Igniting Means Patents (Class 102/396)
  • Patent number: 9476683
    Abstract: The invention provides a filler material for a munition, inluding an explosive charge, an inert charge and at least one pyrotechnic transmission unit adapted to transmit a remotely initiated detonation to said explosive charge. The invention also concerns a munition incorporating said filler material, said munition including a hollow elongate casing suitable for housing the explosive charge and the inert charge, and a firing device, at least a portion of the inert charge being interposed between the firing device and said explosive charge, and the pyrotechnic transmission unit being provided with a pyrotechnic extension and coupling the firing device to the explosive charge in order to prime detonation of the explosive charge under the action of the firing device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: EURENCO
    Inventors: Marie Marchais, Olivier Bouchet, Bruno Nouguez
  • Patent number: 8997652
    Abstract: A weapon and weapon system, and methods of manufacturing and operating the same. In one embodiment, the weapon includes a warhead having an outer casing. The warhead includes a frangible container within the outer casing of the warhead and a destructive element within the frangible container. The destructive element is formed with a non-explosive material. The weapon may also include a guidance section configured to direct the weapon to a target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2015
    Assignee: Lone Star IP Holdings, LP
    Inventors: Joseph Edward Tepera, Steven D. Roemerman
  • Publication number: 20140331882
    Abstract: The invention provides a filler material for a munition, including an explosive charge, an inert charge and at least one pyrotechnic transmission unit adapted to transmit a remotely initiated detonation to said explosive charge. The invention also concerns a munition incorporating said filler material, said munition including a hollow elongate casing suitable for housing the explosive charge and the inert charge, and a firing device, at least a portion of the inert charge being interposed between the firing device and said explosive charge, and the pyrotechnic transmission unit being provided with a pyrotechnic extension and coupling the firing device to the explosive charge in order to prime detonation of the explosive charge under the action of the firing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2012
    Publication date: November 13, 2014
    Inventors: Marie Marchais, Olivier Bouchet, Bruno Nouguez
  • Patent number: 8800448
    Abstract: A stand-off breaching device, for breaching a target, that includes a nose at a front end which is a rounded cone-shape and configured to cause the stand-off breaching device to rebound from a target after the nose impacts the target, and a body connected to the nose and extending to a back end of the stand-off breaching device. The body includes a main explosive fill that is detonated and explodes to provide an explosive breaching force, and a delay detonator that detonates the main explosive fill and that is triggered when the nose impacts a target. The delay-detonator is configured to delay detonation of the main explosive fill until the stand-off breaching device has rebounded to a determined stand-off distance chosen to cause effective breaching of the target. The nose, body, and their components are fabricated from material that will be substantially consumed by the explosion, minimizing any fragments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Dynamic Solutions LLC
    Inventors: Danny Joe Frew, Stephen Lance Kinnebrew
  • Patent number: 8464639
    Abstract: A fuse booster system for a reduced collateral damage bomb or penetrating warhead is described and disclosed. The fuse booster system uses shaped charges that will ignite the main high explosive charge of the bomb or penetrating warhead, and also remove portions of the bomb or penetrating warhead to reduce the power of the bomb at the target in a measurable manner to control the lethality and collateral damage of the bomb or penetrating warhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Inventors: Blake K. Thomas, James D. Ruhlman
  • Publication number: 20120291651
    Abstract: A flying bomb includes a standardized bomb casing formed of steel and having a nose opening and a tail opening. A thin penetrator is disposed in the bomb casing in order to achieve high effectiveness with little collateral damage when the flying bomb strikes a target. A distance between the tip of the penetrator and the nose opening is greater than 100 mm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: DIEHL BGT DEFENCE GMBH & CO. KG
    Inventors: JÜRGEN HAUMANN, MARTIN CLIFFORD BUCKSCH
  • Publication number: 20120234197
    Abstract: A reduced collateral damage bomb (RCDB) bomb casing is described and disclosed along with the system and method for making it. The RCDB bomb casing may be formed from conventional or penetrating warhead bomb casings. The RCDB bomb casing has a filler material/materials disposed on the interior walls that will assist in controlling the collateral damage caused by the finished bomb but not prevent the appropriate destructive power being delivered to a selected target. Further, the fusing system may include a shaped charge to control the ignition of the main explosive charge to control the amount of collateral damage when the bomb casing is filled with high explosives.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 31, 2012
    Publication date: September 20, 2012
    Inventors: James D. RUHLMAN, Blake K. THOMAS
  • Publication number: 20120227612
    Abstract: A fuse booster system for a reduced collateral damage bomb or penetrating warhead is described and disclosed. The fuse booster system uses shaped charges that will ignite the main high explosive charge of the bomb or penetrating warhead, and also remove portions of the bomb or penetrating warhead to reduce the power of the bomb at the target in a measurable manner to control the lethality and collateral damage of the bomb or penetrating warhead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2008
