GB1584139A

GB1584139A - Optoelectronic fuse

Info

Publication number: GB1584139A
Application number: GB11280/78A
Authority: GB
Original assignee: Diehl GmbH and Co
Current assignee: Diehl Verwaltungs Stiftung
Priority date: 1977-04-02
Filing date: 1978-03-22
Publication date: 1981-02-04
Also published as: CH627267A5; NO143715C; NL7802593A; SE7803447L; NO143715B; DE2714766A1; SE418118B; DE2714766B2; IL54384A; DE2714766C3; NO780874L

Abstract

Located side-by-side in the nose of the fuze (1) are the optical systems (2, 3) of a directional-beam transmitting arrangement and of a directional-beam receiver arrangement, whose beam lobes (4, 5) are adjustable such that they intersect in front of the fuze (1). The transmitting arrangement contains a beam transmitter (7) in the form of a light-emitting diode, and the receiver arrangement contains a light-sensitive element (8). The light-emitting diode (7) and the light-sensitive element (8) are each mounted on a slide (12, 13) which is arranged such that it is transversely displaceable on a small carrier board (10, 11) which is in the form of a disc and, for its part, is supported in a spherical body and can rotate about the axis (a, b) thereof. Such an adjusting device allows quick coarse initial adjustment and, subsequently, fine readjustment of the fuze. <IMAGE>

Description

(54) AN OPTO-ELECTRONIC FUZE (71) We, DIEHL GMBH & CO., formerly known as Diehl, of Stephanstrasse 49, 8500 Ntimberg, Germany, a Kommanditgeselllschaft organised under the laws of federal Republic of Germany, the present personally-responsible Partner being SijDDEUTSCHES METALLKONTOR G.M.B.H. do hereby declare the invention, for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement::- The invention relates to an opto-electronic fuze having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjustable that they can intersect at a predetermined distance in front of the fuze nose or head.

An optical arrangement of the aforesaid kind is already known from United States Patent No. 3,661,459. The object of this Patent is an opto-electronic distance sensor which radiates optical pulses in time with a pulse generator in directed manner and which receives portions of these optical pulses, scattered back from a surface, in a reception member which is aligned with the point of impact of the transmission pulse on the surface and can interpret the same for the emission of a triggering signal in a control circuit.

The arrangement is intended, when a vehicle approaches an obstacle, to trigger a signal or to prevent an impact by other suitable means.

It has already been proposed to use such or similar arrangements for activating a fuze of projectiles or bombs which are intended to be detonated at a specific distance in front of the target.

Since, in contrast to stationary installations as well as those in motor vehicles or the like, not only is the space which is available for this arrangement in the nose or head of a fuze very small, but also the radiation performance of the transmitter is very small, it is necessary not only to bunch the beam very tightly, but above all also to adjust the same carefully to the predetermined distance.

The object of the invention is to provide an opto-electronic fuze, of the kind referred to in the first paragraph hereof, which is such as to make it possible, with simple means, to align the radiation cones of the optical system having the directional beam transmitter and of the optical system having the receiver onto a common surface whereby to make possible an exact adjustment to the desired predetermined distance. In addition to this, a special object is preferably to develop a method by which an initial rapid coarse pre-adjustment and then a fine readjustment can be undertaken, in which respect the adjusting procedures are preferably to proceed immediately subsequent to one another. Also, it should be ensured that the adjustment undertaken cannot adjust itself even in the event of the most severe stress.

According to the invention, there is provided an opto-electronic fuze having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjustable that they can intersect at a predetermined distance in front of the the fuze nose or head, characterised in that the beam transmitter and the receiver are each carried by a rotatable carrier member rotatable about the optical axis of a lens of the optical system of the device (transmitter or receiver) respective to said carrier member whereby said carrier members are, independently of each other, each adjustable in rotational position relatively to the respective said optical axis, and in that the transmitter and receiver are eccentric to, or adjustable to be eccentric to, the optical axes about which the respective carrier members are rotatable. The transmitter and receiver may each be carried by a respective slide which is slidably carried by the rotatable carrier member respective to said device (transmitter or receiver), with the two slides each being slidable transversely of the optical axis about which the respective carrier member is rotatable, whereby the transmitter and receiver are, independently of each other, and relatively to the respective rotatable carrier member, each adjustable transversely of the respective said optical axis.

