Powerless programmable fuze function mode system

Abstract

A system for programming the function mode of a munition fuze without supplying electrical power to the fuze includes an arrangement of programmable elements located internally of the munition that are electrically conductive but which remain electrically unpowered until after munition firing, and a programming mechanism located externally of the munition being operable to mechanically program the conductive elements. The programmable elements are a series of concentric bands attached to the interior of the munition casing and spaced from one another along the munition axis and separated from casing wall by an electrically insulating layer. The programming mechanism is a plurality of punch heads aligned with the concentric bands and capable of being actuated such that only selected ones of the punch heads strike the exterior of the munition casing causing an indentation in the casing that penetrates the insulating layer and makes electrical contact with the selected ones of the concentric bands. By maintaining the munition casing at a common potential, a coded binary sequence of opened and closed switches is formed by the concentric bands setting the function mode of the fuze which can be subsequently read once electrical power is generated upon munition firing.