RU2638203C2 - Light weapon system - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: weapon and ammunition.

SUBSTANCE: light weapon system comprises a mortar tube (2), a superstructure (3), enclosing the hatch and protruding vertically above the hatch, which is closed by the hatch cover (6) and includes a hole (8) allowing the projectile to be delivered into the mortar tube (2) through its muzzle (4) of the mortar tube (2) rigidly connected to the superstructure (3) by the first end and comprising, at its second end, a rotary joint (4b) rigidly connected to the mortar tube (2), a hole (8) extending to the outer the side of the superstructure (3), between the sidewalls (4a) of the support (4), and extending to the muzzle (2a) of the tube (2), when the tube (2) is in a horizontal position, the vertical guidance means (7) of the mortar tube (2) and the firing means for firing the projectile.

EFFECT: possibility of safely servicing the weapon system from the combat compartment inside the armoured vehicle without making significant changes to the design of the armoured vehicle.

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Description

The technical field to which the invention relates is the technical field of light weapons systems that can be adapted to the hatch of an armored vehicle.

Military armored vehicles often contain an armament group adapted to their primary combat mission. In the case of a tank, which is a combat vehicle specialized for direct fire or on a straight trajectory, the tank contains a barrel for firing on tanks or direct-fire infrastructure. This weapon is often associated with auxiliary weapons of small or medium caliber, designed for direct fire at infantry or small equipment.

However, some combat missions require greater versatility and require weapons designed for indirect fire or firing on mounted ballistic trajectories. For this, as you know, gun crews are equipped with light mortars (40-80 mm caliber) or portable grenade launchers. They must be serviced outside the armored vehicle, which implies the exposure of the gun crew to enemy fire, which is unacceptable.

On the other hand, a mortar for an armored vehicle that is serviced from under the turret to protect the gun crew is described in patent FR 2572803. Such a device has a serious effect on the configuration of the armored vehicle, which must be radically changed in order to integrate the mortar into the compartment of the armored vehicle . This type of impact is unacceptable for the so-called additional weapons.

The turret of an armored vehicle containing a gun mount rigidly integrated with the turret is also described in patent EP 0011856. However, this gun mount is not a light weapon system that can communicate with the hatch.

The mortar charged from the breech is described in patent FR 2674949. This weapon system is the main weapon of the gun turret, and not auxiliary. It requires special tools (not described in this patent) that allow you to charge the mortar through the gun turret, and also allow you to control the rotation of the supporting sleeve of the shell of this mortar from the inner space of the gun turret. Thus, this system is heavy and complex.

Finally, an armored vehicle containing two muzzle-loading mortars that personnel use from under the armor is described in patent EP 1273869. In this case, the armored vehicle is generally designed to supply ammunition to each mortar. Thus, this device is also complex, and it can not be integrated into the gun turret without a significant change in the design of the armored vehicle.

The subject of the present invention is an armament system which can equip an armored vehicle, which is a mortar-type armament system that can be serviced from within an armored vehicle and does not require a fundamental change in the configuration of an armored vehicle.

Thus, the invention relates to a light weapons system for firing mortar shells, coupled with the hatch compartment (turret), while the weapons system contains:

- mortar pipe,

- extension, covering the hatch and protruding vertically above the hatch, while the extension is closed by a hinged lid and contains a hole through which the projectile is fed into the mortar pipe through the muzzle of the mortar pipe,

- the support of the mortar pipe, rigidly connected to the extension of the first end and containing at its second end a rotary connection, rigidly connected to the mortar pipe,

- a hole extending to the outside of the extension, between the sides of the support, and facing the muzzle of the pipe when the pipe is in a horizontal position,

- vertical guidance of the mortar pipe,

- a means of firing to initiate a projectile shot.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the light weapon system comprises means for closing the opening providing ballistic protection.

Preferably, the closing means is rigidly connected to the loading means containing a sliding section for laying shells, where the sliding section is movably mounted on a sliding connecting part in the extension opening.

Preferably, the pull-out section comprises a chute so that the pipe extends inward and the draw-out section feeds when the projectile slides into the muzzle of the pipe.

Preferably, the chute of the drawer section is open in its upper part so that the muzzle section of the pipe enters and exits the drawer section during pipe movements when aiming vertically.

A light weapon system may include a vertical pointing angle sensor (aiming angle) for aiming the pipe vertically.

Preferably, the firing means is a striker, which can be controlled from within the armored vehicle and placed in the breech of the barrel.

Preferably, the means of vertical guidance of the pipe is an electric drive.

