ELECTRONIC TIME WARHEAD FUZE

Abstract

An electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze for a hand grenade comprises a body housing a clamp with two terminals maintaining a spring and a handle in the armed position. The handle holds the spring in the armed position while the user wields the grenade. The spring is housed in a spring pin and this initializes the EOT. When throwing the grenade, the spring seeks a resting position, expelling the handle and activating a switch that energizes an electronic circuit. A battery is electrically connected to the electronic circuit. In addition, an initiator element is mounted on the body and the initiator element consists of a conductive filament impregnated with a chemical mixture generating a flame from the electrical signal applied by the electronic circuit. The initiating element can be an electrical or electronic component. The electronic circuit accounts for a delay time until the grenade's initiating flame is effectively activated. In some embodiments, the electronic circuit is a microprocessor circuit that applies the electrical signal to the conductive filament at the end of the delay time, activating the grenade.

Claims

1. An electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze for a hand grenade, comprising: a body; a clamp with two terminals keeping a spring and a handle in an armed position; the handle keeping the spring in the armed position while the user wields the hand grenade; the spring being housed in a spring pin, wherein the spring initializes the EOT which, when the hand grenade is thrown, seeks a rest position by expelling the handle and activating a switch energizing an electronic circuit; a battery electrically connected to the electronic circuit; and an initiator element, wherein the initiator element consists of a conductive filament impregnated with a chemical mixture generating an initiating flame from the electrical signal applied by the electronic circuit.

2. The electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze according to claim 1, wherein the initiator element can be an electrical or electronic component.

3. The electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze according to claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit accounts for a delay time until an effective activation of the initiating flame of the hand grenade.

4. The electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze according to claim 3, wherein a microprocessor applies an electrical signal to the conductive filament at the end of the delay time.

5. The electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze according to claim 1, wherein the initiating flame is generated from low voltage values of the battery.

6. A hand grenade, comprising an electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze as defined in claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The present invention will now be described in more detail based on an example of execution represented in the drawings. The figures show:

[0029] FIG. 1 illustrates the elements that make up the grenade with an EOT-type initiation system.

[0030] FIG. 2 illustrates the EOT in its armed position.

[0031] FIG. 3 illustrates the spring in its rest position with expulsion of the handle.

[0032] FIG. 4 illustrates the activation of the switch.

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates the grenade trigger flame.

[0034] FIG. 6 illustrates a flowchart of the software.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The electronic time warhead (EOT) fuze 1 is composed of its main elements, such as a body 2, a clamp 3, a handle 4, a spring 5, a spring pin 6, a switch 7, a battery 8, an electronic circuit 9 and a starter element 10.

[0036] As can be seen in FIG. 1, the electronic EOT for hand grenade comprises a body 2 that houses a camp 3 with two terminals maintaining a spring 5 and a handle 4 in the armed position. The handle 4 keeps the spring 5 in the armed position while the user wields the grenade. Spring 5 is housed in a pin of spring 6 and this initializes the EOT. During the throwing of the grenade, the spring 5 seeks a resting position, expelling the handle 4 and activating a switch 7 that energizes an electronic circuit 9. A battery 8 is electrically connected to the electronic circuit 9. In addition, an initiating element 10 is mounted on the body 2 and in which the initiator element 10 consists of a conductive filament impregnated with a chemical mixture generating a flame from the electrical signal applied by the electronic circuit 9. The initiator element 10 may be an electrical or electronic component. The electronic circuit 9 is responsible for accounting for a delay time until the grenade's initiating flame is effectively activated. In other words, electronic circuit 9 is a microprocessor circuit that applies an electrical signal to the conductor filament at the end of the delay time, activating the grenade.

[0037] As can be seen in FIG. 2, the clamp 3 has two terminals, one being a handle terminal 11 and a body terminal 12, which keeps the handle 4 locked in the EOT body 2, causing the spring 5 to remain in the armed position.

[0038] As can be seen in FIG. 3, when removing the clamp 3 and launching the grenade, the spring 5 seeks a resting position, expelling the handle 4 of the EOT. When spring 5 reaches the rest position, it puts pressure on the switch button 7, creating a short circuit between its terminals. Switch 7 can be any type of key or electromechanical mechanism that allows the short circuit between two points to be closed when pressed.

[0039] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the spring 5 is in its rest position and activating the switch button 7. At this moment the battery 8 is electrically connected to the electronic circuit 9. The battery 8 can be batteries or any other type of device capable of supplying electrical energy.

[0040] As can be seen in FIG. 5, when energized, the circuit counts the delay time and generates an electrical signal on the starter filament. This signal generates heat and activates the chemical mixture, resulting, therefore, in the flame that triggers the grenade at the lower end of the initiator element 10. The initiator element 10 can be replaced by a wire or other electrical or electronic component capable of generating heat from low voltage. Therefore, the flame is generated from low battery voltage values 8.

[0041] Furthermore, FIG. 6 shows the flowchart of the on-board software to account for a pre-programmed amount of time and generate the specific electrical signal at the end. This signal results in enough heat to generate a flame and consequently trigger the grenade. At the end, it remains in an infinite loop to prevent reuse.

[0042] In the first stage, the circuit starts with energization, which subsequently, in a second stage, reads the pre-programmed delay time. After the pre-programmed delay time has elapsed, in the next step, a specific signal is generated, generating the flame and, consequently, activating the grenade. The final step is in an infinite loop, preventing it from being reused.

REFERENCE SIGNS OF FIGURES

[0043] 1electronic time warhead fuze (EOT)
2body
3clamp
4handle
5spring
6spring pin
7switch
8battery
9electronic circuit
10initiating element
11handle terminal
12body terminal