EP4365536A1 - Active unit, fragmentation grenade and method for combatting a projectile - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to an active unit (1) for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular kinetic energy projectiles, which has an explosive (3) and a fragmentation generation area (4) with several preformed fragmentation bodies (5), wherein the fragmentation bodies (5) can be released by explosion of the explosive (3) to combat the projectile, wherein the fragmentation bodies (4) have a strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis (A) of the active unit (1).

Description

The invention relates to an active unit for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular kinetic energy projectiles, which has an explosive and a fragmentation area with several preformed fragmentation bodies, wherein the fragmentation bodies can be released by the explosion of the explosive to combat the projectile. Further subjects of the invention are a method for producing such an active unit, a fragmentation grenade for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular kinetic energy projectiles, and a method for combating a projectile, in particular a kinetic energy projectile.

Vehicles and equipment in military operations, crisis and war zones are often exposed to projectile fire. Such attacking projectiles are either explosive projectiles, which use the explosive effect of an explosive charge contained within them, or impact projectiles, which use their kinetic energy to penetrate the outer shell and attack the object and are therefore very massive.

In order to be as well protected as possible against damage, destruction and other impacts caused by projectiles, such objects are increasingly being equipped with active protection systems in addition to passive protection systems such as armor. Such active protection systems are intended to deflect or destroy the projectile before it reaches the object to be protected.

Active protection systems achieve this protective effect by firing one or more projectiles in the direction of the attacking projectile. The projectiles of the active protection system comprise one or more effective units with which the attacking projectile can be deflected, damaged and/or destroyed in order to combat it. Damage to the projectile in particular usually also causes the projectile to tumble, making its trajectory unstable and deflecting the projectile. A deflected projectile can miss the object to be protected, so that it is protected from the impact of the projectile.

These projectiles of the active protection system can be, for example, fragmentation grenades, which in addition to the active unit also have a propulsion unit and/or an aerodynamic head unit. A separate propulsion unit allows the fragmentation grenades to accelerate from the fixed part of the active protection system towards the projectile without or in addition to an external propellant charge. With an aerodynamic head unit, a more stable trajectory and This allows the active protection system to achieve a greater range, as the fragmentation grenade is more stable in the air and does not tumble.

The active unit used to combat the attacking projectile has at least two essential components. Firstly, this is an explosive which is detonated in the vicinity of the attacking projectile at a controlled time or distance. Depending on the type of projectile, the distance of the active unit from the projectile and the size and composition of the explosive, the active unit with the exploding explosive can immediately cause damage or destruction of the projectile. In particular, in the case of impact projectiles which do not have their own explosive charges that can be ignited from the outside by the explosion of the explosive, the pure explosion of the explosive is usually not sufficient to combat the projectile.

On the other hand, the active unit has a fragmentation area with several pre-formed fragmentation bodies. The fragmentation bodies in the fragmentation area are primarily used to combat the projectile. The exploding explosive causes the pre-formed fragmentation bodies to be thrown outwards from the active unit. The explosive thus serves as a propellant for the pre-formed fragmentation bodies. The fragmentation bodies are released as a result of the explosion of the explosive, and the fragmentation area usually breaks up.

In order to successfully combat the projectile, at least one of the splinter bodies of the effective unit must hit the projectile. When this impact occurs, energy and momentum are transferred between the splinter body that hits the projectile. With sufficient momentum transfer, the projectile can be deflected and/or damaged or broken depending on the energy transfer.

Due to the rapid and opposing movements of the projectile and the effective unit, there is only a comparatively small spatial and temporal window in which the effective unit must release its fragmentation bodies and these must move in the direction of the projectile's trajectory in order to hit the projectile there. To date, small and essentially cubic fragmentation bodies have been used. In this way, the effective unit can have a large number of fragmentation bodies, typically 50 or more fragmentation bodies. This high number means that there are many fragmentation bodies that can hit the projectile.

In addition, the small and therefore light fragmentation bodies can be accelerated quickly by the explosive, so that a quick reaction time is achieved until the fragmentation bodies have distributed themselves in a certain volume around the explosion point of the effective unit. This has a positive effect on the probability of hitting.