In a simplified version, the transmitter and receiver can be crystals eccentrically mounted, for example, bonded, directly on the carrier members at an appropriate distance from the centre points.

For the purposes of re-adjustment or fine adjustment, the carrier member respective to the beam transmitter and the carrier member respective to the radiation receiver may each be installed in a respective spherical body perpendicularly to an axis of said spherical body, with the spherical bodies being mounted so as to be rotatable about the respective ones of said axes thereof and being mounted in respective ball cups so as to be inclinable relative to a centre axis of the fuze and being clampable fast in said cups after adjustment.

In a method of adjusting an opto-electronic fuze constructed in accordance with the invention, when the arrangement is as set forth in the last preceding paragraph hereof, the spherical bodies which are provided with the carrier members are, with the beam transmitter and the receiver arranged eccentrically with respect to said carrier members, initially rotated until the transmitter and the receiver are spaced apart by a distance exceeding the separation of the centres of the spherical bodies and are disposed on a straight line which extends through the aforesaid axes of the spherical bodies, whereupon the spherical bodies are inclined towards or away from one another until the radiation cones of the optical system respective to the transmitter and of the official system respective to the receiver intersect at the predetermined distance in front of the nose or head of the fuze.For the said adjusting, i.e. for the rotating and inclining, the said spherical bodies are preferably provided with rearward adjoint-pieces, which may be in the form of plug-in shanks, threaded shanks or socketed shanks, onto or into which adjusting handles can be slipped or inserted or can be screwed on. By appropriate rotation and inclination of the spherical bodies, the point of intersection of the radiation cones of the optical systems having the transmitter and the receiver, i.e. the distance in front of the nose or head of the fuze at which, when approaching the target area, the radiation cone of the optical system having the transmitter intersects at the target with the detection area of the receiver and a reception pulse occurs, can be adjusted easily to the desired range or residual flight time.Also, according to the invention, there is provided a fuze body for use in the construction of an opto-electronic fuze and having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjustable that they can intersect at a predetermined distance in front of said nose or head, characterised in that the beam transmitter and the receiver are each carried by a rotatable carrier member rotatable about the optical axis of a lens of the optical system of the device (transmitter or receiver) respective to said carrier member whereby said carrier members are, independently of each other, each adjustable in rotational position relatively to the respective said optical axis, and in that the transmitter and receiver are eccentric to, or adjustable to be eccentric to, the optical axes about which the respective carrier members are rotatable.

In the accompanying drawings, which show by way of example, two embodiments of the invention: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sketch of an opto-electronic fuze, constructed in accordance with the invention, in a side view; Figure 2 shows, in a simplified representation, the construction of the opto-electronic sensor portion of the fuze in accordance with Figure 1; Figure 3 shows the optical construction of the fuze in accordance with Figures 1 and 2; Figure 3a shows a detail view of the transmission and reception part of the fuze prior to a coarse adjustment; Fig 3b shows a detail view corresponding to Fig. 3a but after a setting and coarse adjustment; Fig. 4 shows a longitudinal section through an opto-electronic fuze body having means in accordance with Figs. 1 to 3, 3a and 36;; and Fig. 5 shows, in partial longitudinal section, and on a larger scale, another embodiment.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, a fuze 1 has at the nose or head end, side by side, two lenses 2 and 3, of which the one is associated with a radiation source and the other is associated with a radiation receiver.

There are focussed via these lenses 2, 3, optical beams whose beam cones 4, 5 intersect at a predetermined or presettable dis tance in front of the nose or head of the fuze 1. When a fuze 1 of the said kind approaches a target area 6, then the lens 3 collects the light, sent out from a radiation source via the lens 2 and reflected from the target surface 6, as soon as the cone areas of the two beam cones 4, 5 encounter the target area 6. Reflected radiation is first detected when the target is in the position shown in, Fig. 1 and the detected intensity reaches its maximum when the target is in the plane of maximum cone overlap.

