US3785292A - Piezoelectric percussion fuze - Google Patents

Piezoelectric percussion fuze Download PDF

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Publication number
US3785292A
US3785292A US00042063A US3785292DA US3785292A US 3785292 A US3785292 A US 3785292A US 00042063 A US00042063 A US 00042063A US 3785292D A US3785292D A US 3785292DA US 3785292 A US3785292 A US 3785292A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
housing
semiconductor element
percussion fuze
inertia mass
explosive charge
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US00042063A
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English (en)
Inventor
H Bendler
H Rudolph
U Brede
H Gawlick
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Dynamit Nobel AG
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Dynamit Nobel AG
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Publication date
Application filed by Dynamit Nobel AG filed Critical Dynamit Nobel AG
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Publication of US3785292A publication Critical patent/US3785292A/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
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    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F42—AMMUNITION; BLASTING
    • F42C—AMMUNITION FUZES; ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR
    • F42C11/00—Electric fuzes
    • F42C11/02—Electric fuzes with piezo-crystal

Definitions

  • ABSTRACT Piezoelectric percussion fuze for projectiles wherein mechanical impact energy is converted, in a piezoelectric transducer, into an electric voltage for the detonation of a primer charge, characterized in that the piezoelectric transducer is connected to the primer charge via a semiconductor element exhibiting a threshold value breakdown characteristic.
  • Percussion fuzes are known wherein the electric voltage required for the initiation of the explosive charge is supplied by a piezoelectric transducer. An electric voltage is produced in the piezo crystal, due to the mechanical impingement impulse of the projectile, which voltage is sufficient to ignite the detonator charge.
  • the percussion fuzes provide mechanically movable parts which must execute an electric switching function at the instant of impact. For this reason, the function of the percussion fuze is extensively dependent on the direction of the impact impulse or on the impingement angle of the projectile, and the functional reliability is strongly impaired, due to the fact that mechanical parts are susceptible to trouble.
  • This objective is attained, in accordance with the invention, by connecting the piezoelectric transducer to the detonator charge by way of an electric semiconductor element having a threshold value or clipping characteristic.
  • the objective is achieved that the voltage at the piezo crystal is not reduced by the low-ohmic primer charge path so long as the switching voltage level has not been reached; thus, only when the necessary ignition voltage is reached will a sudden switching step take place.
  • no movable components are necessary, so that the entire percussion fuze can consist of individual parts fixedly installed in a housing, which parts need merely execute electrical functions.
  • the insulation surrounding the piezoelectric transducer and an inertia mass simultaneously constitutes the dielectric medium of a capacitor formed between the inertia mass and the housing of the percussion fuze.
  • the capacitance of this capacitor can be extensively predetermined, and preferably amounts to about 1000 pf.
  • the piezo crystal and the semiconductor element can be coordinated to each other with respect to their power and other characteristics.
  • a four-layer diode is preferably employed.
  • Four-layer diodes exhibit a pronounced threshold characteristic, i.e., they provide a high impedance at small input voltages and become suddenly low impedance as the input voltage reaches a certain threshold value. In this manner, the effect is obtained that input voltages below the switching thresh old do not affect the detonator charge; rather, the latter is ignited only when the impact or percussion energy has built up the detonating voltage to the threshold level of the diode predetermined by the desired switching voltage.
  • four-layer diodes having a switching threshold of about 500 volts are employed; however, depending on the field of application and the detonating conditions, it is also possible to utilize combined structural components having a similar switching behavior.
  • FIG. 1 shows a piezoelectric percussion fuze in longitudinal section
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic circuit diagram of the percussion fuze according to FIG. 1.
  • the individual parts of the fuze are accommodated in a cylindrical electrically conductive detonator housing 4, one front end of which is sealed.
  • the closed front end serves as an abutment for a piezoelectric chip 1; adjacent. to the latter, an inertia mass 2 made of a metallic material is disposed.
  • the piezo pellet l, as well as the detonator block 2 are surrounded by a cylindrical insulating layer, this layer, as well as the other insulating parts being provided with reference numeral 3.
  • the disk-shaped four-layer diode 5 follows the inertia mass 2; this diode is insulated with respect to the detonator housing 4, but is in electrical contact on one side with the inertia mass 2 and on the other side with a metallic contact plate 6.
  • the primer charge 8 is provided adjacent the metal plate 6, which latter is likewise insulated with respect to the housing 4.
  • the primer charge is surrounded. by a tubular spacer sleeve 7 which is in electrical contact with the housing 4.
  • the unit formed by the contact plate 6, the insulation 3, the spacer sleeve 7, as well as the electric primer charge 8 is called the detonator 9.
  • FIG. 2 the equivalent-circuit diagram of the fuze is illustrated.
  • the circuit elements are, in each case, provided with the reference numeral designations for those components of the fuze in FIG. 1 to which they correspond directly.
  • the piezo crystal 1 is connected, at one end, to the detonator housing 4 (ground) and, at the other end, via the very lowohmic inertia mass 2, with the four-layer diode 5.
  • the junction point is connected to ground via the capacitor 42 formed between the detonator housing 4 and the inertia mass 2.
  • a capacitance 46 is disposed between the junction point of the contact plate 6 with the primer charge 8, and the detonator housing 4.
  • the nature, the hardness, and the density, as well as the configuration of the abutment against which the piezo crystal 1 is pressed upon impact are of importance for the structure of the percussion fuze, as well as the dimensioning of the four-layer diode and the other components.
  • the range of application of the fuze is determined by the velocity of the projectile, the shock wave propagation time in the projectile, and the ignition period of fuze.
  • the percussion fuze of this invention can be successfully employed in conventional projectiles, for example in hollow-charge projectiles with a nose cap, within wide velocity ranges.
  • Piezoelectric percussion fuze for projectiles comprising a housing containing an explosive charge ignitable in response to an applied electric voltage, an inertia mass within said housing, a piezoelectric transducer arranged between an abutment means of said housing and said inertia mass, said piezoelectric transducer being responsive to the force of the inertia mass for providing an electrical voltage for the initiation of said explosive charge upon impact of the projectile, a switching means responsive to the electrical voltage provided by said transducer for controlling the application of the voltage to said explosive charge, said switching means having a threshold characteristic which blocks the application of all voltages to said explosive charge below a predetermined threshold value, said switching means including a semiconductor element arranged for abutment at one portion thereof with said inertia mass such that said inertia mass electrically connects said piezoelectric transducer and said semiconductor element, said semiconductor element providing an electrical voltage upon exceeding said predetermined threshold value to a contact plate electrically connected thereto, said contact
  • a percussion fuze according to claim 1 further comprising insulation means interposed between said housing and said inertia mass for forming a capacitance therebetween.
  • a percussion fuze as defined in claim 2 further comprising insulation means between said inertia mass and said housing and between said contact plate and said housing so as to form a capacitance to said housing on either side of said semiconductor element.
  • a percussion fuze as defined in claim 1 wherein said semiconductor element is disc-shaped and is arranged in abutting relation at one side thereof with said inertia mass and being arranged in abutting relation with said contact plate at the other side thereof, said contact plate being in electrical contact with said explosive charge.

