ES2349149T3 - WEAPONS SYSTEM - Google Patents

Abstract

A weapon system (10) comprising: a barrel (12) for housing a projectile (14) in a closing end part (16) thereof before firing and having a mouth end part (18) of the one that can shoot a projectile (14); a closure (20) to close the closing end part (16) of the barrel when a projectile (14) is housed in the closing end part (16) and to open the closing end part (16) after a projectile (14) has been fired; and a means for purging the barrel (12) comprising: a Coanda slot (22); a Coanda profile (24) provided downstream of the Coanda slot (22); a source of pressurized gas (26); a conduit (28) connecting the source of pressurized gas (26) to the Coanda slot (22) so that pressurized gas can be selectively supplied to the Coanda slot (22) and along the Coanda profile (24 ) thus dragging air from the cannon (12) and expelling debris and / or fumes through the mouth end part (18) after firing a projectile (14); and a valve (30) for controlling the flow of gas through the conduit (28) in which the weapon system (10) also comprises a detecting means for detecting when said closure (20) opens or is about to open , wherein said pressurized gas can be supplied to the Coanda slot (22) depending on when said detecting means detects that said closure opens or is about to open.

Description

Weapons system

The present invention relates to a system of weapons comprising a means to purge the barrel of the system weapons of debris and / or fumes after firing.

The remains and fumes remain in a pipe gun of a weapon system after a projectile is fired, and it is desirable to remove debris and fumes before a new use of system. Several weapons systems are known for this purpose that they allow the purge of the gun of the weapons system of remains and / or fumes after shooting. Known provisions can be classified in general, in active and passive purge media.

In one of such known passive systems, it is provided with an accumulator chamber adjacent to the barrel tube for store a part of the high pressure combustion gases after shooting. When the projectile is fired from the cannon, the gases from the accumulator chamber are vented inside the tube of barrel as the pressure of the barrel drops below the chamber pressure The gases are vented through passages obliques in the barrel tube that form a jet that drags the air / fumes and the smallest remains. The dragged air is proportional to the surface area of the jet and the number of passages, and the amount of fumes and debris that can be purged by this procedure is limited because the number of passages and the size of its holes adversely affect the duration of the barrel tube. Therefore, this prior art arrangement is not consider a satisfactory solution to the purge problem of cannon tube

In known active purge media, you can compressed gas is vented through the barrel to purge it of smoke and remains. Although this solution is acceptable in terms of cleaning the barrel tube, it is inefficient and therefore implies the use of significant amounts of gas and the burden of carrying numerous and / or Large cylinders of compressed gas with the weapon system.

Document US4,024,790 discloses a means of passive purge for a weapon system. An accommodation that includes an accumulator chamber is provided at the mouth end of a barrel tube and an annular groove allows the passage of gases from combustion between the barrel tube and the accumulator chamber. When fires a projectile, and has passed the annular groove, the gases from combustion are forced through the groove and accumulate in the camera. When the projectile leaves the barrel tube, the pressure of the barrel is reduced until it is lower than the pressure in the accumulator. At this time, combustion gases are vented through the groove, along a Coanda profile defined by a bore internal housing and are expelled into the ambient air through a final opening Coanda's profile produces a gas stream generally cylindrical that adheres to the surface of the profile and which is effective in dragging relatively large amounts of air. Consequently, the combustion gas ventilation of this way provides an improvement over the passive system of the prior art referred to above.

