Projectile

• US 8,408,139 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Baumann, Christian, Heitmann, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin P
• Application Number:
  US12/786,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20100294160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 102/478, 102/479, 102/489, 102/202.6, 102/265, 102/270, 102/493, 102/494, 102/495, 102/491, 102/492
• US Class Current: 102/491
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/207 characterised by the explosive material or the construction of the high explosive warhead, e.g. insensitive ammunition
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/22 with fragmentation-hull construction
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/625 a single submissile arranged in a carrier missile for being launched or accelerated coaxially; Coaxial tandem arrangement of missiles which are active in the target one after the other with shaped or hollow charges F42B12/16

Abstract

A projectile (1) is optionally used as a fragmentation projectile or as a projectile that utilizes a pressure wave effect created when the explosive charge (3) explodes. The projectile (1) contains an ejection charge (12), and an explosive charge (3) arranged in a jacket (4) that can be moved axially with respect to a fragmentation casing (5). The ejection charge (12) allows the explosive charge (3) and surrounding jacket (4) to be pushed at least so far out of the projectile casing (2) that, in the event of explosion, the explosive charge does not act on the fragmentation casing (5). In order to ensure that the jacket (4) of the explosive charge (3) does not develop any fragmentation effect, or develops only a small fragmentation effect, when the explosive charge (3) is ignited, a molded part composed of plastic or a light alloy is used as the jacket (4).

Claims

1. A projectile comprising:

(a) a projectile casing in which an explosive charge is arranged, wherein the explosive charge is enclosed by a fragmentation casing;

(b) an ejection charge disposed to displace the explosive charge axially with respect to a fragmentation casing when the ejection charge is ignited, wherein the explosive charge is arranged in a jacket, wherein the jacket is a molded part made of plastic or made of a light alloy, wherein the jacket develops no fragmentation action or only a slight fragmentation action during an ignition of the explosive charge, and wherein the molded part is connected to the ignition device via an annular flange part on a side of the molded part facing an ignition device; and

(c) the ignition device operably connected to ignite the ejection charge and the explosive charge, wherein the ignition device operates in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein in the first mode of operation, the ignition device ignites only the explosive charge so that the explosive charge explodes in the fragmentation casing thereby ripping apart the fragmentation casing and hurling fragments of the fragmentation casing at high speeds, and in the second mode of operation, the ignition device first ignites the ejection charge, and subsequently the ignition device ignites the explosive charge so that explosion of the ejection charge causes the explosive charge enclosed by the jacket to be pushed out of the projectile casing and the fragmentation casing at least so far that, during explosion of the explosive charge, the explosive charge does not substantially act on the fragmentation casing so that high speed fragments of the fragmentation casing are not hurled by the explosion of the explosive charge.

2. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the fragmentation casing is securely connected to the projectile casing so that during explosion of the ejection charge, the fragmentation casing remains connected to the projectile casing.

3. A projectile according to claim 2, wherein the explosive charge is supported so that the explosive charge is displaced in the projectile casing in an axial direction towards a rear of the projectile when the ejection charge explodes.

4. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the explosive charge is supported so that the explosive charge is displaced in the projectile casing in an axial direction towards a rear of the projectile when the ejection charge explodes.

5. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the ejection charge is embodied and arranged in the projectile casing so that after ignition of the ejection charge, the developing propellant gases effect displacement of the explosive charge at a rear portion of the projectile and out of the fragmentation casing.

6. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the ignition device is adapted to operate in the first mode so that the explosive charge is ignited without previous activation of the ejection charge, and in the second mode, the explosive charge is ignited only after activation of the ejection charge and after the complete pushing-out of the explosive charge from the fragmentation casing.

7. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein, in order to ignite the explosive charge, the ignition device is disposed adjacent to, and at the rear of, the explosive charge and the ignition time of the ignition device is adjustable.

8. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the molded part comprises a glass- or carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic.

