Pointing and locking system in direction

Abstract

The invention relates to a pointing and direction-locking system (1) for a firing system comprising a base (11) for receiving the firing system, a male member (10) comprising a foot (102) of conical shape, the male member (10) being fixed to the base (11) and intended to cooperate by its foot (102) with a conical hole (200) of a female member (20) according to a pivot joint in order to form an interface (2), a pressure member (12) mounted movably in translation on the base (11) about an axis of translation (At), said pressure member (12) comprising a clear position in which it is intended to be at a distance from the female member (20) and a pressure position in which it is intended to exert pressure on the female member (20), and an actuating member (13) configured to move the pressure member (12) from one of its positions to the other position. Figure for the abridged version: 4a

Description

Title of the invention: Directional pointing and locking system

[0001] The invention relates to a pointing and direction locking system, in particular manual, in particular also adapted to a standard NATO interface according to the AEP-4796 standard.

[0002] In the context of ground operations, certain weapon systems require, before use, pointing along three axes of movement: cant, elevation, and direction. Once determined, the various points are subsequently locked in position. These prerequisites apply in particular to rocket launchers.

[0003] The elevation and cant adjustment and locking are conventionally performed automatically and independently of the mount on which the weapon system rests. However, the directional adjustment and locking are conventionally performed with a dedicated interface for the mount and / or with a dedicated mount. Thus, due to the complexity of their integration, these solutions are not interchangeable between different types of vehicles and cannot be quickly installed on another mount.

[0004] In some cases, these solutions are not locked in position but only servo-controlled, in which case a misalignment may be observed during the use of the firing system. Furthermore, these solutions are often automated and therefore require power sources; otherwise, aiming and directional locking are not possible.

[0005] There is therefore a need for a direction-pointing and locking system for a firing system that can be installed and uninstalled very quickly between different types of vehicles, whose locking is reliable when using the firing system, which does not require modification of the vehicle carrying the system, and which does not require a power source.

[0006] To this end, the invention relates to a pointing and direction-locking system for a firing system comprising: - a base designed to house the firing system, - a male organ comprising a conical foot, the male organ being fixed at the base and designed to cooperate via its foot with a conical hole of a female organ according to a pivot joint in order to form an interface, - a pressure member mounted movably in translation on the base along an axis of translation, said pressure member comprising a clear position in which it is intended to be at a distance from the female member and a position of pressure in which it is intended to exert pressure on the female organ, and - an actuation element configured to move the pressure element from one of its positions to the other position.

[0007] The aiming and directional locking system is advantageously installed on a male component of an interface. Furthermore, the directional locking advantageously requires no modification to the female component of said interface or to the support on which the interface is intended to be mounted. The system can therefore be mounted and dismounted from this support very easily and quickly by simply mounting and dismounting the interface. The system of the invention can advantageously be installed on any vehicle comprising the female component of the interface. The locking position is ensured by the pressure of the pressure member on the female component, which significantly reduces, or even eliminates, the risk of misalignment during the use of the firing system.

[0008] The interface to which the male and female components belong is in particular a standard NATO interface according to the AEP-4796 standard. The widespread use of such an interface allows the invention to be installed on a large number of different vehicles, without any modification to the latter.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pressure member comprises a rigid part and a flexible part superimposed on each other along the axis of translation (At), the rigid part being above the flexible part, the flexible part being able to compress upon contact with the female member in the pressure position of the pressure member.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the invention, the pressure member is dimensioned to present a rest distance with the female member which is less than a distance between its two positions along the axis of translation.

[0011] According to one embodiment, the base includes at least one guiding member cooperating with the pressure member and guiding it during the passage from one of its positions to the other.

[0012] According to one embodiment, the system further comprises at least one retaining member configured to hold the pressure member in one and / or the other of its positions.

[0013] According to one embodiment, said at least one retaining member cooperates with said at least one guiding member.

[0014] According to one embodiment, the actuating member comprises a locking member and at least one operating member, the locking member cooperating with the pressure member and having an unlocked position and a locked position, the movement of the locking member from its position of unlocking to its locked position causes the pressure member to move from its unlocked position to its pressure position and vice versa.

[0015] In particular, the locking member is an eccentric comprising at least one cam mounted on a camshaft, said at least one cam comprising two flat surfaces corresponding to the two positions of the locking member.

[0016] In particular, said at least one cam has a circular shape that is off-center with respect to the camshaft and the two surfaces are tangent to this circular shape.

