EP2275769B1 - Fire control unit for a handgun - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a Feuerleitgerät for a handgun suitable for day and night use, especially for large caliber and slow-flying ammunition or bullets for short and medium ranges, such as 40 mm grenade launcher and bazookas / bunker fighters and similar weapons. The fire control device also serves to determine and automatically adjust the angle of attachment for adjusting the ballistics and the side angle for swirl correction for handguns with a relatively large angle of attachment.

From the WO 2008/092548 A1 is a portable, recoil-poor weapon system with a fire pipe known, which is effective against static and mobile targets, and can be used during the day and at night. This portable multi-purpose weapon is characterized by the fact that the integrated fire control allows a target assignment. In addition to the integrated fire control, it has a distance measuring device and an optical system parallel to the pipe axis. Sensors around relevant axes on the weapon structure determine elevation and azimuth angle of the weapon. The fire pipe comprises a processor in which the lead and ejection distance of the projectile to be fired is calculated. These data are then programmed on the projectile.

For weapons with larger calibers with relatively low bullet speeds, such. B. 40 mm shells, bazookas, bunker fists and the like, the curvature of the trajectory is more pronounced and must therefore be taken into account when aiming. The aiming can no longer take place parallel to the tube axis, but it must be targeted much higher. Here, the problem is that usually the target must be moved in the field of view mechanically or electronically. A shift is only possible up to the edge of the field of view. Distortions also occur in the edge area of the optics. Alternatively, you can interpret the optics larger, which is negative for the size and weight, or you choose very high quality optics, which are then very expensive.

From the DE 10 2008 015 423 A1 is a sight with aiming sight for weapons in particular with ammunition for stretched or elevated trajectories known, in which the target remains at the pipe's elevation for the viewer in the center of the field of view of the visualization system. The sighting device has at least two optical systems, wherein the first optical system on the objective side and the / the other optical systems are integrated on the eyepiece side. The optical systems can be tilted or rotated, wherein the eyepiece optical system is fixedly attached to the gun barrel of the weapon.

Missiles that are fired from weapons with a drawn barrel are in turn subjected to a spin when passing through the barrel. By this twist, however, results in an undesirable lateral deviation of the trajectory. In order to correct this lateral deviation, for example, the Mauser C 96 pistol was tilted.

The US Pat. No. 6,499,382 B1 discloses a weapon system comprising a weapon and a target system. The weapon and the target system are in turn attached to a weapon mount or bracket. The weapon is height-adjustable within the bracket and can be adjusted with the bracket in azimuth. The target system can be connected via a coupling with the weapon and via another coupling with the holder. The target system comprises a rangefinder and an image pickup device. Among other things, a target mark on a display device reproducing the image of the image recording device is displayed or placed over the image by a control computer. If an elevation is detected during straightening, it will be displayed differently on the edge of the display device, in order to remain visible to the operator on the one hand and to signal to an operator that the target crosshair is no longer the target tracking. The control computer stores the position of the target mark on the display device. Thereafter, the target system aimed at the target is released from the weapon and connected to the holder. Now, another judging of the weapon without the target system. If the position of the target mark stored in the control computer of the target system coincides with the alignment of the weapon barrel of the weapon, the target mark is again carried along with the weapon movement as previously shown and displayed in the image of the indicator.

• Eine Handfeuerwaffe zum Verschuss von Munitionen oder Geschossen mit gestreckten oder
• überhöhten Flugbahnen, mit einem Feuerleitgerät , umfassend einen Entfernungsmesser zur Messung einer Zielentfernung, ein Neigungsmesser für eine Ziellinienneigung, einen Neigungsmesser für eine Verkantung und einen Winkelcoder für einen eingestellten Aufsatzwinkel.

The US Pat. No. 6,499,382 B1 discloses in particular the following features of claim 1:

• A handgun for firing ammunition or projectiles with stretched or
• over-inflated trajectories, comprising a fire control apparatus comprising a rangefinder for measuring a target distance, a target line inclinometer, a slant inclinometer, and an angle encoder for a set angle of attachment.

Such a solution requires a holder of the weapon. For a handgun without a holder, the temporary release of the target system of the weapon is not possible.

Here, the invention takes on the task of creating a Feuerleitgerät for small arms, which is designed for a weapon with a relatively large angle.

The object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are shown in the respective subclaims.

The invention is based on the idea to connect the fire control device to the weapon so that when directing the weapon a direct view of the operator to the target (direct straightening) is maintained. In continuation of the invention, a twist correction with the aid of the fire control device is sought.

