Ammunition assembly with alternate load path

• US 8,136,451 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Armtec Defense Products Co. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Armtec Defense Products Co. (Transdigm Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mutascio, Enrico R.
• Primary Examiner(s): DAVID, MICHAEL D
• Application Number:
  US13/075,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20110192310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 357 Days
• Field of Search: 102431-433, 102/700, 102/206, 102/215, 102/472, 89/6
• US Class Current: 102/431
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/02 Cartridges, i.e. cases with charge and missile
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/18 Caseless ammunition; Cartridges having combustible cases
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 5/181 consisting of a combustible casing wall and a metal base; Connectors therefor
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/0807 characterised by the particular configuration of the transmission channels from the priming energy source to the charge to be ignited, e.g. multiple channels, nozzles, diaphragms or filters
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/0826 comprising an elongated perforated tube, i.e. flame tube, for the transmission of the initial energy to the propellant charge, e.g. used for artillery shells and kinetic energy penetrators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 102/70 Combustilbe cartridge

Abstract

An ammunition round assembly with alternate load path is disclosed herein. The ammunition round assembly includes a projectile, a body engaging the projectile, and a non-combustible base at least partially enclosing the body. A structural member having first and second engagement portions opposite to each other is positioned inside an interior space defined by the body and the base. The first engagement portion firmly engages the base, and the second engagement portion firmly engages the projectile to provide an alternate load path between the projectile and the base.

Claims

1. An ammunition round assembly, comprising:

a projectile having a leading portion and a trailing portion opposite the leading portion;

a body made of a material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly, the body having an interior area, a first end portion coupled to the projectile, and a second end portion opposite the first end and spaced apart from the projectile;

a non-combustible base at least partially enclosing the second end portion of the body; and

a structural member positioned inside the interior area and having first and second engagement portions, the structural member forming an axially aligned structural interconnection between the base and the projectile, the first engagement portion securely coupled to the base and spaced apart from the projectile, and the second engagement portion securely coupled to the trailing portion of the projectile and spaced apart from the base, wherein the projectile, the structural member, and the base define a load path that substantially isolates the body from loads applied to the projectile or the base.

2. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1, further comprising an ignition device extending through the base and securely engaging the structural member.

3. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the first engagement portion includes a hollow portion adjacent to the base, and the base has a boss configured to engage the hollow portion of the first engagement portion.

4. The ammunition round assembly of claim 3, further comprising an ignition device connectable to the base wherein the first engagement portion and the boss are configured to receive at least a portion of the ignition device.

5. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the base has an alignment portion that aligns the structural member relative to the base.

6. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein at least one of the base and the structural member has an anti-rotation device that substantially blocks rotation of the structural member relative to the base.

7. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural member further includes a portion adjacent to the base that has a plurality of apertures configured to allow ignition gases to pass therethrough to ignite a propellant in the interior area of the body.

8. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural member is at least partially hollow and configured to contain an ignition device, the structural member having a plurality of ignition pathways in communication with the interior area of the body.

9. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1, further comprising an ignition device connectable to the base and the structural member, the ignition device configured to hold the structural member in firm engagement with the base.

10. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the second engagement portion includes a break-joint feature configured to break when the ammunition round is fired, thereby separating the projectile from the structural member.

11. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the projectile includes a programmable portion, and further includes a communication data link extending between the base and the programmable portion and along a portion of the structural member.

12. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the projectile includes a programmable portion, and further comprising a communication data link coupled to the programmable portion and extending through a portion of the structural member, the communication data link being connected to a connector configured to allow projectile programming data to pass therethrough.

13. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the structural member has a conduit portion, and the projectile has a programmable fuse, and further comprising a communication data link disposed in the conduit portion of the structural member and coupled to the programmable fuse.

14. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 where in the projectile has a programmable portion and further comprising a communication data link coupled to the programmable portion, the base having a contact portion operably coupled to the communication data link, the contact portion and communication data link being configured so the programmable portion can be programmed by data passing through the contact portion and the communication data link when the ammunition round assembly is in a firing device.

15. The ammunition round assembly of claim 1 wherein the first engagement portion is directly coupled to the base, and wherein the second engagement portion is directly coupled to the trailing portion of the projectile.

16. The ammunition round assembly of claim 15, further comprising an intermediate feature between at least one of the first engagement portion and the base and the second engagement feature and the trailing portion of the projectile.