[0017] The invention also relates to an assembly comprising a pointing and direction locking system as defined above and a support comprising a female organ having a conical hole, the male organ of the pointing and direction locking system and the female organ forming an interface, the male organ being inserted into the conical hole of the female organ. Brief description of the figures

[0018] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0019] Fig. 1 represents an isometric view of a support on which is mounted a pointing and locking system in direction according to the invention.

[0020] Fig. 2 represents a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1 along section plane A.

[0021] Figure 3 shows two isometric views (A and B) of the pointing and locking in the direction of [Fig.l].

[0022] Fig. 4a represents a cross-sectional view of the pointing and locking system in the direction of Fig. 1, fitted into a female part of an interface.

[0023] Fig. 4b represents a cross-sectional view of the pointing and locking system in the direction of Fig. 1, nested in a locked configuration. Detailed description of the invention

[0024] The following embodiments are examples. Although the description refers to one or more embodiments, this does not necessarily mean that each reference relates to the same embodiment, or that the features apply only to a single embodiment. Simple features of different embodiments can also be combined and / or interchanged to provide other embodiments.

[0025] The invention relates to a directional pointing and locking system 1. System 1 is designed to receive a firing system (not shown) and its function is to allow the latter to reversibly lock a directional point. As such, system 1 comprises a directional pointing configuration in which it exhibits free rotation about a pivot joint in order to select the desired directional pointing position, and a configuration locked in it is fixed according to said pivot joint in order to lock the pointing position in the selected direction.

[0026] This pivot joint is formed by an interface 2 mounted on a vehicle support 3. The system 1, the interface 2, and the support 3 form an assembly 4 shown in [Fig. 1]. Said interface 2 comprises a male member 10 having a conical foot 102 which is inserted into a female member 20 having a corresponding conical hole 200. The male member 10 is held in position within the female member 20 by any means. In the example shown in figures 1 and 2, the male organ 10 is held in the conical hole 200 by means of a pin 21 cooperating with a circumferential groove 100 made in the foot 102 of the male organ 10. Said pin 21 is inserted into an opening of the female cone 20 transverse to the conical hole 200. The male organ 10 can also be held in the female organ 20 by a claw or a blade.

[0027] Thus, the pointing and locking system 1 of the invention includes a part of the interface 2, namely the male member 10, in order to be able to be installed on any support 3 equipped with the female member 20. This is why the interface 2 is in particular an interface commonly used on various types of vehicles, such as a standard NATO interface according to the AEP-4796 standard. System 1 has the advantage of not modifying the female organ 20 or the support 3. In addition, the male organ 10 can be modified in certain embodiments of the invention, but only outside the foot 102, on parts not cooperating with the female organ 20. Thus, system 1 can be installed and uninstalled very easily and quickly by simply inserting / removing the male organ 10 from the female organ 20 of the interface 2, and this for all supports 3 on which the female organ 20 is installed.

[0028] The conical foot 102 of the male member 10 is surmounted by a head 101 by which the male member 10 is fixed to a base 11. The male member 10 is fixed to the base 11 by any means. In particular, it is fixed by screwing, for example using a screw 111 and a washer 112, as shown in [Fig. 2]. In this example, the head 101 of the male member 10 is inserted into a bore 113 of the base 11 and a screw 111 is screwed into a threaded hole in the head 101, the head of the screw 111 bearing against a washer 112 located on the upper surface 115 of the base 11 which is oriented towards the firing mechanism.

[0029] The base 11 and the male organ 10 can be arranged relative to each other at any angle. In particular, the base 11 and the male organ 10 are arranged at an angle of 90 degrees.

[0030] The base 11 is designed to receive the firing system. To this end, the base 11 includes, in particular, provisions for attaching the firing system. By virtue of its attachment to the male member 10, the base 11 is free to rotate about the axis Ap of The pivot joint of interface 2 allows the user to point the weapon system in a direction, according to an infinite number of available positions. This freedom of rotation is nevertheless dependent on the configuration of system 1 and is constrained by other elements of system 1 described below.

[0031] Thus, the change in configurations of system 1 is achieved through the cooperation of two elements: - a pressure member 12, blocking or releasing the pivot joint of the interface 2 depending on its position, and - an actuating member 13, moving the pressure member 12 into one or the other of its positions.

[0032] We will now turn to figures 3 and 4, which allow us to better visualize the pressure member 12 and the actuation member 13 as well as their cooperation.

