Device for producing an arming criterion, fuze and munition

Abstract

A device produces an arming criterion for a fuze for a partly spinning munition. The munition has a first part which spins and a second part without or with little spin during flight of the munition. The device includes a sensor for outputting a characteristic variable for a relative rotation between the first part and the second part and a control unit for producing the arming criterion when the characteristic variable fulfils a flying criterion. The fuze for the partly spinning munition, which has at least one arming criterion, includes the device for providing the arming criterion or one of the arming criteria. The partly spinning munition includes the fuze with the device.

Claims

1. A device for producing an arming criterion for a fuze for a partly spinning munition, the partly spinning munition having a first part which spins about a central longitudinal axis during its flight and a second part which at a same time has no motion or only a rolling motion less than a spin about the central longitudinal axis, the device comprising: a sensor for sensing a relative rotation about the central longitudinal axis between the first part and the second part of the partly spinning munition and for outputting a characteristic variable for the relative rotation sensed; and a control unit connected to said sensor and set up to only produce the arming criterion when the characteristic variable fulfils a flying criterion.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is a contactlessly operating sensor.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sensor is a magnetically operating sensor.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein said sensor is a Hall sensor.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the flying criterion is a condition, derived from the characteristic variable, where a minimum number of revolutions between the first part and the second part has taken place and/or there is a minimum rotational frequency of the relative rotation.

6. A fuze for a partly spinning munition, the partly spinning munition having a first part spinning about a central longitudinal axis during flight and a second part, which at a same time has no motion or only a rolling motion less than the spinning about the central longitudinal axis, the fuze comprising: a device containing: a sensor for sensing a relative rotation about the central longitudinal axis between the first part and the second part of the partly spinning munition and for outputting a characteristic variable for the relative rotation sensed; and a control unit connected to said sensor and set up to only produce an arming criterion when the characteristic variable fulfils a flying criterion; and said device providing the arming criterion as one of the arming criteria of the fuze.

7. The fuze according to claim 6, wherein the arming criterion produced by said device is a first criterion and the fuze has a second arming criterion, which is based on a physical effect that is different from the relative rotation between the first and second parts.

8. The fuze according to claim 6, wherein said sensor is fastened to the fuze.

9. A munition, comprising: a first part having a central longitudinal axis and spinning about said central longitudinal axis during flight; a second part at a same time having no motion or only a rolling motion less than the spinning about said central longitudinal axis; a device containing: a sensor for sensing a relative rotation about said central longitudinal axis between said first part and said second part and for outputting a characteristic variable for the relative rotation sensed; and a control unit connected to said sensor and set up to only produce an arming criterion when the characteristic variable fulfils a flying criterion.

10. The munition according to claim 9, further comprising a fuze receiving the arming criterion from said device as one of a plurality of arming criteria of said fuze.

11. The munition according to claim 9, wherein at least one of said sensor, said control unit or said fuze is disposed in said second part.

12. The munition according to claim 9, further comprising a magnetic field source; and wherein said sensor is a magnetic sensor fastened in one of said first and second parts, and in the other of said first and second parts said magnetic field source for a time-constant magnetic field is fitted.

13. The munition according to claim 12, wherein said magnetic field source includes at least one permanent magnet.

14. The munition according to claim 12, further comprising a machine selected from the group consisting of a generator and a motor, said magnetic field source is a part of said machine and said machine is divided in a two-component manner into said first part and said second part.

15. The munition according to claim 14, wherein said device has a first Hall sensor as said sensor and said machine has a magnetic field sensor as a second Hall sensor.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The single FIGURE of the drawing is a block diagram of a munition with a fuze with a device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(2) Referring now to the single FIGURE of the drawing in detail, there is shown a partly spinning munition 2, which contains a first part 4a and a second part 4b. The FIGURE shows the munition 2 after it has been fired, i.e. during flight in the direction of a target that is not shown.

(3) As intended, the first part 4a in this case has a spin D about a central longitudinal axis 6 of the munition 2. The munition flies in the direction of the central longitudinal axis 6. According to the spin D, the first part 4a rotates with 300 revolutions per second (Hz) about the central longitudinal axis 6. By contrast, the second part 4b is rotationally at rest, i.e. does not undergo any rotation about the central longitudinal axis 6. Consequently, the first part 4a and the second part 4b rotate in a relative rotation R (indicated by a double-headed arrow) in relation to one another, here at 300 Hz, about the central longitudinal axis 6.