However, there are several drawbacks with the system disclosed in document US4,024,790. The accumulation of air in the chamber is produced for a very long period of time small, between the moment the projectile passes through the slot cancel and the moment when the gas pressure in the mouth drops to ambient atmospheric pressure Therefore, the pressure (and the volume) maximum available in the camera is relatively low, for therefore the duration of the expulsion is short and the amount of gas dragged and ejected through the firearm tube is relatively low It is revealed that the pressure in the chamber accumulator can be complemented by a pressure source auxiliary, but the use of such an auxiliary pressure source leads to that the gases are continuously ventilated through the groove cancel and this results in the consumption of large quantities Of gas. How this procedure uses the gas flow dragged into the canyon (instead of the accumulated gases) to extracting fumes and debris, it is essential that the mechanism drawer (in small caliber systems) or closure (in weapons systems of large caliber fire) be open to allow gas flow to through the firearm tube. Therefore, due to the passive nature of this provision, the mechanism / closing drawer must be opened at the exact moment when the gun pressure of Fire decays to ambient atmospheric pressure. Although the US 4,024,790 claims to be relevant to firearms of Small and large caliber, the requirement to open the closure and the large-caliber firearms systems at the required time is unreachable. Typically, the closure of a large firearm caliber opens later in the firing sequence than the drawer of mechanisms of a smaller caliber firearm and this will prevent it from The procedure described in US4,024,790 will work effectively. The procedure according to US4,024,790 is described in more detail with reference to Figure 2, for purposes of comparison.

An object of the invention is to provide a system of weapons with improved means to purge the cannon from it fumes and / or remains.

The present invention provides a weapon system comprising: a cannon to house a projectile in a part of closing end of it before firing and having a part from the mouth end from which a projectile can fire; a closure to close the closing end part of the barrel when a projectile is housed in the closing end part and to open the closing end part after a projectile; a means for purging the barrel comprising a groove of Coanda; a Coanda profile provided downstream of the groove of Coanda; a source of pressurized gas; a conduit that connects the pressurized gas source to the Coanda slot so that you can selectively supply pressurized gas to the Coanda slot and to along Coanda's profile dragging the cannon air and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the end part of mouth after projectile firing; and a valve for control the flow of gas through the duct, in which the weapon system also comprises a detector means to detect when said closure opens or is about to open, in which said pressurized gas can be supplied to the Coanda slot depending on when said detector means detects that said closure it opens or is about to open.

Advantageously, the system comprises a means of control to monitor a firing sequence and to control the valve to admit the pressurized gas through the duct into a Default moment in the firing sequence.

The Coanda slot may be provided in the mouth end part of the barrel.

In this case, Coanda's fly may be at least partially formed by a housing that is installed at the mouth end of the barrel.

Alternatively, the Coanda slot can be provided in the closing end part of the barrel.

In this alternative, a closing ring can form at least part of the Coanda slot.

If the Coanda slot is provided in the part of end of closing of the barrel, the slot of Coanda and the profile of Coanda can be isolated from the inside of the barrel during firing of a projectile.

The present invention also provides a purge procedure of a gun of a weapon system, comprising the weapon system: a cannon to house a projectile at a closing end part of it before firing and that it has a mouth end part from which a projectile; a closure to close the closing end portion of the cannon when a projectile is housed in the end part of closing and to open the closing end part after that a projectile has been fired; and a means to purge the cannon comprising a Coanda slot; a Coanda profile provided downstream of the Coanda slot; and a source of pressurized gas; a conduit that connects the source of pressurized gas to the groove of Coanda so that gas can be selectively supplied to pressure to the Coanda slot and along the Coanda profile thus dragging the air from the canyon and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the mouth end part after firing a projectile; and a valve to control the flow of gas through the conduit, in which the weapon system also comprises a means detector to detect when said closure opens or is about to open, and in which the procedure comprises monitoring a firing sequence of the weapon system and supply gas to pressure to the Coanda slot and along the Coanda profile in a predetermined moment in the firing sequence, dragging thus the air of the cannon and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the mouth end part after the shot of a projectile.

The purge of the barrel is preferably produced in general when the closing end part is open.

The pressurized gas can be supplied in a predetermined moment in the firing sequence before the closing end part opens to reduce pressure on the barrel so that when the closing end part opens between ambient air in the barrel through the end part of closure, which decreases the amount of fumes and / or debris that they eject through the closing end part.

