Modular ammunition launching system including a multi-position rechargeable ammunition receiving pod

Abstract

Modular ammunition launching system comprising a reloadable ammunition receiver in multiple positions. The modular launching system (1) comprises: a chassis (2) defining at least one housing (6), an ammunition receiver (4), said receiver (4) being movable relative to said chassis (2) between a functional position and a reloading position. Said modular launching system comprises a coupling plate (24) integral with the receiver (4) and mounted to slide on a rail (26, 28) integral with the chassis (2) so as to allow movement of the receiver (4) between the functional position and the reloading position, said coupling plate (24) being movable in rotation relative to the rail (26, 28) about a reloading rotation axis (R3) when the receiver (4) is in the reloading position. Figure for the abbreviation: 7

Description

Title of the invention: Modular ammunition launching system comprising a reloadable ammunition receiving pod in several positions

[0001] The present invention relates to a modular ammunition launching system, of the type comprising: - at least one frame defining at least one housing unit, - at least one ammunition receiving crate, said receiving crate being mobile relative to said chassis between a functional position, in which the receiving box is received in the housing, and a recharging position, in which the receiving box extends outside the housing.

[0002] The invention also relates to a naval platform comprising at least one such modular munitions launching system.

[0003] Such modular munitions launching systems are generally mounted on a vessel, such as a naval platform or a vehicle, and are configured to allow the launching of different types of munitions in order to adapt the vessel's or vehicle's response to a threat or its environment. Such modular launching systems are thus, for example, adapted to selectively launch rockets, missiles, or even attack and / or observation aircraft, such as drones.

[0004] For this purpose, a modular launching system includes at least one ammunition receiving box mounted removably on a chassis between a functional position, in which ammunition can be fired by the modular system, and a reloading position, in which the receiving box is extracted from the chassis to be reloaded with ammunition or to be replaced by another receiving box when the type of ammunition fired needs to be changed.

[0005] Depending on the type of ammunition received in the receiving hopper, reloading is not carried out in the same way from one receiving hopper to another. In particular, the direction and position for introducing the ammunition into the receiving hopper may differ from one receiving hopper to another. Thus, in order to reload an ammunition hopper, it is intended to be extracted from the housing by separating it from the chassis, using a gripping tool, such as a crane or similar, and then moved away from the chassis into a position allowing the ammunition to be introduced into the receiving hopper. Once reloading is complete, the gripping tool is used to replace the receiving hopper in the housing. The reloading operation is therefore tedious and increases the downtime of the modular launch system.

[0006] One of the aims of the invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a modular launching system whose downtime is reduced during a reloading operation of an ammunition receiving pod.

[0007] To this end, the invention relates to a modular launching system of the aforementioned type, comprising at least one coupling plate attached to the receiving box and mounted to slide on a rail attached to the chassis and extending along a longitudinal direction so as to allow the receiving box to be moved along the longitudinal direction between the functional position and the reloading position, said coupling plate being movable in rotation relative to the rail around a reloading rotation axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction when the receiving box is in the reloading position.

[0008] By providing a rail along which the receiving pod can be moved to the reloading position and by allowing the receiving pod to rotate relative to the rail in this position, it is not necessary to separate the receiving pod from the chassis to reload ammunition. In fact, the receiving pod can simply be moved along the rail to remove it from its housing and rotated into a position that facilitates the insertion of ammunition into the receiving pod. This operation can be performed quickly without requiring the use of a complex gripping tool. The reloading operation is greatly simplified, and the time during which the modular launching system is immobilized for ammunition reloading is thus significantly reduced.

[0009] The modular launch system according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or in any technically feasible combination:

[0010] - the chassis is mounted on a base in a movable manner, rotating around an axis of adjustment rotation substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and to the axis of rotation of reloading, the receiving box being movable between a raised position and an inclined position by the rotational movement of the chassis on the base;

[0011] - the rail comprises a first rail extending into the housing and a second rail extending the continuity of the first rail along the longitudinal direction, said second rail being carried by a support arm extending outward from the chassis along the longitudinal direction out of the housing in an active position of the support arm, the receiving box moving on the first rail between the functional position and an intermediate position between the functional position and the reloading position and moving along the second rail between the intermediate position and the reloading position;

[0012] - the coupling plate is mounted on the rail by means of an element of connection, said connection element being mounted on the coupling plate in a movable way in rotation around the axis of rotation of reloading;