The probability of combating a given projectile by the effective unit depends on both the probability of hitting the target and the achievable energy transfer. In order to combat the projectile effectively, the known effective units require several fragmentation bodies to hit the projectile in close proximity to one another in space and time, so that several fragmentation bodies transfer energy to the projectile together. However, the energy transfer, particularly when combating massive impact projectiles, can be too low with the known effective units or can be distributed over too large an area of the projectile, so that the projectile is not sufficiently damaged or destroyed by the fragmentation bodies of the effective unit to protect the object from the projectile.

The object of the present invention is therefore to increase the probability of combat, in particular the probability of damage or destruction of the projectile.

This task is solved in an active unit of the type mentioned above in that the splinter bodies have a strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis of the active unit.

By designing the fragmentation bodies with a strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis of the active unit, the energy transfer and momentum transfer possible with the individual fragmentation bodies to a projectile can be increased, since the volume and thus also the mass of the strip-shaped fragmentation body is increased compared to known fragmentation bodies made of the same material. Due to their strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis of the active unit, each of the fragmentation bodies covers a larger area along the longitudinal axis of the active unit. The strip-shaped fragmentation bodies also have a larger surface area over which the exploding explosive can act to accelerate the individual fragmentation bodies. Despite the higher mass, an acceleration of the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies by the exploding explosive can be achieved that is comparable to the acceleration of smaller, cubic fragmentation bodies made of the same material, and thus a reaction time that is sufficiently fast to hit the projectile. Since the strip-shaped geometry simultaneously increases the energy transfer possible with each fragmentation body, the probability of combating the projectile, in particular the probability of damaging or destroying the projectile, can be increased with the active unit according to the invention.

The splinter strips can be made of a solid and stable, in particular non-brittle, material, preferably of a especially soft steel. The splinter bodies are advantageously made of stainless steel, which makes them rust-proof and thus protected from environmental decomposition that would reduce their effectiveness.

The active unit can have a substantially cylindrical geometry. In particular, the explosive can form a cylindrical core of the active unit and the fragmentation generation area can be located radially outside of this. For this purpose, the explosive can be surrounded by a hollow cylindrical fragmentation generation area.

In order to detonate the explosive, the active unit can have a detonator, in particular one embedded in the explosive. The detonator can be a detonator cap, which is in particular centered along the longitudinal axis of the explosive and arranged in the middle of the explosive. The detonator can also be a fuse that runs along the longitudinal axis of the explosive. The fuse preferably extends along the entire length of the explosive, whereby an axially parallel component of the explosion-related acceleration of the fragmentation bodies can be minimized in order to achieve the highest possible radial acceleration.

Advantageously, the mass of the explosive is in the range from 200 g to 1000 g, in particular in the range from 400 g to 700 g. Preferably, the mass of the explosive is substantially 500 g.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the fragmentation bodies are arranged wound around the longitudinal axis of the active unit. Due to their arrangement wound around the longitudinal axis of the active unit, the fragmentation bodies can, when they move radially away from the explosion after the explosion of the explosive, cover a larger area around the explosion without gaps. than would be the case with fragmentation bodies arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis. When viewed along the longitudinal axis of the effective unit, the twisted fragmentation bodies can overlap one another, which can remain the case even after they have been released and moved away from the explosion over a radial distance that depends on the degree of twisting. A projectile located at this distance and extending essentially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the effective unit could in this way be hit by at least one fragmentation body along its length. In this way, the probability of hitting and thus also the probability of combating the projectile can be increased further.

In this context, it has proven to be advantageous if the splinter bodies, in particular cuboid-shaped ones, are arranged helically wound along their length around the longitudinal axis of the active unit. Due to the helical winding, the splinter bodies extend along their length both along the longitudinal axis of the active unit and circumferentially around this longitudinal axis. The splinter bodies can in particular be wound helically in such a way that they are offset by their width along the length of the active unit, so that the front side located at the end of the splinter body is essentially in line with the end surface located at the beginning of the adjacent splinter body. The length of the splinter bodies can be in the range from 50 mm to 200 mm, in particular in the range from 100 mm to 150 mm, in particular 113 mm.

A further embodiment provides that the fragmentation bodies have a twist along the longitudinal axis of the active unit in the range of 10° to 60°, preferably in the range of 18° to 36°, particularly preferably 22.5°. Tearing or a loss of speed due to too great a difference in the directions of the explosion-related accelerations at the opposite ends of the respective fragmentation bodies can be avoided in this way. At the same time, the individual fragmentation bodies can cover a larger volume without gaps along the longitudinal axis of the effective unit after they are released, in which a projectile can be hit and thus fought.

