Switch, electronic safe and arm unit, fuze system, munition and method
AssigneeBAE SYSTEMS plc
InventorsMartyn John Hucker, Matthew David Neve
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to the present disclosure there is provided a switch for controlling electrical power supplied by a power source to an electronic safe and arm unit, ESAU, the switch comprising: a contact assembly arrangement comprising a contact assembly of a first type movable from a first arrangement defining a first switch state to a second arrangement defining a second switch state; and an actuator configured to act on the contact assembly of the first type to cause said movement of the contact assembly, wherein the actuator is configured to act on the contact assembly of the first type under the influence of centrifugal force caused by rotation of the switch.
Claims20
A switch for controlling electrical power supplied by a power source to an electronic safe and arm unit (ESAU) or to a munition, the switch comprising:
- a contact assembly arrangement comprising a contact assembly of a first type movable from a first arrangement defining a first switch state to a second arrangement defining a second switch state;
- and
- an actuator configured to act on the contact assembly of the first type to cause said movement of the contact assembly, wherein the actuator is configured to act on the contact assembly of the first type under the influence of centrifugal force caused by rotation of the switch.
A munition switch assembly, comprising:
- an actuator;
- a centrifugal switch assembly arranged to rotate about a central axis, the central axis being coaxial with a direction of munition travel, the centrifugal switch assembly defining a first switch state and a second switch state, wherein centrifugal force caused by rotation of the munition switch about the central axis during munition travel causes the actuator to act on the centrifugal switch assembly thereby changing the centrifugal switch assembly from its first switch state to its second switch state;
- and
- a linear acceleration switch assembly defining a first switch state and a second switch state and including a flexible arm extending orthogonal to the central axis, wherein forces caused by linear acceleration of the munition switch during munition travel causes the flexible arm to deflect in the direction of munition travel thereby changing the linear acceleration switch assembly from its first switch state to its second switch state.
A munition, comprising:
- a battery;
- an actuator;
- and
- an electronic safe and arm unit (ESAU) including centrifugal switch assembly and a linear acceleration switch assembly;
- the centrifugal switch assembly being arranged to rotate about a central axis, the central axis being coaxial with a direction of munition travel, the centrifugal switch assembly defining an open switch state and a closed switch state, wherein centrifugal force caused by rotation of the munition about the central axis during munition travel causes the actuator to act on the centrifugal switch assembly thereby changing centrifugal switch assembly from its open switch state to its closed switch state, or from its closed switch state to its opened switch state;
- and
- the linear acceleration switch assembly defining an open switch state and a closed switch state and including a flexible arm extending orthogonal to the central axis, wherein forces caused by linear acceleration of the munition during munition travel causes the flexible arm to deflect in the direction of munition travel thereby changing the linear acceleration switch assembly from its open switch state to its closed switch state;
- wherein power is allowed to flow from the battery to the ESAU only when the centrifugal switch assembly is in one of its closed or open switch state, and the linear acceleration switch assembly is in its closed switch state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.