[0013] - the connecting element extends to a first end of the rail arranged in the housing in the functional position and at a second end of the rail disposed outside the housing in the reloading position;

[0014] - the coupling plate includes a footprint, comprising a section of substantially complementary shape of the rail and an enlarged area extending around the connecting element, the section extending on either side of the enlarged area in the longitudinal direction, said section being arranged to guide the movement of the reloading box along the rail between the functional position and the reloading position, the second end of the rail extending into said enlarged area in the reloading position so as to permit the rotation of the reloading box relative to the rail around the reloading rotation axis;

[0015] - the connecting element is fixed to a trolley moving in translation on the rail, said trolley being moved on the rail by an actuable drive chain;

[0016] - the connection between the connecting element and the carriage is disengageable so as to to be able to separate the receiving box from the chassis in the reloading position;

[0017] - the chassis defines a plurality of housings and a plurality of rails, each housing receiving a receiving box in the functional position, the coupling plate of each receiving box being mounted sliding on one of said rails between the functional position and the reloading position.

[0018] According to another aspect, the invention relates to a naval platform comprising at least one modular munitions launching system as described above.

[0019] The invention will become clearer upon reading the following description, given solely by way of non-limiting example, and made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0020] [Fig-1] - [Fig.1] is a schematic perspective representation of a system modular ammunition launching system according to an embodiment of the invention, with receiving pods in a functional position,

[0021] [Fig.2] - [Fig.2] is a schematic perspective representation of part of the modular launch system of [Fig.1], a receiving pod having been removed from the chassis,

[0022] [Fig.3] - [Fig.3] is a schematic perspective representation of a receiving chamber of the modular launch system of [Fig.1],

[0023] [Fig.4] - [Fig.4] is a schematic perspective representation of part of the modular launching system of [Fig.1], during a first stage of moving a receiving pod from the functional position to a reloading position,

[0024] [Fig.5] - [Fig.5] is a schematic perspective representation of part of the modular launching system of [Fig.1], during a second stage of moving a receiving pod from the functional position to a reloading position,

[0025] [Fig.6] - [Fig.6] is a schematic perspective representation of the modular launch system of [Fig.1], with a receiving pod in the reloading position,

[0026] [Fig.7] - [Fig.7] is a schematic perspective representation of part of the modular launch system of [Fig.1], a receiving pod being in another reloading position,

[0027] [Fig.8] - [Fig.8] is a schematic perspective representation of part of the modular launch system of [Fig.1], showing a detail of a support arm used to move a receiving pod between the functional and reloading positions, and

[0028] [Fig.9] - [Fig.9] is a schematic cross-sectional representation of part of the support arm of [Fig.8].

[0029] With reference to [Fig. 1], a modular munitions launching system 1 is described, comprising primarily a chassis 2 and at least one munitions receiving pod 4. Such a modular launching system 1 is, for example, installed on a naval platform, particularly one used for military purposes, such as a naval vessel, a warship, or the like. It is understood, however, that the modular system 1 is also suitable for installation on other types of platforms, such as a land-based military vehicle or a fixed naval or land-based vessel. Such a modular launching system 1 is configured to launch or fire munitions at a distance from the platform on which it is installed, including different types of munitions depending on the target(s) identified around the platform. These munitions include, for example, rockets, missiles, and the like. They also include attack and / or observation aircraft, such as drones.To be effective, such a modular launch system must therefore allow for rapid reloading and / or changing of fired ammunition.

[0030] The chassis 2 is arranged to receive the receiving pod 4 so that the ammunition contained in the receiving pod 4 can be fired when the receiving pod 4 is received into the chassis 2 in a functional position shown in [Fig. 1], as will be described later. For this purpose, the chassis 2 defines at least one housing 6 accommodating the receiving box 4 in the functional position, as shown in [Fig.2]. According to one embodiment, the chassis 2 is arranged to accommodate several receiving boxes 4 and thus defines as many housings 6.

