IGNITION DEVICE FOR AMMUNITION, IN PARTICULAR MEDIUM-CALIBER AMMUNITION, AND ASSOCIATED METHOD FOR IGNITION OR FOR SELF-DESTRUCTION OF AMMUNITION, IN PARTICULAR MEDIUMCALIBER AMMUNITION

Abstract

The invention relates to an ignition device for ammunition, in particular medium-caliber ammunition, comprising at least one battery and at least one electric or electronic ignition-chain component, wherein: the battery has a battery housing; an electrolyte and at least two electrodes are located in the battery housing; an explosive charge of the ammunition can be caused to explode by means of the electric or electronic ignition-chain component, and the energy required to trigger the electric or electronic ignition-chain component can be provided by means of the battery. The ignition device provides for a sufficient amount of energy, and the volume in the ignition device is at the same time utilized particularly efficiently in that the battery housing has a cup-shaped recess, and at least part of the at least one electric or electronic ignition-chain component is located in the cup-shaped recess.

Claims

1. Ignition device for ammunition, in particular medium-caliber ammunition, with at least one battery and with at least one electronic or electric ignition chain component, wherein the battery has a battery housing, wherein an electrolyte and at least two electrodes are arranged in the battery housing, wherein by means of the electronic ignition chain component an active charge of the ammunition can be made to explode, wherein the energy required for triggering the electronic or electric ignition chain component can be provided by means of the battery, characterised in that the battery housing has a cup-shaped recess, wherein the at least one electronic or electric ignition chain component is arranged at least partially in the cup-shaped recess.

2. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the ignition device has an electric detonator, wherein the electric detonator is designed as a first ignition chain component to initiate the explosion of the active charge of the ammunition, in particular wherein the electric detonator is arranged at least partially in the cup-shaped recess.

3. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the ignition device has an electronic unit, wherein the electronic unit has a proximity sensor with sensor electronics and/or a height detector and/or an antenna.

4. Ignition device according to claim 3, characterised in that the electronic unit has a printed circuit board, wherein the proximity sensor with the sensor electronics and/or the height detector and/or the antenna is/are arranged on the printed circuit board.

5. Ignition device according to claim 3, characterised in that the electronic unit has an ignition capacitor, wherein the ignition capacitor is arranged on the printed circuit board, wherein the ignition capacitor can be charged by means of the battery, wherein the electric detonator can be detonated by means of current provided by the ignition capacitor.

6. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the battery housing has at least one cable guide for accommodating an electric cable (6.1, 6.2).

7. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that at least one contact element is connected to the battery housing, so that energy transmission is made possible via the at least one contact element and the battery housing, in particular between the electric detonator and the electronic unit.

8. Ignition device according to claim 3, characterised in that the electronic unit is arranged on a side of the battery facing away from the electric detonator.

9. Ignition device according to claim 2, characterised in that the electric detonator faces a detonator and/or the active charge of the ammunition, wherein the detonator and/or the active charge can be detonated by means of the electric detonator.

10. Ignition device according to claim 3, characterised in that the ignition device has a fuse housing, wherein the fuse housing is arranged at a tip of the ammunition, wherein the battery, the electronic unit and the electric detonator can be mounted together as one unit in the fuse housing.

11. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the battery comprises one or more cells.

12. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the electrolyte is arranged inside an ampoule, the ampoule being designed to burst when the ammunition is fired and that the battery is then activated.