The fire control device preferably comprises at least partially all sensors and / or target means necessary for the intended function. The fire control device is preferably automatically but by hand to the weapon axis by up to 90 °, ie about the vertical axis of the device, pivotable or can be rotated in this angular range. The automatic and manual twisting depends on the required attachment angle of the weapon. The angle of attack (vertical angle) between the axis of the weapon's bore axis and the sighting axis is known to depend on the weapon, ammunition, target range, environmental conditions such as air pressure and temperature, bullet velocity, target line angle and other parameters. If one wants to consider these parameters, should the most important of these parameters are measured with sensors, recorded and taken into account in the ballistics calculation and adjustment. The required sensors are preferably integrated in the fire control device, but can also be partially integrated on the weapon. Therefore, provided in the fire control device, a rangefinder for measuring the target distance, an inclinometer for the target line inclination, a tilt meter for tilting and an angle encoder for the set attachment angle. Furthermore, an air pressure sensor and an ambient temperature sensor may be taken into account for determining the relevant ballistic values. The direct aiming can be done, for example, with the integrated red-light laser aiming marker, infrared laser marker or the infrared laser aiming light and in combination with all, even with large attachment angles. During the day, you can also target the adapted target device (red dot sight, holographic visor, etc.).

By pivoting the entire Feuerleitgerätes the advantage is achieved that the built-in fire equipment aiming aids and sensors are in any (angular) position of the Feuerleitgerätes all right and aligned parallel to each other or remain. Thus, the IR illuminator may be used in combination with the laser aiming marker or also with an optical aiming means. Also, the built-in laser range finder can be used in any position, returning to a "zero position" or the like with re-sighting is not required. Even when changing from one destination to another, it is no longer necessary to start a "zero position" in the meantime.

The fire control unit has the option of manually entering the most important ballistic parameters in order to have a fallback position if individual sensors or other problems fail. It is thus possible to enter offset values in the angle of view and in the target distance. This is particularly useful if an ammunition is fired at which the ballistics is not yet programmed or if, for example, air burst ammunition (ABM) is fired, which is to detonate at a defined distance in front of or behind the target. In the fire control device also several ballistic curves for trajectories of different types of ammunition or warheads are stored and easily selectable via a menu.

Basically, for the attachment angle at all target distances, except for the maximum flight distance of the projectile, there are two solutions for the attachment angle, one in the lower and one in the upper angle group. The solution for the lower angle group yields increasing from 0 ° attachment angle (horizontal) at 0 m target distance, a required attachment angle of x ° at ym target distance. This value is always less than 45 °. The solution for the upper angle group, decreasing from 90 ° attachment angle (vertical) at 0 m target distance, gives a required attachment angle of 90 ° -x ° at ym target distance. This value is always greater than 45 °. Shooting in the upper angle group makes sense on special projectiles, for example when shooting with reconnaissance bullets (cameras with radio data transmission in the bullet) or when shooting with infrared lighting bullets.

For special scenarios such as fighting for cover, over houses or other obstacles, it may make sense to shoot steeply upwards. Smaller obstacles can however be "overshadowed" by the strongly curved trajectory of such projectiles even in the lower angle group.

With the fire control unit also the programming of ABM ammunition or other projectiles is possible. Thus, with the help of the IR laser target illuminator, which is aligned in the axis of the weapon, the data transmission to the projectile can be made by IR light after the projectile has left the weapon barrel. This IR illuminator is mounted either on the bracket or on the rigid housing part of the fire control device parallel to the weapon axis. In the floor a corresponding electronics and power source is installed, in the floor of the IR receiver. By data transmission, the data for the fuse run time, the warhead setting or other data can be transmitted to the projectile.

The direct directing and aiming in the dark is made possible with a night vision red dot sight, holographic visor etc. in / on or a corresponding optical aiming means on the fire control device or with the built-in laser target markers. This can be combined with the infrared laser target illuminator for brightening in strong darkness or in shadow areas as well as with a (commercial) night vision goggles.

The fire control unit is easy to operate during operation. It has a trigger cable, the button on the weapon ergonomically placed can be. The attachment of the cable and the button is done for example with a Velcro or other simple means. If necessary, additional buttons on the trigger cable to perform other operations, such. B. Laser on / off or distance measurement without fire control.

The fire control device further preferably has an emergency operation option. Should the fire control unit no longer (can) turn into the required attachment angle due to a fault or power failure, the angular position of the fire control and thus the correct attachment angle can also be adjusted by manually turning a knob or the like, for example on the back of the Feuerleitgerätes become. For this purpose, an adjustment scale is further provided on the fire control. The angle values required for adjustment for the different ammunition types and distances can be listed in a table on the device, in the display or in the operating instructions.

The fire control unit is designed for mounting on the weapon and thus designed for the special, resulting requirements, such as low weight, small size and robust fireproof construction. Parts of the target device outside of the fire control device, such as an optical aiming means, can be easily attached to Picatinny rails on the fire control device with a mechanical support. This has the further advantage that optical aiming means can be integrated according to the customer's request or adaptable to the application scenario. The holder for the weapon, the trigger cable, the aiming tool are easy to replace. In combination with ballistics, which are easy to select, the fire control unit can therefore be used universally for various weapon types.