[0031] The frame 2, for example, has a substantially parallelepiped shape and is delimited by a plurality of walls defining the housing(s) 6. More particularly, the frame 2 extends along a longitudinal direction L, corresponding to the length of the frame 2, a transverse direction T, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and corresponding to the width of the frame 2, and along an elevation direction Z, substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction L and transverse direction T and corresponding to the height of the frame 2. The frame 2 is delimited by a lower wall 8 and an upper wall 10 separated from each other along the elevation direction Z and by two side walls 12 separated from each other along the transverse direction T and connecting the lower wall 8 and upper wall 10. According to one embodiment, a bottom wall 14 ([Fig.2]) closes the frame 2 at one longitudinal end thereof, the frame 2 being open at its other longitudinal end so as to provide access to the housing(s) 6. According to one embodiment, the frame 2 further comprises a central wall 16 parallel to the lower walls 8 and upper walls 10 and extending between the side walls 12 substantially at mid-height of the frame 2 so as to define one or more lower housings 6 between the lower wall 8 and the central wall 16 and one or more upper housings 6 between the central wall 16 and the upper wall 10. .

[0032] When one or more receiving pods 4 are received in the corresponding housing(s) 6 in their functional position, the munitions can be fired from the open longitudinal end of the chassis 2. Advantageously, the firing direction of these munitions is adjustable relative to the platform on which the modular launching system 1 is installed. For this purpose, the modular launching system 1 includes, for example, a base 18 on which the chassis 2 is mounted in a movable rotational manner about an adjustment axis RI extending along the transverse direction T. Such rotation makes it possible to adjust the firing direction along the elevation direction Z. In other words, this rotation makes it possible to adjust the firing angle of the munitions, for example, relative to the deck of the naval platform on which the modular launching system 1 is installed.In one embodiment, the base 18 is itself mounted to rotate about an axis of rotation R2 extending along the elevation direction Z. This rotation allows the firing direction of the munitions to be oriented transversely, i.e., to the right or left of the platform receiving the modular launching system 1. The base 18, for example, has the shape of a fork comprising two arms 20 spread apart. on the other along the transverse direction T and receiving between them the chassis 2. Each side wall 12 of the chassis 2 is articulated to one of the arms 20 around the adjustment rotation axis RI and the arms 20 are mounted on a base 22 in a movable way in rotation around the orientation rotation axis R2, the base 22 being integral with the platform receiving the modular launch system 1.

[0033] The ammunition receiving box 4 is arranged to receive ammunition of a certain type, such as rockets or missiles as described above. For this purpose, the receiving box 4 has the shape of a box, for example, substantially parallelepiped-shaped, defining one or more firing channels (not shown), each firing channel receiving a piece of ammunition (not shown) ready for firing. When the receiving box 4 is received in the functional position in a slot 6 of the chassis 2, the firing channel opens outwards from the modular launch system 1 at the open longitudinal end of the chassis 2. Reloading the receiving box 4 is accomplished by placing a piece of ammunition into each firing channel. It should be noted that, depending on the type of ammunition received in the receiving box, these can be inserted into the corresponding firing channels in different directions.Thus, some munitions are loaded, for example, "from the front," meaning by inserting the munitions through the muzzle of the firing channels, or "from the rear," meaning by inserting the munitions through the end of the firing channels opposite their muzzle. Some types of munitions may, alternatively, require loading from the side of the receiving hopper. In other words, each receiving hopper 4 has access to the firing channels adapted to the type of loading; that is to say, not all receiving hoppers 4 received in the chassis 2 are necessarily identical to each other, as the access to the firing channels, the shape, the dimensions, and the number of these firing channels can vary from one receiving hopper 4 to another.

[0034] According to the invention, each receiving box 4 includes, however, a coupling plate 24 which is identical for all receiving boxes 4, regardless of the type of ammunition received by the receiving box 4.

[0035] As will be described in more detail later, such a coupling plate 24 forms an interface between the receiving box 4 and the chassis 2 to allow the receiving box 4 to be positioned in the functional position and extracted from a housing 6 for reloading or replacement operations. According to one embodiment, the coupling plate is further arranged to achieve at least one pairing between the receiving box 4 and the chassis 2 when the receiving box 4 is placed in the functional position. By providing such an identical coupling plate 24 for all the boxes of reception 4, each housing 6 can accommodate all types of reception boxes 4 regardless of the munitions received by these reception boxes 4.

[0036] The coupling plate 24 is, for example, mounted on an upper wall of the receiving box 4 and allows the receiving box 4 to be moved relative to the chassis 2 between a functional position and at least one reloading position, as will now be described. Since this movement is identical for all receiving boxes 4 and corresponding housings 6, this description will be given for only one receiving box 4 and one housing 6 of the chassis 2.

