Ammunition and explosives – Shells – Focused or directed detonation
Patent
1998-10-19
2000-03-07
Tudor, Harold J.
Ammunition and explosives
Shells
Focused or directed detonation
102308, 102378, 102478, F42B 1218, F42B 1220
Patent
active
060325836
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ammunition unit in the form of a shell or the like, comprising at least one front warhead and one rear warhead, such as, for example, shaped-charge warheads, arranged in succession one after the other and connected to each other via a supporting structure. Each of the warheads included is assigned an ignition device with ignition and safety functions, and the ignition device of the front warhead is arranged in the supporting structure behind the front warhead in the direction of action of a warhead lying to the rear.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An ammunition unit of the above type is already known from EP, B1, 0 238 715, for example. The latter involves a small front warhead with shaped charge, the so-called pre-penetrator, and a larger rear warhead with shaped charge, the so-called main charge.
In ammunition units of this known type, there are a number of factors which can radically impair the efficiency of the ammunition unit. One such factor is the impact which the first activated warhead generates and which propagates through to the remaining and not yet activated warheads. The impact can damage warheads situated to the rear or disrupt them so that they do not interact with the first warhead in the intended manner. The impact problem is aggravated especially when the front warhead is made larger. Another factor impairing efficiency is the disruptive influence which the ignition device of the front warhead has on a shaped-charge jet coming from the rear.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to lessen or to completely prevent the impairment in the efficiency of the ammunition unit caused by the above factors mentioned. The object of the invention is achieved by means of an ammunition unit in which structure-dividing charge is arranged in the supporting structure in order to divide the supporting structure into a front part and a rear part after initiation. In this context, division of the structure is intended to mean everything from narrow cuts to more extensive removal of material in the area where the supporting structure is divided. By dividing the structure, the impact from the front warhead is prevented from reaching warheads situated to the rear. At the same time, parts of the ignition device are also exposed.
According to one advantageous embodiment, the structure-dividing charge comprises an annular element with an external diameter essentially corresponding to the internal diameter of the supporting structure, and a number of radial channels which connect the inner surface of the annular element to a central point common to the channels. This embodiment of the structure-dividing charge has been shown to produce an effective division of the structure without any disruptive effect on the rest of the ammunition unit. According to a specific embodiment based on this annular design, the annular element is connected to the common center point by means of two channels directed radially towards each other. This embodiment gives a symmetrical activation with little effect on warheads situated to the rear.
According to another advantageous embodiment, the structure-dividing charge comprises a disc-shaped element whose external diameter essentially corresponds to the internal diameter of the supporting structure. A structure-dividing charge of this design is, among other things, simple to produce.
For improving the efficiency of the ammunition unit still further, according to yet another advantageous embodiment, a clearing charge can be arranged in order to clear the ignition device belonging to a forward warhead out of the way. The design is characterized in that a clearing charge is linked to the structure-dividing charge in order to clear the ignition member out of the way of a warhead situated to the rear. In one design, the clearing charge is made up of a curved plate arranged between the ignition device and the supporting structure to cover only parts of the circumference of the ignition device.
The clearing
REFERENCES:
patent: 4497253 (1985-02-01), Sabranski
patent: 4606272 (1986-08-01), Kerdraon
patent: 4612859 (1986-09-01), Furch et al.
patent: 4854240 (1989-08-01), Hirsch et al.
patent: 5107766 (1992-04-01), Schliesske et al.
patent: 5698814 (1997-12-01), Parsons et al.
Andersson Par
Benendo Miroslaw
Helander Jyrki
Karlstedt Gustav
Lindvall Richard
Bofors AB
Tudor Harold J.
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