Electro-mechanical fuze for a projectile

Abstract

The present invention describes an electronic fuze operable to complement a mechanical point impact fuze. The electronic fuze includes a voltage generator circuit, micro-controller, a piezo-electric sensor, a firing circuit and a safety lockout circuit. When a projectile strikes a target at an optimum angle, the mechanical point impact fuze is activated; when the strike angle is oblique, the mechanical point impact fuze may be ineffective but the piezo-electric sensor is operable to trigger the firing circuit. The safety lockout circuit ensures the firing circuit is operative only after a predetermined delay time when an n-channel FET is turned OFF. The micro-controller also generates a TIME-OUT signal, which provides for self-destruction of a projectile that has failed to explode.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.