Apparatus for detonating munitions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11187512-B1
Application number	US-201916602214-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 29, 2019
Priority date	Aug 29, 2019
Publication date	Nov 30, 2021
Grant date	Nov 30, 2021

Abstract

An apparatus for detonating a munition having a munition casing. The apparatus includes a pyramidal shaped housing with an interior to receive explosive material and a stepped structure defining a plurality of tier sections. The housing includes a bottom portion and an interior space to receive an energetic device. A force-reactive component secured to the bottom portion of the housing confronts the munition casing and includes a force-receiving portion exposed to the housing interior. The force-reactive component impacts the munition casing when a force is exerted upon the force-receiving portion. After the apparatus is positioned on the casing, explosive material is packed into the housing interior and an energetic device disposed within the additional space, the energetic device is detonated and the force-reactive component impacts the munition casing where shock waves permeate the munition casing and detonate the munition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for detonating a munition having a munition casing, the apparatus comprising:
a pyramidal shaped housing including a hollow interior being configured for receiving an explosive material and a stepped structure defining a plurality of tier sections, the plurality of tier sections comprise a base tier section, an upper tier section and at least one intermediate tier section, wherein the base tier section is relatively larger in size than both the intermediate tier section and the upper tier section, wherein the intermediate tier section is relatively larger in size than the upper tier section, wherein the pyramidal shaped housing includes a bottom portion contiguous with the base tier section, and wherein the pyramidal shaped housing further includes an additional space that is part of the interior and which is configured to receive an energetic device; and
a force-reactive component being secured to the bottom portion of the housing so that the force-reactive component confronts the munition casing, the force-reactive component includes a force-receiving portion exposed to the interior of the pyramidal shaped housing, wherein the force-reactive component is configured to impact the munition casing when a force is exerted upon the force-receiving portion, and
wherein when the apparatus is positioned on the munition casing and explosive material is packed into the interior of the pyramidal shaped housing and an energetic device is disposed within the additional space, detonation of the energetic device causes detonation of the explosive material to produce a force upon the force-receiving portion of the force-reactive component to cause the force-reactive component to impact the munition casing thereby to produce shock waves that permeate the munition casing and cause the munition to detonate.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one intermediate tier section comprises a plurality of intermediate tier sections, wherein an uppermost intermediate tier section is contiguous with and larger than the upper tier section and each successive intermediate tier section is larger than the previous intermediate tier section, and wherein a lowermost intermediate tier section is contiguous with and smaller than the base tier section.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the plurality of intermediate tier sections comprises three intermediate tier sections.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured for placement on a munition casing having a curvature, and wherein the base tier section, intermediate tier sections and the upper tier section each have a curvature, which corresponds to the curvature of the munition casing.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured for placement on a munition casing having a curvature, and wherein the base tier section has a curvature that corresponds to the curvature of the munition casing.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion of the housing has an opening that confronts the munition casing, wherein the force-reactive component comprises at least one disc member within the interior of the housing and positioned over the opening in the bottom portion, whereby detonation of the explosive material deforms the disc member so that the disc member impacts the munition casing and produces the shock waves.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the disc member has a generally arc-shaped and a peak portion exposed to the interior of the housing.

8. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the bottom portion of the housing has a plurality of openings and the at least one disc member comprises a plurality of disc members, and wherein each disc member is positioned over a corresponding opening.

9. The apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the disc member is a metal disc member.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the force-reactive component comprises a plate member that is secured to the bottom portion of the housing, wherein the plate member includes at least one dimple having a peak portion that is exposed to the interior of the housing, whereby detonation of the explosive material produces a force that deforms the dimple so that it impacts the munition casing and produces the shock waves.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one dimple comprises a plurality of dimples.

12. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one dimple is centrally located on the plate member.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the plate member is a metal plate member.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the pyramidal shaped housing is fabricated from one of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, plastic, rubber, resin, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and composite materials.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the housing includes an extending section contiguous with the upper tier section to provide additional space.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising plastic explosive material being packed into the interior of the pyramidal shaped housing.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16 , further including an energetic device being disposed within the additional space and being in physical contact with the explosive material.

18. An apparatus for detonating a munition having a munition casing, comprising:
a pyramidal shaped housing including a hollow interior being configured for receiving an explosive material and a stepped structure defining a plurality of tier sections, wherein the plurality of tier sections includes a base tier section, an upper tier section and at least one intermediate tier section, wherein the base tier section is relatively larger in size than both the intermediate tier section and the upper tier section, wherein the intermediate tier section is relatively larger in size than the upper tier section, wherein the pyramidal shaped housing includes a bottom portion contiguous with the base tier section, and wherein the pyramidal shaped housing further includes an additional space that is part of the interior and configured to receive an energetic device; and
a force-reactive component being secured to the bottom portion of the housing so that the force-reactive component confronts the munition casing, wherein the force-reactive component includes a force-receiving portion exposed to the interior of the pyramidal shaped housing, wherein the force-reactive component is configured to impact the munition casing when a force is exerted upon the force-receiving portion, wherein the force-reactive component comprises a plate member that is secured to the bottom portion of the housing and which includes at least one dimple having a peak portion exposed to the interior of the housing, and
wherein when the explosive material is packed into the interior of the pyramidal shaped housing and an energetic device is disposed within the additional space, the detonation of the energetic device causes detonation of the explosive material to produce a force upon the force-receiving portion of the dimple to thereby deform the dimple so that it impacts the munition casing and produces shock waves that permeate the munition casing and cause the munition to detonate.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one dimple comprises a plurality of dimples.

20. An apparatus for detonating a munition having a munition casing, comprising:
a pyramidal shaped h

Assignees

• Us Navy

Inventors

• Foltz Lee
• Mccarthy Daniel
• Mcguire Ray

Classifications

• F42D5/04 Primary

  Rendering explosive charges harmless, e.g. destroying ammunition ({F42B39/14 and F42B39/20 take precedence } ; extracting primers, dismantling ammunition F42B33/04, F42B33/06 {; chemical deactivating of explosives C06B21/0091}); Rendering detonation of explosive charges harmless · CPC title

• F42B3/08

  with cavities in the charge, e.g. hollow-charge blasting cartridges · CPC title

• F42D5/045

  Detonation-wave absorbing or damping means · CPC title

• F42D3/00

  Particular applications of blasting techniques {(explosive welding B23K20/08; explosive bolts or actuators F42B3/006; explosive valves F16K13/06; cutting devices actuated by explosion B23D15/145; pyrotechnical actuators F15B15/19; switching devices actuated by explosion H01H39/00)} · CPC title

• F42B3/00

  Blasting cartridges, i.e. case and explosive (fuse cords, e.g. detonating fuse cords C06C5/00; chemical aspects of detonators, blasting caps or primers C06C7/00) · CPC title