Serving as a beam transmitter and shown in Fig. 2, is a luminescence diode 7 or the like, the radiation of which is controllable in a conventional manner, e.g. is pulsecontrolled or modulated electronically. This luminescence diode 7 is preferably designed as a small-area or punctiform crystal plate whose radiation is sent out forwardly through the lens 2 in accordance with Fig. 1 at a specific angle. Serving as a radiation receiver 8, and shown in Fig. 2, is a photodiode or a phototransistor which responds upon the incidence of a radiation through the lens 3 and emits a corresponding electrical pulse.

The manner of identification of the pulses will not be explained here in more detail.

In order, with there being parallel-lying optical axes of the lens 2, 3, to achieve a crossing of the beam cones 4, 5, the crystals of the beam transmitter 7 and of the beam receiver 8 are, as shown in Fig. 3, arranged at an appropriate distance f behind the lenses 2, 3 outside the optical axes a and b of the lenses 2, 3. The extent of the lateral shift of the beam transmitter 7 from the axis a, e.g. by an amount c, or of the radiation receiver 8 from the axis b, e.g. by an amount d, determines the angle of inclination of the beam cones 4, 5, more specifically their beam axes 4', 5', and thus a distance e of an intersection zone 9.

The beam transmitter 7 and the radiation receiver 8 are each disposed on a respective carrier plate, 10 or 11, and are, for example, each arranged so as to be movable radially of the respective plate. The carrier plates 10, 11 are furthermore rotary about the respective optical axis a or b of the lenses 2, 3.

Figs. 3a and 3b illustrate the manner in which the said crystals of the beam transmitter 7 and of the radiation receiver 8 are mounted on the carrier plates 10 or 11 respectively, as well as the manner of the adjustment. In this respect, the crystals are, as shown, secured to a respective slide 12 or 13, which can be moved on the respective carrier plate, 10 or 11, in the direction of an arrow, g or It, into a specific spacing, c or d, from the respective axis a or b. A somewhat outof-centre securing of the respective transmitter or receiver crystal 7 or 8 respectively, which for example results from bonding-on can be compensated for by a more or less large rotation of the carrier plates 10, 11 in the direction of arrows i, k about the respective axes a, b.Conductors to the beam transmitter 7 are symbolized by 14 and to the beam receiver 8 by 15.

While Fig. 3a shows the carrier plates 10, 11 still each in a non-adjusted position, Fig.

3b illustrates the positions thereof after an adjusting, i.e. the position which also corresponds to the arrangement in accordance with Fig. 3. In this respect, on the one hand the slides 12, 13 have been offset to such an extent in the direction of the arrows g, h (Fig. 3b) radially to the axes a, b, and on the other hand the carrier plates 10, 11 have been rotated to such an extent about the axes a, b, that the beam cones 4, 5 intersect at the predetermined distance.

In order, after mounting of these structural elements in the nose or head of the fuze 1 has been effected, to undertake additionally an exact adjustment and to be able to com pensate for deviations brought about by spacing errors, in accuracy of the crystals and the like, the beam transmitter 7 and the radiation receiver 8, more specifically the carrier plates 10, 11 thereof, are installed in a respective spherical body 16 or 17, as shown in Figure 4, each plate, 10 or 11, being per pendicular to an axis of the respective body, 16 or 17, and these spherical bodies 16, 17 are mounted so as to be rotatable about their own axes and are mounted in a respective ball cup 18 or 19 so as to be inclinable in the direction of a centre axis m (Figure 3, Figure 4) of the fuze 1.For the adjusting itself, the spherical bodies 16, 17 are provided with respective rearward adjoint-pieces 20, 21 onto each of which a respective handle 26, for example in the form of a tube or socket handle, can be screwed on or can be slipped on. By way of this adjusting pos sibility, there can be exactly set, with the beam transmitter 7 and the radiation receiver 8 already installed in the nose or head of the fuze 1, the predetermined distance, i.e.

the response distance e (Figure 3). The ad joint pieces may be in the form of plug-in shanks, threaded shanks, or socketed. shanks, and the handle be formed correspondingly.

