Self-destruct fuze for munitions

US6311622A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army · US

Inventors

• Louis J. Adimari · Montague, US
• Joseph A. Donini · Dover, US
• Keith Fulton · Stroudsburg, US
• Marc E. Ball · Columbia, US
• Edward F. Cooper · New Providence, US
• John R. Hertzler · Lancaster, US
• John Yoo · New York, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 22, 2000
• Grant date: Nov 6, 2001
• Expiry date: Feb 22, 2020

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F42C9/142
• WIPO field: Other special machines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A secondary self-destruct fuze that functions in the event the primary fuze mode fails to function, and that meets the design requirements for a low cost, highly producible no-spin/low velocity operating environment. The fuze includes a bottom plate, two spacers, a firing pin, a striker, a rotor, a pyrotechnic mix, a rotor spring, a striker spring, a weight with a firing pin, a weight spring, a bore rider, a bore rider spring, a housing, a handling safety pin, and a ribbon retainer. In use, the handling safety pin is removed upon loading of the grenade in the main carrier. When the grenade is ejected, the expulsion event forces the ribbon retainer to be uncovered and the ribbon to unfurl, which releases the safety lock feature. The unfurling of the ribbon in the air stream stabilizes the grenade by causing an upward pull force. Simultaneously, the air stream forces the bore rider and the bore rider spring out of the fuze. In addition, the upward pull force translates to the weight firing pin and causes the latter to move up and away from the rotor. Both the rotor and the striker are free to move under the action of their respective springs. The burning of the pyrotechnic mix is ini…