Submunition fuze

An improved fuze for a submunition grenade designed to be launched from a cargo projectile;

• said cargo projectile comprising a fuze, a warhead and a casing;
• the improved fuze comprising a fuze housing;
• a threaded firing pin oriented coaxially with the submunition grenade, and threadedly engageable to a threaded bole in a weighted insert that is able to reciprocate within the fuze housing;
• said firing pin having a pointed tip;
• said firing pin being able to rotatably reciprocate between a forward position and a retracted position by rotation of said firing pin with respect to said weighted insert along said threadedly engaged screw threads;
• a slider slidingly moveable in a substantially radial plane tangential to the axis of the firing pin, between a safe position and an armed position;
• said slider having a cavity therein for engaging the pointed tip of the firing pin when said slider is in said safe position and said fixing pin is in said forward position;
• said slider having a stab detonator attached to an inner end of said slider, such that when said slider is in said safe position and said pointed tip engages said cavity, said stab detonator is securely held within said housing, and when said firing pin is in said retracted position and said slider is slid into said armed position, the stab detonator is brought into alignment with said firing pin, for detonation thereby after an impact or jolt;
• said slider further comprising a time delay detonator ignition system for delayed ignition of the stab detonator and a spin activated swivel mounted striker for activating the time delay detonator ignition system, such that spin of the submunition grenade applies a rotational force on the firing pin and causes retraction of the firing pin along threadedly engaged screw threads into said weighted insert, retracting said tip out of said cavity, cocking the firing pin;
• and spin of the submunition grenade further applies a rotational force on said slider urging it from said safe position into said armed position, bringing said stab detonator into alignment with said firing pin without requiring stored energy in any form;
• said fine further comprising a self-neutralizing mode including a fully mechanical inertial releasable safety apparatus for preventing swiveling of said swivel mounted striker, to prevent initiation of said time delay detonator ignition system wherein release of said swivel mounted striker whilst said slider is in said safe position triggers said time delay detonator ignition system, resulting in ignition of said stab detonator after said time delay whilst said stab detonator is held securely in said housing, disarming said submunition grenade thereby, rendering it relatively harmless.