Jun 17, 2025

US12332033 - Munition with directional projection explosive

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.

Assignee: Raytheon Company
Inventors: Coulton T. Sadler, Brian J. Lukow, Christopher Matthew Turner
Filing date: 2023-04-28

munitionexplosivefragmentationshaped_charge

The patent describes a munition featuring an explosive charge with varying detonation velocities designed to control the direction and spread of propelled materials, such as fragments or explosively formed penetrators. This configuration allows for a more uniform projection pattern compared to traditional munitions using a single explosive.

Claim 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. 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.

Google Patents

https://patents.google.com/patent/US12332033

USPTO PDF

https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/12332033