Ammunition with projectile containing no explosive material in order to create a multi-spectral target signature

• US 9,513,094 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2013
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Original Assignee: Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH (Rheinmetall AG)
• Inventors: Dierks, Lars, Zimmermann, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): KLEIN, GABRIEL J
• Application Number:
  US14/098,106
• Publication Number:
  US 20140305328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 102/363
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/40 of target-marking, i.e. impact-indicating type F42B12/48, F42B12/50 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/44 of incendiary type F42B12/46 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/46 for dispensing gases, vapours, powders or chemically-reactive substances F42B12/70 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F42B 12/52 Fuel-air explosive devices
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 1/10 without firing-pin
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 19/00 Details of fuzes except F42C15/00
• CPC Class Codes: F42C 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

An ammunition is proposed with an explosive-free missile that releases, upon dismantling at the target a fuel or fuel mixture as flammable air-fuel mixture, being caused to spontaneously react by at least one, by impact dismantling triggered, explosive-free, spark-generating ignition mechanism. The thus produced optical and thermal target signature can be detected with the naked eye, as well as with rifle scopes or other optical target detection systems, as well as with night-vision and thermal imaging devices.

Claims

1. An ammunition with an explosive-free missile comprising:

(a) a missile comprising

(i) at least one missile body;

(ii) a missile cover;

(iii) a support structure;

(b) an explosive-free, spark-producing ignition mechanism, wherein the support structure holds the ignition mechanism within the missile body; and

(c) an active mass, wherein the active mass is located in a hollow space that is defined within the missile,

wherein the active mass comprises a fuel or a fuel mixture that is releasable at impact dismantling at a target as a flammable air-fuel mixture,

wherein the flammable air-fuel mixture is disposed at impact dismantling to be spontaneously brought to reaction by the explosive-free, spark-producing ignition mechanism,

wherein the active mass comprises a fuel in powder, granular or compressed form, or a fuel mixture in powder, granular or compressed form, and

wherein the ignition mechanism is armed by one of the group consisting of a firing energy of the missile, a kinetic energy of the missile, and the firing energy and the kinetic energy of the missile.

2. The ammunition according to claim 1, wherein the ignition mechanism comprises at least two reciprocally movable components, wherein the at least two reciprocally movable components are disposed to directly cause spark-generation via forces occurring during impact dismantling, and wherein at least one component comprises a spark-generating metal or a spark-generating metal alloy or a spark-generating ceramic.

3. The ammunition according to claim 2, wherein the spark-generating metal or the spark-generating metal alloy comprise at least one of magnesium, cerium-ferrous alloys, cerium-ferrous-lanthanum alloys or Aurmetal III.

4. The ammunition according to claim 1, wherein the ignition mechanism comprises at least one component of a piezo-electrical ignition mechanism, wherein the at least one component of the piezo-electrical ignition mechanism is disposed to indirectly cause spark-generation via a piezo-electrical effect caused by forces occurring during impact dismantling, and wherein the at least one component comprises a non-conductive material or a non-conductive ferro-electrical material or a material with a permanent electrical dipole.

5. The ammunition according to claim 4, wherein the non-conductive material or the non-conductive ferro-electrical material or the material with a permanent electrical dipole comprise at least one of synthetic ceramics, inorganic ceramics, ferro-electric ceramics or poly-crystalline ceramics.

6. The ammunition according to claim 5, wherein the poly-crystalline ceramics are lead-zircon-titanate or barium-titanate.

7. The ammunition according to claim 1, further comprising:

(e) a secondary active mass; and

(f) an insert disposed in the hollow space,

wherein the fuel or fuel mixture of the active mass is surrounded by the secondary active mass, and wherein the secondary active mass is spatially separated from the active mass by the insert.

8. The ammunition according to claim 7, wherein the secondary active mass is a powder-shaped or granulated or compressed active mass with open-flame damping or energy-absorbing or energy-moderating properties or open-flame damping and energy-absorbing properties, or open-flame damping and energy-moderating properties, wherein, at an impact-dismantling point, the secondary active mass forms an open-flame damping or energy-absorbing or open-flame damping and energy-absorbing cloud that is disposed around the flammable air-fuel mixture of the active mass, and

wherein the cloud around the flammable air-fuel mixture detectably radiates any absorbed energy.

9. The ammunition according to claim 7, wherein the secondary active mass further comprises an inorganic pigment or an inorganic colored substance or an inorganic pigment and an inorganic colored substance,

wherein the inorganic pigment or the inorganic colored substance or the inorganic pigment and the inorganic colored substance are disposed to create, at impact dismantling, a visual-optical effect, and

wherein the visual-optical effect is a colored dust effect.

10. The ammunition according to claim 1, wherein the ignition mechanism comprises a bolt that is surrounded by a piston, and wherein the bolt comprises a spark-generating material or a spark-generating material mixture.

11. The ammunition according to claim 1, wherein the ignition mechanism comprises an electronic assembly and a piston, and wherein the piston is positioned under the electronic assembly.

12. The ammunition according to claim 1, wherein the ignition mechanism comprises a safety device that prevents premature, unintended triggering of the ignition mechanism, wherein the safety device releases the ignition mechanism via a centrifugal force, a centripetal force, a Coriolis force of an acceleration or deceleration of the missile, or a mass inertia of individual components of the missile or the safety device, or a combination of the centrifugal force, the centripetal force and the Coriolis force of the acceleration or deceleration of the missile.