Stationary self-destruct fuze mechanism

Abstract

A fuze mechanism for a submuntion includes an activation mechanism having a container filled with an activation fluid and an ampoule breaker to break the container upon deployment of the munition, a delay mechanism including a spring-loaded self-destruct firing pin to initiate a secondary detonator in close proximity to a primary detonator, and an interlock unit supported by the ampoule breaker that locks the self-destruct firing pin away from the secondary detonator. The ampoule breaker includes a piston and a timing ball, which accesses the activation liquid. The action of the activation liquid on the timing ball over time causes the timing ball to erode until it is forced into the container by the spring-loaded piston. The movement of the piston frees the interlock unit, allowing the spring-loaded self-destruct firing pin to move under force and impact or initiate the secondary detonator. Initiation of the secondary detonator destroys the primary detonator and, depending upon slide location, either sterilizes or destroys the submunition. The activation mechanism, delay mechanism and interlock unit are housed in a stationary self destruct slide housing for safe and reliable use of the fuze mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A self-destruct detonating fuze for a submunition, said submunition having a longitudinal axis, a main charge and said self-destruct detonating fuze for initiating the main charge upon impact, said self-destruct detonating fuze comprising:
 a self-destruct slide housing holding a first detonator;   a movable fuze slide slidingly engaged with said self-destruct slide housing between a safe position and an armed position, said movable fuze slide having a second detonator mounted thereto;   a slide housing holding member permanently engaged with said self-destruct slide housing and holding said self-destruct slide housing in a stationary position relative to the submunition regardless of the position of said movable fuze slide;   said stationary self-destruct slide housing including
 a delay mechanism offset and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the submunition, said delay mechanism including an energizing source and a self-destruct firing pin, said self-destruct firing pin aligned with said first detonator and urged toward said first detonator in a first direction by said energizing source to explode said first detonator, 
 an interlock unit movable between a first position within said self-destruct slide housing, in which said interlock unit abuts said self-destruct firing pin and restrains said self-destruct firing pin away from said first detonator, and a second position within said self-destruct slide housing offset from said first position in a second direction in which said interlock unit allows said energizing source to move said self-destruct firing pin into said first detonator, and 
 an activation mechanism offset from said delay mechanism and supporting said interlock unit in said first position against said self-destruct firing pin, said activation mechanism adapted to shift after a delay and release its support of said interlock unit against said self-destruct firing pin to allow movement of said interlock unit to said second position. 
   
     
     
         2 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 1 , said slide housing holding member including a fuze housing, said fuze housing fixedly secured to the submunition and covering said stationary self-destruct slide housing, said fuze housing including a slide housing locking unit extending around and holding said self-destruct slide housing in the stationary position relative to the submunition. 
     
     
         3 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 2 , said slide housing holding member further including an arming screw, said stationary self-destruct slide housing including an aperture receiving said arming screw, said aperture being aligned between said arming screw and said second detonator when said movable fuze slide is in the armed position. 
     
     
         4 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 3 , said arming screw being engaged within said aperture of said self-destruct slide housing regardless of the position of the movable fuze slide. 
     
     
         5 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 1 , wherein the first direction is different that the second direction. 
     
     
         6 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 1 , said activation mechanism including a container holding a fluid, and a breaking member that breaks said container and accesses said fluid to erode said breaking member over the delay and release the support of said restraining unit against said self-destruct firing pin, said breaking member including a timing ball in contact with a piston, said timing ball adapted to break said container, access the fluid, erode when exposed to the fluid during the delay, and move into said container after the delay. 
     
     
         7 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 6 , wherein said activation mechanism further includes a second energizing source that causes the contact between said breaking member and said container. 
     
     
         8 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 7 , wherein said first energizing source and said second energizing source each include a compression spring. 
     
     
         9 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 7 , wherein said container is a glass ampoule and said breaking member is an ampoule weight that is urged by said second energizing source to contact and break said glass ampoule to access said fluid. 
     
     
         10 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 6 , said piston supporting said restraining unit during the erosion of said timing ball, and said piston releasing its support of said restraining unit when said timing ball moves into said container after the delay. 
     
