Weapon clearance appliance for clearing weapons, such as underwater mines, under water, unmanned underwater vehicle having a weapon clearance appliance of this kind, and method for this purpose

US9187161B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GMBH · DE

Inventor

• Detlef Lambertus · Höflaweg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 27, 2015
• Grant date: Nov 17, 2015
• Expiry date: Apr 27, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B63G2007/005
• WIPO field: Transport
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a method for clearing weapons that have been sunk in waterways using a weapon clearance appliance. The weapon clearance appliance comprises means for detachable connection to an unmanned underwater vehicle, so that the underwater vehicle is a safe distance away when the weapon is detonated. The volume of the weapon clearance appliance is chosen such that the buoyancy force which acts on the weapon clearance appliance under water compensates for the force of gravity acting on the weapon clearance appliance. Therefore, the weapon clearance appliance has neutral buoyancy, as a result of which, after the weapon clearance appliance has been released from the underwater vehicle, there is no need to retrim the underwater vehicle. Therefore, there is no need for trimming devices on the underwater vehicle.