[0037] In the functional position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, the receiving chamber 4 is received in the housing 6 of the chassis 2. "Received in" means that the receiving chamber 4 extends primarily into the housing 6 along the longitudinal direction L. In one embodiment, the receiving chamber 4 extends entirely inside the housing 6 in the functional position. Alternatively, a portion of the receiving chamber 4 extends out of the housing 6 in the functional position; that is, the mouth of the firing channels of the receiving chamber 4 protrudes from the housing 6 along the longitudinal direction L. In the functional position, the ammunition received in the receiving chamber 4 is ready to be fired, notably due to the coupling between the coupling plate 24 and the chassis 2, as will be described later.

[0038] In the reloading position shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the receiving box 4 extends out of the housing 6 in the longitudinal direction L. In this position and as will be described in more detail later, the receiving box 4 is accessible to one or more operators so that it can be reloaded with ammunition and / or separated from the chassis 2 to be replaced by another receiving box, containing for example another type of ammunition.

[0039] The movement of the receiving box 4 between the functional position and the reloading position is achieved by sliding the coupling plate 24 along a rail extending in the longitudinal direction L into and out of the housing 6. In one embodiment, the rail is more particularly formed by a first rail 26 extending into the housing 6 and by a second rail 28 extending in continuity with the first rail 26 in the longitudinal direction L out of the housing 6 on the side of the open longitudinal end of the chassis 2.

[0040] For a housing 6 extending between the central wall 16 and the upper wall 10, the first rail 26 is, for example, mounted on the upper wall 10 inside the housing 6. For a housing 6 extending between the lower wall 8 and the central wall 16, the first rail 26 is, for example, mounted on the central wall 16 inside the housing 6. The first rail 26 extends between a first end 29, extending into the housing 6 between the bottom wall 14 of the housing 6 and its open longitudinal end, and a second end 32 extending to the open longitudinal end of housing 6, as shown in [Fig.2].

[0041] The second rail 28 is for example carried by a support arm 30 which can be placed in an active position projecting from the chassis 2 in the longitudinal direction L out of the housing 6, as shown in Figs. 4 to 8. The second rail 28 extends between a first end 34, adjacent to the second end 32 of the first rail 26 in the active position of the support arm 30, and a second end 36, away from the housing 6 in the longitudinal direction L.

[0042] According to one embodiment, the support arm 30 is placed in the active position only during the reloading and / or replacement operations of the receiving box 4. According to this embodiment, the support arm 30 is then mounted in a removable or movable manner between the active position described above and a rest position, in which the second rail 28 does not extend in continuity with the first rail 26. According to the embodiment, the support arm 30 is mounted in a removable manner on the chassis 2 in the active position and is removed from the chassis 30 when not in use to allow the movement of the receiving box to the reloading position, as shown in [Fig. 1].In this case, the support arm 30 includes, for example, a connecting element 31 removably received in a recess 33 provided above the first rail 26 in the elevation direction. The interaction between the connecting element 31 and the recess 33 allows the support arm 30 to be fixed to the chassis 2 by placing the second rail 28 in line with the first rail 26, as shown in [Fig. 4]. In the rest position, the support arm 30 can be stored in a designated compartment, for example, in one of the arms 20 of the base 18. This embodiment allows the same support arm 30 to be used for reloading or replacing all the receiving pods 4 of the modular launch system 1 by placing the support arm 30 above the desired housing 6 in the active position.Alternatively, the support arm 30 is, for example, a telescopic arm that can be retracted into the chassis 2 in the rest position. The ability to move the support arm 30 to a rest position in which it does not extend beyond the chassis 2 ensures that this support arm 30 does not obstruct the movement of the chassis when it is moved to aim the projectiles, particularly when the chassis 2 is moved around the orientation rotation axis R2.

[0043] The coupling plate 24 is mounted to slide on the rail by means of a connecting element 38 mounted on the coupling plate 24 and fixed to a trolley 40 which moves in translation on the rail (Figs. 8 and 9).

[0044] In the functional position, the connecting element 38 extends to the first end 29 of the first rail 26 so that the receiving box 4 is received in the housing 6. In the reloading position, the connecting element 38 extends to the second end 36 of the second rail 28 so that the receiving box 4 is fully extracted from the housing 6 and extends outside of it. Between these positions, the connecting element 38 and the receiving box 4 pass through an intermediate position, in which the connecting element 38 extends to the second end 32 of the first rail 26. In the intermediate position, the connecting element 38 and the carriage 40 can move from the first rail 26 to the second rail 28 when the receiving box 4 is moved to the reloading position and from the second rail 28 to the first rail 26 when the receiving box 4 is moved to the functional position.