So that the present invention can be well understood, some of the following will be described realizations of it, which are offered only by way of example, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a weapon system;

Figure 2 is a representation showing a comparison in the firing sequence of a firearm of small caliber with that of a large caliber firearm;

Figure 3 is a cross section taken at along an axis of the barrel tube of Figure 1 showing with more detail the means to purge the cannon of smoke and / or debris;

Figure 4 is a cross section similar to Figure 3 showing the purge means at an end portion of mouth of the canyon;

Figure 5 is a cross section similar to Figure 3 showing the purge means at an end portion of cannon closure

Referring to Figure 1, in 10 it shows a weapons system in general and comprises: a cannon 12 for housing a projectile 14 in a closing end portion 16 of the same before shooting and it has a mouth end part 18 from which projectile 14 can fire; a close 20 to close the closing end portion 16 of the barrel 12 when the projectile is housed in the closing end part and to open the part closing end 16 after the projectile. The closure 20 is shown in solid lines in the Figure 1 in the closed condition and in hidden lines in the condition open The weapon system also comprises a means to purge the barrel comprising a slot of Coanda 22; a Coanda profile 24 provided downstream of the Coanda slot; a source of gas to pressure 26; a conduit 28 connecting the source of pressurized gas to Coanda slot 22 so that it can be supplied selectively pressurized gas to Coanda slot 22 and along of the profile of Coanda 24 thus dragging the air from cannon 12 and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the end part of mouth 18 after firing a projectile 14; and a valve 30 (or any other suitable flow control means) to control the gas flow through the duct 28. The behavior of the gas at pressure and purge sequence operation will be described in more detail below with reference to Figures 2 to 5.

The weapons system comprises a means of control 32 to monitor a firing sequence and to check valve 30 to admit the pressurized gas through the conduit 28 at a predetermined moment in the firing sequence. Preferably, the valve opens at a predetermined time. before the closing end part is opened. Figure 2 Describe the shooting sequence in more detail. Sequence begins with the start of projectile firing at the moment "0" The firing sequence of a small firearm that use the weapon system as disclosed in document US4,024,790 It is shown in hidden lines by comparison.

At the beginning of the sequence of gun system shot shown in Figure 1, the propellant of the projectile produces combustion gases that cause the cannon pressure The projectile is pushed along the barrel and the barrel recoils in reaction to it. As an example, the projectile leaves the canyon at time X and the total time it takes for the cannon to go back is 130 ms. The pressure of the barrel is reduced when the projectile is fired from the cannon and when the pressure is reduced at ambient pressure, the closure 20 opens. Normally, the closure opens automatically, usually during battery entry of the canyon The control means 32 monitors the firing sequence and preferably open the conduit 30 at a predetermined time before opening the closure, as shown in Figure 2. The detector means may be provided to detect when it opens said closure, so that the pressurized gas is supplied to the Coanda slot depending on when said closure opens. By For example, a sensor (not shown) can be provided to detect when the closure is about to open, for example by manual operation of a closing lever, and to send the signal detected to control means 32. Alternatively, the trigger sequence can be programmed in the control medium that open conduit 30 at a predetermined time within the shooting sequence.

Start the purge procedure just before the opening of the closure reduces the amount of smoke and / or debris that is they eject through the closing end part. More details, gas under pressure is vented through the Coanda 22 slot thus dragging the air / gases from the cannon and expelling them through from the mouth end part. Therefore, the pressure of cannon is reduced so that when the closure is opened, the smoke and / or remains are not ejected through the closing end portion 16 but instead, ambient air enters through the part of closing end that pushes the smoke and / or debris towards the part of mouth end 18. Continuous gas ventilation through the Coanda slot for as long as the closure 20 is in the Opening procedure causes purge of the smoke cannon and / or remains, without allowing any smoke and / or debris to be expelled through of the closing end part, which, if not, could be dangerous for artillery personnel, or crews of tanks, as may be the case. The purge procedure is synchronized to start so that the barrel pressure is reduce sufficiently to significantly reduce smoke I / remains that are ejected through the end part of closing.

