ROLLING PREVENTER FOR GRENADES

Abstract

A rolling preventer for reducing rolling movements of a grenade, wherein the rolling preventer has at least one hindering element, which counteracts rolling movements of the grenade and can consequently reduce the rolling movement. The rolling preventer according to the invention also has a clearance, by which the rolling preventer can be attached to a grenade. For this purpose, the grenade is inserted through the clearance and the rolling preventer is thereby fastened to the grenade. Also proposed is a grenade, with a housing, an actuating element and a safety device, wherein the grenade is equipped with a rolling preventer according to the invention.

Description

This nonprovisional application is a continuation of International Application No. PCT/EP2018/068334, which was filed on Jul. 6, 2018, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. 10 2017 115 792.1, which was filed in Germany on Jul. 13, 2017, and to German Patent Application No. 10 2017 117 660.8, which was filed in Germany on Aug. 3, 2017 and which are all herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a rolling preventer for reducing rolling movements of a grenade.

Description of the Background Art

Due to the geometrical dimensions of a grenade, when it lands it may undergo rolling movements and, as a result of the rolling movement, may consequently leave the target area aimed at.

Corresponding grenades are used by security forces and/or the military and are intended to be delivered to a target area as precisely as possible. The removal from the target due to the rolling movement is consequently undesired, and should be prevented as far as possible, or at least reduced.

In the present invention, any thrown or launched projectile can be understood to be a grenade, as a result of which grenades that are fired from launchers and grenades that are thrown manually are correspondingly included. In particular, the present invention is intended for reducing rolling movements for hand grenades.

The present invention likewise relates to a grenade that is provided with the aforementioned rolling preventer. It is preferably proposed for it to be used for stun grenades, as grenades (such as for example hand grenades) that cause acoustic and optical effects (so-called sound and flash grenades or flash-bang grenades).

Corresponding grenades are already known from the prior art. Thus, for example, EP 2 359 087 B1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 8,091,480, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a corresponding stun grenade as a grenade, the effect being caused by blow-out openings that are arranged on the grenade in the longitudinal direction.

Furthermore, DE 10 2004 059 991 B4, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 7,721,651, discloses a stun grenade as a grenade which likewise has blow-out openings in the longitudinal direction by which the desired effect is produced, this time the blow-out openings being provided on two sides of the stun grenade.

Likewise known as a grenade, for example from DE 92 13 376 U1, is a stun grenade with charges for flash and bang effects, it also being possible here for the effects to be produced in the radial direction of the grenade.

Finally, DE 10 2010 052 210 A1, which corresponds to U.S. Pat. No. 9,016,205, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a modular stun grenade as a grenade, in which active charges can be incorporated in a modular manner in the stun grenade.

Conventional grenades are designed with a round base area, and consequently have the property of undergoing rolling movements after they land in the target region. Grenades with a non-round base area also generally have the possibility of undergoing rolling movements when thrown or launched, and are consequently likewise included by the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a rolling preventer for grenades and a grenade with such a device with which the rolling movement after landing in the target region is decisively reduced.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, proposed for this purpose is a rolling preventer that reduces the rolling movement of a grenade. The rolling preventer has for this purpose at least one hindering element, which is designed so as to be able to slow down or reduce a rolling movement. For this purpose, the hindering element is designed such that it counteracts or slows down the rotation during a rolling movement.

Similarly, the rolling preventer has a clearance and forms a peripheral contour around the clearance. This clearance can be formed right through the rolling preventer, and consequently provides a hole with a peripheral contour.

This hole, which may be designed as round or angular, allows the rolling preventer to be attached to the grenade to be used, to be precise such that the grenade can be inserted through the hole in the rolling preventer.

The rolling preventer can be produced from an elastic material, so that the corresponding grenade can be inserted into the rolling preventer with a press fit.

For better attachment of the rolling preventer to a corresponding grenade, the rolling preventer can be provided with a sloping bevel. For this purpose, the side walls of the clearance, and consequently the side walls of the hole, are beveled, so that a sloping bevel is produced. This allows the rolling preventer according to the invention to be attached better to the grenade, in that the grenade is inserted into the rolling preventer in the direction of the tapering bevel. The aforementioned press fit or the elasticity of the rolling body makes it possible for the rolling preventer to be fastened to the grenade.

