Munition with directional projection explosive

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12332033-B2
Application number	US-202318308994-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2023
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A munition has an explosive charge with direction explosive characteristics, such as a nonuniform detonation velocities. The explosive charge may have multiple portions of explosives with nonuniform characteristics, and/or may have portions with graded nonuniform characteristics. The explosive charge may be used to propel a material from the munition in a desired manner. For example the material may be fragments that are part of a fragmentation munition. Alternatively the material may be a layer of a material, such as a metal, that produces an explosively formed penetrator or shaped charge. The explosive charge may be configured to control the spread and/or direction of the material to be propelled from the munition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A munition comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis;
an initiator positioned aft of the housing
an explosive charge including a first explosive with a first detonation velocity and a second explosive with a second detonation velocity positioned end-to-end in the housing along the longitudinal axis, one of the first and second explosives positioned in the bottom of the housing and coupled to the initiator, the other of the first and second explosives positioned forward of and in contact with that explosive in the housing;
wherein the first and second explosives have a conical interface about the longitudinal axis;
wherein the first and second detonation velocities are different;
a metal layer in contact with a forward surface of the forward positioned explosive, said metal layer configured to propel multiple fragments, a single or multiple explosively formed penetrators (EFPs) or a singular shaped-charge jet (SCJ) forward in a pattern upon detonation of the second and first explosives,
wherein said explosive charge propels the fragments, EFPs or SCJ in a more uniform pattern than the same explosive charge having a single explosive in the housing.

2. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the first explosive has a relatively low detonation velocity and the second explosive has a relatively high detonation velocity, wherein the first explosive is positioned in the bottom of the housing and coupled to the initiator and second explosive is positioned forward, wherein the first explosive has a forward-facing conical protrusion in contact with an aft-facing surface of a complementary conical void in the second explosive.

3. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the first explosive has a relatively low detonation velocity and the second explosive has a relatively high detonation velocity, wherein the first explosive is positioned in the bottom of the housing and coupled to the initiator and second explosive is positioned forward, wherein the second explosive has an aft-facing conical protrusion in contact with an forward-facing surface of a complementary conical void in the first explosive.

4. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the first explosive has a relatively high detonation velocity and the second explosive has a relatively low detonation velocity, wherein the first explosive is positioned in the bottom of the housing and coupled to the initiator and second explosive is positioned forward, wherein the first explosive has a forward-facing conical protrusion in contact with an aft-facing surface of a complementary conical void in the second explosive.

5. The munition of claim 1 , wherein the first explosive has a relatively high detonation velocity and the second explosive has a relatively low detonation velocity, wherein the first explosive is positioned in the bottom of the housing and coupled to the initiator and second explosive is positioned forward, wherein the second explosive has an aft-facing conical protrusion in contact with an forward-facing surface of a complementary conical void in the first explosive.

6. A munition comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis; and
an explosive charge in the housing, the explosive charge including a first explosive located at a center of the explosive charge with wider portions above and below a central detonation point and a second explosive spaced radially outward and on opposing sides of the longitudinal axis and the first explosive, wherein the first explosive has a relative low detonation velocity that is lower than the second explosive's relatively high detonation velocity;
wherein detonation of the first explosive at the central detonation point and then detonation of the second explosive propels the fragments radially outward in a pattern;
wherein said explosive charge propels the fragments in a more uniform pattern than the same explosive charge having a single explosive in the housing.

7. A munition comprising:
a housing having a longitudinal axis;
an initiator positioned aft of the housing an explosive charge including a first explosive with a relatively low detonation velocity and a second explosive with a relatively high detonation velocity positioned end-to-end along the longitudinal axis, the relatively low detonation velocity being lower than the relatively high detonation velocity, the first explosive coupled to the initiator, the first explosive embedded in the second explosive in an aft portion of the housing, said second explosive positioned forward of the first explosive to fill a forward portion of the housing; and
a curved metal layer in contact with a forward surface of the second explosive, said curved metal layer configured to form a single shaped-charge jet (SCJ) or a single explosively-formed penetrator (EFP) upon detonation of the first and then second explosives;
wherein the initiator creates a spherical detonation wave that propagates through the first explosive;
wherein the second explosives shapes the spherical detonation wave to form a planar detonation wave that contacts the curved metal later to form the single SCJ or single EFP.

Assignees

• Raytheon Co

Inventors

• Sadler Coulton T
• Lukow Brian J
• Turner Christopher Matthew

Classifications

• F42B12/16 Primary

  in combination with an additional projectile or charge, acting successively on the target {(see also F42B12/625)} · CPC title

• F42B12/32

  the hull or case comprising a plurality of discrete bodies, e.g. steel balls, embedded therein {or disposed around the explosive charge} · CPC title

• F42B12/208 Primary

  characterised by a plurality of charges within a single high explosive warhead · CPC title

• F42B12/10

  with shaped or hollow charge (shaped or hollow charges per se F42B1/02 {; mines having hollow charges F42B23/04}) · CPC title

• F42B12/24

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