According to a structural design, it is proposed that the fragmentation bodies form part of the outer shell of the effective unit. In this way, an additional casing, which increases the weight of the effective unit, can be dispensed with. Due to the reduced weight compared to an effective unit with a casing, the range of the effective unit and thus also the protection against projectiles can be increased, since these can be fought further away from the object to be protected, so that in particular a lower deflection can be sufficient to protect the object to be protected from being hit by the projectile.

In a further development of the invention, the fragmentation bodies have a substantially rectangular, in particular square, or trapezoidal cross-section. In the case of a fragmentation body with a substantially square cross-section, the side surfaces of the fragmentation body can run substantially radially. In the case of a fragmentation body with a substantially trapezoidal cross-section, the side surfaces of the fragmentation bodies can have an angle to the radial direction of the active unit. The radially outer surfaces of the fragmentation bodies can have a curved shape so that an aerodynamically advantageous, curved outer shell of the active unit can be formed. The radially inner surfaces of the fragmentation bodies can also be curved in order to be adapted in particular to a cylindrical shape of the explosive. The fragmentation bodies can be made from a solid tube into which triangular or circular segment-shaped grooves are cut to produce fragmentation bodies with a substantially square cross-section and Square grooves are milled from splinter bodies with an essentially trapezoidal cross-section.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the fragmentation bodies have a width and/or a thickness in the range from 5 mm to 20 mm, preferably in the range from 8 mm to 15 mm, particularly preferably 11 mm. Fragmentation bodies in these width and/or thickness ranges can have sufficient mass to effectively combat a projectile, but do not have such a large surface that they reduce the explosion-related speed of the fragmentation bodies due to air resistance and thus the volume that can be covered by the fragmentation bodies after they are released around the exploded active unit.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, the fragmentation bodies have a length in the range of 600% to 2500%, preferably 900% to 2000%, particularly preferably 1100% to 1500% of the width of the fragmentation bodies. With fragmentation bodies of this length and width ratio, the highest possible impulse and energy transfer to the projectile can be achieved without the respective fragmentation bodies collapsing due to the explosion of the explosive when they are released by their ends swinging around, thus reducing the volume around the exploded active unit in which a projectile can be combated.

In a further development of the invention, the individual splinter bodies extend along the entire length of the splinter generation area. Unlike in the case of active units in which several splinter bodies are arranged one behind the other along the length of the splinter generation area, each splinter body can extend along the entire length of the splinter generation area.

According to a structural design, it is proposed that the fragmentation bodies are arranged at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction, in particular along their entire radial extent. Due to their arrangement at a distance from one another, the individual fragmentation bodies can be easily released separately from one another by the explosion of the explosive.

It is also advantageous if adjacent fragmentation bodies in the circumferential direction, in particular radially inward, are connected to one another by connecting means. Fragmentation bodies connected to one another by the connecting means can thus be held in their relative position to one another until the explosive explodes. The connecting means can prevent individual fragmentation bodies from coming loose and/or slipping. The connecting means can be connected to the fragmentation bodies in particular at the radially inward ends. Together with the connecting means, the fragmentation bodies can form a closed casing around the explosive, in which pressure can build up during the explosion to release and accelerate the fragmentation bodies.

In this context, it has proven to be advantageous if the splitter bodies and the connecting means are formed as one piece. By forming the splitter bodies and the connecting means as one piece, they can be manufactured in a simple manner. The splitter bodies can be manufactured together with the connecting means, for example, from a solid tube, whereby grooves can be cut and/or milled into the tube from the radial outside to the radial inside. The connecting means can be remaining, radially inner webs between the splitter bodies. These webs can have a thickness in the range of 1 mm to 3 mm.

In an advantageous embodiment, the splinter generation area has grooves that delimit the splinter bodies in the circumferential direction, in particular extending from radially outside to radially inside. These grooves, which in particular run helically around the longitudinal axis of the active unit, allow the splinter bodies to be arranged at a distance from one another in a simple manner. Advantageously, the widths of the grooves, in particular the largest ones, measured in the circumferential direction around the longitudinal axis of the active unit, are smaller than the widths of the individual splinter bodies. In particular, the widths of the individual grooves can be in the range from 20% to 50%, particularly preferably in the range from 25% to 30%, of the circumferential width of the individual splinter bodies.