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  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Crystallography & Structural Chemistry (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Air Bags (AREA)
  • Electrophonic Musical Instruments (AREA)
  • Contacts (AREA)
US00042063A 1969-05-30 1970-06-01 Piezoelectric percussion fuze Expired - Lifetime US3785292A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE19691927519 DE1927519A1 (de) 1969-05-30 1969-05-30 Piezoelektrischer Aufschlagzuender

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US3785292A true US3785292A (en) 1974-01-15

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ID=5735594

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US00042063A Expired - Lifetime US3785292A (en) 1969-05-30 1970-06-01 Piezoelectric percussion fuze

Country Status (9)

Country Link
US (1) US3785292A (fr)
AT (1) AT310618B (fr)
BE (1) BE751024A (fr)
CH (1) CH516136A (fr)
DE (1) DE1927519A1 (fr)
FR (1) FR2049699A5 (fr)
GB (1) GB1296118A (fr)
NL (1) NL7004719A (fr)
NO (1) NO126497B (fr)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3921945A (en) * 1974-07-25 1975-11-25 Us Navy Train resonant car-body rocking detector system
US20070204756A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2007-09-06 Rastegar Jahangir S Energy harvesting power sources for generating a time-out signal for unexploded munitions
DE102012023700A1 (de) * 2012-12-05 2014-06-05 Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Gmbh Munition mit explosivstofffreiem Geschoss zur Erzeugung einer multispektralen Zielsignatur
US11287237B1 (en) * 2020-09-03 2022-03-29 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Electronic setback detection method for 40 mm munitions