Serving for clamping fast of the spherical bodies 16, 17 in the ball cups 18, 19 are, in the case of the embodiment in accordance with Fig. 4, approximately cylindrical pres sure sleeves 22, 23 which are each provided towards the respective spherical body 16 or 17, with a recess corresponding to the res pective ball cup 18 or 19 and which can be clamped fast by a respective annular screw member 24 or 25 in the nose or head of the fuze 1. By means of these annular screw members 24, 25 there is effected at the same time the fastening of the respective lenses 2, 3. As shown by Fig. 4, each transmitter or receiver system incorporated into the spherical body 16 or 17 respectively has additionally a separate lens 27 or 28.

Fig. 5 shows another form of clamping means. In this case the lens 2 is fastened, by means of an annular screw member 29, directly in the nose of the fuze 1, while the spherical body 16, lies, independently thereof, in a ball cup 30. After the adjusting, the spherical body 16 is clampable by means of a clamping bridge 31, which is provided with a counter-recess 32 corresponding to the ball cup 30. Screws 33, 34 serve for the clamping. All the remaining parts correspond to those of the previous Figures. A clamping arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 5 can be provided for the spherical body 17.

A single clamping bridge acting on both bodies 16, 17 may be provided.

The adjusting is effected as follows: Initially the spherical bodies provided with the carrier plates and the beam transmitter and receiver, arranged eccentrically on the respective carrier plates, are rotated until the transmitter crystal and the receiver crystal are spaced apart by a distance exceeding the separation of the centres of the spherical bodies and are disposed on a straight line which extends through the aforesaid axes, of the spherical bodies, to which the respective carrier plates are perpendicular. Then the spherical bodies are inclined towards or away from one another until the radiation cones of the optical systems of the transmitter and the receiver intersect at the predetermined distance in front of the nose or head of the fuze.

Then the spherical bodies are clamped by means of the annular screw members, which press the pressure sleeves against the spherical bodies, or by means of the clamping bridge or bridges.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS:- 1. An opto-electronic fuze having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjustable that they can intersect at a predetermined distance in front of the fuze nose or head, characterised in that the beam transmitter and the receiver are each carried by a rotatable carrier member rotatable about the optical axis of a lens of the optical system of the device (transmitter or receiver) respective to said carrier member whereby said carrier members are, independently of each other, each adjustable in rotational position relatively to the respective said optical axis, and in that the transmitter and receiver are eccentric to, or adjustable to be eccentric to, the optical axes about which the respective carrier members are rotatable.

2. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that the transmitter and receiver are each carried by a respective slide which is slidably carried by the rotatable carrier member respective to said device (transmitter or receiver), the two slides each being slidable transversely of the optical axis about which the respective carrier member is rotatable, whereby the transmitter and receiver are, independently of each other, and relatively to the respective rotatable carrier member, each adjustable transversely of the respective said optical axis.

3. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in Claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the carrier members are securable in adjusted rotational positions by clamping means.

4. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said beam transmitter is a lumin escence diode.

5. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the beam transmitter is a small-area or punctiform beam transmitter.

6. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said radiation receiver is a photo diode or photo-transistor.

7. An opto-electronic fuze, as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said radiation receiver is a punctiform radiation receiver.

8. An opto-electronic fuze as claimed in Claim 3 or in any one of Claims 4 to 7 in sofar as dependent upon Claim 3, charac terised in that the carrier member respective to the beam transmitter and the carrier mem ber respective to the radiation receiver are each installed in a respective spherical body perpendicularly to an axis of said spherical body and in that the spherical bodies are mounted so as to be rotatable about the res pective ones of said axes thereof and are mounted in respective ball cups so as to be inclinable relative to a centre axis of the fuze and are clampable in said cups after adjustment.

