SMOKE MUNITION

Abstract

A smoke munition or smoke grenade which can be fired from a launcher, for example a grenade launcher, and has at least one active charge for producing smoke as a protection for ships. To achieve the effect that the active charge of the smoke grenade can be delivered quickly and safely for the ship's crew and the active compound thereof can be converted completely into smoke even after hitting the water, the invention proposes providing the active charge with a floating aid, which can be deployed before the active charge hits the water and prevents the active charge from sinking and prevents the active compound that produces the smoke from becoming wet.

Claims

1. A smoke munition comprising: at least one active charge for producing smoke as a protection for ships; a grenade casing that includes the active charge and receives the active charge with at least one active compound that produces smoke; and an inflatable floating aid arranged in a front region of the grenade casing.

2. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein an igniting device for igniting an expulsion charge of the active charge and for igniting a first pyrotechnic delay element, which acts on a priming charge of the active compound, is arranged at a rear end of the grenade casing.

3. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 2, wherein a gas-producing mixture is arranged inside the active charge such that the gas-producing mixture is activated by the priming charge of the active compound via a second pyrotechnic delay element.

4. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floating aid is formed such that in an inflated state it prevents the active charge from sinking until a portion of the active compound that produces smoke has converted into smoke.

5. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floating aid has a tire-shaped, sphere-shaped or cushion-shaped form in an inflated state.

6. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein a telescopic tube device in a pushed-in state is arranged in the front region of the grenade casing.

7. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the telescopic tube device has at least two cylindrical tubes enclosed in the pushed-in state by the inflatable floating aid and is non-positively connected to it such that, when the floating aid inflates, the floating aid actuates the telescopic tube device into a pushed-apart state and the combustion products that produce the smoke of the active compound escape into the atmosphere via a space inside the tubes of the telescopic tube device.

8. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 6, wherein the smoke munition has, in a front region, a widening in the form of a housing.

9. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the active charge has a central middle tube formed of a heat-resistant material that extends in a longitudinal direction and is enclosed by the active compound, and wherein an expulsion charge, a first pyrotechnic delay element, and a priming charge are arranged axially one behind the other.

10. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 9, wherein the middle tube has at a front end an opening for the ignition of the second pyrotechnic delay element.

11. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the floating aid has in an inflated state a tire-shaped, sphere-shaped, cushion-shaped or similar form.

12. The smoke munition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the smoke munition is a smoke grenade that is adapted to be fired from a conventional launcher.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

[0017] FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal section through a smoke grenade according to the invention with a smoke-producing active charge with a floating aid and a telescopic tube device before firing the active charge from a grenade launcher;

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a schematic representation of the active charge represented in FIG. 1 after being fired and the deployment of the floating aid, but before hitting a surface of water; and

[0019] FIG. 3 shows the active charge represented in FIG. 2 after hitting the surface of the water.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] In FIG. 1, a smoke munition (smoke grenade) is denoted by 1, comprising a (grenade) casing 2 for receiving a smoke-producing active charge 3.

[0021] Provided at a rear end 4 of the casing 2, seen in the firing direction, is a contacting cup 5 with electrical contact rings 6. For electrical ignition, the contact rings 6 are connected to an igniting device 7, which for its part acts on an expulsion charge 8.

[0022] After ignition of the expulsion charge 8, the latter ignites a priming charge 10 of a smoke-producing active compound 30 by way of a first pyrotechnic delay element 9.

[0023] The expulsion charge 8, the first pyrotechnic delay element 9 and the priming charge 10 are arranged axially one behind the other in a central middle tube 11 (for example of steel) of the active charge 3. In the middle tube 11 there is on the side opposite from the delay element 9 a closing pin 25, on the end face of which there is a covering film 22. To avoid the priming charge 10 being able to become displaced, depending on the position of the munition, the closing pin 25 reaches with its covering film up to the priming charge 10.

[0024] On the front side, the casing 2 has a widening 12 in the form of a housing for receiving a telescopic tube device 13, formed, for example, of three cylindrical tubes, in the pushed-in state and a folded-up floating aid 14, enclosing the telescopic tube device 13. Also located in the front region of the active charge 3 is a gas-producing mixture 16, which can be ignited by a second pyrotechnic delay element 15. This mixture serves for producing gases for inflating the floating aid 14.

[0025] The functional sequence when firing the active charge 3 of the smoke grenade 1 according to the invention is discussed in more detail below with the aid of FIGS. 1-3.

[0026] If the active charge 3 of the smoke grenade 1 is to be fired, an igniting current is generated by the corresponding launcher (not represented) and the igniting device 7 is electrically ignited by way of the contact rings 6. This igniting device then ignites the expulsion charge 8, which provides the gas pressure required for the expulsion of the active charge 3 of the smoke munition 1 from the launcher. After the ignition of the expulsion charge 8, the gas enters a pressure chamber 26. Via the bottom of the can 28 of the active charge 3, the flux of force passes by way of a perforated disk 21 in a housing 29 of the gas-producing mixture 16 into the cover 23. When the required force is reached, the cover 23 is pushed out. The pressure building up consequently generates the force required to push off the cover 23 and accelerate the active charge 3 into the appropriate trajectory.

[0027] The expulsion charge 8 for its part ignites the first pyrotechnic delay element 9, which after the elapse of a predetermined time period during the flight of the active charge 3 ignites the priming charge 10, and consequently the active compound 30 that produces smoke. The ignition of the active compound 30 takes place by the hot gases produced by the priming charge 10. These gases pass through axial bores and transverse bores of the closing pin 25 (not represented any more specifically) and through congruent transverse bores of the middle tube 11 onto the end face of the active compound 30. On the active compound 30 there is an easily ignited pyrotechnic priming charge, which helps the active compound 30 to burn away at the end face. Furthermore, with the aid of the priming charge 10, the second pyrotechnic delay element 15 is also ignited by way of an opening 17 provided in the middle tube 11, at the front end, so that after the elapse of a predetermined time period the gases of the gas-producing mixture 16 fill the floating aid 14. This gas filling of the floating aid 14 has the effect that it expands during the flight of the active charge 3, for example into the shape of a cushion, and brings about an extension of the telescopic tubes of the telescopic tube device 13, through which the smoke 18 produced by the active compound 30 enters the surrounding atmosphere (FIG. 2).

[0028] Since the active compound 30 that produces smoke 18 has a greater mass than the floating aid 14, including the telescopic tube device 13, during its flight the active charge 3 aligns itself in the way represented in FIG. 2, i.e. the active compound 30 is located in front of the floating aid 14 in the direction of flight. The active charge 3 then also hits the surface of the water 19 in this position.

[0029] Depending on the weight of the active compound 30 and the buoyancy of the floating aid 14, the active charge 3 sinks into the water 20 to a greater or lesser depth (FIG. 3). At the same time, the smoke produced by the active compound 30 continues to pass through the extended telescopic tubes of the telescopic tube device 13 into the air.

[0030] Even if the active charge 3 including the floating aid 14 is slightly below the surface of the water 19 because of the weight of the active charge 3, the corresponding ship is shrouded in smoke in the way intended. This is so because the internal pressure occurring as the active compound burns off is generally greater than the pressure encountered at a depth of water of approximately one meter of 10.sup.4 N/m.sup.2, and so no water 20 can get inside the active charge.

[0031] After the active compound 30 has burned off, the loss of gas in the floating aid 14 caused by leakages has the effect that the parts of the active charge 3 that remain in the sea sink.

[0032] The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.