Alternatively, gas under pressure can be vented through Coanda slot 22 at the same time as closure 20 begins to open while still preventing the return flow of smoke and / or debris through the closing end portion 16. Optionally, gas under pressure can be vented through the groove of Coanda 22 after the closure 20 begins to open, but This is not currently preferred as some smoke and / or remains through the closing end portion 16.

Figure 2 also shows a sequence of shot for a small caliber firearm as in the prior art document US4,024,790, for the purpose of comparison. The prior art smoke extractor begins the operation after the projectile has left the cannon and then that enough propellant gases have been expelled so that the barrel pressure drops to atmospheric pressure ambient. However, the mechanism drawer does not open the barrel in a small gun until after the accumulator chamber has vented accumulated gas. Therefore, the back pressure in the cannon resists the purge of smoke from the canyon, although the problem of this back pressure is partly mitigated by the provision of a small ventilation opening at the end of the drawer mechanism of the canyon The prior art smoke extractor can be Acceptable for such small rapid firearms, where the pressure in the barrel when firing is relatively low and not leads to dangerous ventilation of flue gases through of the ventilation opening. In addition, up to 300 can be shot projectiles per minute and, therefore, an active purge system It is not practical. Even more, small firearms of this type typically do not produce significant amounts of debris, and the problem of purging the wreckage is not relevant with the prior art extractor.

It will be described in more detail below, with reference to Figures 3 and 4, the procedure by which Coanda slot 22 and profile 24 work in the system weapons of Figure 1.

Coanda annular jets are known in technique and have the ability to drag large volumes of air from a relatively small supply air flow. In the present application, a circumferential groove is provided relatively thin through which a high air jet pressure is vented normal to the axis of an inner bore of the tube Canyon. The groove is designed so that the jet separates into one side and follow a profile of Coanda on the other, which redirects the jet so that it flows parallel to the axis of the bore attached to the bore surface.

Figure 3 shows the air flow of the jet cancel in continuous arrows. The entrained air is shown in dashed arrows The air flow of the annular jet is turns into a thin tube of air that travels along the interior of the bore. As the air tube has a large area The amount of air drag is extremely high, Typically with 20: 1 ratios, volume of entrained air: introduced air

Figure 4 shows a housing mounted on the mouth end portion 18 of barrel 12, similar to the arrangement Mounted mouth shown in Figure 1. Housing 34 is mounted on the mouth end portion 18 of a barrel tube 12 of in any suitable way, for example by threading complementary on the outer surface of the barrel and the surface Internal device The pressurized air coming from the duct 28 enters the housing through the air inlet 36 and is circulates through a circumferential air chamber 38. During the purge of the barrel tube 12, pressurized gas is introduced into chamber 38 and is vented through the Coanda slot 22 that It typically has a typical width of 0.05 to 0.20 mm. The profile of Coanda 24 guides the pressurized air to flow along the internal surface 40 of the housing dragging large volumes of air inside the canyon. The air / the fumes / the remains are ejected through a final opening of the housing.

Alternatively, the purge arrangement may be located at the closing end portion 16 of the barrel 12 e incorporated with a sealing ring 42. The air inlet 34 and the circumferential chamber 38 are provided in the closure ring 42. The Coanda slot 22 is provided between a final surface 44 of barrel 12 and an end surface 46 of seal ring 42. The Coanda 24 profile is formed by a shaped part appropriately from barrel tube 12. During firing, closing 20 is positioned as shown and occludes Coanda slot 22 and therefore isolates the groove of the flue gases generated during shooting. As the closure 20 opens after shoot, gas under pressure is introduced through the air inlet 34 inside chamber 38 and through slot 22 and the profile long 24, thus dragging the cannon air and purging the cannon of the smoke and / or debris.

The mounted closure arrangement has the advantage that the Coanda and gas pressure groove system is isolated from flue gases during firing. While the mounted closure system has the advantage that it can be easily installed as an upgrade in a weapon system existing.

