Injection device

Abstract

To couple a plurality of members to configure a conductive rail in an ejection device ejecting an object by electro-magnetic force.SOLUTION: Conductive rails 10 and 20 are opposite across an armature 2. The conductive rail 10 has a divided rail 11 and a divided rail 12 coupled to the divided rail 11. An end of the divided rail 11 has an end surface 11C vertical to an ejection direction, and a projection part PJ1 which projects from the end surface 11C in the ejection direction and in which the armature 2 is sandwiched by a lower surface 11A and an end surface 11B opposite to the lower surface 11A. The end of the divided rail 12 has a cutout part having an end surface 12B opposite to the end surface 11B between an end surface 12C vertical to the ejection direction and a lower surface 12A to which the armature 2 contacts from the end surface 12C. The divided rails 11 and 12 are joined by that the end of the divided rail 11 and the end of the divided rail 12 are fitted to each other. The conductive rail 20 is in plane symmetry with the conducive rail 10 relative to X-Y plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an injection device.

Background Art

[0002] As an electromagnetic acceleration device that accelerates a projectile using electromagnetic force, an electromagnetic railgun is known (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Generally, in a railgun, a current is passed through an armature made of a conductive material inserted between two conductive rails, and the armature is accelerated by the electromagnetic force (Lorentz force) acting at this time. The projectile, which is the object to be injected, is held by the armature, and when the armature is accelerated, it is ejected from the electromagnetic acceleration device.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described general railgun, at least a pair of conductive rails having the injection direction of the injection object as the longitudinal direction is provided. In order to increase the distance over which the armature is accelerated, a long conductive rail is used. However, since it is difficult to procure and manufacture raw materials for configuring the conductive rail as a single member, it is desirable that the conductive rail can be configured by connecting a plurality of members.

[0005] However, since the surface of the conductive rail that contacts the armature is required to be smooth, it is necessary to ensure the alignment accuracy of the members when connecting a plurality of members. In addition, at the joint of the members, since the opposing members are physically separated, it is also required to suppress the contact resistance of the current flowing through the joint.

[0006] Other problems and novel features will become apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] An injection device according to an embodiment includes a pair of conductive rails that are disposed opposite to each other so as to sandwich an armature to which an injection object is attached, and inject the injection object by flowing a current through the armature to accelerate the armature. Each conductive rail includes a first split rail that is a conductive member extending in the injection direction of the injection object, and a second split rail that is a conductive member extending in the injection direction and is connected to the first split rail on the side of the injection direction of the injection object. An end portion of the first split rail has a first protrusion that is sandwiched between a first surface perpendicular to the injection direction, a first contact surface that protrudes in the injection direction from the first surface and contacts the armature, and a second surface facing in a direction opposite to the first contact surface. An end portion of the second split rail has a notch portion having a third surface perpendicular to the injection direction and a fourth surface provided so as to face the second surface between the third surface and a second contact surface that contacts the armature. By fitting the end portion of the first split rail and the end portion of the second split rail, the first split rail and the second split rail are joined.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment, in an injection device that injects an object by electromagnetic force, a plurality of members can be connected to form a conductive rail.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, it is not limited to the following embodiments. Also, for clarity of explanation, the following description and drawings are appropriately simplified. Also, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping explanations are omitted.

[0011] Embodiment 1 The injection device according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of an injection system 100 for injecting a projectile 3 according to Embodiment 1. The injection system 100 includes an injection device 1, a power supply device 101, a switch 102, and a control device 103.

[0012] The injection device 1 is configured as a so-called railgun that accelerates the armature 2 by an electromagnetic force (Lorentz force) generated by a magnetic field generated by passing a pulsed current Id through the armature 2 made of a conductor. The projectile 3, which is the object to be injected, is accelerated by being pushed by the armature 2 and is thus injected from the injection port.

[0013] The power supply device 101 is an injection power supply device connected to the injection device 1 and is configured to be able to supply the pulsed current Id to the injection device 1.

[0014] The switch 102 is configured to open and close the power supply path from the power supply device 101 to the injection device 1. As long as the switch 102 can safely open and close the path through which a relatively large current supplied to the injection device 1 flows, various switches, relays, etc. can be used.

[0015] The control device 103 is composed of, for example, a computer, etc., and can control the operation of the power supply device 101 by giving a control signal CON. For example, the control device 103 can control the timing, period, current value of the pulse current Id, etc. when the power supply device 101 supplies the pulse current Id to the injection device 1 by controlling the switch 102. Thereby, the control device 103 can control the timing when the flying object 3 is ejected from the injection device 1 and the ejection speed of the flying object 3.