[0045] According to one embodiment, the movement of the receiving crate 4 along the rail is driven by an actuated drive chain 42 attached to the carriage 40. The drive chain 42 comprises, for example, a plurality of links 44 articulated to one another, one end link of which is fixed to the carriage 40. The drive chain 42 extends, for example, within the support arm 30, and its actuation causes the carriage 40 to move along the rail between the functional and reloading positions. The length of the drive chain 42 is more specifically arranged to allow the carriage 40 to move along the entire length of the rail, that is, both in the first rail 26 between the functional position and the intermediate position, and in the second rail 28 between the intermediate position and the reloading position.For this purpose, the length of drive chain 42 is, for example, stored in a track 45 extending into the support arm 30 and opening into the second rail 28, as shown in Figs. 6 to 8. The drive chain 42 unwinds from the track when the carriage 40 moves to the operating position and retracts into the track 45 when the carriage 40 moves to the reloading position. The drive chain 42 is actuated, for example, by means of an actuating tool, such as a screwdriver, from outside the support arm 30. The rotation of the screwdriver head causes the drive chain 42 to move in the track 45 and into the rail.

[0046] It should be noted that, in the functional position, a portion of the drive chain 42 extending between the end link fixed to the carriage 40 and an intermediate link extends into the first rail 26, while the remainder of the chain 42 extends into the second rail 28 and possibly into the track 45. Advantageously, the intermediate link is connected to the remainder of the drive chain 42 extending into the second rail 28 in a detachable manner so that the portion of the drive chain 42 extending into the first rail 26 can be separated from the rest of the drive chain 42 by detaching the intermediate link from the rest of the drive chain 42. This allows the support arm 30 to be moved out of its active position when it is not in use during reloading and / or replacement operations, as will be described in more detail later. When the support arm 30 is in use and the receiving crate 4 needs to be moved to the reloading position, the intermediate link can be reattached to the rest of the drive chain 42 to allow the carriage 40 to move to the second end 36 of the second rail 28. Such detachment and reattachment can be carried out simply and quickly by using a quick-release link as the intermediate link.

[0047] The coupling plate 24 is rotatable about a reloading rotation axis R3 substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction relative to the rail when the receiving pod 4 is in the reloading position, as shown in [Fig. 7]. The reloading rotation axis R3 extends along the elevation direction Z and allows the reloading pod 4 to be rotated relative to the chassis 2 when it is in the reloading position, i.e., when it is extracted from the housing 6. Such rotation thus makes it possible to position the receiving pod 4 in a position that facilitates the insertion of ammunition into the receiving pod 4 without having to separate the receiving pod 4 from the rest of the modular launching system 1.Thus, regardless of the direction of reloading of the receiving pod 4, i.e. from the front, from the rear or from the side as described previously, the receiving pod 4 can be oriented relative to the chassis so that reloading by an operator is simple and without having to separate the receiving pod 4 from the support arm 30. The reloading operation therefore does not require the use of a complex gripping tool, such as a crane, as is usually done, to extract the receiving pod 4 from the housing 6 and to place it in a reloading area, often away from the modular launch system 1, given the limited space available around the modular launch system 1 when it is installed on a naval platform, in a position in which it can be reloaded by an operator and then to replace the receiving pod 4 in the housing 6.This usual reloading procedure results in a long immobilization time of the modular launch system 1, whereas moving the receiving pod 4 along the rail and rotating it into the reloading position greatly reduces this immobilization time, as will be described in more detail later.

[0048] To make the coupling plate 24 movable in rotation relative to the rail around the reloading rotation axis R3, the connecting element 38 is, for example, mounted in a movable rotational manner around the rotation axis of R3 reloading on the coupling plate 24, as shown in [Fig.9]. Thus, the coupling plate 24 can rotate around the connecting element 38 and therefore relative to the rail when the connecting element 38 is fixed to the trolley 40, as shown in [Fig.9].