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4793256A (en) * 1987-03-25 1988-12-27 Magnavox Government And Industrial Electronics Company Piezoelectric fuse for projectile with safe and arm mechanism
CN107270788B (zh) * 2017-06-29 2023-06-27 中国工程物理研究院电子工程研究所 一种传感器冗余式设计的触发引信

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3098163A (en) * 1960-07-05 1963-07-16 Magnavox Co Inertial energy generator storage system
US3196794A (en) * 1959-06-18 1965-07-27 Robert C Meade Piezo-electric fuse device
US3337758A (en) * 1964-12-22 1967-08-22 Brothers Jack Piezo-electric energy source for space vehicles
FR1527283A (fr) * 1966-06-10 1968-05-31 Bolkow Gmbh Dispositif d'allumage perfectionné, comportant un générateur d'allumage piézo-électrique
US3389275A (en) * 1967-01-19 1968-06-18 Army Usa Piezoelectric generator unit for space vehicles
US3397329A (en) * 1964-10-19 1968-08-13 Endevco Corp Measuring system

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3196794A (en) * 1959-06-18 1965-07-27 Robert C Meade Piezo-electric fuse device
US3098163A (en) * 1960-07-05 1963-07-16 Magnavox Co Inertial energy generator storage system
US3397329A (en) * 1964-10-19 1968-08-13 Endevco Corp Measuring system
US3337758A (en) * 1964-12-22 1967-08-22 Brothers Jack Piezo-electric energy source for space vehicles
FR1527283A (fr) * 1966-06-10 1968-05-31 Bolkow Gmbh Dispositif d'allumage perfectionné, comportant un générateur d'allumage piézo-électrique
US3389275A (en) * 1967-01-19 1968-06-18 Army Usa Piezoelectric generator unit for space vehicles

Cited By (14)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US3921945A (en) * 1974-07-25 1975-11-25 Us Navy Train resonant car-body rocking detector system
US20070204756A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2007-09-06 Rastegar Jahangir S Energy harvesting power sources for generating a time-out signal for unexploded munitions
US20100155473A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2010-06-24 Rastegar Jahangir S Energy harvesting power sources for validating firing; determining the beginning of the free flight and validating booster firing and duration
US20100155472A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2010-06-24 Rastegar Jahangir S Energy harvesting power sources for accidental drop detection and differentiation from firing
US7762191B2 (en) * 2006-01-17 2010-07-27 Omnitek Partners, Llc Energy harvesting power sources for accidental drop detection and differentiation from firing
US7762192B2 (en) * 2006-01-17 2010-07-27 Omnitek Partners Llc Energy harvesting power sources for validating firing; determining the beginning of the free flight and validating booster firing and duration
US20100251879A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2010-10-07 Rastegar Jahangir S Energy harvesting power sources for assisting in the recovery/detonation of unexploded munitions governmental rights
US20110168046A1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2011-07-14 Omnitek Partners Llc Energy harvesting power sources for generating a time-out singal for unexploded munitions
US8191475B2 (en) * 2006-01-17 2012-06-05 Omnitek Partners Llc Energy harvesting power sources for generating a time-out signal for unexploded munitions
US8205555B1 (en) * 2006-01-17 2012-06-26 Omnitek Partners Llc Energy harvesting power sources for assisting in the recovery/detonation of unexploded munitions
US8701559B2 (en) * 2006-01-17 2014-04-22 Omnitek Partners Llc Energy harvesting power sources for detecting target impact of a munition
DE102012023700A1 (de) * 2012-12-05 2014-06-05 Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Gmbh Munition mit explosivstofffreiem Geschoss zur Erzeugung einer multispektralen Zielsignatur
US9513094B2 (en) 2012-12-05 2016-12-06 Rheinmetall Waffe Munition Gmbh Ammunition with projectile containing no explosive material in order to create a multi-spectral target signature
US11287237B1 (en) * 2020-09-03 2022-03-29 The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army Electronic setback detection method for 40 mm munitions

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
NO126497B (fr) 1973-02-12
GB1296118A (fr) 1972-11-15
NL7004719A (fr) 1970-12-02
DE1927519A1 (de) 1970-12-10
DE1927519B2 (fr) 1973-10-04
FR2049699A5 (fr) 1971-03-26
DE1927519C3 (fr) 1974-05-02
CH516136A (de) 1971-11-30
AT310618B (de) 1973-10-10
BE751024A (fr) 1970-11-03

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