9. A projectile according to claim 8, wherein the molded part is provided with stiffening ribs extending respectively in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the molded part and the stiffening ribs are arranged so as to be uniformly distributed over a circumference of the molded part.

10. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the molded part has a groove-shaped recess on a circumference of the molded part, and an O-ring is arranged in the groove-shaped recess.

11. A projectile according to claim 1, wherein the projectile is a fin-stabilized tank projectile having a caliber ≧

100 mm.

12. A projectile according to claim 1, further comprising:

(d) an annular flange part that is a ring that has been injection-molded from the plastic or light alloy at the same time as the production of the molded part, wherein an inner wall of the annular flange part has at least one undercut on a side facing the ignition device, wherein the undercut is enclosed by the molded part so as to connect the ignition device, the molded part, and the explosive charge arranged in the molded part, together.

13. A projectile comprising:

(a) a projectile casing in which an explosive charge is arranged, wherein the explosive charge is enclosed by a fragmentation casing;

(b) an ejection charge disposed to displace the explosive charge axially with respect to a fragmentation casing when the ejection charge is ignited, wherein the explosive charge is arranged in a jacket, and the jacket is a molded part made of plastic or made of a light alloy, wherein the molded part is connected to an ignition device via an annular flange part on a side of the molded part facing the ignition device;

(c) the ignition device operably connected to ignite the ejection charge and the explosive charge, wherein the ignition device operates in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein in the first mode of operation, the ignition device ignites only the explosive charge so that the explosive charge explodes in the fragmentation casing thereby ripping apart the fragmentation casing and hurling fragments of the fragmentation casing at high speeds, and in the second mode of operation, the ignition device first ignites the ejection charge, and subsequently the ignition device ignites the explosive charge so that explosion of the ejection charge causes the explosive charge enclosed by the jacket to be pushed out of the projectile casing and the fragmentation casing at least so far that, during explosion of the explosive charge, the explosive charge does not substantially act on the fragmentation casing so that high speed fragments of the fragmentation casing are not hurled by the explosion of the explosive charge; and

(d) an annular flange part that is a metal ring whose inner wall has at least one undercut on a side facing the ignition device, wherein the undercut is enclosed by the molded part so as to connect the ignition device, the molded part, and the explosive charge arranged in the molded part, together.

14. A projectile according to claim 13, wherein the ignition device, the molded part, and the explosive charge arranged in the molded part, are connected together as a unit.

15. A projectile comprising:

(a) a projectile casing in which an explosive charge is arranged, wherein the explosive charge is enclosed by a fragmentation casing;

(b) an ejection charge disposed to displace the explosive charge axially with respect to a fragmentation casing when the ejection charge is ignited, wherein the explosive charge is arranged in a jacket, and the jacket is a molded part made of plastic or made of a light alloy, wherein the molded part is connected to the ignition device via an annular flange part on a side of the molded part facing the ignition device, and wherein the ejection charge is arranged in an annular cavity surrounding the fragmentation casing on an outside thereof, and the projectile includes a unit that includes the molded part, provided with the explosive charge, and an ignition device, wherein the ignition device has a radially protruding annular surface on which developing propellant gases act after ignition of the ejection charge; and

(c) the ignition device operably connected to ignite the ejection charge and the explosive charge, wherein the ignition device operates in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein in the first mode of operation, the ignition device ignites only the explosive charge so that the explosive charge explodes in the fragmentation casing thereby ripping apart the fragmentation casing and hurling fragments of the fragmentation casing at high speeds, and in the second mode of operation, the ignition device first ignites the ejection charge, and subsequently the ignition device ignites the explosive charge so that explosion of the ejection charge causes the explosive charge enclosed by the jacket to be pushed out of the projectile casing and the fragmentation casing at least so far that, during explosion of the explosive charge, the explosive charge does not substantially act on the fragmentation casing so that high speed fragments of the fragmentation casing are not hurled by the explosion of the explosive charge.

16. A projectile according to claim 15, wherein the radially protruding annular surface is on a front side of the ignition device and faces the explosive charge.