As already mentioned, a disproportionate twist correction is desirable for various ammunitions (eg 40 mm). The swirl correction can be made as already mentioned in adjusting the fire control by tilting the weapon. By tilting the fire control device in the setting of the attachment angle a side correction is additionally created, which corresponds to the amount of swirl deviation and runs in the opposite direction. The page correction depends on the tilt angle and the attachment angle. By varying the tilt angle, the page correction can thus be adjusted. Since the attachment angle behaves disproportionately to the distance, the side correction is disproportionate in relation to the distance.

The desired swirl correction as correction of the lateral deposition therefore takes place by means of a constant correction angle component and a further variable correction angle component, wherein the constant correction angle is proportional to the distance, while the variable correction angle increases disproportionately with increasing distance. The constant correction component is determined by the alignment during adjustment of the fire control device, in which the fire control device to the weapon axis in horizontal orientation is deliberately adjusted by the required angle using a Justierteafel. D. h., When adjusting the Feuerleitgerätes the axis of the Feuerleitgerätes is not parallel to the axis of the weapon and not adjusted to a point at a defined distance for the swirl correction, but a defined, constant angle in horizontal alignment between the axes of the fire and the weapon set. The variable portion, however, is created by the fact that the fire control is not vertically but tilted mounted on the weapon. This is possible by an oblique mounting of the fire control device on the weapon in a simple manner. By dimensioning the set side angle when adjusting and the tilt angle on the bracket, the slope and the curvature of this correction curve can be adapted to a required Twist correction curve.

In a non-inventive embodiment, the device can also be mounted vertically as an alternative to the tilted mounting of the Feuerleitgerätes and the shooter is the required tilt displayed on the display, which he must then set. This can be represented in the display in the form of an artificial horizon as an oblique line or a horizontally aligned symbol, etc. The representation is preferably dynamic, wherein the tilt angle is measured cyclically and the display is displayed according to the size and direction of the tilt. The display of the correctly set tilting angle can be made by means of an LED or a vibrating element on the push button of the trigger cable. By twisting a small height error is generated, which is compensated when setting the attachment angle by the fire control.

By selecting and combining the correct values for the proportional and disproportionate correction component, the correction curve of the swirl deviation curve can be approximated very well. For fine adjustment of the slope and the curvature of this disproportionate curve to the actual existing twist deviation, the proportional and the disproportionate correction are combined. By correcting these linear and disproportionate amounts of correction, the required size and curvature of the twist correction can be accurately modeled for each combination of weapon and ammunition.

Thus, a fire control device for a weapon for firing ammunition with stretched or excessive trajectory is proposed, which supports a quick target change and is operational day and night. The fire control unit is due to the low Size and light weight especially suitable for use on small arms. The built-in rangefinder and other sensors for ballistics-related parameters improve the hit-first probability and increase the hit-off performance. With the optical or holographic aiming aids and also with the built-in laser target markers in the visible and in the infrared range, the night fighting ability is possible in combination with a night vision goggles. Special ammunition for infrared battlefield lighting or reconnaissance bullets with built-in camera are shot in the upper angle group (45 ° to 90 °), these angles are not adjustable in previous visors.

Fig. 1

eine Waffe mit Feuerleitgerät in Ausgangsstellung,

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Feuerleitgerätes an der Waffe von hinten,

Fig. 3

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Feuerleitgerätes an der Waffe von vorne,

Fig. 4

Waffe mit Feuerleitgerät mit eingestelltem Aufsatzwinkel,

Fig. 5

eine Darstellung des Seitenfehlers mit Drift nach rechts,

Fig. 6

eine Darstellung der Drallkorrektur durch Verdrehen der Rohrachse in Bezug auf die Visierlinie,

Fig. 7

eine Darstellung der Drallkorrektur durch Verkanten der Waffe.

Reference to an embodiment with drawings, the invention will be explained in more detail. It shows:

Fig. 1

a weapon with fire control in the starting position,

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the Feuerleitgerätes on the weapon from behind,

Fig. 3

a perspective view of the fire control device on the weapon from the front,

Fig. 4

Weapon with fire control device with set attachment angle,

Fig. 5

a representation of the lateral error with drift to the right,

Fig. 6

a representation of the twist correction by rotating the tube axis with respect to the sight line,

Fig. 7

a representation of the twist correction by tilting the weapon.

In Fig. 1 is a weapon 100, here an assault rifle with 40 mm grenade launcher, shown, on the side, here on the left, a Feuerleitgerät 1 is attached. The fire control device 1 is in an initial position. The representation thus corresponds to the basic position, there is no attachment angle set. In this position, the fire control device 1 is mounted and adjusted in parallel to the tube bore axis of the weapon 100.