[0033] The pressure member 12 is mounted to move in translation on the base 11, in particular around the male member 10, and moves along the male member 10. The pressure member 12 therefore comprises an upper face 120 opposite the base 11 and an opposing lower face 121 intended to be positioned opposite the female member 20. The translation axis At of the pressure member 12 is parallel, or even coincides as shown, with the axis of rotation of the pivot joint of the interface 2. The pressure member 12 extends in particular around the head 101 of the male member 10.

[0034] The translational movement of the pressure member 12 defines two positions: a disengaged position in which the pressure member 12 does not cooperate with the female member 20 (Figure 4A), and a pressure position in which it presses against the periphery of the conical hole 200 of the female member 20 by its lower face 121 (Figure 4B). Thus, the transition from the disengaged position to the pressure position brings the pressure member 12 closer to the free end of the foot 102 of the male member 10. In one embodiment, as shown, the pressure member 12 is in contact with the base 11 in its disengaged position. In the pressure position, the pressure exerted by the pressure member 12 on the female member 20, through the resulting frictional forces, hinders the free rotation of the male member 10 around the axis Ap and therefore of the base 11.The pressure member 12 can be dimensioned so that, in its open position, its lower surface 121 is flush with the female member 20. This configuration improves responsiveness for the transition from the open position to the pressure position. Specifically, the pressure member 12 is dimensioned so that the distance between its lower surface 121 and the female member 20 is less than or equal to 1 cm, and in particular less than 5 mm, when the system 1 is mounted on the female member.

[0035] When the pressure member 12 is in its disengaged position, the user is free to move the male member 10 around the axis Ap of the pivot joint of Interface 2 allows for directional pointing adjustment. The system of invention 1 advantageously allows for an infinite number of directional pointing positions to be selected, provided that the rotation of the male member 10 is free. Once the user has selected a directional pointing position, they move the pressure member 12 into its pressure position using the actuating member 13, as will be described in detail later. In this position, the frictional forces exerted on the female member 20 are such that the user is unable to manually move the male member 10 along the pivot joint of interface 2. The pressure member 12 is specifically configured so that the frictional forces prevent the firing system from misaligning during use, thus enabling a firing sequence.

[0036] According to one embodiment, the pressure member 12 comprises a rigid part 122 and a flexible part 123 fixed together in a superimposed manner along the translational axis At, with the flexible part 123 below the rigid part 122. The two parts 122, 123 can be fixed by any means, and in particular by bonding. In this embodiment, the lower part 121 belongs to the flexible part 123 and the upper surface 120 belongs to the rigid part 122. In particular, the flexible part 123 is made of a material that compresses when placed against the female member 20 (as shown in Figure 4B), thereby increasing the contact area and thus the friction forces. For this purpose, the flexible part is made of silicone or nitrile. The rigid part is made of a material with high long-term resistance, such as steel, particularly hardened steel.

[0037] The movement of the pressure member 12 is achieved, in particular, along at least one guide member 114 fixed in the base 11 or formed from the base 11, and in particular in the form of a rod. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, several guide members 114 are present and correspond to stop screws. According to one embodiment of the invention, the guide members 114 extend parallel to the male member 10. When fixed to the base 11, the guide members 114 are fixed by any means, in particular by stamping, screwing, or bonding. The distribution of the guide members 114 around the male member 10 is adapted, in particular, to allow uniform pressure on the pressure member 12 in the pressure position. The pressure member 12 includes, in particular, slides 124 cooperating with the guide members 114.

[0038] The guide members 114 may in particular include a stop defining the clear position and / or at least one stop defining the pressure position of the pressure member 12.

[0039] According to one embodiment, the system 1 further comprises at least one retaining member 14, for retaining the pressure member 12 in one and / or the other of its positions. Said at least one retaining member 14 therefore assists the member actuation 13 in the performance of its functions. Said retaining member 14 is in particular a reversible elastic member. Said at least one retaining member 14 cooperates in particular with the guide member(s) 114. Said at least one retaining member 14 is in particular configured to push the pressure member 12 towards the base 11, so as to retain the pressure member 12 in its disengaged position. This retention is achieved in particular against gravity. Said at least one retaining member 14 is in particular a helical spring or a Belleville washer, in particular arranged around the guide member(s) 114, which reduces its size. The guide member(s) 114 may in particular include a stop serving as a support for said retaining member(s) 14, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0040] When at least one retaining element 14 holds the pressure element 12 in its disengaged position, the pressure element 12 is by default in its disengaged position, allowing the user to simply engage the pressure position of the pressure element. Furthermore, disengaging the pressure position in this case results in the automatic return of the pressure element 12 to its disengaged position, thus improving responsiveness.