[0016] Next, the injection device 1 will be described in more detail. FIG. 2 schematically shows the configuration of the injection device 1. In FIG. 2, the horizontal direction from left to right on the paper surface is the X direction, the vertical direction from bottom to top on the paper surface is the Z direction, and the normal direction from the front to the back of the paper surface is the Y direction.

[0017] The injection device 1 has conductive rails 10 and 20. The conductive rails 10 and 20 are a pair of conductive members extending in the axial direction (X direction). In this configuration, the conductive rails 10 and 20 are arranged at a distance in the vertical direction (Z direction) of the paper surface. The conductive rail 10 is connected to the positive electrode of the power supply device 101 via the switch 102, and the conductive rail 20 is connected to the negative electrode of the power supply device 101.

[0018] Further, the conductive rails 10 and 20 are configured by arranging two split rails side by side in the ejection direction (X direction). The conductive rail 10 is configured by arranging the split rail 11 on the -X direction side and the split rail 12 on the +X direction side. The conductive rail 20 is configured by arranging the split rail 21 on the -X direction side and the split rail 22 on the +X direction side.

[0019] The armature 2 and the flying object 3 are inserted into the space between the conductive rail 10 and the conductive rail 20. The armature 2 is composed of a conductor that contacts the conductive rails 10 and 20, and is disposed on the -X direction side of the flying object 3. By passing a pulsed current Id through the conductive rails 10 and 20 and the armature 2, an electromagnetic force F in the ejection direction (+X direction) is generated in the armature 2, and the armature 2 is accelerated in the ejection direction. As a result, the flying object 3 is pushed by the armature 2, so that the flying object 3 is accelerated and ejected from the +X direction ends (ejection ports) of the conductive rails 10 and 20.

[0020] Next, the joint portion of the split rails in the conductive rails 10 and 20 will be described. The conductive rails 10 and 20 are each configured such that the +X direction end of one split rail fits with the -X direction end of the other split rail. In the following figures, in order to make the shape of the joint portion of the two split rails easy to see, the two split rails are shown separated, but it goes without saying that in the injection device 1, the two split rails are arranged to fit at the joint portion.

[0021] The configuration of the conductive rail 10 will be described. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 10 as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 4 shows a side view of the conductive rail 10. At the +X direction end of the split rail 11, the end face 11B extends obliquely upward (-X direction and +Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the end of the lower face 11A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 11B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane counterclockwise by an angle α1 smaller than 90°. Therefore, at the +X direction end of the split rail 11, the portion surrounded by the lower face 11A and the end face 11B constitutes the protruding portion PJ1. The end face 11B and the +X direction end of the upper face 11D of the split rail 11 are connected by an end face 11C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0022] At the -X direction end of the split rail 12, the end face 12B extends obliquely upward (in the direction between the -X direction and the +Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the end of the lower face 12A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 12B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane counterclockwise by an angle α1 smaller than 90°. Therefore, the -X direction end of the split rail 12 has a shape obtained by cutting off the end of a rectangular parallelepiped with a plane parallel to one side (Y direction) of the end. The end face 12B and the -X direction end of the upper face 12D of the split rail 12 are connected by an end face 12C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0023] The end face 11C of the split rail 11 and the end face 12C of the split rail 12 are formed to have the same length in the Z direction. Since the end faces 11B and 12B are inclined at the same angle α1, the protruding portion PJ1 of the split rail 11 and the cut-off portion of the split rail 12 have the same shape. Therefore, the +X direction side end of the split rail 11 and the -X direction side end of the split rail 12 can be fitted together without a gap.

[0024] That is, in the conductive rail 10, by butting the end face 11C and the end face 12C, it is possible to easily perform alignment in the injection direction (X direction) at the joint. Also, by bringing the end faces 11B and 12B into contact with each other facing each other, alignment in the Z direction can also be easily performed, and the lower faces 11A and 12A, which are the contact faces with the armature 2, can be smoothly connected. Further, since the contact face is inclined, the contact area becomes large, and as will be described later, the contact face is pressed by the electromagnetic repulsive force acting between the pair of conductive rails, so the contact resistance can be reduced.