13. Ignition device according to claim 1, characterised in that the ampoule comprises glass and/or a metallic material.

14. Method for igniting or for self-destruction ammunition, in particular medium-caliber ammunition, comprising the ignition device according to claim 1, with at least one battery and with at least one electric or electronic ignition chain component, wherein the battery has a battery housing, wherein an electrolyte and at least two electrodes are arranged in the battery housing, wherein an active charge of the ammunition is caused to explode by means of the electric or electronic ignition chain component, wherein the energy required for triggering the electric or electronic ignition chain component is provided by means of the battery, characterised in that the battery housing has a cup-shaped recess, the at least one electric or electronic ignition chain component being arranged at least partially in the cup-shaped recess.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterised in that the method comprises the following sequential steps: a) Firing of the military ammunition, in particular by electrical and/or mechanical initiation of a propellant; b) Activation of the battery by the launch load; c) Initialisation of the proximity sensor; d) Charge the ignition capacitor using the battery; e) Decouple the battery from the ignition capacitor; f) Activate the sensor electronics and the height detector; g) when a target is detected: Discharge of the ignition capacitor onto the electric detonator to initiate the explosion of the active charge; h) alternatively to step g) if no target is detected: Self-destruction by discharging the ignition capacitor onto the electric detonator to initiate the explosion of the active charge.

Description

[0049] There are now a large number of possibilities for advantageously designing and further developing the ignition device according to the invention for ammunition, in particular a medium-caliber ammunition, and the associated method. Reference may first be made to the Claims following claim 1 and claim 14. In the following, a preferred embodiment of the ignition device according to the invention for ammunition, in particular medium-caliber ammunition, and the associated method are explained and described in more detail with reference to the drawing and the associated description. The drawing shows:

[0050] FIG. 1 schematic representation of an example of the firing device in a projectile of ammunition in a side view in section,

[0051] FIG. 2 schematic representation of a detail of the embodiment of the ignition device in a side view in section, and

[0052] FIG. 3 schematic representation of an electric detonator of the ignition device in a three-dimensional view.

[0053] FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of a side view of an embodiment of the ignition device in a projectile of ammunition. FIG. 1 shows in particular the structure of an explosive grenade with a so-called head detonator. A battery 1, an electronic unit 2 and an amplifier stage 3 are arranged in the ignition device. Amplifier stage 3 can be designed in particular as a so-called safe & arm unit. The battery 1 is located between the electronic part 2 and the amplifier stage 3 or Safe & Arm unit. The battery 1 is embedded in a detonator housing 5. The fuse housing 5 is in turn connected to a projectile or grenade body 8, whereby the projectile or grenade body 8 contains an active charge 9. The active charge 9 is also known as an explosive charge. The electronic unit 2 is attached directly to a battery housing 12 of battery 1. This can be achieved using at least one corresponding connecting element 10 such as a retaining clip, a soldering tab, a catch, a bracket, a clip, a plug-in contact or similar. Additionally or alternatively, this connecting element 10 can be soldered, welded or otherwise connected to the battery housing 12 and the electronic unit 2. The battery housing 12 contains the first element of the ignition chain, namely an electric detonator 4. This electric detonator 4 is embedded in the battery housing 12 by means of an insulating bushing 11, which is shown in more detail in FIG. 2. Like a conventional ammunition, the battery casing 12 has a cylindrical outer circumference. Furthermore, the battery housing 12 has a first end face, with the connecting element 10 being connected to the battery housing 12 at this first end face. The battery housing 12 has a second end opposite the first end, with a cup-shaped recess in the centre of this second end. The electric detonator 4 is arranged at least partially, preferably to a large extent, within the cup-shaped recess. The electric detonator 4 is thus partially enclosed by battery 1.

[0054] The insulating sleeve 11 has a contact 13, whereby the contact 13 is conductive and makes contact with a housing of the electric detonator 4. The contact 13 also provides a corresponding attachment point for a first electric cable 6.1. The first electric cable 6.1 is soldered, welded, crimped or plugged into the attachment point. The first electric cable 6.1 and a second electric cable 6.2 are also generally referred to in their entirety as cabling. In order to insulate the housing of the electric detonator 4 from the battery housing 12, an insulating bushing 11 made of electrically non-conductive material is required. The connection between the contact 13 and the insulation socket 11 as well as the battery housing 12 can be plugged, pressed, screwed, crimped or glued. The electric detonator 4 or a pin 15 of the electric detonator 4 makes contact with the battery housing 12 via a plug-in contact 14, which is designed as a contact disc in FIG. 2. During assembly, the pin 15 of the electric detonator 4 is inserted into the plug contact 14, which is designed as a contact disc. A battery pin 7 is contacted via the second electric cable 6.2, whereby this second electric cable 6.2 can be routed directly in a cable guide 16 on the circumference of the battery housing 12. The entire design of the ignition device serves to reduce the overall length and to minimise the space required for contacting the electric detonator 4.