In this context, it has proven advantageous if the grooves have a substantially rectangular or circular sector-shaped cross-section.

According to a structural embodiment of the invention, it is proposed that the grooves are filled with a filling material, in particular one that connects two adjacent splinter bodies to one another. The filling material can in particular completely fill the grooves so that it is flush with the radially outer surfaces of the splinter bodies. In this way, an aerodynamically advantageous, closed outer contour of the splinter area can be achieved. The filling material can advantageously be a jelly-like material, in particular a silicate. A jelly-like filling material cannot offer any additional resistance to the release of the splinter bodies, in particular after the destruction of the connecting means that occurs for this purpose, and which counteracts the acceleration of the splinter bodies.

According to an embodiment of the invention, the splinter bodies are arranged over the entire circumference of the active unit transversely to its longitudinal axis distributed. Due to the distributed arrangement of the fragmentation bodies over the entire circumference of the effective unit transversely to the longitudinal axis of the effective unit, the fragmentation bodies enable the projectile to be combated regardless of which side the projectile is on relative to the longitudinal axis.

It is further advantageous if the number of splinter bodies is in the range from 6 to 36, preferably in the range from 10 to 20, particularly preferably 16.

The splinter bodies preferably have a radial thickness in the range of 5% to 50%, preferably in the range of 15% to 40%, particularly preferably in the range of 25% to 30%, of the radius of the splinter generation area. Due to this ratio of the radial thickness of the splinter bodies to the radius of the splinter generation area, the splinter generation area can provide a sufficient, radially inner volume to accommodate the explosive.

In a method for producing an active unit of the type mentioned at the beginning, it is proposed to solve the above-mentioned problem that when producing an active unit designed in the manner described above, the fragmentation generation area is made from a solid tube, in the casing of which several grooves are made from radially outside to radially inside to produce the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies, and the explosive is arranged inside the tube. In such a solid tube, the casing consists of a solid material and encloses a hollow space running parallel to the axis.

The features described in connection with the active unit according to the invention can also be used in the method individually or in combination. The same advantages arise as have already been described.

Triangular or circular segment-shaped grooves can be cut into the solid tube to produce the splinter bodies with a substantially square cross-section and/or square grooves can be milled to produce splinter bodies with a substantially trapezoidal cross-section.

Advantageously, the grooves are cut and/or milled into the pipe from radially outside to radially inside in such a way that they do not extend through the entire casing of the solid pipe. In this case, radially inner, in particular web-shaped, connecting means can remain between the splitter bodies. In this way, the splitter bodies can be manufactured from the solid pipe together with the connecting means.

In a fragmentation grenade of the type mentioned at the outset, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, it is proposed that it has at least one active unit designed in the manner described above and a drive unit and/or an aerodynamic head unit.

The features described in connection with the active unit according to the invention can also be used individually or in combination with the fragmentation grenade. The same advantages arise as have already been described.

With a propulsion unit, the fragmentation grenade can accelerate itself from the fixed part of an active protection system towards a projectile to be combated, in addition to an external propellant charge or entirely without such an external propellant charge.

With an aerodynamic head unit, which is arranged in particular at an end of the effective unit diametrically opposite to the drive unit, the fragmentation grenade can take a stable flight path. In this way, the range of the fragmentation grenade can be increased because tumbling can be prevented.

It is possible that the fragmentation grenade has several active units, particularly those that can be arranged one after the other.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the drive unit is designed to maintain a substantially constant flight speed. With a substantially constant flight speed, a point at which the projectile is to be attacked can be reliably reached and the ignition of the explosive can be reliably coordinated with this. In order to maintain a substantially constant flight speed, the drive unit can be designed in such a way that it continuously accelerates the fragmentation grenade, in particular to compensate for the braking caused by air resistance.

According to a structural design, it is proposed that an electronic means, in particular for detecting the projectile, for ignition and/or for controlling the movement of the fragmentation grenade, is arranged in the aerodynamic head unit. The electronic means can be used to provide an intelligent fragmentation grenade. The electronic means can be used to detonate the explosive at a specific time. If the electronic means can also detect the projectile, the detonation can take place not only after a predetermined time, but also depending on the distance of the fragmentation grenade from the projectile. In particular, with an electronic means for controlling the movement of the fragmentation grenade, the fragmentation grenade can be adapted to changes in the trajectory of the projectile, which can further increase the probability of combat.

