Ram pressure standoff extension and safe/arm mechanism for self-arming munitions

Claim 2

In a munition for flight through a fluid medium environment to a target, improved means for arming the munition and for detonating the munition at a predetermined standoff distance from the target comprising: a. a housing for containing an explosive charge and having a forward nose portion; b. elongated standoff means longitudinally mounted in the nose portion of said housing and adapted for movement from a first position, wherein said standoff means is withdrawn into said housing, to a second position, wherein said standoff means extends forwardly beyond the nose portion of said housing; c. differential pressure sensitive means connected to said standoff means within said housing and responsive to the pressure differential between the fluid ram pressure at the forward nose portion and the fluid static pressure at a low pressure region remote from the forward nose portion, said differential pressure sensitive means including a deformable diaphragm means defining fore and aft chambers within said housing, and further including means for venting said fore chamber to the static fluid pressure at a low pressure region remote from the forward nose portion of said housing and means for applying the fluid ram pressure to the aft chamber whereby the differential fluid pressure between the fore and aft chambers during flight of the munition to the target deforms said diaphragm means to move said standoff means from the first to the second positions, and d. detonator means connected to said standoff means for movement thereby into operative relationship with the explosive charge as said standoff means moves from the first to the second positions, said detonating means adapted for detonation of the explosive charge upon impact of said standoff means with the target when in the second position.

Claim 3

The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said standoff means comprises a hollow tube in fluid pressure communication with the aft chamber for applying the fluid ram pressure to said diaphragm means during flight to the target.

Claim 4

The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further including orifice defining means positioned within said hollow tube standoff means for delaying the application of the fluid ram pressure to said diaphragm means during flight to the target.

Claim 5

In a munition for flight through a fluid medium environment to a target, improved means for arming the munition in response to the flight environment and for detonating the munition at a predetermined standoff distance from the target comprising: a. a housing for containing an explosive charge and having a forward nose portion; b. elongated standoff means having a longitudinal axis and slidably mounted in the forward nose portion of said housing, said standoff means longitudinally movable from a first position, contained essentially entirely within said housing for storage of the munition, to a second position, extending substantially beyond the forward nose portion of said housing, for impact with the target prior to such Impact of the forward nose portion; c. detonator means having an impact actuation axis, a first end containing a detonating charge, and a second end pivotally connected to said standoff means; d. spring bias means engaging said detonating means for biasing said detonating means to a safe position wherein the impact actuation axis is essentially normal to said standoff means longitudinal axis when said standoff means is in the first position; e. camming means contained within said housing and having a first surface engaging said detonating means for overcoming the bias of said spring bias means and pivotally urging said detonating means to an inclined armed position wherein the impact actuation axis has a substantial component parallel to said standoff means longitudinal axis as said standoff means is moved from the first to the second positions; said camming means further having a second surface receiving in abutting relationship the first end of said detonating means when said detonating means is in the armed position wherein the second surface presents a detonating cord explosive train, connected to the explosive charge, in operative relationship with the detonating charge; and f. differential pressure sensitive means connected to said standoff means within said housing responsive to the pressure differential between the fluid ram pressure at the forward nose portion and the fluid static pressure at a low pressure region remote from the forward nose portion during flight of the munition to the target to move said standoff means from the first position to the second position.

