Warhead construction having an electrical ignition device

US3977330A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Messerschmitt Bolkow Blohm GmbH · DE

Inventor

• Manfred Held · Hamburg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 20, 1974
• Grant date: Aug 31, 1976
• Expiry date: Feb 20, 1994

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F42C19/00
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A warhead includes an outer casing and an explosive charge substantially filling the casing and the warhead has the usual streamlined tip with a target contact or impact trip element. The trailing end of the warhead is closed by a cover over a pot which contains an electronic ignition device. The explosive charge in the warhead is provided with a central bore which extends inwardly from its trailing end toward the tip and the bore is filled with a series of ignition elements or an ignition train which includes a first element which is centrally located along the longitudinal length of the bore and connected to the electronic ignition device. The train of ignition elements are capable of being set in a safety position and they may be armed before or during flight of the warhead by an arming mechanism which places them in an operating position. Ignition is effected from the electronic ignition device to the first member in the ignition train which is arranged to actuate a piezoelectric element in response to an impulse from the electronic ignition device to set off a series of delayed charges and detonating charges arranged at spaced locations in each direction along the length from …