[0049] According to one embodiment, the coupling plate 24 is able to rotate relative to the chassis 2 only when the receiving box 4 is in the reloading position, while the receiving box 4 remains aligned along the longitudinal direction L with the housing 6 outside of this reloading position. For this purpose, the coupling plate 24 comprises, for example, a recess 46, including a section 48 with a shape substantially complementary to the rail and an enlarged area 50 extending around the connecting element 38, the section 48 extending on either side of the enlarged area 50 along the longitudinal direction, as shown in [Fig. 3]. The section 48 is arranged to guide the movement of the receiving box along the rail between the functional position and the reloading position, the rail extending into this section 48 during this movement, as shown in [Fig. 5].In the reloading position, the second end 36 of the second rail 28 extends into the enlarged area 50 so as to permit the rotation of the reloading box relative to the rail, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

[0050] In order to remove the rail from the footprint 46 and allow this rotation, the chassis 2 can also be rotated around the adjustment rotation axis RI, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7, in order to bring the receiving pod 4 closer to the ground, for example, to the deck of the platform on which the modular launch system 1 is installed. When the receiving pod is in the reloading position, this rotation of the chassis 2 around the adjustment rotation axis RI makes it possible to move the receiving pod 4 between a raised position (Figs. 4 and 5) and an inclined position (Figs. 6 and 7), in which the receiving pod 4 is brought closer to the ground, or even rests on the ground, which simplifies access to the receiving pod for an operator, as can be seen in [Fig. 6].Thus, rotation around the adjustment rotation axis RI allows an operator to access the receiving box, which is at a convenient height, for reloading or replacement operations. The operator therefore does not need to climb scaffolding or other structures to access the receiving box 4, particularly when it is received in an upper housing 6 extending between the central wall 16 and the upper wall 10, or to use complex gripping tools to move the receiving box 4 to a reloading area.

[0051] In the raised position, the rail extends in section 48 as described previously, which naturally orients the receiving box 4 relative to the housing 6 so that the latter is in the desired orientation relative to The loading rotation axis R3 is inserted into the housing 6. The interaction of the footprint 46 with the rail automatically aligns the receiving box 4 with the housing 6, eliminating the need for manual alignment by an operator, unlike when using a lifting tool such as a crane. This greatly simplifies the process of moving the receiving box 4 between its functional and loading positions.

[0052] To allow the replacement of the receiving hopper 4 with another, particularly when the type of ammunition to be fired needs to be changed, the connection between the connecting element 38 and the trolley 40 is advantageously disengageable so that the receiving hopper 4 can be separated from the chassis 2 in the reloading position. This disengagement occurs, for example, when the chassis 2 is in the inclined position and the reloading hopper 4 is placed on the ground or on a transport device, so that the receiving hopper 4 can be easily removed and replaced with another. Such a disengageable connection is achieved, for example, by a pin (not shown) inserted into corresponding holes in the connecting element 38 and the trolley 40 and which can be removed when the receiving hopper 4 is in the functional position.

[0053] As previously stated, when the receiving box 4 is moved to the functional position, the coupling plate 24 allows the receiving box 4 to be positioned in the housing 6 in the functional position and, according to one embodiment, to achieve at least one pairing between the receiving box 4 and the chassis 2 when the receiving box 4 is placed in the functional position.

[0054] To this end, the modular launch system 1 includes, for example, at least one pairing device comprising at least one first pairing element fixed to the chassis and at least one second pairing element fixed to the coupling plate 24. This pairing device is arranged so that moving the coupling plate 24 from the reloading position to the functional position results in the coupling of the first pairing element and the second pairing element in the functional position. In other words, the connection operation between the receiving pod 4 and the chassis 2 is performed automatically when the receiving pod 4 is moved to the functional position.

[0055] According to a first embodiment, the pairing device is configured to ensure electrical pairing between the receiving unit 4 and the chassis 2. In other words, coupling between the first pairing element and the second pairing element results in an electrical connection between the receiving unit 4 and the chassis 2. This is achieved by implementing the first pairing element in the form of a first connector 52 ([Fig. 2]) and the second pairing element as the shape of a second connector 54 ([Fig. 3]). The position of the first connector 52 on the chassis 2 and of the second connector 54 on the coupling plate is such that the second connector 54 receives the first connector 52 or is received into the first connector 52 when the receiving housing 4 is moved into the functional position so as to ensure an electrical connection between the first connector 52 and the second connector 54. For this purpose, the first connector 52 is, for example, provided on the bottom wall 14 of the housing 6 on one side of the first rail 26 and the second connector 54 is provided at a longitudinal end of the coupling plate 24 so that, when the receiving housing 4 is moved on the first rail 26 to the functional position, the second connector 54 comes to rest against the first connector 52 when the functional position is reached and the connection between these two connectors is made automatically.Such electrical pairing is particularly advantageous when the ammunition firing is initiated remotely from the modular launch system 1, for example, from a control station aboard the naval platform on which the modular launch system 1 is installed. In this case, the receiving box 4 includes, for example, a device for launching the ammunition received in the receiving box 4, this launching device being electrically connected to the second connector 54, and the modular launch system 1 includes at least one control device for the launching device, which is integral with the chassis and electrically connected to the first connector 52. Thus, connecting the first connector 52 to the second connector 54 ensures the electrical connection of the control device and the launching device in the operational position.In other words, the pairing device then ensures the electrical connection between the control device and the launching device automatically, without an operator needing to make this connection manually once the receiving box 4 has been placed in the functional position as is usually the case. According to the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the pairing device comprises two first connectors 52 extending on either side of the first rail 26 in the transverse direction T, the coupling plate 24 comprising two corresponding second connectors 54.