[0025] The configuration of the conductive rail 20 will be described. The conductive rail 20 is configured to have a shape that is plane-symmetric with respect to the conductive rail 10 across the X-Y plane. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 20 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 6 shows a side view of the conductive rail 20. At the +X-direction end of the split rail 21, the end face 21B extends obliquely downward (in the direction between the -X direction and the -Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the end of the upper face 21A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 21B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane clockwise by an angle α1 smaller than 90°. Therefore, at the +X-direction end of the split rail 21, the portion surrounded by the upper face 21A and the end face 21B constitutes the protruding portion PJ2. The end face 21B and the +X-direction end of the lower face 21D of the split rail 21 are connected by an end face 21C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0026] At the -X-direction end of the split rail 22, the end face 22B extends obliquely downward (in the direction between the -X direction and the -Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the end of the upper face 22A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 22B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane clockwise by an angle α1 smaller than 90°. Therefore, the -X-direction end of the split rail 22 has a shape in which an end of a rectangular parallelepiped is cut off by a plane parallel to one side (Y direction) of the end. The end face 22B and the -X-direction end of the lower face 22D of the split rail 22 are connected by an end face 22C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0027] The end face 21C of the split rail 21 and the end face 22C of the split rail 22 are formed to have the same length in the Z direction. Since the end faces 21B and 22B are inclined at the same angle α1, the protruding portion PJ2 of the split rail 21 and the cut-off portion of the split rail 22 have the same shape. Therefore, the +X-direction side end of the split rail 21 and the -X-direction side end of the split rail 22 can be fitted together without a gap.

[0028] That is, in the conductive rail 20, similar to the conductive rail 10, by butting the end face 21C and the end face 22C, it is possible to easily align the position in the injection direction (X direction) at the joint. Also, by opposing and contacting the end face 21B and the end face 22B, alignment in the Z direction can be easily performed, and the upper surface 21A and the upper surface 22A, which are the contact surfaces with the armature 2, can be smoothly connected. Further, similar to the case of the conductive rail 10, since the contact surface is inclined, the contact area becomes large, and as will be described later, the contact surface is pressed by the electromagnetic repulsive force acting between the pair of conductive rails, so the contact resistance can be reduced.

[0029] Therefore, according to this configuration, when connecting the two split rails, it is possible to easily align (align) the connecting rails at the joint.

[0030] Next, the injection of the flying body and the behavior of the conductive rail at that time in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 7 shows the forces acting on the conductive rail when the flying body is injected. When a current Id is passed through the armature 2 in order to inject the flying body 3, the armature 2 is accelerated and moves in the injection direction to reach the joint of the split rails. At this time, the current Id flowing in the +X direction in the split rail 11 flows into the armature 2 from the protruding portion PJ1. Thereafter, the current Id flows through the armature 2 in the -Z direction and then flows into the protruding portion PJ2 of the split rail 21. The flowing current Id generally flows in the -X direction in the split rail 21.

[0031] At this time, a magnetic field B in the +Y direction is generated in the rear (-X direction) of the armature 2 by the current Id flowing through the armature 2. Therefore, a repulsive force f acts upward (+Z direction) on the protruding portion PJ1 of the split rail 11 through which the current Id flows in the +X direction, and the end face 11B of the split rail 11 is pressed against the end face 12B of the split rail 12. Also, a repulsive force f acts downward (-Z direction) on the protruding portion PJ2 of the split rail 21 through which the current Id flows in the -X direction, and the end face 21B of the split rail 21 is pressed against the end face 22B of the split rail 22. Therefore, in this configuration, when current flows through the conductive rail and the armature, it is possible to enhance the adhesion of the joint portion of the split rails of each conductive rail and reduce the contact resistance. This is advantageous for supplying a large current to the armature 2.

[0032] Next, the adhesion of the split rails due to the inclination angle α1 and the repulsive force f shown in FIGS. 4 and 6 will be considered. FIG. 8 shows an enlarged view of the joint portion of the split rails 11 and 12. Here, the joint portion 13 of the split rails 11 and 12 is defined as the portion from the end face 11C to the connecting portion 12E between the end face 12B and the lower face 12A in the injection direction (X direction). At this time, the force acting perpendicular to the contact surface, that is, the pressing force F with which the end face 11B is pressed against the end face 12B, is represented by F = f·sin(π / 2 - α1) = f·sin(α1). Considering preferably pressing the end face 11B against the end face 12B, it is desirable that the pressing force is 50% or more of the repulsive force f, that is, the angle α1 is 30° or more. This is because if the angle α1 is too small, the pressing force F becomes small and the adhesion of the contact surface decreases, and the contact resistance cannot be sufficiently reduced. Also, if the pressing force F is less than 50% of the repulsive force f, that is, if the angle α1 is less than 30°, the force acting in the direction parallel to the contact surface of the split rails 11 and 12 becomes dominant, and the split rail 11 and the split rail 12 are likely to shift in the direction parallel to the contact surface.