    Publication date: September 13, 2012
    Inventors: Blake K. THOMAS, James D. RUHLMAN
  • Patent number: 8234979
    Abstract: An apparatus for shock isolating an electronics package includes an outer member including an internal threaded portion and a transition member including an external threaded portion and a hollow inner portion that defines a cavity configured for receiving the electronics package. A layer of mechanically compliant shock isolation material is positioned between the inner thread portion of the outer member and the external thread portion of the transition member. The compliant shock isolation material encloses a front end and sidewalls of the transition member and is absent from its aft end to allow access to one end of the electronics package (e.g. to a connector). The internal threaded portion of the outer member and the external threaded portion of the transition member are compliantly engaged via a gap provided by the layer of compliant shock isolation material. In one embodiment the electronics package is a fuze assembly.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation
    Inventors: David J. Falabella, Gary A. Simpson, Jonathan Dwight Wehking
  • Patent number: 8191479
    Abstract: A reduced collateral damage bomb (RCDB) bomb casing is described and disclosed along with the system and method for making it. The RCDB bomb casing may be formed from conventional or penetrating warhead bomb casings. The RCDB bomb casing has a filler material/materials disposed on the interior walls that will assist in controlling the collateral damage caused by the finished bomb but not prevent the appropriate destructive power being delivered to a selected target. Further, the fusing system may include a shaped charge to control the ignition of the main explosive charge to control the amount of collateral damage when the bomb casing is filled with high explosives.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2012
    Inventors: James D. Ruhlman, Blake K. Thomas
  • Patent number: 8181576
    Abstract: A projectile for safe standoff destruction of explosive devices. The projectile's casing encloses a chamber containing combustible material located opposite a roughened surface on the chamber. The combustible material is mounted so upon the projectile impacting the explosive device, the combustible material flies onto the roughened surface, heating the material by shear forces and igniting the material. This creates pressure bursting the chamber, injecting combustion gases into the explosive fill within the device, thereby igniting the fill locally at the impact, and along cracks in the fill. This arrangement prevents a coherent detonation wavefront from forming within the fill, and a slower burn of the fill, whereby a rifleman has little chance of receiving a concussive shock, or shrapnel, from the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventors: Brian T. Amato, Steven Kim, Gerald Laib, Carl Gotzmer
  • Patent number: 7861656
    Abstract: A grenade includes an explosion chamber having an explosive charge to which an ignition charge is connected. The grenade also includes a primer and trigger coupled to the ignition charge for detonation of the explosive charge held within the explosion chamber. A variable distance detonation mechanism is coupled to the trigger and primer for allowing controlled detonation of the grenade a specific distance from the launch point thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Inventors: Robert S. Thomas, III, Edward C. Waters, III
  • Patent number: 7701694
    Abstract: A highly reliable fuse for explosives and armaments is achieved by employing a micro mechanical device that operates to disrupt a relatively low impedance bypass circuit coupled in parallel with a relatively high impedance trigger mechanism. The removal of the electrical bypassing is performed as a result of the movement of the micro mechanical device to enable detonation under prescribed conditions. The electrical bypassing is removed by having at least one low impedance electrical bridge that is part of the bypass circuit break when the micro mechanical device is subjected to prescribed trigger activation forces, which are typically large forces, such as are generated during launch or impact. The micro mechanical device may be a micro-electrical mechanical system (MEMS) device and the bridge is at least one spring that is part of the MEMS device and also part of the bypass circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Alacatel-Lucent USA Inc.
    Inventor: Cristian A Bolle
  • Patent number: 7493860
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a bulkhead shield particularly of a projectile with a pyrotechnic charge, situated between the pyrotechnic portion and the command and control portion. The bulkhead shield comprises at least: one wall pierced by a duct; an end-cap consisting of a support portion and a portion engaged in the duct leaving a space between itself and the wall of the duct, the two portions being connected by a mechanical weakness zone; the support portion pressing on the wall, at the front, so that the engaged portion separates from the support portion under the effect of an external pressure to come into contact with the inner wall of the duct and close the space. The invention applies in particular to shells whose detonation is programmed a given delay after impact on the target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2009
    Assignee: TDA Armements S.A.S.
    Inventors: Jean-Francois Denis, Bruno Charles
  • Patent number: 7490555
    Abstract: A method of converting a cluster bomb having an expelling charge and submunitions into a unitary bomb, the method comprising: preparing the cluster bomb for the insertion of a shock wave destructive charge including removing the expelling charge; and inserting the shock wave destructive charge into the cluster bomb such that the destructive charge operatively contacts at least one submunition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2009
    Assignee: Israel Military Industry Ltd.