The rolling preventer can have a center axis; the clearance can be arranged around the center axis. This initially produces a symmetrical rolling preventer. The hindering elements attached thereto then protrude from the peripheral contour and, during the rolling movement of the grenade, and consequently also of the rolling preventer, provide a resistance which counteracts the rolling movement. The rolling movement is thereby slowed down or reduced.

In order to achieve this, at least one hindering element can be provided, but preferably also a number of hindering elements. These are attached peripherally to the rolling preventer, protruding outward around the contour, and may be attached at regular intervals and also at irregular intervals.

It is proposed to design these hindering elements as rectangular, since this form offers greatest possible rolling resistance. Similarly, the hindering elements may however also be designed as triangular or in some other form; thus, depending on the desired reduction of the rolling movement, the rolling preventer can be adjusted correspondingly. This makes different rolling preventers possible for different grenades. It is likewise possible to provide different forms of hindering elements on a rolling preventer.

The corners and edges that occur on the hindering element as a result of the aforementioned forms decisively have the effect of causing the prevention or slowing down of the rolling movement. Depending on the underlying surface on which the rolling movement takes place, prominent corners and edges can provide an increased slowing effect or reduction of the rolling movement. In a further embodiment, these corners and edges may be correspondingly rounded, and consequently have roundings, in order to be able to adjust the reduction of the rolling movement in addition to the aforementioned possibilities.

In order to ensure the elasticity of the rolling preventer, it is proposed to produce the rolling preventer from rubber or plastic. What is correspondingly important in the choice of material is that the desired elasticity is ensured and that a sufficiently high force for holding the rolling preventer on the grenade is ensured by the elasticity.

Since grenades that deploy their active charge radially and grenades that deploy their active charge in the longitudinal direction are known from the prior art, it is important that, after attaching the rolling preventer to the grenade, the deployment of the active charges is not impaired. Consequently, in a particular embodiment, it is proposed to limit the height of the rolling preventer to a maximum of 10 mm.

A corresponding grenade provided with a rolling preventer according to the invention preferably has for this purpose a safe region in which the rolling preventer is arranged. A safe region on a grenade is characterized in that this region neither hinders the encapsulation of the grenade, nor lies in the region of means for deploying the active charge.

Preferably, such a safe region is arranged in the lower region of the grenade in the longitudinal direction. Often no deployment possibilies are provided in the vicinity of the bottom of a grenade, so that this region represents a safe region. Such a safe region is at least as large as the maximum height of a rolling preventer according to the invention. Consequently, in this embodiment the height of the safe region is likewise 10 mm, in correlation with the maximum height of the rolling preventer.

As already described, preferably a hand grenade is proposed as the grenade, this grenade includes a housing, and also an actuating element and a safety device. The actuating element can be formed as a hand lever and the safety device ensures that no unwanted actuation takes place. Consequently, the safety device keeps the actuating element in its non-actuated position.

The safety device of the hand grenades comprises a safety ring and a safety pin. The safety pin ensures that the actuating element stays in its non-actuating state. The safety pin can be pulled out of its intended securement by the safety ring, and consequently no longer perform its safety function. After pulling out of the safety pin by the safety ring, the actuating element can therefore then be actuated.

The aforementioned design means that the present invention is not restricted just to being used for hand grenades as grenades. Rather, other grenades can also be provided with the rolling preventer according to the invention. Unintentional rolling movements take place in the case of many grenades, whether they are thrown manually or fired by a launcher. Thus, the rolling preventer can also be used for preventing rolling movements of a grenade that is fired by a launcher.

Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus, are not limitive of the present invention, and wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a grenade according to the invention with a corresponding rolling preventer;

FIG. 2 shows a rolling preventer according to the invention in side view; and

FIG. 3 shows a rolling preventer according to the invention in plan view.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a grenade 10 according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, with a housing 11, an actuating element 12 and a safety device. The housing 11 of the grenade 10 here has a round base area, whereby the housing 11 is likewise designed as round.

The actuating element 12 is designed here as a hand lever, since the grenade 10 in FIG. 1 is a hand grenade. Preferably, it is a stun grenade that is designed as a hand grenade.

The safety device can be formed of a safety ring 13, to which a safety pin 14 is attached. The safety pin 14 secures the position of the hand lever, and consequently prevents unintentional activation of the grenade. By pulling on the safety ring 13, the safety pin 14 can be pulled out of its position, and consequently the function of the hand lever can be released.