[0041] The transition from the disengaged position to the pressure position, and vice versa, of the pressure member 12 is driven by the actuating member 13. This actuating member 13 comprises a locking member 131, cooperating with the pressure member 12, and at least one operating member 132 that the user can manipulate to act on the locking member 131. Said at least one operating member 132 is notably in the form of one or more handles 132. The locking member 131 comprises an unlocked position corresponding to the disengaged position of the pressure member 12 and a locked position corresponding to the pressure position of the pressure member 12. The transition from one position of the locking member 131 to the other is achieved by the movement of said at least one operating member 132 actuated by the user.The locking member 131 is housed in a housing 125, in particular an opening in the pressure member 12, with an opening towards the base 11 for easy access to the mechanism in case of handling.

[0042] According to a particular embodiment, the locking member 131 is an eccentric comprising at least one cam 133 mounted on a camshaft 134. Said at least one cam 133 cooperates in particular with a wall 126 in the housing 125 of the pressure member 12. The wall 126 may in particular be at least partially surmounted by a plate 127 made of a material that resists wear due to repeated friction of the cam 133. This type of material is It deforms little under stress and also has a good coefficient of friction. Examples include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and nylon.

[0043] Said at least one cam 133 has in particular an eccentric profile, so that a rotation of the cam 133 around the axis of the camshaft 134 causes an increase in pressure or a decrease in pressure against the wall 126. Thus, the increase in pressure pushes the pressure member 12 from its clear position to its pressure position and vice versa.

[0044] Said at least one cam 133 may comprise two flat surfaces, a first flat surface 135 and a second flat surface 136, corresponding respectively to the unlocked position and the locked position. These two flat surfaces 135, 136 ensure that the locking member 131 remains securely in position. These two flat surfaces 135, 136 also provide the user with haptic feedback confirming the correct positioning of the system 1 following actuation of the actuating member 13. The two flat surfaces 135, 136 are arranged at different distances from the camshaft 134. The two flat surfaces 135, 136 may be arranged at different angles to the camshaft 134; in particular, they may be arranged at 90 degrees to each other (as shown).They can alternatively be arranged with the same angle relative to the camshaft 134, but be 180 degrees apart around it. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the cam 133 can have a circular shape off-center with respect to the axis of the camshaft 134, and the two flat surfaces 135, 136 can be tangent to the perimeter of the circular shape, in particular with an angle of 90 degrees between them. In the example shown, the two flat surfaces 135, 136 meet at a rounded point 137. The circular shape allows for a progressive increase / decrease in pressure exerted by the cam 133 on the wall 126 of the pressure member 12 according to the change in position, facilitating engagement and disengagement by the user.

[0045] The camshaft 134 is, in particular, through-shaft such that it extends on both sides of the male member 10 and, in particular, of the pressure member 12, preferably at the axis Ap in order to distribute evenly the pressure forces exerted by the cam(s) 133 on the pressure member 12. When several cams 133 are present, they are, in particular, distributed equally on both sides of the male member. As can be seen in [Fig. 3], a handle 132 is, in particular, attached to each end of the camshaft 134.

[0046] We will now describe, using figures 4A and 4B, an example of the kinetics of the pointing and locking system in direction 1 from its pointing configuration in direction to its locked configuration.

[0047] In Figure 4A, it can be seen that the male member 10 is inserted into the conical hole 200 of the female member 20 and secured to the latter by a pin 21. The pressure member 12 is in its disengaged position, held here in contact with the base 11 by helical springs 14 bearing against stop screws 114 screwed into the base 11 and cooperating with slides 124 of the pressure member 12. A rest distance Dr, visible in the inset of Figure 4A, separates the flexible part 123 of the pressure member 12 and the female member 20, which allows the male member 10 to rotate freely about the axis Ap. The cams 133 of the locking member 131 are in contact with the plate 127 of the pressure member 12 by their first surface 135. In this embodiment, the helical springs 14 have a dual action of maintaining the pressure member 12 in pressure against the base 11 and in pressure against the first surface 135 of the cam 133.Due to the action of the helical springs 14, the pressure member 12 cannot pass into its pressure configuration without the actuation of the handles 132 of the actuation member 13. The pointing configuration of the system 1 is therefore stable in position here.

[0048] The change of configuration of the system 1 to its locked configuration is therefore done by moving the handles 132 around the axis of the camshaft 134. The direction of rotation of the camshaft 134 is determined here by the shape of the cams 133 which makes it easier to rotate around the circular part of the cams 133 and considerably increases the effort to be provided by the rounded tips 137 of the latter.