(4) A fuze 8 is included in the second part 4b of the munition 2, in order to detonate the munition at a suitable point in time that is not explained any more specifically here. This only takes place however when the fuze has been armed. The fulfillment of two criteria 10a, 10b is necessary for this. The first arming criterion 10a is already provided in the flight shown, since it was produced during the firing of the munition 2.

(5) For producing the second arming criterion 10b, the fuze 8 includes a device 12, which for purposes of illustration is shown outside the fuze 8 in the FIGURE. The device 12 includes a sensor 14 (for purposes of illustration also indicated by dashed lines in the part 4b), which senses the relative rotation R between the first part 4a and the second part 4b about the central longitudinal axis 6. The sensor 14 is fitted fixedly in the part 4b and outputs a characteristic variable K, which reflects the relative rotation R. In the example, the sensor 14 is a contactlessly and magnetically operating Hall sensor. The sensor 14 senses a magnetic field, dependent on the angle of rotation, of a magnetic field source 18, which is fixedly fitted in the part 4a.

(6) The characteristic variable K is the Hall voltage emitted by the sensor 14 or its variation over time t. In the example, the sensor system is configured in such a way that, when there is a relative rotation R in the form of a single revolution, a sinusoidal oscillation of the Hall voltage is obtained. The sensor 14 is in this case fastened fixedly on the fuze 8. The sensor 14, the control unit 16 and the entire fuze 8 are consequently arranged in the second part 4b of the munition 2, or fixedly fastened in it.

(7) In order to form a corresponding sensor system, the magnetic field source 18, here a permanent magnet, is fixedly fitted in the first part 4a of the munition 2. The magnetic field source 18 generates a time-constant magnetic field. When there is a rotation or relative rotation R, the magnetic field source 18 generates a varying magnetic field in the sensor 14. The magnetic field at that time or the corresponding change is reflected in the characteristic variable K or its variation over time t.

(8) The magnetic field source 18 is part of a generator 20 of the munition 2, which is arranged distributed in the first part 4a and the second part 4b of the munition 2. For this, the generator 20 includes a counterpart 22 that is not explained any more specifically, here a coil arrangement, in the second part 4b. The generator 20 may also be operated as a motor. In order to realize a corresponding control of the motor, a further magnetic field sensor 24, here likewise a Hall sensor, is provided, likewise acting together with the magnetic field source 18 in order to accomplish a control of the relative position between the first part 4a and the second part 4b of the munition 2 in a way not explained any more specifically. In the present case, with a given spin D of the first part 4a, the second part 4b is thereby controlled in such a way that it remains at rest with respect to rotation about the central longitudinal axis 6.

(9) The device 12 also includes a control unit 16. This is set up or configured as follows by electronic components or corresponding programming not explained any more specifically.

(10) The control unit 16 monitors the characteristic variable K for a flying criterion F. As long as it is not satisfied (N), the monitoring is continued; as soon as it is satisfied (Y), the arming criterion 10b is produced.

(11) The flying criterion F is devised in such a way that it is only fulfilled after firing, during the flight of the munition 2. In the present case, the flying criterion F contains that in the characteristic variable K over the time t there is an alternating signal with a frequency of at least 250 Hz for at least 1 second. This condition is satisfied a good 1 second after the firing of the munition 2, since the spin D, and consequently the frequency of the characteristic variable K, increases from 0 Hz to 300 Hz after firing until it leaves the barrel and during flight remains in any event above 250 Hz. The delay of 1 second provides corresponding fore-bore safety.

(12) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: 2 Munition 4a, 4b First part, second part 6 Central longitudinal axis 8 Fuze 10a, 10b Arming criterion 12 Device 14 Sensor (Hall sensor) 16 Control unit 18 Magnetic field source 20 Generator 22 Counterpart 24 Magnetic field sensor (Hall sensor) D Spin R Relative rotation t Time K Characteristic variable F Flying criterion