Claim 6

In a munition for flight through a fluid medium environment to a target, improved means for arming the munition in response to the flight environment and for detonating the munition at a predetermined standoff distance from the target comprising: a. a housing for containing an explosive charge and having a forward nose portion; b. elongated standoff means having a longitudinal axis and slidably mounted in the forward nose portion of said housing, said standoff means longitudinally movable from a first position, contained essentially entirely within said housing for storage of the munition, to a second position, extending substantially beyond the forward nose portion of said housing, for impact with the target prior to such Impact of the forward nose portion; c. detonator means having an impact actuation axis, a first end containing a detonating charge, and a second end pivotally connected to said standoff means; d. spring bias means engaging said detonating means for biasing said detonating means to a safe position wherein the impact actuation axis is essentially normal to said standoff means longitudinal axis when said standoff means is in the first position; e. camming means contained within said housing and having a first surface engaging said detonating means for overcoming the bias of said spring bias means and pivotally urging said detonating means to an inclined armed position wherein the impact actuation axis has a substantial component parallel to said standoff means longitudinal axis as said standoff means is moved from the first to the second positions; said camming means further having a second surface receiving in abutting relationship the first end of said detonating means when said detonating means is in the armed position wherein the second surface presents a detonating cord explosive train, connected to the explosive charge, in operative relationship with the detonating charge; and f. differential pressure sensitive means connected to said standoff means within said housing responsive to the pressure differential between the fluid ram pressure at the forward nose portion and the fluid static pressure at a low pressure region remote from the forward nose portion during flight of the munition to the target to move said standoff means from the first position to the second position.

Claim 7

In a munition for flight through a fluid medium environment to a target, improved means for arming the munition in response to the flight environment and for detonating the munition at a predetermined standoff distance from the target comprising: a. a housing for carrying an explosive charge; b. said housing having a forward nose portion; c. elongated standoff means slidably mounted in said forward nose portion for movement from a first position within said nose portion to a second position extending substantially beyond said forward nose portion; d. differential pressure sensitive means connected to said standoff means within said housing responsive to differential pressure; e. said differential pressure sensitive means including a deformable diaphragm defining fore and aft chambers within said housing, and means for venting said fore chamber to static fluid pressure at a low pressure region remote from said forward nose portion and means for applying said fluid ram pressure to said aft chamber whereby the differential of fluid pressure between said fore and aft chambers during flight of munition to the target deforms said diaphragm for moving said standoff means from said first to said second position, and f. detonator means having an impact actuation axis, a first end containing a detonator charge and a second end connected to said standoff means for movement of said detonator means from an unarmed to an armed position in response to movement of said standoff means first position to said standoff means second position respectively, so that said impact actuation axis of said detonator means moves for a substantial component parallel to said standoff means longitudinal axis in said second extended position and whereby said first end detonator charge moves into cooperating relationship with means interconnecting said detonating charge with said explosive charge carried in said housing, thereby arming said munition.

Claim 8

In a munition for flight through a fluid medium environment to a target, improved means for arming the munition in response to the flight environment and for detonating the munition at a predetermined standoff distance from the target comprising: a. a housing for carrying an explosive charge; b. said housing having a forward nose portion; c. elongated standoff means slidably mounted in said forward nose portion for movement from a first position within said nose portion to a second position extending substantially beyond said forward nose portion; d. differential pressure sensitive means connected to said standoff means within said housing responsive to differential pressure; e. said differential pressure sensitive means including a deformable diaphragm defining fore and aft chambers within said housing, and means for venting said fore chamber to static fluid pressure at a low pressure region remote from said forward nose portion and means for applying said fluid ram pressure to said aft chamber whereby the differential of fluid pressure between said fore and aft chambers during flight of munition to the target deforms said diaphragm for moving said standoff means from said first to said second position, and f. detonator means having an impact actuation axis, a first end containing a detonator charge and a second end connected to said standoff means for movement of said detonator means from an unarmed to an armed position in response to movement of said standoff means first position to said standoff means second position respectively, so that said impact actuation axis of said detonator means moves for a substantial component parallel to said standoff means longitudinal axis in said second extended position and whereby said first end detonator charge moves into cooperating relationship with means interconnecting said detonating charge with said explosive charge carried in said housing, thereby arming said munition.

Claim 9

The munition as claimed in claim 5 wherein said standoff means comprises a hollow tube in fluid pressure communication with the aft chamber for applying the fluid ram pressure to said diaphragm means during flight to the target.

Claim 10

The munition as claimed in claim 6 further including orifice defining means positioned within said hollow tube standoff means for delaying the application of the fluid ram pressure to said diaPhragm means during flight to the target.