Provided as a peripheral region on the housing 11 of the grenade 10 is a safe region 15, in which no blow-out openings for the deployment of the active charge of the grenade 10 are arranged. Preferably, this safe region 15 is arranged at the lower end in the region of the bottom of the grenade.

A rolling preventer 1 according to the invention may be attached to the grenade 10, in that it is arranged in the safe region 15.

For this purpose, a through-clearance is provided within the rolling preventer, so that the rolling preventer 1 has a peripheral contour around this clearance. By means of this peripheral contour, the rolling preventer 1 is attached in the safe region 15 of the grenade 10 such that the grenade 10 is inserted through the clearance.

For this purpose, the rolling preventer 1 is preferably formed elastically, so that the grenade 10 can be inserted into the clearance of the rolling preventer 1 with a press fit. The rolling preventer 1 is then fastened to the grenade 10 as a result of the elasticity.

In order then to prevent or reduce a rolling movement after throwing or launching of the grenade 10, at least one hindering element 2 is attached to the rolling preventer 1. This element is designed such that it counteracts a rolling movement or ensures a resistance to the rolling movement. In this way, the rolling movement of the grenade 10 is reduced.

In FIG. 2, the clearance 5 in a rolling preventer 1 according to the invention is shown. The clearance 5 is designed as passing right through, so that a hole can be seen in the rolling preventer 1. Preferably, the clearance 5 is formed centrally around the center axis 3 of the rolling preventer 1.

In order to apply the rolling preventer 1 better to the grenade 10, the outer walls of the clearance 5 are designed as beveled, so that a bevel 6 is produced. This makes it easier to attach the rolling preventer 1 to a grenade 10, since the grenade 10 can then be inserted into the side with the greater diameter, and the aforementioned press fit of the rolling preventer 1 takes place by way of the side with the smaller diameter of the clearance 5.

Preferably, the maximum height 8 of a rolling preventer 1 according to the invention is limited, for example to 10 mm, so that it is ensured that no elements on the grenade 10 that are intended to make a deployment of the active charge possible are covered by the rolling preventer 1 according to the invention.

At least one hindering element 2, which is intended to hinder or reduce a rolling movement of the grenade 10, is provided on the rolling preventer 1 according to the invention. These hindering elements 2 are preferably designed in one piece with the contour 4 of the rolling preventer 1 and may be arranged at regular intervals and also at irregular intervals around the contour 4.

In FIG. 3, these hindering elements 2 can be seen more clearly. In this exemplary embodiment, two hindering elements 2 are arranged around the contour 4. For this purpose, the hindering elements 2 are designed as rectangular and provided with slight roundings 7. By this design of the hindering elements 2, a rolling movement of a grenade 10 is prevented. The extent to which a rolling movement is prevented can be adjusted by the roundings 7 or the geometrical design of the hindering elements 2.

In order to ensure effective reduction or prevention of the rolling movement, the hindering elements 2 must have a greater outside diameter than the grenade 10 that is used.

The present invention is not restricted to the aforementioned features. Rather, further designs are conceivable. Thus, a rolling preventer according to the invention could be produced from soft, deformable metal, the work of deformation as a result of the rotational energy causing a reduction of the rolling movements of the grenade at the hindering elements. Similarly, snap-in connections, whereby the rolling preventer according to the invention is attached to the grenade, could be provided for a more precise positioning of the rolling preventer according to the invention.

The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A rolling preventer for reducing rolling movements of a grenade, the rolling preventer comprising:

at least one hindering element; and

a clearance so that the rolling preventer has a peripheral contour around the clearance.

2. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rolling preventer has a center axis around which the clearance is arranged.

3. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein side walls of the clearance are designed as a sloping bevel.

4. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the peripheral contour has corners and edges that have roundings.

5. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rolling preventer is produced from an elastic material, rubber or plastic.

6. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rolling preventer has a height which is dimensioned to a maximum of 10 mm.

7. The rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hindering elements have a rectangular or triangular form.

8. A grenade comprising:

a housing;

an actuating element;

and a safety device; and

a rolling preventer as claimed in claim 1.

9. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the safety device includes a safety ring and a safety pin.

10. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein a safe region is provided, at which the rolling preventer is arranged.

11. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the grenade is a hand grenade.

12. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the grenade is a stun grenade.

13. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the grenade has blow-out openings in a longitudinal direction with respect to the housing.

14. The grenade as claimed in claim 8, wherein the grenade has blow-out openings in a radial direction with respect to the housing.