The invention will be better understood after reading the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a three quarter view of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention mounted on an armored vehicle,

FIG. 2 shows a top view in three quarters of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 3 shows a top view in three quarters of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention, in a first loading step and without a hatch,

FIG. 4 shows a top view in three quarters of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention, in a second loading step and without a hatch,

FIG. 5 shows a top view in three quarters of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention, at the last stage of loading and without a hatch,

FIG. 6 shows a top view in three quarters of a light weapon system in accordance with the present invention, in the guidance phase and without a hatch,

FIG. 7 shows a three-quarter side view of a light weapon system in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, in the guidance phase,

FIG. 8 shows a top view in three quarters of a charging means in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the gun turret 100 of the armored vehicle (the armored car is shown very schematically) contains two hatches 101 and 102 so that all or part of the gun crew can enter or exit the compartment formed by the gun turret 100.

Each hatch is closed by a hinged lid 101a and 102a. One of the hatches 101 carries a light weapon system 1 in accordance with the present invention, which is intended for firing mortar shells.

This weapon system 1 includes a mortar pipe 2, which in accordance with the shown embodiment is oriented in a direction angle parallel to the main gun 100a of the gun turret 100. Guidance on the angle of the direction of the weapon system 1 will thus be carried out by rotating the turret or the entire combat vehicle . The weapon system 1 is attached to the hatch using conventional fasteners, such as screws and / or bolts, and other means can be used.

It can be envisaged that the weapon system 1 is rigidly connected to the armored vehicle in a different position with respect to the longitudinal axis of the armored vehicle or gun turret. Thus, the weapon system can be attached, for example, perpendicular to the main gun 100a of the gun turret.

As shown in FIG. 2, the weapon system includes an extension 3 located vertically above the hatch 101a (the hatch is not shown). This extension covers the entire perimeter of the hatch. The support 4 of the mortar pipe 2 is rigidly connected to the first end of the extension 2 below the hinge 5 to open the cover 6. The support 4 extends substantially horizontally in the mating plane P of the weapon system 1 on the hatch. The support 4 comprises at its second end a pivot link 4b to allow the pipe 2 to rotate about the horizontal axis A in order to orient the pipe 2 in height and thus to adjust the orientation.

According to the embodiment shown, the support 4 comprises two sidewalls 4a between which the front of the pipe 2, including the muzzle of the pipe 2, can pass when it is in a horizontal position.

The weapon system 1 comprises vertical guidance means 7 of the pipe 2. According to the shown embodiment, the guidance means 7 is an electric drive connected to the sidewall 4a of the support 4 and rigidly connected to the other end with a rotary connection 4b connected to the pipe 2 (for example, using the crank-crank system).

According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the second end of the drive can be directly rigidly connected to the pipe 2. The drive 7 can be controlled from the gun turret compartment 100.

The weapon system 1 contains a means (not shown) for measuring the vertical guidance of the pipe 2. Such means are well known to specialists in this field of technology, they can be formed by an angular sensor, for example, or by any other means of measurement that allows you to specify the aiming value vertical pipes of the gun crew of the weapon system located in the compartment of the gun turret 100.

As seen in FIG. 3, the weapon system 1 is shown without its hatch cover and without its hinge to see the internal operation of the weapon system 1.

Thus, it can be seen that the extension 3 comprises, in its wall, an opening 8 extending to the outside of the extension 3 between the sides 4a of the support 4 and extending to the muzzle section 2a of the pipe 2 when the pipe is in a horizontal position.

This hole 8 corresponds to the means 9 for loading the pipe 2. The means for charging can be a sliding section 9, which is movably mounted on the sliding link 10 in the hole 8, where the section slides from the inner side of the side protrusion 3 to the outer side, and vice versa.

In FIG. 8 it can be clearly seen that the sliding section 9 contains, on one of its sides, a window 11 for placing the mortar shell 12 in the sliding section 9. You can see that the mortar shell 12 is located so that its rear is closest to the hole 8 so that this part first enters the muzzle section 2a of the pipe 2 when loading the mortar shell 12, as shown in FIG. four.

While loading from the gun turret compartment 100, the gun crew has access to a retractable section, which is protected by a manhole cover 6 that blocks the extension (the manhole cover is not shown in Fig. 4). He presses the extension section toward the muzzle of the pipe 2a, and the mortar shell 12 thus enters the muzzle of the pipe 2a.