[0056] Alternatively or in addition, the pairing device also allows mechanical pairing between the receiving unit 4 and the chassis 2 in the functional position, in particular to ensure that the receiving unit 4 is immobilized in the chassis 2 in the functional position. In this case, the first pairing element comprises at least one first mechanical locking element 56 integral with the chassis 2, and the second pairing element comprises at least one second locking element 58, complementary to the first element. The locking mechanism 56 is integral with the coupling plate 24. Moving the coupling plate 24 from the reloading position to the functional position causes the first locking element 56 to engage with the second locking element 58, thus immobilizing the receiving chamber 4 in the housing 6 in the functional position. The coupling device can also be moved to an unlocked position when the receiving chamber 4 is in the functional position, allowing the coupling plate 24 to move back to the reloading position in the unlocked position.According to the embodiment shown in the figures, the first locking element 56 is formed by a pin, projecting along the longitudinal direction L from a wall of the frame 2, for example the bottom wall 14 and / or an edge of the open longitudinal end of the frame 2, and the second locking element 58 is formed by a corresponding hole provided on the coupling plate 24 and aligned with the pin along the longitudinal direction when the receiving box 4 moves on the rail. The pin is inserted into the hole when the receiving box 4 reaches the functional position and thus ensures a mechanical coupling between the receiving box 4 and the frame 2. Alternatively, the pin is provided on the coupling plate 24 and the hole on the frame.Preferably, and as shown in the figures, several pins and corresponding holes are provided to ensure effective locking of the receiving box 4 onto the chassis 2 in the functional position.

[0057] The operations of reloading ammunition and / or replacing a receiving pod will now be described.

[0058] During normal use of the modular launch system 1, the receiving pod(s) 4 are in their functional position inside a corresponding housing 6, and the support arm(s) 30 are, for example, in their resting position. In this configuration, the modular launch system 1 can be used to fire ammunition in all directions thanks to the rotation of the chassis 2 around the adjustment rotation axis RI and / or the orientation axis R2. Furthermore, when several receiving pods 4 receiving different types of ammunition are provided, these different types of ammunition can be fired by the same modular launch system 1.

[0059] When a receiving box 4 is empty and / or when the type of ammunition to be fired from the location of this receiving box 4 needs to be changed, a support arm 30 is placed in the active position above the housing 6 receiving this receiving box 4, as shown in [Fig.4].

[0060] The mechanical pairing device is placed in the unlocked position and the intermediate link of the drive chain 42 is connected to the rest of the drive chain 42 extending into the support arm 30. The housing of reception 4 is then moved on the first rail 26 from the functional position to the intermediate position and then on the second rail 28 from the intermediate position to the recharging position, as shown in [Fig.5] and 6. The movement from the functional position to the intermediate position results in the disconnection of the electrical pairing device, without requiring any particular intervention from an operator other than the actuation of the drive chain 42.

[0061] In the reloading position, the chassis 2 is for example moved into the inclined position by rotation around the adjustment rotation axis RI to bring the receiving box 4 closer to the ground and make it more easily accessible to an operator, as shown in [Fig.6].

[0062] If the operation is a simple reloading operation, the connection between the connecting element 38 and the trolley 40 is maintained and the reloading operation can be carried out by one operator. Before this operation, the receiving crate 4 can be rotated around the reloading rotation axis R3 to facilitate access to the receiving crate 4 depending on the direction in which the ammunition is to be introduced, as shown in [Fig. 7].

[0063] If the operation is a replacement of the receiving box 4, the connection between the connecting element 38 and the trolley 40 is disengaged so as to separate the receiving box 4 from the rail and allow its replacement, the connecting element 38 of the new receiving box 4 being simply connected to the trolley 40. This operation is particularly simple insofar as the coupling plate 24 is the same from one receiving box 4 to another.

