Spin sensor for low spin munitions

• US 8,113,118 B2
• Filed: 11/22/2004
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Incorporated (Northrop Grumman Corporation)
• Inventors: Tomes, Mark J., Schmidt, Robert P.
• Primary Examiner(s): PARSLEY, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US10/994,497
• Publication Number:
  US 20070181028A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,640 Days
• Field of Search: 102237-244
• US Class Current: 102/244
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/26 using centrifugal force
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 15/40 wherein the safety or arming action is effected electrically

Abstract

A spin sensor includes a fuze housing, a sense weight and a rotating induction device. The rotating induction device comprises a first rotatable element affixed to the fuze housing and a second rotatable element affixed to the sense weight. The second rotatable element is mechanically coupled to the first rotatable element such that it may rotate relative to the first rotatable element. In addition, the second rotatable element is inductively coupled to the first rotatable element such that the relative rotation between the first rotatable element and the second rotatable element generates a spin signal on an electrical connection to the rotating induction device. The spin signal may be compared to a suitable spin profile to determine if a valid spin environment is present.

Claims

1. A spin sensor, comprising:

a fuze housing;

a sense weight for providing an inertial mass; and

a rotating induction device comprising;

a first element affixed to the fuze housing via attachments extending between the fuze housing and the first element;

a second element affixed to the sense weight via a shaft, the second element inductively coupled and rotationally coupled to the first element with the second element being disposed entirely within the first element, wherein the first element and the fuze housing are configured to rotate with respect to the second element and the sense weight; and

an electrical connection configured to convey a signal developed in response to rotation of the fuze housing with respect to the sense weight;

wherein the sense weight is configured such that the inertial mass provides an angular inertial force impeding angular acceleration of the second element when the fuze housing rotates.

2. The spin sensor of claim 1, further comprising at least one analyzer operably coupled to the spin signal, the at least one analyzer configured for sampling the spin signal to develop an actual spin profile and comparing the actual spin profile to an acceptable spin profile.

3. The spin sensor of claim 2, wherein the acceptable spin profile and the actual spin profile incorporate at least one spin parameter selected from the group consisting of revolution count, spin rate, increase in spin rate and spin signal amplitude.

4. The spin sensor of claim 2, wherein the at least one analyzer comprises at least one programmable controller.

5. The spin sensor of claim 1, further comprising:

a spin signal conditioner operably coupled to the spin signal and configured for generating a conditioned spin signal; and

at least one analyzer operably coupled to the conditioned spin signal, the at least one analyzer configured for sampling the conditioned spin signal to develop an actual spin profile and comparing the actual spin profile to an acceptable spin profile.

6. The spin sensor of claim 5, wherein the acceptable spin profile and the actual spin profile incorporate at least one spin parameter selected from the group consisting of revolution count, spin rate, increase in spin rate and spin signal amplitude.

7. The spin sensor of claim 5, wherein the at least one analyzer comprises at least one programmable controller.

8. The spin sensor of claim 5, wherein the spin signal conditioner is configured to generate the conditioned spin signal by modifying the spin signal, the modification including at least one function selected from the group consisting of filtering, amplifying, attenuating, and digitizing.

9. The spin sensor of claim 1, wherein a magnetic detent attribute of the rotating induction device maintains the relative rotation at substantially near zero until a relative angular acceleration threshold between the first element and the second element is exceeded.

10. The spin sensor of claim 1, wherein the first element is a stator of the rotating induction device and the second element is a rotor of the rotating induction device.

11. The spin sensor of claim 10, wherein the stator comprises a wire coil and the rotor comprises a permanent magnet.

12. The spin sensor of claim 10, wherein the stator comprises a permanent magnet and the rotor comprises a wire coil.

13. The spin sensor of claim 1, wherein the first element is a rotor of the rotating induction device and the second element is a stator of the rotating induction device.

14. The spin sensor of claim 13, wherein the stator comprises a wire coil and the rotor comprises a permanent magnet.

15. The spin sensor of claim 13, wherein the stator comprises a permanent magnet and the rotor comprises a wire coil.

16. An explosive projectile, comprising:

an encasement;

an explosive material disposed within the encasement and configured for detonation; and

a fuze disposed within the encasement, comprising;

a fuze housing;

a sense weight for providing an inertial mass; and

a rotating induction device comprising;

a first element affixed to the fuze housing via attachments extending between the fuze housing and the first element;

a second element affixed to the sense weight via a shaft, the second element inductively coupled and rotationally coupled to the first element with the second element being disposed entirely within the first element, wherein the first element and the fuze housing are configured to rotate with respect to the second element and the sense weight; and

an electrical connection generating a substantially sinusoidal spin signal responsive to the inductive coupling and having an increasing amplitude and frequency correlated with multiple relative rotations between the first element and the second element;

wherein a rate of the relative rotations and the frequency of the spin signal are responsive to the inertial mass providing an angular inertial force impeding angular acceleration of the second element when the fuze housing rotates.

17. The explosive projectile of claim 16, wherein the first element is a stator of the rotating induction device and the second element is a rotor of the rotating induction device.

18. The explosive projectile of claim 16, wherein the first element is a rotor of the rotating induction device and the second element is a stator of the rotating induction device.

19. The explosive projectile of claim 16, further comprising at least one analyzer operably coupled to the spin signal, the at least one analyzer configured for sampling the spin signal to develop an actual spin profile and comparing the actual spin profile to an acceptable spin profile.

20. The explosive projectile of claim 19, wherein the acceptable spin profile and the actual spin profile incorporate at least one spin parameter selected from the group consisting of revolution count, spin rate, increase in spin rate and spin signal amplitude.