U.S. patent application number 09/894027 was filed with the patent office on 2002-01-03 for optronic fuse device for a flying object.
This patent application is currently assigned to Diehl Munitionssysteme GmbH & Co. KG. Invention is credited to Ganghofer, Adreas.
Application Number | 20020000172 09/894027 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7647336 |
Filed Date | 2002-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020000172 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ganghofer, Adreas |
January 3, 2002 |
Optronic fuse device for a flying object
Abstract
Described is an optronic fuse device (10) for a flying object
such as a drone, a rocket or an aircraft, comprising a sensor
window (14) which is provided for its optical arrangement (12) and
with which is associated an air deflection device (16) in order to
keep the air flow of the flying object in flight away from the
sensor window (14) and to deflect it past the sensor window (14)
and in that way to prevent fouling and/or icing of the sensor
window during the mission of the flying object.
Inventors: |
Ganghofer, Adreas;
(Nurnberg, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Leopold Presser
Scully, Scott, Murphy & Presser
400 Garden City Plaza
Garden City
NY
11530
US
|
Assignee: |
Diehl Munitionssysteme GmbH &
Co. KG
Rothenbach
DE
|
Family ID: |
7647336 |
Appl. No.: |
09/894027 |
Filed: |
June 28, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
102/293 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F42C 19/02 20130101;
F42B 30/006 20130101; F42C 13/02 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
102/293 |
International
Class: |
F42C 001/00; F42B
001/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 30, 2000 |
DE |
100 31 871.1 |
Claims
1. An optronic fuse device for a flying object such as a drone, a
rocket or an aircraft, comprising a sensor window (14) provided for
its optical arrangement (12), characterised in that associated with
the sensor window (14) is an air deflection device (16) which
deflects the air flow (18) of the flying object in flight past the
sensor window (14).
2. An optronic fuse device according to claim 1 characterised in
that the air deflection device (16) is in the form of a spoiler
nose (20) which produces a transverse air flow.
3. An optronic fuse device according to claim 2 characterised in
that the spoiler nose (20) is disposed radially displaced with
respect to the sensor window (14).
4. An optronic fuse device according to claim 2 or claim 3
characterised in that the spoiler nose has a forwardly obliquely
inclinedly extending side edge contour (22).
5. An optronic fuse device according to claim 4 characterised in
that the spoiler nose has a cylindrically concave afflux
surface.
6. An optronic fuse device according to claim 5 characterised in
that the cylindrically concave afflux surface of the spoiler nose
is of a concavely recessed configuration in the form of a surface
of a sphere.
7. An optronic fuse device according to one of claims 4 to 6
characterised in that the side edge contour (22) of the spoiler
nose is of a stepped configuration.
Description
[0001] The invention concerns an optronic fuse device, as set forth
in the classifying portion of claim 1.
[0002] When optronic fuse devices are used in relation to flying
objects which involve long mission times or which cover great
distances in those long mission times, the optical arrangement can
suffer from fouling for example due to insects, or from icing-up,
that is to say, the optical arrangement becomes covered with ice
microcrystals. Such contamination or icing has the result that it
is no longer possible to guarantee reliable functioning of the fuse
device.
[0003] In order to prevent such contamination or icing, the optical
arrangement of the optronic fuse device of the kind set forth in
the opening part of this specification is hitherto provided for
example with a dome cover which can be blown off.
[0004] Dome covers of that kind which can be blown off require
suitable explosives and electrical cabling. That has an effect on
the production costs involved.
[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide an
optronic fuse device of the kind set forth in the opening part of
this specification, which is relatively inexpensive without the
effectiveness thereof being adversely affected thereby.
[0006] In accordance with the invention that object is attained by
the features of claim 1. Developments of the optronic fuse device
are characterised in the appendant claims.
[0007] The fact that, in accordance with the invention, associated
with the sensor window of the optical arrangement of the optronic
fuse device is an air-deflection device which deflects the air flow
over the flying projectile past the sensor window and which is
preferably in the form of a spoiler nose giving rise to a
transverse air flow, affords the advantage that neither movable
parts nor explosives or electrical cabling are required, thus
resulting in an inexpensive optronic fuse device.
[0008] As the optronic fuse device according to the invention is
used in relation to weapon carriers, that is to say in relation to
flying objects such as drones, rockets or aircraft which move
relatively fast, it is possible in accordance with the invention to
have recourse to an optimised aerodynamic configuration of the air
deflection device. The air deflection device which is preferably in
the form of a spoiler nose and which is mounted laterally of the
sensor window produces a transverse air flow during the mission of
the flying object, that is to say the air is moved past the sensor
window at a spacing therefrom. As a result consequently particles
such as insects, crystallisation seeds and so forth which are
transported with the flowing air are kept away from the sensor
window and impact for example in a region of the flying object
which is non-critical in terms of the optical arrangement.
Consequently, contamination and/or icing of the sensor window is
advantageously prevented without the need for movable parts,
without the need for an explosive and an electrical cabling
arrangement, just by virtue of the air deflection device being of a
suitable configuration.
[0009] An embodiment of an optronic fuse device according to the
invention is described hereinafter and diagrammatically illustrated
in the drawing in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of part of a configuration of
the optronic fuse device, and
[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view in the direction of the arrow II in
FIG. 1 on to the part of the optronic fuse device illustrated
therein.
[0012] FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the optronic fuse device
10 for a flying object which can be a rocket, a drone or an
aircraft. The optronic fuse device 10 has an optical arrangement 12
of which a portion is shown, with a sensor window 14. The optical
arrangement 12 serves with its sensor window 14 to detect a target
to be attacked. In order to prevent the sensor window 14 from
suffering from fouling and/or icing, associated with the sensor
window 14 is an air deflection device 16 which keeps the flow of
air over the in-flight flying object away from the sensor window 14
and deflects it therepast. That is indicated by the dash-dotted
line 18.
[0013] The air deflection device 16 is in the form of a spoiler
nose 20 which projects forwardly from the sensor window 14 or from
the optical arrangement 12 of the optronic fuse device 10. In the
illustrated embodiment, the spoiler nose 20 is designed with a side
edge contour 22 which extends in a forwardly obliquely inclined
configuration and which is stepped in shape. It will be appreciated
that the side edge contour 22 of the spoiler nose may also not be
stepped or may be of a different configuration, that is to say
adapted to the aerodynamic factors involved and may be for example
of a concavely recessed configuration. The concave recess may be
for example in the form of the surface of a sphere. Such a
concavely recessed afflux surface in the form of a spherical
surface causes the air flow to be kept away from the sensor window
14 even if the air flow flows thereto not parallel to the axis but
inclinedly.
* * * * *