[0033] Also, if the angle α1 becomes too large, there will be a problem that the length of the joint portion 13 in the X direction becomes too long. Although it is affected by the ratio that the Z-direction dimensions of the end faces 11C and 12C occupy with respect to the Z-direction thickness of the split rails 11 and 12, in order to limit the length of the joint portion 13 in the X direction, the angle α1 is desirably 80° or less.

[0034] Needless to say, regarding the range of the angle α1, it is desirable to be 30° to 80°, which is the same for the conductive rail 20.

[0035] As described above, according to this configuration, it can be understood that the repulsive force acting on the split rails due to the current flowing in the magnetic field increases the adhesion of the contact surfaces of the two split rails, and as a result, the contact resistance of the contact surfaces can be suitably reduced.

[0036] Embodiment 2 The injection device according to Embodiment 2 will be described. The injection device according to this embodiment has a configuration in which the conductive rails 10 and 20 of the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1 are replaced with conductive rails 30 and 40, respectively. The conductive rail 30 is configured by arranging a split rail 31 on the -X direction side and a split rail 32 on the +X direction side. The conductive rail 40 is configured by arranging a split rail 41 on the -X direction side and a split rail 42 on the +X direction side.

[0037] The joint portion of the split rails in the conductive rails 30 and 40 will be described. Similar to the conductive rails 10 and 20, the conductive rails 30 and 40 are each configured such that the +X direction end of one split rail and the -X direction end of the other split rail are fitted together.

[0038] In the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the end face of the joint portion of the split rail was configured as a plane parallel to the Y-Z plane or a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane about the Y axis. In other words, the end face of the joint portion of the split rail was configured as a plane parallel to the Y direction. In contrast, in the injection device according to the present embodiment, the end face of the joint portion of the split rail is inclined with respect to the Y direction, that is, it is a plane not parallel to any of the X, Y, and Z directions.

[0039] The configuration of the conductive rail 30 will be described. Fig. 9 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 30 when viewed obliquely from below. Fig. 10 shows a bottom view of the conductive rail 30. Fig. 11 shows a Z-X cross section of the conductive rail 30 taken along line XI-XI in Fig. 9. At the +X direction end of the split rail 31, in Fig. 10, the end lower side L31 of the lower surface 31A and the end upper side U31 of the upper surface 31D are inclined by an angle β1 smaller than 90° counterclockwise with respect to the Y direction in the X-Y plane. Also, the end lower side L31 is provided on the +X direction side of the end upper side U31.

[0040] The end face 31B extends obliquely upward (-X direction and +Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the end lower side L31 of the lower surface 31A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 31B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane counterclockwise by an angle α2 smaller than 90°. Therefore, in the Z-X cross section of the +X direction end of the split rail 31, the portion surrounded by the lower surface 31A and the end face 31B constitutes the protruding portion PJ3. The end face 31B and the end upper side U31 are connected by an end face 31C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0041] At the -X direction end of the split rail 32, in Fig. 10, the end lower side L32 of the lower surface 32A and the end upper side U32 of the upper surface 32D are inclined by an angle β1 smaller than 90° counterclockwise with respect to the Y direction in the X-Y plane. Also, the end lower side L32 is provided on the +X direction side of the end upper side U32.

[0042] The end face 32B extends obliquely upward (in the direction between the -X direction and the +Z direction) closer to the -X direction from the lower edge L32 of the end of the lower face 32A. That is, when viewed along the Y direction, the end face 32B is a plane parallel to the plane obtained by rotating the Y-Z plane counterclockwise by an angle α2 smaller than 90°. Therefore, the Z-X cross-section of the -X direction end of the split rail 32 has a shape in which a rectangular end is cut off by a plane parallel to one side (Y direction) of the end. The end face 32B and the upper edge U32 of the end are connected by an end face 32C parallel to the Y-Z plane.