    Inventor: Isar Veksler
  • Patent number: 7089862
    Abstract: A water pod for assisting a user in extinguishing forest fires includes a hollow shell constructed with a biodegradable plastic that ruptures upon impact when dropped from an aircraft. The shell includes a fill port allowing it to be filled with water or another flame retardant material. The shell may include a detonation device allowing the pod to be ruptured prior to impact, if desired.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2006
    Inventor: Robert Vasquez
  • Patent number: 6968785
    Abstract: The locking and stabilizing device for grenades utilizes a solid nylon ring and multiple nylon ribbons that are attached to the ring at regular intervals around its circumference. During storage, the ring surrounds and locks the slider of the grenade in its storage position. But upon deployment, under aerodynamic forces the ring moves away from the slider, releasing the slider. When the slider is thusly released, it slides out and brings the detonator in place to be impacted upon by the pin when the grenade hits the target, thus detonating the grenade. The multiple ribbons extending from the ring unfurl due to the aerodynamic forces and provide stability to the grenade flight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lamar M. Auman, Douglas J. Love, Brad L. Bachelor
  • Patent number: 6919840
    Abstract: A proximity sensor for use with a guidance system of a smart bomb including a ranging radar proximity sensor configured for mounting on a smart bomb and a radome connected to the ranging radar proximity sensor. A laser radiation sensor system is attached to the proximity sensor, which is configured and arranged to detect laser radiation reflected from a target which passes through the radome and output the azimuth and elevation angles to the target to the guidance system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2005
    Assignee: Alliant Techsystems Inc.
    Inventors: William A. Friedrich, Lyle H. Johnson, Mark K. Conrad
  • Patent number: 6640719
    Abstract: A fuze explosive train device for detonating a munition that uses a stab firing pin within a pressure cartridge, with the stab firing pin located between a gas generator and a stab detonator. The firing pin is capable of transferring an energy from the gas generator into the stab detonator in a manner that initiates the stab detonator to a high order explosive reaction. A method of initiating a stab detonator using a stab firing pin also is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 4, 2003
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Gary A. Pacella, Barry D. Schwartz
  • Patent number: 5723811
    Abstract: A warhead includes an explosive charge placed in a confinement casing and bounded towards a front portion by a liner, the entire warhead having an axis of symmetry of revolution. A detector is provided in front of the charge and processing and command circuits are provided in a rear portion of the charge. A multiple-point detonator is communicated with an axial space providing a detector-circuit link without harming the efficiency of the charge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1997
    Date of Patent: March 3, 1998
    Assignee: TDA Armements SAS
    Inventors: Thierry Bouet, Jean-Pierre Guillon
  • Patent number: 4867035
    Abstract: A charge releasable from a carrier, such as a charge having to be activated at the moment of release, is provided with an activating device with a safety system to prevent its untimely activation. The triggering means are activated by means of the activating device comprising a cable connected to the carrier. At the moment of release, the cable controls the activating device which initiates the triggering means by means of an internal mechanical link. All the elements are placed inside the charge. Moreover, the activating device constitutes a safety device to prevent the activation of the charge so long as it is not released.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 1988
    Date of Patent: September 19, 1989
    Assignee: Thomson-Brandt Armements
    Inventors: Jean Boucard, Andre Delaitre, Jean Deliance, Andre Winaver
  • Patent number: 4799429
    Abstract: A bomblet within a cluster bomb is provided with an individually programmable detonation time delay, such that the bomblet can be programmed to detonate at a desired time after it has been dropped. Program signals are transmitted to the bomblet from a wire that runs through an opening in the bomblet, but is not mechanically attached to the bomblet. the bomblet has a secondary transformer winding to receive signals from the transmission wire, and is provided with a unique address code such that it responds to a timing program signal only when the signal is preceded by an appropriate address code. A series of timing program signals can be transmitted to a plurality of bomblets, with the bomblet addresses adjusted after each program signal so that only one bomblet (or more, if desired) responds to each successive program signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 1984
    Date of Patent: January 24, 1989
    Assignee: ISC Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Edward V. LaBudde, Robert L. Kay
  • Patent number: 4509427
    Abstract: A straight pull cock and fire device is used which permits launching of t fin fire devices. The pressure cartridge produces gas which is routed to a pusher piston through a combined ported manifold and firing device pusher assembly mounting unit. In-line pulls avoid rotational jamming. The spring-loaded actuator pin assures that a minimal level of force is required to initiate the device to avoid random jamming from triggering the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 1983
    Date of Patent: April 9, 1985
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy
    Inventor: Charles R. Andreoli
  • Patent number: 4488488
    Abstract: A device which serves as a safety mechanism for a warhead to prevent accital detonation thereof. The warhead includes a chute in the form of a ribbon which is folded thereon prior to flight of the warhead to a target. The device serves to releasably secure the ribbon chute to the warhead while also acting as a safety mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 1982
    Date of Patent: December 18, 1984
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Lonnie L. Looger, Gerald S. Smith
  • Patent number: 4389940
    Abstract: An antipersonnel mine is shown, a plurality of such mines being adapted to be loaded into a round of ammunition for dispersal and subsequent detonation at random instants. The timing for detonation of each mine is determined by the discharge of a capacitor, starting when dispersal occurs. The condition of the explosive lead of each mine before loading is indicated by a position indicator in the safing and arming mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 1976
    Date of Patent: June 28, 1983
    Assignee: Raytheon Company
    Inventors: Gray C. Trembly, Ernest Goldberg, Edward B. Dragun