Hand grenade with an explosive train initiation indicator

Abstract

The subject invention provides a grenade which comprises a means of indicating, to a user, that the grenade's striker assembly has been activated, and thus provides an indication that the grenade has been initiated. Specifically, the subject invention provides such indication of striker activation, and thus grenade initiation, which is evident to the user by touch and feel, without the need for purposeful inspection of the grenade by said user. More specifically, the subject invention modifies the grenade's striker assembly to create a means to obstruct the safety lever from returning to its original position.

Claims

1. A hand grenade comprising a grenade body; a fuze body fixed to a top of said grenade body; a primer assembly fixed in said fuze body; a safety lever having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein said safety lever is removably attached to said fuze body, and wherein said lower portion is in an initial safe first position which is substantially adjacent to the grenade body when the grenade is in an inactive state; and a striker assembly comprised of a striker lever and a striker point, the striker point further comprising an anterior striker and a posterior protrusion and wherein said striker point is riveted to said striker lever, said striker assembly pivotably connected to said fuze body comprising an anterior side with the anterior striker and a posterior side with the posterior protrusion, wherein on activation of the striker assembly, the anterior striker contacts the primer assembly and the posterior protrusion extends beyond a top surface of the fuze body to contact the upper portion of the safety lever, thus preventing the upper portion of the safety lever from returning to a position flush with the fuze and thereby holding the lower portion of the safety lever in a second position.

2. The hand grenade according to claim 1, wherein said posterior protrusion is comprised of a retained rivet stem.

3. The hand grenade according to claim 1 wherein the striker assembly is a single component.

4. The hand grenade according to claim 1 wherein when the safety lever is in the second position, the lower portion of the safety lever is at a distance substantially away from the grenade body.

5. The hand grenade according to claim 4 wherein said distance is a minimum of 0.5 inches.

6. The hand grenade according to claim 5, wherein said grenade is a fragmenting grenade.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a cutaway drawing of a prior art grenade, where the striker assembly has been activated, but where the safety lever is able to return to a position substantially similar to its original safe position.

(2) FIG. 2 is a cutaway drawing of a grenade according to an embodiment of the subject invention with all components in their initial safe position.

(3) FIG. 3 is a cutaway drawing of a grenade according to an embodiment of the subject invention, where the striker assembly has been activated, but where the indicator protrusion is obstructing the safety lever and is holding the safety lever at a distance from the grenade body.

(4) FIG. 4 is a drawing of a striker assembly according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

(5) FIG. 5 is a cutaway drawing of a striker assembly according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

(6) FIG. 6 is an isometric view drawing of a striker assembly according to an embodiment of the subject invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(7) In an embodiment of the subject invention, a grenade is provided, which is of a type comprising a grenade body, a fuze body, which is inserted in and extends from the upper extend of said grenade body, which fuze body contains a primer and fuze, and to which fuze body a striker assembly is pivotably connected, and which striker assembly is biased via a spring to a position in contact with the primer, and a safety lever, which is removably attached to said fuze body, and which safety lever has an initial safe position which is substantially adjacent to the grenade body.

(8) The spring biased striker assembly is retained in an inactivated position, away from the primer, by the safety lever, and as the safety lever restrains the spring bias, the spring bias force urges outwardly said safety lever, urging said safety lever away from said grenade body. Wherein at a time during deployment of the grenade, a primary safety mechanism has been removed, such as the removal of a pin which would otherwise fix the safety lever in place, the user's grip is the only expedient to retain the safety lever in the initial safe position.

(9) If the user's grip is relaxed by even a small amount, the spring bias of the striker assembly may force the safety lever sufficiently away from the grenade body that the striker assembly is allowed to pivot and strike the primer, initiating the grenade fuze. A user may not realize this, and may reassert their grip. This action is referred to as milking the grenade.

(10) According to the subject invention, a feature is provided on the posterior side of the striker assembly, which, if the striker assembly has been activated, and has pivoted into position whereby the anterior side of the striker assembly is in contact with the primer, said feature will obstruct the safety lever from being returned to the initial safe position, and will instead hold the safety lever at a position such that the safety lever is held away from the grenade body.

(11) The required size of the feature may be tailored to the particular configuration of a given grenade design fitting this type. It is advantageous to the subject invention that the feature be of a sufficient size that it holds the safety lever at a sufficiently different position from the initial safe position that the position difference is immediately discernable, by feel, to a user, such that the user is given an indication of striker assembly activation and thus grenade initiation, without requiring close inspection by the user. In an embodiment of the subject invention, for instance in a grenade such as the M67 grenade, the feature is of a sufficient size that the lower portion of the safety lever, which is the portion generally held against the grenade body by the user, is obstructed from returning closer than 0.5 inches from the grenade body.

(12) The overall dimension, that is the longitudinal thickness dimension, between the tip of the anterior striker and the end of the posterior indicator protrusion essentially determines an offset distance between said primer and the obstructing posterior indicator protrusion and this dimension may be sized depending on a given grenade design's particular configuration.

(13) The feature may be made part of the striker assembly by various alternative methods without deviating from the scope of the subject invention. The best mode of achieving the required longitudinal thickness dimension in embodiments of the invention where the striker assembly include a striker point which is affixed to the striker lever by riveting, may be to design the rivet with sufficient material, so as after riveting, a posterior indicator protrusion of sufficient size remains. This is achievable using known riveting technology. Alternately, in a riveted striker assembly, where riveting leaves a rivet stem extending in the posterior direction which would normally be trimmed off, a portion of this rivet stem may be retained, providing sufficient additional material to achieve the required longitudinal thickness dimension. Still alternately, the striker assembly may be fabricated as a single striker component, and the additional material may be included as part of that striker.

