Raytheon Company

Alliant Techsystems Inc.

Bradley M Biggs

George Darryl Budy

Michael A Johnson

Timothy B Bonbrake

Stanley N Schwantes

Christopher Schott

Tim B Bonbrake

Jesse T Waddell

Bryan F Berlin

Travis P Walter

William A Friedrich

Nicole Quackenbush

Nicole M Quackenbush

Systems and methods for testing an Arm and Fire Device (AFD). The system includes an AFD arm controller and a first power supply coupled to the AFD controller to provide arming power to the AFD controller. The system further includes a monitoring module coupled to the AFD controller through a plurality of means of isolation and communication. The monitoring module may include one or more monitor circuits for the AFD to test at least one circuit in the AFD, at least one circuit external to the AFD, or combination. The system further includes at least one output for the AFD to provide data from the monitoring module. The system may further include a first switch to control the monitoring module is powered and a second switch to control power to the AFD arm module. The system can include an input for applying data to the AFD.

Systems and methods for testing arm and fire devices

An initiator assembly includes an initiator housing having an initiator cavity and a housing orifice edge. A bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity, the bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and first and second bridge contacts flush with the uniform first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge and a flyer plate are within the initiator cavity, the flyer plate interposed between the explosive charge and the bridge substrate. A plunger head is telescopically received in the initiator cavity and includes an anchoring cylinder face having a face perimeter and extends between first and second face ends. The housing orifice edge is anchored to the anchoring cylinder face at a position between the first and second face ends and extends around the face perimeter.

Shock hardened initiator and initiator assembly

A shock mitigation assembly for a penetrating explosive weapon having a first explosive charge and a second explosive charge includes an electronic circuit card having an electronic circuit formed therein, a weight attached to the circuit card to form a circuit card subassembly, a housing enclosing the subassembly, and a hyperelastic material between the housing and the subassembly for internal shock mitigation. The hyperelastic material has a modulus of elasticity that remains elastic characteristics with shock, temperature, or a combination of shock and temperature. The housing may include a casing and a cover with corresponding features that mate with one another and prevent separation of the cover from the casing. The casing also may have an external spiral flange that overlaps an internal spiral flange of a support for the casing, with a hyperelastic material between the casing and support for external shock mitigation.

Shock mitigation assembly for a penetrating weapon

Embodiments of an initiator support assembly that includes an initiator housing including an initiator cavity system are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a bridge substrate is positioned within the initiator cavity. The bridge substrate includes a substrate base including a uniform first planar surface and an opposed second surface. The bridge substrate further includes a first bridge contact extending over the substrate base. The first bridge contact is substantially flush with the first planar surface. A second bridge contact extends over the substrate base. The second bridge contact is substantially flush with the first planar surface. The first and second bridge contacts and the uniform first planar surface form a continuous planar mounting surface. An explosive charge, positioned within the initiator cavity, includes a charge mounting surface that is continuously coupled in surface-to-surface contact across the continuous planar mounting surface.

A system includes a first arm switch, a voltage multiplier device connected in series with the first arm switch, and a first intermediate voltage detector portion communicatively connected to the sequence of events logic portion, the first intermediate voltage detector portion operative to determine whether a first voltage signal is greater than a first threshold voltage value and responsive to determining that the first voltage signal is greater than the first threshold voltage value affect an actuation of the first arm switch and output a first arm signal.

Intermediate voltage arming

Some embodiments pertain to an initiator support assembly that includes a casing and one or more initiator leads extending from the casing. The transmission of current through the initiator leads detonates an explosive charge within the casing. The casing includes a flange and a dampening member attached to the flange. The dampening member is between the flange and a structure where the initiator support assembly is mounted. The dampening member dampens shock that would otherwise be transferred from the structure to the initiator support assembly. In another example embodiment, at least a portion of the casing is formed of an interior wall, a dampening layer covering at least a portion of the interior wall and an exterior wall. The dampening layer dampens shock to the initiator support assembly that would otherwise be transferred from a structure to the initiator support assembly when the exterior wall is mounted to the structure.

Shock dampened explosive initiator assembly and method for dampening shock within a delivery vehicle

Methods and apparatus for a weapon according to various aspects of the present invention comprise and/or operate in conjunction with a warhead case and a fuze system. The fuze system may comprise a fuze housing including a flange configured to be secured to the weapon. In one embodiment, the methods and apparatus operate in conjunction with a fuze well rigidly attached to the warhead case. In addition, the methods and apparatus may include a sensor mounted on the flange, and a booster attached to the fuze well adjacent the fuze housing.

Methods and apparatus for weapon fuze

A fuze mounting assembly for a penetrating weapon configured as a projectable device, the fuze mounting assembly having fasteners, a fuze well and a fuze. The fuze includes an integral bolt flange for securing to the fuze well with the fasteners, wherein an amplification of acceleration of less than 3.0 is satisfied when the penetrating weapon is subjected to impact and penetration shock. Additionally, a projectable device having the fuze is provided. Also, a fuze mounting and a method for mounting a fuze are provided.

Fuze mounting for a penetrator and method thereof

A fuze mounting assembly for a penetrating, the fuze mounting assembly includes a fuze well and a fuze. The fuze includes an integral flange for securing to the fuze well.

Fuze mounting assemblies for penetrator weapons

A fuze for a weapon configured as a projectable device is provided to reduce the mechanical amplification of impact and penetration shock to a fuze-mounted accelerometer when a projectable device including the fuze encounters a target. The fuze includes a fuze housing having an outer surface, a flange extending radially from the outer surface of the fuze housing, and an acceleration sensor connected to the flange. The flange may include one or more axial holes to enable attachment of the fuze to a projectable device. A penetrating weapon projectable device and a method for installing a fuze for a projectable device are also provided.

Accelerometer mounting for a penetrator and method thereof

The present invention is directed to a system and a method for accurately locating a penetrating-type weapon within a shelter for detonation at a desired target site. The method includes detecting a deceleration threshold event indicative of the penetrating weapon impacting and traversing a layer of shelter having certain material or structural characteristics (e.g., a 'hard' or a 'thick' layer). A delayed detonation program or process is enabled upon detection of the threshold event. For example, a delayed detonation program or process may include layer counting, void counting, or a combination of layer and void counting until the desired number of layers (and/or voids) of a shelter has been detected, at which time the weapon may be detonated. Any deceleration events that occur prior to the deceleration threshold event are ignored to minimize the potential failure of detecting specific types of layers including certain types of &#x201c;soft&#x201d; or &#x201c;thin&#x201d; layers.

Method for delayed detonation of a penetrating weapon and related apparatus and systems

The present invention is directed to a system and a method for accurately locating a penetrating-type weapon within a shelter for detonation at a desired target site. The method includes reliably and accurately detecting thin layers of a shelter by use of a weapon frequency induced by a vibration in a portion of the weapon. The weapon frequency is detected and at least one harmonic frequency of the weapon frequency is analyzed to determine whether a deceleration threshold event has occurred. In one embodiment, the harmonic frequency may be compared to a target frequency which is associated with the deceleration of the weapon during penetration of a layer of media. In another embodiment multiple weapon frequencies may be detected, analyzed, or compared to detect the penetration of a layer of media.

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Corona, AZ, United States of America

Bradley M Biggs