Projectile and barrel intended to accommodate such a projectile

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10222186-B2
Application number	US-201514957392-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2015
Priority date	Dec 5, 2014
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

A projectile extending along an axis X between two ends, the projectile being positioned in a barrel of substantially cylindrical shape of axis X is provided. The projectile comprises: a hollow part at its center, opening onto a first of the two ends of the projectile to receive a compressed fluid, a plurality of vents passing through the projectile from the hollow part substantially perpendicular to the axis X and with a substantially radial outlet to expel the compressed fluid substantially at a tangent to the projectile. The invention also relates to the barrel and to a launch device comprising a projectile and a barrel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A projectile extending along an axis X between two ends, the projectile being positioned in a barrel of substantially cylindrical shape of axis X, the barrel comprising a first of two helical-connection elements, comprising:
a hollow part at its center, opening onto a first of the two ends of the projectile to receive a compressed fluid,
a plurality of vents passing through the projectile from the hollow part substantially perpendicular to the axis X and in a direction that has a radial component that extends substantially tangential to a cross section of the projectile, to expel the compressed fluid substantially at a tangent to the projectile, a second of two helical-connection elements which is fixed in the hollow part of the projectile, the first and the second helical-connection elements forming a combined-movement mechanism to simultaneously generate a rotation about the axis X and a translation along the axis X of the projectile with respect to the barrel.

2. The projectile according to claim 1 , comprising a head and a body, the head of the projectile extending from a second of the two ends of the projectile as far as the plurality of vents, the body of the projectile extending from the plurality of vents as far as the first end of the projectile, and in that the diameter of the body of the projectile is smaller than the diameter of the head of the projectile.

3. The projectile according to claim 2 , the barrel having two ends, comprising a head and a body and comprising a substantial radial opening, the head of the barrel extending from a second of the two ends of the barrel as far as the opening, the body of the barrel extending from the opening as far as a first of the two ends of the barrel, the diameter of the body of the barrel being smaller than the diameter of the head of the barrel, wherein the diameter of the head of the projectile is substantially smaller than the diameter of the head of the barrel, and in that the diameter of the body of the projectile is substantially smaller than the diameter of the body of the barrel.

4. A barrel of substantially cylindrical shape of axis X having two ends and a projectile positioned in the barrel, the projectile having two ends comprising a hollow part at its center, opening onto a first of the two ends of the projectile to receive a compressed fluid, and a plurality of vents passing through the projectile from the hollow part substantially perpendicular to the axis X and in a direction that has a radial component that extends substantially tangential to a cross section of the projectile, to expel the compressed fluid substantially at a tangent to the projectile, the projectile comprising a first of two helical-connection elements which is fixed in the hollow part of the projectile, the barrel comprising:
a first opening that is substantially radial so as to allow the compressed fluid to leave the barrel after it has flowed through the projectile; and
a second of two helical-connection elements the first and the second helical-connection elements forming a combined-movement mechanism to simultaneously generate a rotation about the axis X and a translation along the axis X of the projectile with respect to the barrel.

5. The barrel according to claim 4 , comprising a head and a body, the head of the barrel extending from a second of the two ends of the barrel as far as the first opening, the body of the barrel extending from the opening as far as a first of the two ends of the barrel, and in that the diameter of the body of the barrel is smaller than the diameter of the head of the barrel.

6. The barrel according to claim 4 , comprising a second opening between the first opening of the barrel and the second of the two ends of the barrel, comprising a discharge duct having two ends, and in that a first of the two ends of the discharge duct is connected to the first opening of the barrel and a second of the two ends of the discharge duct is connected to the second opening of the barrel.

7. The barrel according to claim 6 , the projectile comprising a head and a body, the head of the projectile extending from a second of the two ends of the projectile as far as the plurality of vents, the body of the projectile extending from the plurality of vents as far as the first end of the projectile, the diameter of the body of the projectile being smaller than the diameter of the head of the projectile, wherein the diameter of the head of the barrel is substantially larger than the diameter of the head of the projectile, and wherein the diameter of the body of the barrel is substantially larger than the diameter of the body of the projectile.

8. A launch device comprising a projectile extending along an axis X between two ends, the projectile being positioned in a barrel of substantially cylindrical shape of axis X, the barrel comprising a first of two helical-connection elements, the projectile comprising:
a hollow part at its center, opening onto a first of the two ends of the projectile to receive a compressed fluid,
a plurality of vents passing through the projectile from the hollow part substantially perpendicular to the axis X and in a direction that has a radial component that extends substantially tangential to a cross section of the projectile, to expel the compressed fluid substantially at a tangent to the projectile, a second of two helical-connection elements which is fixed in the hollow part of the projectile, the first and the second helical-connection elements forming a combined-movement mechanism to simultaneously generate a rotation about the axis X and a translation along the axis X of the projectile with respect to the barrel,
the launch device further comprising:
the barrel, the barrel being of substantially cylindrical shape of axis X having two ends and to accommodate a projectile having two ends comprising a hollow part at its center, opening onto a first of the two ends of the projectile to receive a compressed fluid, and a plurality of vents passing through the projectile from the hollow part substantially perpendicular to the axis X and in a direction that has a radial component, to expel the compressed fluid substantially at a tangent to the projectile, the projectile comprising a first of two helical-connection elements which is fixed in the hollow part of the projectile, comprising a first opening that is substantially radial so as to allow the compressed fluid to leave the barrel after it has flowed through the projectile, and comprising a second of two helical-connection elements the first and the second helical-connection elements forming a combined-movement mechanism to simultaneously generate a rotation about the axis X and a translation along the axis X of the projectile with respect to the barrel.

Assignees

• Thales Sa

Inventors

• Vézain Stéphane
• Billot Carole
• Stanek Didier
• Baudassé Yannick

Classifications

• F41B11/83

  for launching harpoons · CPC title

• F41A21/28

  Gas-expansion chambers; Barrels provided with gas-relieving ports (F41A1/06, F41A13/08 {and F41A21/36} take precedence) · CPC title

• F42B10/28 Primary

  induced by gas action · CPC title

• F41A21/16

  Barrels or gun tubes characterised by the shape of the bore · CPC title

• F42B12/02

  characterised by the warhead or the intended effect · CPC title