[0055] FIG. 3 shows the structure of the plug contact 14 in more detail. It can also be seen how the contacting of the pin 15 of the electric detonator 4 is achieved.

[0056] The battery housing 12 has lateral cable guides 16, whereby the cable guides 16 are designed as grooves in the battery housing 12. The grooves are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the ammunition.

[0057] The first electric cable 6.1 for connecting the contact 13 to the electronic unit 2 and the second electric cable 6.2 for connecting the battery pin 7 to the electronic unit 2 are arranged in the lateral cable guides 16. This ensures an electric connection from one end of battery 1 to the other.

[0058] The advantage of this design is that the assembly can be pre-assembled outside the detonator housing 5 and all the elements it contains are positioned and aligned. The assembly can then be inserted as a whole into the fuse housing 5.

[0059] The ignition device can be used to implement a process comprising the following sequential steps: [0060] a) Firing of the ammunition, in particular by electrical and/or mechanical initiation of a propellant; [0061] b) Activation of battery 1 by the launch load; [0062] c) Initialisation of a proximity sensor; [0063] d) Charging an ignition capacitor using battery 1; [0064] e) Decouple the battery from the ignition capacitor; [0065] f) Activation of sensor electronics and a height detector; [0066] g) when a target is detected: Discharge of the ignition capacitor onto the electric detonator 4 to initiate the explosion of the active charge 9; [0067] h) alternatively to step g) if no target is detected: Self-destruction by discharging the ignition capacitor onto the electric detonator 4 to initiate the explosion of the active charge 9.

[0068] Charging of the ignition capacitor by means of the battery 1 in step d) is made possible by the fact that the ignition capacitor and an electrolyte of the battery 1 and at least two electrodes of the battery 1 are part of a first circuit, or that a first circuit can be formed by a circuit of corresponding switches/components by means of the ignition capacitor and the electrolyte of the battery 1 and the at least two electrodes of the battery 1. The first circuit comprises, in particular in the following order, the electrolyte of the battery 1 and the at least two electrodes of the battery 1, the battery pin 7, the second electric cable 6.2, parts of the electronic unit 2, the ignition capacitor and other parts of the electronic unit 2, the ignition capacitor being one of these parts of the electronic unit 2.

[0069] The discharge of the ignition capacitor to the electric detonator 4 from step g) or h) is made possible by means of a second circuit, whereby this second circuit is closed for this discharge, in particular by means of corresponding switches/components. The second circuit comprises, in particular in the following order, the ignition capacitor, parts of the electronic unit 2, the first electric cable 6.1, the contact 13, the electric detonator 4, the pin 15, the plug contact 14, the battery housing 12, and other parts of the electronic unit 2.

[0070] The battery pin 7, the contact 13, the plug contact 14 and the pin 15 are generally also referred to as the contact element.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

[0071] 1 Battery [0072] 2 Electronic unit [0073] 3 Amplifier stage [0074] 4 Electric detonator [0075] 5 Fuse housing [0076] 6.1 First electric cable [0077] 6.2 Second electric cable [0078] 7 Battery pin [0079] 8 Projectile or shell body [0080] 9 Active charge [0081] 10 Connecting element [0082] 11 Insulation socket [0083] 12 Battery housing [0084] 13 Contact [0085] 14 Plug contact [0086] 15 Pin [0087] 16 Cable routing