In a method for combating a projectile of the type mentioned at the outset, it is proposed to achieve the above-mentioned object by using a fragmentation grenade designed in the manner described above, wherein the fragmentation grenade is fired in the direction of the projectile, the explosive explodes in the vicinity of the projectile and the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies are released to deflect and/or destroy the projectile.

The explosion of the explosive near the projectile can, for example, be time-controlled or by means of distance detection.

The features described in connection with the fragmentation grenade according to the invention and the active unit according to the invention can also be used in the method individually or in combination. The same advantages arise as have already been described.

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht einer erfindungsgemäßen Wirkeinheit,

Fig. 2

eine Seitenansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Wirkeinheit und

Fig. 3

eine stirnseitige Ansicht der erfindungsgemäßen Wirkeinheit entlang ihrer Längsachse.

Further details and advantages of an active unit according to the invention will be explained below using an exemplary embodiment of the invention shown schematically in the figures. In this figure:

Fig.1

a perspective view of an active unit according to the invention,

Fig. 2

a side view of the active unit according to the invention and

Fig. 3

a front view of the active unit according to the invention along its longitudinal axis.

In Fig.1 an active unit 1 for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular impact projectiles, is shown. This active unit 1 forms the component of a fragmentation grenade that serves to actively combat the projectile and is fired by an active protection system in the direction of the attacking projectile.

In addition to the active unit 1, such a fragmentation grenade can also have a drive unit (not shown in the figures), which can be arranged along the longitudinal axis A of the active unit 1 behind it and enables the fragmentation grenade to be driven independently. Along the longitudinal axis A in front of the active unit 1, the fragmentation grenade can have an aerodynamic head unit in addition to or as an alternative to the drive unit, with which the aerodynamic properties of the fragmentation grenade can be improved. In addition, such a head unit also provides installation space in which further electronic means can be arranged, with which the fragmentation grenade can, for example, detect the projectile to be combated, control the drive unit and/or ignite the active unit 1.

The active unit 1 itself has a fragmentation generation area 4, which forms part of the outer shell 2 of the active unit 1 and of the fragmentation grenade. This fragmentation generation area 4 is designed in the manner of a hollow cylinder and accommodates an explosive agent 3 of the active unit 1 radially on the inside.

With a detonator (not shown in the figures) running parallel to the longitudinal axis A, the explosive can be ignited and thus detonated as soon as the fragmentation grenade is sufficiently close to the attacking projectile. Since the explosive 3 is not only ignited radially outwards through the fragmentation generation area 4 forming a closed casing around the explosive 3, but also through non- shown closing elements are arranged in the axial direction in a closed volume, this ignition of the explosive 3 leads to a pressure build-up in this volume. As soon as this pressure exceeds a material-related limit, the forces exerted on the fragmentation area 4 lead to the destruction of the fragmentation area 4, whereby the fragmentation bodies 5 forming parts of the fragmentation area 4 are released and accelerated radially outwards.

In order to combat the projectile, at least one of these fragmentation bodies 5 must hit it so that a momentum and energy transfer takes place. Depending on where the fragmentation body 5 hits the projectile, the projectile can be deflected and/or made to tumble or, if sufficient energy is transferred, damaged or even destroyed. If a projectile is deflected or destroyed accordingly, it will ideally no longer hit the object that the active protection system is supposed to protect from the projectile. Even if a tumbling, partially damaged or broken into several pieces projectile still reaches the object to be protected, the effect of the projectile on the object to be protected can be reduced by the prior interaction with the fragmentation body to such an extent that the object's passive protection systems, such as its armor, are sufficient to defend against the projectile.

Since this requires that at least one fragmentation body 5 of the active unit 1 hits the projectile and thereby transfers sufficient momentum and energy to it, the fragmentation bodies 5 according to the invention have a strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis A of the active unit 1. Each of the fragmentation bodies 5 thus has a mass that increases the momentum and energy transfer and a larger surface directed towards the explosive 3. Due to this larger surface directed towards the explosive 3, the pressure occurring during the explosion can be exert a greater force on the respective fragmentation bodies 5 and accelerate them in the same way as lighter fragmentation bodies with a smaller surface area.

The splinter bodies 5 are wound around the longitudinal axis A of the active unit, but also run parallel to the longitudinal axis A, so that they are essentially wound in a helical manner, whereby they do not have a complete winding in the circumferential direction U due to the low degree of twist ϕ and the length W of the active unit 1.