[0043] The end face 31C of the split rail 31 and the end face 32C of the split rail 32 are formed to have the same length in the Z direction. Since the end faces 31B and 32B are inclined at the same angle α2, and the lower edges L31 and L32 of the ends and the upper edges U31 and U32 of the ends are inclined at the same angle β1, the protruding portion PJ3 of the split rail 31 and the cut-off portion of the split rail 32 have the same shape. Therefore, the +X direction side end of the split rail 31 and the -X direction side end of the split rail 32 can be fitted without a gap.

[0044] The configuration of the conductive rail 40 will be described. The conductive rail 40 is configured to have a shape that is symmetric with respect to the conductive rail 30 across the X-Y plane. FIG. 12 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 40 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 13 shows a top view of the conductive rail 40. FIG. 14 shows the Z-X cross-section of the conductive rail 40 along line XIV-XIV of FIG. 12. The upper face 41A, end face 41B, end face 41C, lower face 41D, lower edge L41 of the end, upper edge U41 of the end, and protruding portion PJ4 of the split rail 41 respectively correspond to the lower face 31A, end face 31B, end face 31C, upper face 31D, upper edge U31 of the end, lower edge L31 of the end, and protruding portion PJ3 of the split rail 31. The upper face 42A, end face 42B, end face 42C, lower face 42D, lower edge L42 of the end, and upper edge U42 of the end of the split rail 42 respectively correspond to the lower face 32A, end face 32B, end face 32C, upper face 32D, upper edge U32 of the end, and lower edge L32 of the end of the split rail 32. Regarding the configuration of the conductive rail 40, descriptions overlapping with those of the conductive rail 30 will be omitted.

[0045] In this configuration, the angle α2 is desirably in the range of 30° to 80°, similar to the angle α1 described in Embodiment 1.

[0046] In this configuration, since the end faces of the joint portions of the two conductive rails are also inclined with respect to the Y direction, compared to Embodiment 1, the portions that receive high thermal and mechanical loads due to contact resistance at the joint portions can be dispersed, and mechanical shocks and current fluctuations can be reduced. Also, since the area of the end faces that come into contact at the joint portions can be increased, the contact resistance can be reduced, which is more advantageous for flowing a large current through the armature.

[0047] Embodiment 3 An injection device according to Embodiment 3 will be described. The injection device according to this embodiment has a configuration in which the conductive rails 10 and 20 of the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1 are replaced with conductive rails 50 and 60, respectively. The joint portions of the split rails in the conductive rails 50 and 60 will be described. Similar to the conductive rails 10 and 20, the conductive rails 50 and 60 are each configured such that the +X-direction end of one split rail and the -X-direction end of the other split rail are fitted together.

[0048] In the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the conductive rail was configured to have a rectangular Y-Z cross section, but the conductive rail according to this embodiment is configured such that the portion in contact with the armature 2 is a dome-shaped protruding portion.

[0049] The configuration of the conductive rail 50 will be described. FIG. 15 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 50 when viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 16 shows a side view of the conductive rail 50. FIG. 17 shows the Y-Z cross section of the conductive rail 50 taken along line XVII-XVII of FIG. 16. The conductive rail 50 is configured by arranging a split rail 51 on the -X direction side and a split rail 52 on the +X direction side.

[0050] The lower surface 51A, end surfaces 51B and 51C, upper surface 51D, and protruding portion PJ5 of the split rail 51 respectively correspond to the lower surface 11A, end surfaces 11B and 11C, upper surface 11D, and protruding portion PJ1 of the split rail 11. The lower surface 52A, end surfaces 52B and 52C, and upper surface 52D of the split rail 52 respectively correspond to the lower surface 12A, end surfaces 12B and 12C, and upper surface 12D of the split rail 12.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 17, a dome-shaped protruding portion 512 having a smooth curved outer shape that contacts the armature 2 is provided below (-Z direction) the flat plate portion 511 of the split rail 51. Similarly, a dome-shaped protruding portion 522 that contacts the armature 2 is provided below (-Z direction) the flat plate portion 521 of the split rail 52. In this way, by providing a protruding portion protruding toward the armature 2 and providing a recess in the armature that fits with this protruding portion, the contact area between the armature and the conductive rail can be increased, and current can be concentrated and flowed near the center of the recess of the armature. As a result, it becomes possible to flow a larger current through the armature.

[0052] Even in this case, as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, by fitting the protruding portion PJ5 of the split rail 51 and the notch portion of the split rail 52, it is possible to exhibit the same function as in the first embodiment.