[0049] The movement of the handles 132 will cause the cams 133 to rotate, which will press on the plates 127 and force the helical springs 14 to tighten. This action will result in the displacement of the pressure member 12 along the axis of translation At along the stop screws 114 towards the female member 20, until it reaches its pressure position.

[0050] The resting distance Dr is less than or equal to a distance Dp, visible in the inset of Figure 4B, separating the two positions of the pressure member 12. Since the dimensions of the male and female members are known, the pressure member can be sized to accommodate the desired difference between the distance Dr and the distance Dp. When the distance Dr is less than Dp, the pressure member 12 comes into contact with the female member 20 via its flexible portion 121 before reaching its pressure position. Because the male member 10 is locked in the female member 20 by the pin 21, further rotation of the handles 132 will not result in the system 1 rising above the female member 20, but rather in the compression of the flexible portion 121, increasing the friction forces between the pressure member 12 and the female member 20.

[0051] When the second flat surface 136 comes into contact with the plate 127, the pressure member 12 has reached its pressure position, and the system 1 is in its locked configuration. The system 1 is held in this configuration by the action of the helical springs 14, which exert pressure on the pressure member 12 against the second surface 136 of the cam 133, thus stabilizing the system 1 in this position. The helical springs 114 therefore have, in this embodiment, a dual function: to hold the pressure member 12 in both the disengaged and pressure positions.

[0052] Returning to the pointing configuration of system 1 is achieved by rotating the handles 132 in the opposite direction, freeing the second surface 136 of the pressure member 12. The helical springs pushing the pressure member 12 towards its freed position, this will allow a mechanically assisted return of this action, reducing the effort to be provided by the user.

Claims

Demands

1. Directional aiming and locking system (1) for a firing system comprising: • a base (11) for receiving the firing system, • a male member (10) comprising a foot (102) of conical shape, and • a pressure member (12) movably mounted in translation on the base (11) about a translational axis (At), the aiming and locking system being characterized in that the male member (10) is fixed to the base (11) and intended to cooperate by its foot (102) with a conical hole (200) of a female member (20) of a vehicle support (3) via a pivot joint in order to form an interface (2), said pressure member (12) comprising a clear position in which it is intended to be at a distance from the female member (20) and a pressure position in which it is intended to exert pressure on the female member (20),the pointing and locking system further comprising an actuating member (13) configured to move the pressure member (12) from one of its positions to the other position.

2. Pointing and locking system (1) according to claim 1, wherein the pressure member (12) comprises a rigid part (122) and a flexible part (123) superimposed with each other along the axis of translation (At), the rigid part (122) being above the flexible part (123), the flexible part (123) being able to compress upon contact with the female member (20) in the pressure position of the pressure member (12).

3. Pointing and locking system (1) according to claim 2, wherein the pressure member is dimensioned to have a rest distance (Dr) with the female member (20) which is less than a distance between its two positions (Dp) along the translation axis (At).

4. Pointing and locking system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the base (11) comprises at least one guiding member (114) cooperating with the pressure member (12) and guiding it during the passage from one to the other of its positions.

5. Pointing and locking system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising at least one holding member (14) configured to hold the pressure member (12) in one and / or the other of its positions.

6. Pointing and locking system (1) according to claims 4 and 5, wherein said at least one holding member (14) cooperates with said at least one guiding member (114).

7. A pointing and locking system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the actuating member (13) comprises a locking member (131) and at least one operating member (132), the locking member (131) cooperating with the pressure member (12) and having an unlocked position and a locked position, the movement of the locking member (131) from its unlocked position to its locked position causing the movement of the pressure member (12) from its cleared position to its pressure position and vice versa.

8. Pointing and locking system (1) according to claim 7, wherein the locking member (131) is an eccentric comprising at least one cam (133) mounted on a camshaft (134), said at least one cam (133) comprising two flat surfaces (135, 136) corresponding to the two positions of the locking member.

9. A pointing and locking system according to claim 8, wherein said at least one cam (133) has a circular shape off-center with respect to the camshaft (134) and the two surfaces (135, 136) are tangent to this circular shape.

10. Assembly (4) comprising a pointing and direction-locking system (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9 and a support (3) comprising a female member (20) having a conical hole (200), the male member (10) of the pointing and direction-locking system (1) and the female member (20) forming an interface (2), the male member (10) being inserted into the conical hole (200) of the female member (20).

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