17. An ammunition round assembly, comprising:

a projectile having a longitudinal axis, a leading portion, and a trailing portion opposite the leading portion;

a body having an interior area and being made of a material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly;

a base connected to the body spaced apart from the projectile;

a structural member structurally interconnecting the trailing portion of the projectile and the base and configured to form a load path there between to substantially isolate the body from loads applied to the projectile on the base, the structural member being substantially axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the projectile, wherein the structural member includes a hollow portion at the first engagement member;

a propellant charge disposed in the interior area of the body and around the structural member; and

an ignition device at least partially in the hollow portion of the structural member.

18. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the structural member is substantially rigid.

19. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the structural member includes a hollow tube having a plurality of apertures therein.

20. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the structural member further includes a break-joint feature configured to disjoint at a specific tension loading.

21. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the structural member includes a first cup-shaped structure having an inner wall surface, an outer wall surface, and a countersunk tapered surface extending between the inner and outer wall surfaces.

22. The ammunition round assembly of claim 21 wherein structural member further includes a pin extending from the countersunk tapered surface of the first cup-shaped structure.

23. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the ignition device extends through the base and engages the structural member.

24. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17, further comprising a programmable fuse coupled to the projectile, at least one communication port coupled to the base, and communication members extending through the hollow portion of the structural member between the programmable fuse and the communication port.

25. The ammunition round assembly of claim 17 wherein the hollow portion extends along an intermediate portion of the structural member between the projectile and the base.

26. An ammunition round assembly, comprising:

a projectile having a trailing portion and a leading portion;

a body made of a material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly, the body having an interior area, a first end portion coupled to the projectile, and a second end portion opposite the first end;

a non-combustible base at least partially enclosing the second end portion of the body;

a structural member positioned inside the interior area and having first and second engagement portions, the structural member axially aligned with the projectile and forming a structural interconnection between the base and the projectile, the first engagement portion securely coupled to the base and the second engagement portion securely coupled to the projectile, wherein the second engagement portion includes a break-joint feature configured to break when the ammunition round is fired to separate the projectile from the structural member and the base, and wherein the structural member is configured to substantially isolate the body from loads applied to the projectile or the base;

a propellant contained in the body and disposed about the structural member; and

an ignition device attached to the base and extending into a least a portion of the structural member, the structural member being configured to allow the ignition device to ignite the propellant upon ignition of the ignition device.

27. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein the first engagement portion includes a hollow portion adjacent to the base, and the base has a boss configured to engage the hollow portion of the first engagement portion.

28. The ammunition round assembly of claim 27 wherein the first engagement portion and the boss are configured to receive at least a portion of the ignition device.

29. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein the base has an alignment portion that aligns the structural member relative to the base.

30. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein at least one of the base and the structural member has an anti-rotation device that substantially blocks rotation of the structural member relative to the base.

31. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein the break-joint feature is a hollow tubular structure having a reduced wall thickness.

32. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein the projectile includes a programmable portion, and further includes a communication data link extending between the base and the programmable portion and along a portion of the structural member.

33. The ammunition round assembly of claim 26 wherein the structural member has an axial passageway therethrough, and the projectile includes a programmable portion, and further includes a communication data link extending between the base and the programmable portion through the axial passageway of the structural member.

34. An ammunition round assembly, comprising:

a projectile having a leading portion, a trailing portion opposite the leading portion, and a programmable portion;

a body having an interior area, a first end portion coupled to the projectile, and a second end portion opposite the first end, wherein the body is made of a material configured to be consumed upon firing the ammunition round assembly;

a non-combustible base at least partially enclosing the second end portion of the body;

a structural member within the interior area of the body and coaxially aligned with the projectile, the structural member having a first engagement portion, a second engagement portion opposite the first engagement portion, and a conduit between the first and second engagement portions, the first engagement portion connected to the base and spaced apart from the projectile, the second engagement portion connected to the trailing portion of the projectile and spaced apart from the base, the structural member forming an axially aligned structural interconnection between the base and the projectile such that the projectile, the structural member, and the base define a load path that substantially isolates the body from loads applied to the projectile or the base;

a propellant charge in the interior area of the body; and

at least one communication link extending through the conduit of the structural member and connected to the programmable portion of the projectile, wherein the conduit is configured to substantially isolate the communication link from the propellant charge.