Compact electrical fuze

Abstract

A small electrical fuze for use with an explosive projectile being subject to very high g forces both in the direction of and opposed to the line of flight. A lead charge is disposed in a barrel rotor whose axis of rotation is normal to the flight path for providing the safing and arming function. A system of controlling drive balls captured in shaped slots on the surface of the barrel rotor in cooperation with straight slots on an interior surface of a mounting cavity provide the necessary forces for a multiple step arming sequence in response to spin-induced forces on the fuze. These multiple step sequences include two direction reversals. A one-fourth wavelength shorted skirt surrounds the fed end of a monopole antenna to isolate the radio frequency currents thereon from the body of the projectile thereby improving the antenna pattern in the direction of trajectory. A shaped single sided flexible printed circuit board provides three mounting planes for mounting and interconnecting all of the electrical components of the fuze. The packaging configuration allows for assembly of the fuze without the use of any threaded devices, thereby enabling low cost automated mass production.