Munition with multiple fragment layers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10520289-B2
Application number	US-201515117907-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 11, 2015
Priority date	Feb 11, 2014
Publication date	Dec 31, 2019
Grant date	Dec 31, 2019

Abstract

A munition has preformed fragments at two radial distances from a center axis, for instance having inner fragments in or within or adjacent to a casing, and outer fragments outside of the casing. The outer fragments may be between the casing and an outer enclosure that surrounds the casing. The casing may be part of a warhead, and may be a penetrator casing. The fragments at different radial distances from the center may have different sizes, different materials, and/or different shapes. The use of fragments at different radial distances aids in providing enhanced fragmentation effects, such as controlling dispersal of fragments to limit fragmentation effects and/or provide more even distribution of fragments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A munition comprising:
a casing, wherein the casing is a penetrator casing having a nose that is thicker than an aft section of the casing that is aft of the nose;
an explosive within the casing;
preformed solid fragments surrounding the explosive, wherein the preformed fragments include inner fragments and outer fragments;
wherein the outer fragments are radially outward from a center of the munition further than the inner fragments;
wherein the inner fragments include fragments contained within the casing, between an inner surface of the casing and the outer surface of the casing;
wherein the outer fragments are outside of the outer surface of the casing;
wherein the penetrator casing has a monolithic nose without cutouts or openings therethrough;
wherein the nose has a thickest portion that is at least twice the thickness of thickest portions of the aft section;
wherein the outer fragments are between the casing and an enclosure that surrounds the casing;
wherein the casing has a series of non-intersecting elongate reduced-thickness portions, thinner than portions of the casing that are adjacent the reduced-thickness portions;
wherein the inner fragments are located in the reduced-thickness portions;
wherein the elongate reduced-thickness portions are portions in which the casing has holes therein; and
wherein the holes include a series of longitudinal holes therein, separated circumferentially around the penetrator casing.

2. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the inner fragments and the outer fragments define an annular fragment-free space, free of preformed fragments, that is radially between the inner fragments and the outer fragments.

3. The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the aft section is substantially cylindrical.

4. The warhead of claim 1 , wherein the solid fragments include spherical fragments, fragments in casings, and/or fragments having flat bodies.

5. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure that surrounds the casing includes an upper piece that is part of an upper assembly, and a lower piece that engages the upper assembly to enclose the casing.

6. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the outer fragments are in openings or pockets within the enclosure.

7. The munition of claim 6 , wherein the outer fragments are enclosed as parts of self-contained fragmentation packs that are located in the openings or pockets.

8. The munition of claim 7 , wherein the fragmentation packs include a fragmentation pack casing that contains the outer fragments.

9. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the outer fragments are in cast fragment blocks that include multiple of the fragments held together by a binder.

10. The munition of claim 9 , wherein the cast fragment blocks are adhesively secured to the enclosure.

11. The munition of claim 9 , wherein the cast fragment blocks are mechanically secured to the enclosure.

12. The munition of claim 1 , further comprising a metallic powder material within the enclosure.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Bootes Thomas H
• Budy George D
• Lee Wayne Y
• Polly Richard K
• Shire Jason M
• Waddell Jesse T

Classifications

• F42B12/04

  of armour-piercing type · CPC title

• F42B12/204 Primary

  for attacking structures, e.g. specific buildings or fortifications, ships or vehicles · CPC title

• F42B12/24

  with grooves, recesses or other wall weakenings {(F42B12/26, F42B12/28 take precedence)} · CPC title

• F42B25/00

  Fall bombs (F42B10/00, F42B12/00 take precedence; for practice or training F42B8/12 {; gliding type bombs F42B15/105}) · CPC title

• F42C19/02

  Fuze bodies; Fuze housings · CPC title