US 5,373,790 AGranted

System for self destruction of a carrier shell submunition by chemical attack

AssigneeGiat Industries

InventorsPatrice H. Chemiere, Jean-Paul A. Dupuy, Bernard F. Bayard, Jean-Pierre Ruet

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

A mechanical system for self-destruction of a munition, in particular a carrier shell submunition, is provided in a munition having a warhead initiated by a pyrotechnic sequence, a main striker and a priming device composed of a slide movable between a safety position and an armed position and which has a device for priming the charge. The self destruction system includes a secondary striker mounted inside a receptacle of a slide and a control device to release the secondary striker after a preset delay. Secondary striker is integral with a holding element and held abutting a seat by the urging of an arming spring. The control device of the secondary striker has a corrosive agent designed to chemically attack the holding element to release it from its seat. When the holding element is released, secondary striker is translationally moved to contact the detonator to destroy the munition.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A system for self-destruction of a munition having a submunition dispersible by a vehicle, the munition having a priming device including a slide, the slide comprising a slide receptacle and being movable between a safety position and an armed position, and a warhead priming system, said self-destruction system comprising:

a secondary striker mounted within the slide receptacle, said secondary striker being movable between a safety position and a position in which the warhead priming system is struck;
a control device for releasing said secondary striker after a preset delay;
a base disposed within the slide receptacle;
a holding element resting on said base, wherein said secondary striker is integral with said holding element;
wherein said control device comprises:
an envelope containing a corrosive agent for corroding said holding element to release said holding element from said base after said preset delay to cause said secondary striker to move toward said warhead priming system;
a perforator for perforating said envelope;
a projector for causing contact between said envelope and said holding element, said projector including a projector spring and a locking element, said locking element maintaining said spring in a tensioned state;
and
a seal for preventing said corrosive agent from spreading into the slide receptacle after said envelope is perforated by said perforator and before said holding element is released.

7 more elements

A system for self-destruction of a munition having a submunition dispersible by a carrier, the munition having a primary device including a slide, said slide comprising slide receptacle and being moveable between a safety position and an armed position, and a device for priming a warhead, said system for self-destruction comprising:

a secondary striker mounted within the slide receptacle, said secondary striker being moveable between a safety position and a priming device striking position;
a control device for releasing said secondary striker after a preset delay;
a base disposed within the slide receptacle;
a holding element and an arming spring, said holding element being held on said base by said arming spring;
said control device comprising:
an envelope containing a corrosive material for chemically attacking said holding element to release said holding element from said base after said preset delay to move said secondary striker in a direction of said primer device;
a fixed member;
a perforator for perforating said envelope;
a projector for projecting said base in the direction of said fixed member;
and
a seal for preventing said corrosive material from spreading into said slide receptacle after said envelope has been perforated by said perforator for perforating and before said holding element is released.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/070,220Filed 2 Jun 1993
Priority: FR 92-066302 Jun 1992
Granted: 20 Dec 1994
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification8 codes

F42C 15/21
Wherein a securing-pin or latch is removed to arm the fuze, e.g. removed from the firing-pin: using spring action
F42B 12/58
For dispensing discrete solid bodies: cluster or cargo ammunition, i.e. projectiles containing one or more submissiles
F42C 9/145
Double fuzes; Multiple fuzes: combined time and percussion fuzes in which the timing is caused by chemical reaction
F42C 15/184
Wherein a carrier for an element of the pyrotechnic or explosive train is moved: using a slidable carrier