As can be seen from Fig.2 As can be seen, the rotation ϕ of the splinter bodies 5 along the longitudinal axis A of the active unit 1 in the present embodiment having sixteen splinters is approximately 22.5°. In the case of the splinter bodies 5, each extending along the entire length W of the splinter generation region 4, this rotation ϕ results in the diametrically opposite end faces 5.1a, 5.2a of the splinter body 5a being offset from one another in the circumferential direction U in such a way that the end face 5.2a is arranged along the longitudinal axis A behind the end face 5.1b of the splinter body 5b adjacent in the circumferential direction U. The end face 5.2a of the splinter body 5a is aligned along the longitudinal axis A with the end face 5.1b of the splinter body 5b. The other splinter bodies 5 of the active unit 1 are also rotated in the same way.

Due to this twisted arrangement of the fragmentation bodies 5 of the active unit 1, the fragmentation bodies 5 overlap when viewed along the longitudinal axis A, not only in the illustrated, intact state of the active unit 1. Even after their release and explosion-related acceleration in the radial direction, which leads to an increasing distance between the fragmentation bodies 5 in the circumferential direction U, the fragmentation bodies 5 overlap when viewed along the longitudinal axis A until they have reached a distance from the longitudinal axis A at which the front surface 5.2a when viewed along the longitudinal axis A, it is no longer located partially behind the front face 5.1b. Only at this distance do gaps appear between adjacent fragmentation bodies 5, in which a projectile extending parallel to the longitudinal axis A can remain without being hit by at least one fragmentation body 5. Up to this distance from the longitudinal axis A of the active unit 1 and, depending on the dimensions of the projectile, even beyond this, the projectile located near the active unit 1 will be hit by at least one fragmentation body 5 for combat purposes due to the twisted arrangement of the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies 5.

In Fig. 3 the splinter bodies 5 are shown lying next to each other in the circumferential direction U and distributed over the entire circumference of the active unit 1, which runs transversely to the longitudinal axis A. The individual splinter bodies 5 are regularly offset from each other by the angular offset ω. In the exemplary embodiment shown, this angular offset ω corresponds to 22.5° and is therefore equal to the rotation ϕ of the individual splinter bodies 5. The individual splinter bodies 5 are designed identically to each other. They are made of rust-proof stainless steel.

The individual splinter bodies 5 have a square cross-section running transversely to the longitudinal axis A. The end faces 5.1a, b of the individual splinter bodies 5 therefore have a circumferential width B which corresponds to their radial thickness D. In the illustrated embodiment, the thickness D and the width B are 11.1 mm.

While the width B and the thickness D of the splinter bodies 5 are the same, the length L of the splinter bodies 5 is many times greater, so that they have a strip-shaped geometry. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the length L of the splinter bodies 5 is in the range of 1100% to 1500% of the width B of the splinter bodies 5.

In the circumferential direction U, the splinter generation area 4 has a plurality of grooves 7, by means of which the splinter bodies 5 are spaced apart from one another. Like the splinter bodies 5, the grooves 7 are also arranged wound around the longitudinal axis of the active unit 1. These grooves 7, which extend from radially outside to radially inside, have a circular segment-shaped or triangular cross-section.

Although the grooves 7 can be filled with a filling material which differs in particular from the material of the splinter bodies 5, the grooves 7 shown in the figures are not filled with a filling material. In Fig.3 The unfilled grooves 7 therefore allow a view of the side surfaces of the twisted splinter bodies 5 extending essentially parallel to the radius R.

Radially inward of these grooves 7, the splinter generation area 4 has several connecting means 6, with which adjacent splinter bodies 5 are connected to one another in the circumferential direction U. These connecting means 6 are designed as webs which connect adjacent splinter bodies 5 to one another in the circumferential direction. The connecting means 6 have a radially extending thickness S which is significantly below the depth of the grooves and the thickness D of the splinter bodies 5. In the embodiment shown, the thickness S of the connecting means 6 is 2.2 mm.

The connecting means 6, together with the fragmentation bodies 5 connected by them and the grooves 7, form a fragmentation generation area 4, which is designed as a coherent structural unit. In this way, the fragmentation bodies 5 can be separated by the active protection system during the firing of the fragmentation grenade and thus of the active unit 1. not be released from the active unit 1 until the explosive 3 has been detonated.