Fig. 2 shows the perspective view of the fire control device 1 on the weapon 100 from behind. With 2 a battery compartment is marked, with 3 a display for target display. Other means shown here are a side adjustment 4, control buttons 5, a knob 6 for menu operation and an on / off switch 7. A connection 8 is used to connect the Feuerleitge rätes 1 with a trigger switch on the weapon (not shown) via a trigger cable. For the emergency operation, a further knob 9 and a scale 10 are provided. An optical aiming means 11 is preferably mounted above the fire control device 1.

Furthermore, the fire control system preferably comprises a red-light laser marker 12 and an infrared laser marker 13, an infrared laser aiming light 14 and a laser rangefinder 15. These elements can in turn be integrated on the front side of the fire control device 1. A protective cover 16 protects the fire control device 1 when not in use against contamination, etc. ( Fig. 3 ). Not shown in detail, however, part of the fire control, preferably the fire control device 1, is a computer in which various ballistic curves and twist correction curves / angles, etc. are stored for determining the angle of attachment. The computer also serves to process or process the measured values of the sensors as well as the signal output for setting the attachment angle.

• Der komplette Feuerleitvorgang erfolgt vorzugsweise vollautomatisch.

The operation is as follows:

• The complete fire control process is preferably fully automatic.

After aiming the target with the laser target marker 12, 13 and / or the optical aiming aid 11, etc., the trigger button on the weapon 100 is pressed. This reads out the built-in but not shown sensors (a rangefinder distance finder, a line-of-sight slope inclinometer, a tilt sensor, an air pressure sensor, preferably also an ambient temperature sensor and an angle encoder for the set angle); possibly entered parameters and the calculation of the attachment angle and, if applicable, the calculation of the time of flight for ABM. A parallel to the weapon axis mounted laser chandelier (not shown here) allows data transmission by IR light to the floor after it has left the gun barrel. For this purpose, the projectile has a corresponding receiver with electronics and power source.

Thereafter, the entire fire control device 1 is automatically rotated with its aiming means by the required angle for essay and a possible twist correction. The shooter again aims at the target, aiming directly at the target with the aid of the fire control device 1, so that the weapon 100 is turned on and the shooter can shoot. The sighting line and the direction of the fire control device 1 agree here. The whole process is very fast and intuitive for the shooter, so as not to overload him in the tense fighting situation.

Fig. 4 shows the fire control device 1 with the set attachment angle of the weapon 100. The fire control device with the laser marker 12, 13 and the optical aiming aid 11 etc. is aligned with the target (not shown), while the weapon 100 points to the required attachment angle upwards ,

Fig. 5 shows the representation of the lateral defect already described in detail, which by a twist correction angle as in Fig. 6 can be corrected.

Claims (11)

1. Hand fired weapon (100) for shooting ammunition or projectiles with extended or superelevated flight paths, with a fire control unit (1), comprising a rangefinder for measuring the distance from a target, an inclinometer for a target line inclination, an inclinometer for a tilting and an angle encoder for a set tangent elevation, wherein during adjustment of the fire control unit (1) for spin correction a defined constant angle in horizontal alignment between the axes of the fire control unit (1) and the hand fired weapon (100) is set and a tilting of the fire control unit (1) in relation to the perpendicular weapon axis can be set.
2. Hand fired weapon (100) according to Claim 1, characterized in that a pivoting of up to 90° is provided.
3. Hand fired weapon (100) according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a laser illuminator mounted parallel to the weapon axis serves for data transmission by IR light to a projectile when the projectile has left the barrel of the weapon.
4. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 3, characterized in that an air pressure sensor and a temperature sensor for the ambient temperature are incorporated in the fire control unit (1) or on the hand fired weapon (100).
5. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the fire control unit (1) comprises a display (3).
6. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that a computer or the like for the processing or manipulation of the measured values of the sensors and the setting of the tangent elevation of the fire control unit (1) is incorporated on the hand fired weapon (100), wherein data such as various ballistic curves and speed correction curves/angles etc. for the determination of the tangent elevation are stored in the computer.
7. Hand fired weapon (100) according to Claim 6, characterized in that the computer is installed in the fire control unit (1).
8. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the operator control elements (4, 5, 6, 7) are attached to the fire control unit (1), so that there is also the possibility of manually inputting the most important ballistic parameters in order to have a fallback position in the event of failure of individual sensors or other problems.
9. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a connection (8) on the firing control unit (1) serves for connecting the fire control unit (1) to a trigger switch on the hand fired weapon (100) by way of a connectable trigger cable.
10. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a rotary knob (9) and a scale (10) are provided for emergency operation.
11. Hand fired weapon (100) according to one of Claims 1 to 10, characterized in that an exchangeable optical sighting aid (12) can be mounted on the fire control unit (1) by way of a Picatinny rail.

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