     
         11 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 6 , further comprising a ribbon retainer that restricts an unfurling of a stabilizer ribbon prior to a deployment of the submunition, and that is extracted upon the unfurling of the stabilizer ribbon after the deployment. 
     
     
         12 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 11 , said activation mechanism further including a retainer clip that maintains separation between said container and said breaking member prior to a deployment of the submunition, said retainer clip abutting said breaking member and engaged with said ribbon retainer to extract from said breaking member upon the extraction of said ribbon retainer. 
     
     
         13 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 11 , wherein said ribbon retainer includes a movable slide lock housing said movable fuze slide and at least partially covering said stabilizer ribbon. 
     
     
         14 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 1 , wherein said slide housing includes a channel between said delay mechanism and said activation mechanism, and restraining unit includes at least one interlock ball that moves within said channel between the first position and the second position. 
     
     
         15 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 1 , said slide housing holding member including an arming screw, said stationary self-destruct slide housing including an aperture receiving said arming screw, said aperture being aligned between said arming screw and said second detonator when said movable slide is in the armed position, said arming screw slidingly engaged within said aperture to maintain alignment of said arming screw relative to said second detonator. 
     
     
         16 . A self-destruct detonating fuze for a submunition, said submunition having a longitudinal axis, a main charge and said self-destruct detonating fuze for initiating the main charge upon impact, said self-destruct detonating fuze comprising:
 a self-destruct slide housing holding a first detonator;   a movable fuze slide slidingly engaged with said self-destruct slide housing between a safe position and an armed position, said movable fuze slide having a second detonator mounted thereto;   a slide housing holding member permanently engaged with said self-destruct slide housing and holding said self-destruct slide housing in a stationary position relative to the submunition regardless of the position of said movable fuze slide;   said stationary self-destruct slide housing including
 a delay mechanism offset and substantially orthogonal to the longitudinal axis, said delay mechanism including an energizing source and a self-destruct firing pin, said self-destruct firing pin aligned with said first detonator and urged into said first detonator by said energizing source; 
 an activation mechanism offset from said delay mechanism, said activation mechanism including a container holding a fluid, and a breaking member that breaks said container and accesses the fluid, which erodes said breaking member over a delay and releases a hold against said self-defense firing pin; and 
 an interlock unit movable between a first position supported by said activation mechanism against said self-destruct firing pin to hold said self-destruct firing pin away from said first detonator, and a second position that releases the hold against said self-destruct firing pin and allows said energizing source to move said self-destruct firing pin into said first detonator, the self-destruct slide housing including a channel between said delay mechanism and said activation mechanism, the interlock unit including at least one interlock ball that moves within said channel between the first position and the second position. 
   
     
     
         17 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 16  said slide housing holding member including a fuze housing, said fuze housing fixedly secured to the submunition and covering said stationary self-destruct slide housing, said fuze housing including a slide housing locking unit extending around and holding said self-destruct slide housing in the stationary position relative to the submunition. 
     
     
         18 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 16 , said slide housing holding member including an arming screw, said stationary self-destruct slide housing including an aperture receiving said arming screw, said aperture being aligned between said arming screw and said second detonator when said movable slide is in the armed position, said arming screw slidingly engaged within said aperture to maintain alignment of said arming screw relative to said second detonator. 
     
     
         19 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 18 , said arming screw being engaged within said aperture of said self-destruct slide housing regardless of the position of the movable fuze slide. 
     
     
         20 . The self-destruct detonating fuze of  claim 16 , said activation mechanism further including a second energizing source that urges said breaking member to contact and break said container to access said fluid, said breaking member including a timing ball in contact with a piston, said timing ball adapted to break said container, access the fluid, erode when in contact with the fluid during the delay, and move to the second position inside said container after the delay, said piston supporting said restraining unit during the erosion of said timing ball, and said piston releasing its support of said restraining unit when said timing ball moves to the second position, which releases the hold against said self-destruct firing pin and allows said energizing source to move said self-destruct firing pin into said detonator into said container.