Claims (11)

1. A weapon system (10) comprising: a barrel (12) to accommodate a projectile (14) at an end portion of closing (16) of it before firing and having a part of mouth end (18) from which a projectile (14) can be fired; a closure (20) to close the closing end portion (16) of the cannon when a projectile (14) is housed in the end part closing (16) and to open the closing end part (16) after a projectile (14) has been fired; and a medium for purging the barrel (12) comprising: a Coanda slot (22); a Coanda profile (24) provided downstream of the Coanda slot (22); a source of pressurized gas (26); a conduit (28) that connects the source of pressurized gas (26) to the Coanda slot (22) so that pressure gas can be selectively supplied to the groove of Coanda (22) and along the profile of Coanda (24) dragging like this the cannon air (12) and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the mouth end portion (18) after projectile firing (14); and a valve (30) to control the flow of gas through the conduit (28) in which the weapon system (10) further comprises a detector means to detect when said closure (20) opens or is about to open, in which said pressurized gas can be supplied to the Coanda slot (22) depending on when said detector means detects that said closure opens or is about to open. 2. A weapon system (10) according to the claim 1, comprising a control means (32) for monitor a firing sequence and to control the valve (30) to admit the pressurized gas through the duct (28) into a Default moment in the firing sequence. 3. A weapon system (10) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the Coanda slot (22) it is provided in the mouth end part (18) of the barrel (12). 4. A weapon system (10) according to the claim 3, wherein the Coanda slot (22) is formed at less partially by a housing that is installed in the part mouth end (18) of the barrel (12). 5. A weapon system (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the Coanda slot (22) it is provided in the closing end part (18) of the barrel (12). 6. A weapon system (10) according to the claim 5, wherein a closure ring (42) forms at least a part of the Coanda slot (22). 7. A weapon system (10) according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the Coanda slot (22) and the Coanda profile (24) are isolated from inside the
cannon (12) during projectile firing (14). 8. A purge procedure of a cannon (12) of a weapon system (10), comprising the weapon system (10): a barrel (12) to accommodate a projectile (14) at an end portion of closing (16) of it before firing and having a part of mouth end (18) from which a projectile (14) can be fired; a closure (20) to close the closing end portion (16) of the cannon (12) when a projectile (14) is housed in the part of closing end (16) and to open the closing end part (16) after a projectile has been fired (14); and a means for purging the barrel (12) comprising a Coanda slot (22); a Coanda profile (24) provided downstream of the groove of Coanda (22); a source of pressurized gas (26); a conduit (28) that connect the pressurized gas source (26) to the Coanda slot (22) so that pressurized gas can be selectively supplied to the Coanda slot (22) and along the Coanda profile (24) dragging the cannon air (12) and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the mouth end part (18) after projectile firing (14); and a valve (30) to control the gas flow through the conduit (28) in which the system of weapons (10) also comprises a detector means to detect when said closure (20) opens or is about to open, and in which the procedure comprises monitoring a firing sequence of the weapon system (10) and supply pressurized gas to the groove of Coanda (22) and along the profile of Coanda (24) in a moment default in the firing sequence, thus dragging the air from the canyon (12) and expelling the remains and / or fumes through the mouth end portion (18) after projectile firing (14). 9. A method according to claim 8, in which the detected medium detects when said closure (20) opens or is about to open, and said pressurized gas is supplied to the Coanda slot (22) depending on when said detector means detects that the closure (20) opens or is about to open. 10. A method according to claim 9, in which the purge of the barrel (12) generally occurs when the closing end part (18) is open. 11. A method according to claim 10, in which the gas under pressure is supplied in a moment default in the firing sequence before the part of closing end (18) open to reduce the pressure in the barrel (12) so that when the closing end part (18) opens between ambient air in the barrel (12) through the end part closure (18), which reduces the amount of fumes and / or debris that they are ejected through the closing end portion (18).