9. A method of adjusting an opto-electronic fuze of the construction set forth in Claim 8, characterised in that the spherical bodies which are provided with the carrier members are, with the beam transmitter and the receiver arranged eccentrically with respect to said carrier members, initially rotated until the transmitter and the receiver are spaced apart by a distance exceeding the separation of the centres of the spherical bodies and are disposed on a straight line which extends through the aforesaid axes, referred to in Claim 8, of the spherical bodies, whereupon the spherical bodies are inclined towards or away from one another until the radiation cones of the optical system respective to the transmitter and of the optical system respective to the receiver intersect at the predetermined distance in front of the nose or head of the fuze.

10. An opto-electronic fuze as claimed in Claim 8, characterised in that the spherical bodies have rearward adjoint-pieces, in the form of plug-in shanks, threaded shanks or socketed shanks, for the slipping-on or insertion or screwing-on of adjusting handles.

11. An opto-electronic fuze as claimed in Claim 8 or 10, characterised in that the ball cups are formed by hemispherical recesses on both sides of the fuze centre axis on the one hand and corresponding counter-recesses

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. to those of the previous Figures. A clamping arrangement similar to that shown in Figure 5 can be provided for the spherical body 17. A single clamping bridge acting on both bodies 16, 17 may be provided. The adjusting is effected as follows: Initially the spherical bodies provided with the carrier plates and the beam transmitter and receiver, arranged eccentrically on the respective carrier plates, are rotated until the transmitter crystal and the receiver crystal are spaced apart by a distance exceeding the separation of the centres of the spherical bodies and are disposed on a straight line which extends through the aforesaid axes, of the spherical bodies, to which the respective carrier plates are perpendicular. Then the spherical bodies are inclined towards or away from one another until the radiation cones of the optical systems of the transmitter and the receiver intersect at the predetermined distance in front of the nose or head of the fuze. Then the spherical bodies are clamped by means of the annular screw members, which press the pressure sleeves against the spherical bodies, or by means of the clamping bridge or bridges. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:-

1. An opto-electronic fuze having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjustable that they can intersect at a predetermined distance in front of the fuze nose or head, characterised in that the beam transmitter and the receiver are each carried by a rotatable carrier member rotatable about the optical axis of a lens of the optical system of the device (transmitter or receiver) respective to said carrier member whereby said carrier members are, independently of each other, each adjustable in rotational position relatively to the respective said optical axis, and in that the transmitter and receiver are eccentric to, or adjustable to be eccentric to, the optical axes about which the respective carrier members are rotatable.

in pressure sleeves on the other hand, which pressure sleeves are clampable, after the in Sertion of the spherical bodies and of said pressure sleeves, by annular screw members jin the fuze nose.

12. An opto-electronic fuze as claimed in Claim 8 or 10, characterised in that the ball are are formed by, on the one hand, rear- wardly open, hemispherical recesses in the fuze nose or head and, on the other hand, by corresponding counter-recesses in a clamp ing bridge or bridges, which latter can be clamped fast to the fuze body, after the in sertion of the spherical bodies and super imposing of the clamping bridge or bridges, by screws.

13. A fuze body for use in the construction of an opto-electronic fuze and having in a nose or head thereof a first optical system having a directional beam transmitter and a second optical system having a directional receiver provided with a radiation detector, radiation cones of which systems are so adjus table that they can intersect at a predeter mined distance in front of said nose or head, characterised in that the beam transmitter and the receiver are each carried by a rotatable carrier member rotatable about the optical axis of a lens of the optical system of the device (transmitter or receiver) respective to said carrier member whereby said carrier members are, independently of each other, each adjustable in rotational position relatively to the respective said optical axis, and in that the transmitter and receiver are eccentric to, or adjustable to be eccentric to, the optical axes about which the respective carrier members are rotatable.

14. An opto-electronic fuze, or a fuze body equipped as set forth in Claim 13, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.