[0064] Once the reloading or replacement has been carried out, the receiving box 4 is placed back in alignment with the rail and the chassis 2 is placed back in the raised position so as to place the rail in the recess 46 of the coupling plate 24. This placement makes it possible to correctly align the receiving box 4 with the corresponding housing 6 in the longitudinal direction L so that an operator can place the receiving box 4 in the housing 6 simply by operating the drive chain 42 and without having to ensure the correct alignment of the receiving box 4 with the housing 6 himself.

[0065] The receiving box 4 is then moved to the functional position, which automatically ensures the electrical and / or mechanical pairing between the receiving box 4 and the chassis 2, as described previously.

[0066] Reloading and replacement operations can therefore be carried out in a particularly simple and rapid manner and do not require the use of a complex gripping or handling tool, such as a crane or the like. Thus, the downtime of the modular launching system 1 between two salvos of ammunition is significantly reduced.

Claims

Demands

1. Modular ammunition launching system (1) comprising: - at least one chassis (2) defining at least one housing (6), - at least one ammunition receiving pod (4), said receiving pod (4) being movable relative to said chassis (2) between a functional position, in which the receiving pod (4) is received in the housing (6), and a reloading position, in which the receiving pod (4) extends outside the housing (6), said modular launching system being characterized in that it comprises at least one coupling plate (24) integral with the receiving pod (4) and mounted to slide on a rail (26, 28) integral with the chassis (2) and extending along a longitudinal direction (L) so as to allow the movement of the receiving pod (4) along the longitudinal direction (L) between the functional position and the reloading position,said coupling plate (24) being movable in rotation relative to the rail (26, 28) around a reloading rotation axis (R3) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) when the receiving box (4) is in the reloading position.

2. Modular launch system according to claim 1, wherein the chassis (2) is mounted on a base (18) in a movable rotational manner about an adjustment rotation axis (RI) substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction (L) and to the reloading rotation axis (R3), the receiving pod (4) being movable between a raised position and an inclined position by the rotational movement of the chassis (2) on the base (18).

3. Modular launch system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the rail (26, 28) comprises a first rail (26) extending into the housing (6) and a second rail (28) extending in continuity with the first rail (26) in the longitudinal direction (L), said second rail (28) being carried by a support arm (30) projecting out of the chassis (2) in the longitudinal direction (L) out of the housing (6) in an active position of the support arm (30), the receiving pod (4) moving on the first rail (26) between the functional position and an intermediate position between the functional position and the reloading position and moving on the second rail (28) between the intermediate position and the reloading position.

4. Modular launch system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the coupling plate (24) is mounted on the rail (26, 28) by means of a connecting element (38), said connecting element (38) being mounted on the coupling plate (24) in a movable rotational manner about the reloading rotation axis (R3).

5. Modular launching system according to claim 4, wherein the connecting element (38) extends to a first end (29) of the rail (26, 28) disposed in the housing (6) in the functional position and to a second end (36) of the rail (26, 28) disposed outside the housing (6) in the reloading position.

6. Modular launch system according to claim 5, wherein the coupling plate (24) comprises a footprint (46), including a section (48) of substantially complementary shape to the rail (26, 28) and an enlarged area (50) extending around the connecting element (38), the section (48) extending on either side of the enlarged area (50) in the longitudinal direction (L), said section (48) being arranged to guide the movement of the reloading pod (4) along the rail (26, 28) between the functional position and the reloading position, the second end (36) of the rail (26, 28) extending into said enlarged area (50) in the reloading position so as to permit the rotation of the reloading pod (4) relative to the rail (26, 28) around the reloading rotation axis (R3).

7. Modular launching system according to any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the connecting element (38) is fixed to a trolley (40) movable in translation on the rail (26, 28), said trolley (40) being moved on the rail by an actuable drive chain (42).

8. Modular launching system according to claim 7, wherein the link between the connecting element (38) and the trolley (40) is disengageable so as to be able to separate the receiving box (4) from the chassis (2) in the reloading position.

9. Modular launch system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the chassis (2) defines a plurality of housings (6) and a plurality of rails (26, 28), each housing (6) receiving a receiving box (4) in the functional position, the coupling plate (24) of each receiving box (4) being mounted to slide on one of said rails (26, 28) between the functional position and the reloading position.

10. Naval platform comprising at least one modular launching system (1) for munitions according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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