(14) Referring to the drawings in which like characters or references designate similar parts in various views, FIG. 1 depicts a prior art grenade 200 where the prior art striker assembly 103b is lacking a posterior indicator protrusion, and only has a rivet head 116 at the posterior of the striker assembly 103b. The striker assembly 103b of the prior art grenade 200 has also been allowed to rotate, by the bias of the spring 104 into the cavity 114 such that the anterior striker 112 of the striker assembly 103b has impacted the primer assembly 108. This impacting of the primer assembly 108 would, again, initiate the primer assembly, leading, after a predetermined delay, to grenade detonation.

(15) However, the striker assembly 103b of the prior art grenade 200 is of a longitudinal thickness which is similar to the depth D of the cavity 114. Thus the safety lever 105 is allowed to return to a position substantially similar to its original safe position.

(16) In a typical grenade, striker assembly rotation, and thus grenade activation, occurs when a user releases their compression on the safety lever, allowing the bias of the striker assembly to thrust the safety lever away from the grenade body, which in turn allows the striker assembly to fully rotate and strike the primer assembly. This may occur without the user's intent or knowledge, and the user may recompress the safety lever, without realizing that the striker assembly has rotated and that detonation of the grenade 200 is imminent. This action is referred to as milking the grenade.

(17) FIG. 2 depicts a grenade 100, according to an embodiment of the current invention, with all components in their safe and inactivated configuration. The fuze body 102 is attached to the top of the grenade body 101, and which fuze body 102 has a primer assembly 108 affixed within. The primer assembly 108 is affixed at the base of a cavity 114 in the top of the fuze body 102, such that the primer assembly's top surface 109 is at a depth D within the cavity 114 relative to the fuze body's upper extent 111.

(18) A striker assembly 103a is pivotably connected, at the pivot 115, to the fuze body 102, and is pivotably biased by the spring 104, to rotate about the pivot 115, so as to impact the primer assembly 108. However in this depiction, the striker assembly 103a is being held in its inactivated position, against the bias of the spring 104, by the safety lever 105. The striker assembly comprises an anterior striker 112 and the posterior indicator protrusion [110]. The safety lever 105 has an upper portion 107 and a lower portion 106. The safety lever is depicted in its initial safe position, wherein the upper portion 107 is in contact with the fuze body's upper extent 111, and the lower portion 106 is substantially adjacent to the grenade body 101.

(19) FIG. 3 depicts the grenade 100 of FIG. 2, wherein the striker assembly 103a has been allowed to rotate, by the bias of the spring 104 into the cavity 114 such that the anterior striker 112 of the striker assembly 103a has impacted the primer assembly 108. This impacting of the primer assembly 108 would initiate the primer assembly, which would, after a predetermined delay, ultimately lead to grenade detonation. In this embodiment, there exists a longitudinal thickness dimension 117 of the striker assembly 103a, which is described as extending between the tip of the anterior striker 112 and the posterior terminus of the posterior indicator protrusion 110.

(20) As illustrated in FIG. 3, an important aspect of a grenade 100 embodying the subject invention, is that the longitudinal thickness dimension 117 of the striker assembly 103a is sufficiently greater than the depth D of the primer assembly 108 within the cavity 114, such that when the striker assembly 103a has rotated into the cavity 114, and the anterior striker 112 is resting on the primer assembly 108, the posterior indicator protrusion 110 extends sufficiently above the fuze body's upper extent 111 that it obstructs the upper portion 107 of the safety lever 105 from returning to its initial safe position in contact with the fuze body's upper extent 111. Further, the posterior indicator protrusion 110, is sized such that the longitudinal thickness dimension 117 of the striker assembly 103a is greater than the depth D of the cavity 114 to a degree that the upper portion 107 of the safety lever is angled away from the fuze body's upper extent 111, resulting in the entire safety lever 105 being angled away from the grenade body 101. The safety lever lower portion 106 is also levered away from the grenade body 101 to a sufficient dimension 113, which constitutes a second position of the lower portion 106 of the safety lever, different from the initial safe position, and which would be manifestly noticeable, particularly by feel, and without purposeful inspection, as the user holds the grenade in his hand. This is true even if attempts were made to reassert compression of the safety lever 105, and even if the safety lever lower portion 106 were to flex toward the grenade body 101 under the reasserted compression.

(21) FIG. 4, FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 depict the striker assembly 103a according to an embodiment of the subject invention where the striker assembly 103a include a striker point 119 which is affixed to the striker lever 118 by riveting. The sizing of the posterior indicator protrusion 110 may be determined by a given grenade design, and designed to be sufficient to achieve the aforementioned manifestly noticeable indication. The longitudinal thickness dimension 117, which may be governed by the sizing of the posterior indicator protrusion 110, may be sized sufficiently greater than dimension D, such that the lower portion 106 of the safety lever 105 is held at a distance of no less than approximately 0.5 inches from the grenade body. This may be the case in an embodiment of the invention which is based on an M67 Grenade. Depending on the design of a given grenade, the size of the anterior striker 112 may also be increased to contribute to the overall longitudinal thickness dimension 117.