiding slots (34).
The mount according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the axial movement in the firing direction (DD) of the guided carriage (30) follows a straight path defined by a pair of cylindrical shafts (35) parallel to the firing direction (DD).
The mount according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the cylindrical shafts (35) move laterally guided by the side guiding slots (34).
The mount according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the guided carriage has a lever (32) connected thereto that allows a user to actuate its guided movement.
The mount according to claim 6, characterized in that the lever (32) projects from a lower face of the guided carriage (30) and from a lower face of the second support (21).
The mount according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the guiding elements include the lever (32) attached to the guided carriage (30), and a cam slot (33) integrated in the second support (21) defining the trajectory of the lever (32).
The mount according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that retaining means allow locking the position of the guided carriage (30) in the disarmed position and/or in the armed position.