As seen in FIG. 8, the extension section 9 is in the form of a duct and thus comprises a groove 9a which is dimensioned so that the tube 2 enters the extension section 9 when the latter is pressed so that the projectile 12 slides into the muzzle section 2a of the tube 2.

In addition, the chute 9a of the extension section 9 is fully open in its upper part. Thus, the pipe can be rotated to be positioned along the height of aiming without interference from the extension section 9.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the sliding section 9 is fed to the end of the hole 8, between the sides 4a of the support 4, the mortar shell is completely fed into the front part 2a of the pipe 2. The sliding section 9 carries as a rear part a plate (9b) (Fig. 8) forming means for closing the bottom of the hole 8. This plate 9b provides ballistic protection for the extension 3 when the pipe is rotated. The locking means (not shown) allows you to block the sliding section 9 in relation to the extension 3 in this position. The plate 9b is made of a material having a resistance similar to that of the extension 3 and should have a thickness similar to that of the extension.

The pull-out section 9 is thus open in its upper part, leaving the pipe 2 visible and freely moving up.

As shown in FIG. 6, the gun crew controls the required guidance position when firing from the inside of the gun turret using the actuator 7. Pipe 2, under the action of the orienting means 7, raises the muzzle section 2a of the tube, which causes the projectile to fall to the bottom of the tube 2 under the influence of gravity.

Once the required pointing position for firing has been reached, the gun crew can control the shot of the projectile by means traditionally known to those skilled in the art, such as a remotely controlled striker, which are located in the breech 2b of the pipe 2.

In accordance with a simpler embodiment of the weapon system of the present invention, it is possible to provide for the abandonment of the weapon system equipment with a retractable loading section. In this case, the mortar shell is manually inserted into the muzzle of the pipe through the hole 8.

A rotary shutter may be provided to close the opening 8, but in this case a ballistic seal is not provided during the charging step. However, the small size of the hole 8 and its position, protected by the sidewalls 4a of the support 4, reduces the exposure of the gun crew to the ballistic threat.

Thus, the invention allows to equip the armored vehicle with a light weapons system, which can be safely serviced from the combat compartment of the armored vehicle, without making significant changes to the armored vehicle.

In FIG. 1 it can be seen that the rotary joint 4b between the pipe 2 and the support 4 is cantilevered with respect to the stern of the gun turret. This allows you to direct the pipe 2 in height without its breech colliding with the gun turret. According to another embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the swivel joint 4b between the pipe 2 and the support 4 is located at the rear of the pipe, thereby preventing a possible collision with the elements of the armored vehicle located under the device 1 when lifting the pipe 2.

Claims (14)

1. Light weapons system (1) for firing mortar shells (12) and associated with the hatch (101) of the combat compartment (100), containing: pipe (2) mortar, extension (3), covering the hatch (101) and protruding vertically above the hatch (101), while the extension (3) is closed by the hinged lid of the hatch (6) and contains a hole (8) through which the projectile (12) is fed into the pipe (2) ) mortar through the muzzle of the pipe (2) mortar, the support (4) of the mortar pipe (2), rigidly connected to the extension (3) by the first end and containing at its second end a rotary connection (4b), rigidly connected to the mortar pipe (2), an opening (8) extending to the outside of the extension (3), between the sidewalls (4a) of the support (4), and extending to the muzzle (2a) of the pipe (2) when the pipe (2) is in a horizontal position, means (7) of pointing the pipe (2) of the mortar vertically, shooting means (2b) for firing a projectile (12). 2. Light weapons system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it contains means for closing the holes (8), providing ballistic protection. 3. The light weapons system according to claim 2, characterized in that the closing means is rigidly connected to the loading means containing a sliding section (9) for laying shells (12), and the sliding section (9) is movably mounted on the sliding connecting part (10) in the hole (8) of the extension (3). 4. The light weapons system according to claim 3, characterized in that the pull-out section (9) contains a groove (9a) so that the pipe (2) passes inward and the draw-out section feeds when the projectile (12) slides into the muzzle (2a) of the pipe (2). 5. Light weapons system (1) according to claim 4, characterized in that the chute of the sliding section (9) is open in its upper part so that the muzzle section (2a) of the pipe (2) enters and leaves the cartridge (9) during movements when pointing the pipe. 6. Light weapons system (1) according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that it contains a sensor (20) of the angle of vertical guidance for aiming the pipe (2) vertically. 7. Light weapons system (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of firing is a striker, which can be controlled from inside an armored vehicle and placed in the breech (2b) of the barrel. 8. Light weapons system according to claim 1, characterized in that the means of vertical guidance is an electric drive (7).

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