These connecting means 6 designed as webs act as a predetermined breaking point of the fragmentation generation area 4, which breaks during the explosion of the explosive 3 arranged radially inward in such a way that the connection between the fragmentation bodies 5 is released and these are released to combat the projectile.

In order to produce such a coherent splinter generation area 4, the splinter bodies 5 and the connecting means 6 can be formed integrally with one another. For this purpose, the splinter generation area 4 can be made from a solid tube, into which the grooves 7 are introduced from the radial outside without protruding through the entire shell of the solid tube. In this way, the Fig.3 The active unit 1 shown can be manufactured from a solid tube with an inner diameter I of 56.5 mm and a radius R of 39.4 mm. For this purpose, sixteen grooves 7, each 8.9 mm deep, are cut radially from the outside into the 11.1 mm thick solid material, so that 2.2 mm thick webs 6 remain between the individual splinter bodies 5.

With the aid of the above-described effective unit 1, it is possible to increase the probability of combating the projectile, in particular the probability of damaging or destroying it, by transferring a higher impulse and a higher energy to the projectile and, in addition, by the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies 5 being able to cover a much larger volume without gaps in order to combat the projectile.

Reference number:

1

Effective unit

2

Outer shell

3

Explosives

4

Splinter generation area

5, 5a, 5b

Splinter body

5.1a, 5.1b

Frontal area

5.2a, 5.2b

Frontal area

6

Connecting elements

7

Groove

A

Longitudinal axis

B

Width

D

thickness

I

Inner diameter

L

length

R

radius

5

thickness

U

Circumferential direction

W

length

ϕ

Twisting

ω

Angular offset

Claims (16)

Active unit (1) for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular kinetic energy projectiles, which has an explosive (3) and a fragmentation area (4) with several preformed fragmentation bodies (5), wherein the fragmentation bodies (5) can be released by explosion of the explosive (3) to combat the projectile,
characterized,
that the splinter bodies (4) have a strip-shaped geometry along the longitudinal axis (A) of the active unit (1). Active unit (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) are arranged in a helical manner around the longitudinal axis (A) of the active unit (1), in particular along their length (L) around the longitudinal axis (A) of the active unit (1). Active unit (1) according to claim 2, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) along the longitudinal axis (A) of the active unit (1) have a rotation (ϕ) in the range of 10° to 60°, preferably in the range of 18° to 36°, particularly preferably of 22.5°. Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) form part of an outer shell (2) of the active unit (1). Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) have a length (L) in the range from 600% to 2500%, preferably from 900% to 2000%, particularly preferably from 1100% to 1500%, of the width (B) of the splinter bodies (5) exhibit. Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual splinter bodies (5) extend along the entire length of the splinter generation region (4). Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) are arranged at a distance from one another in the circumferential direction (U), in particular along their entire radial extent. Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that adjacent splinter bodies (5) in the circumferential direction (U), in particular radially inward, are connected to one another by connecting means (6). Active unit (1) according to claim 8, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) and the connecting means (6) are formed integrally with one another. Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter generation region (4) has grooves (7) which delimit the splinter bodies (5) in the circumferential direction (U), in particular extending from radially outside to radially inside. Active unit (1) according to claim 10, characterized in that the grooves (7) are filled with a filling material, in particular connecting two adjacent splinter bodies (5) to one another. Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) are arranged over the entire Circumference of the active unit (1) are arranged transversely to its longitudinal axis (A). Active unit (1) according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the splinter bodies (5) have a radial thickness (D) in the range of 5% to 50%, preferably in the range of 15% to 40%, particularly preferably in the range of 25% to 30%, of the radius (R) of the splinter generation region (4). Method for producing an active unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein the fragmentation generation region (4) is made from a solid tube, in the casing of which a plurality of grooves (7) are introduced from radially outside to radially inside to produce the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies (5), and the explosive agent (3) is arranged in the interior of the tube. Fragmentation grenade for an active protection system for protection against projectiles, in particular kinetic energy projectiles, which has at least one active unit (1) according to claim 1 and a drive unit and/or an aerodynamic head unit. Method for combating a projectile, in particular a kinetic energy projectile, with a fragmentation grenade according to claim 15, wherein the fragmentation grenade is fired in the direction of the projectile, the explosive (3) explodes in the vicinity of the projectile and the strip-shaped fragmentation bodies (5) are released to deflect and/or destroy the projectile.

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