[0053] The configuration of the conductive rail 60 will be described. The conductive rail 60 is configured to have a shape that is symmetric with respect to the conductive rail 50 across the X-Y plane. FIG. 18 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 60 when viewed obliquely from above. FIG. 19 shows a side view of the conductive rail 60. The conductive rail 60 is configured by arranging a split rail 61 on the -X direction side and a split rail 62 on the +X direction side.

[0054] The upper surface 61A, end surfaces 61B and 61C, lower surface 61D, and protruding portion PJ6 of the split rail 61 respectively correspond to the lower surface 51A, end surfaces 51B and 51C, upper surface 51D, and protruding portion PJ5 of the split rail 51. The upper surface 62A, end surfaces 62B and 62C, and lower surface 62D of the split rail 62 respectively correspond to the lower surface 52A, end surfaces 52B and 52C, and upper surface 52D of the split rail 52.

[0055] Also, the flat plate portion 611 and protruding portion 612 of the split rail 61 respectively correspond to the flat plate portion 511 and protruding portion 512 of the split rail 51. The flat plate portion 621 and protruding portion 622 of the split rail 62 respectively correspond to the flat plate portion 521 and protruding portion 522 of the split rail 52.

[0056] As described above, according to this configuration, compared with the first embodiment, by providing the protruding portions protruding toward the armature on the conductive rails, the contact area between the armature and the conductive rails is increased, and a larger current can flow near the recess of the armature.

[0057] Embodiment 4 The injection device according to Embodiment 4 will be described. The injection device according to this embodiment has a configuration in which the conductive rails 10 and 20 of the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1 are replaced with conductive rails 70 and 80, respectively. Similar to the conductive rails 10 and 20, the conductive rails 70 and 80 are each configured such that the +X-direction end of one split rail and the -X-direction end of the other split rail are fitted together.

[0058] In the injection device 1 according to Embodiment 1, the conductive rail was made of a single material. In contrast, in this embodiment, in order to improve the durability of the conductive rail, a material with a high melting point is used for the portion of the split rail that contacts the armature.

[0059] The configuration of the conductive rail 70 will be described. FIG. 20 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 70 as viewed obliquely from below. FIG. 21 shows a side view of the conductive rail 70. The conductive rail 70 is configured by arranging a split rail 71 on the -X direction side and a split rail 72 on the +X direction side.

[0060] The lower surface 71A, end surfaces 71B and 71C, upper surface 71D, and protruding portion PJ7 of the split rail 71 respectively correspond to the lower surface 11A, end surfaces 11B and 11C, upper surface 11D, and protruding portion PJ1 of the split rail 11. The lower surface 72A, end surfaces 72B and 72C, and upper surface 72D of the split rail 72 respectively correspond to the lower surface 12A, end surfaces 12B and 12C, and upper surface 12D of the split rail 12.

[0061] When the projectile 3 is launched, first, the armature 2 is arranged near the -X direction end of the conductive rail 70. That is, at this time, the armature 2 is arranged at the initial position near the -X direction end of the split rail 71. To launch the projectile 3, a large current is passed through the armature 2 to start accelerating the armature 2. However, since the speed of the armature 2 immediately after the start of acceleration is slow, the contact portion between the split rail 71 and the armature 2 is exposed to a high temperature caused by the contact resistance for a relatively long time. That is, the split rail 71 receives a greater thermal load compared to the split rail 72 through which the armature 2 passes at high speed.

[0062] Therefore, in this configuration, in the split rail 71, a low melting point member 711 serving as a base is provided on the +Z direction side, and a high melting point member 712 that contacts the armature 2 is provided on the -Z direction side of the low melting point member 711. Thus, in this configuration, by providing the high melting point member 712, it becomes possible to improve the durability of the split rail 71 against the high thermal load due to the contact resistance.

[0063] As the low melting point material, various materials having good electrical conductivity such as aluminum, copper, and copper alloys can be used. As the high melting point material, materials such as tungsten, tantalum, and molybdenum can be used.

[0064] The configuration of the conductive rail 80 will be described. Fig. 22 shows a perspective view of the conductive rail 80 as seen from obliquely above. Fig. 23 shows a side view of the conductive rail 80. The conductive rail 80 is configured by arranging a split rail 81 on the -X direction side and a split rail 82 on the +X direction side.

[0065] The upper surface 81A, end surfaces 81B and 81C, lower surface 81D, and protruding portion PJ8 of the split rail 81 respectively correspond to the lower surface 71A, end surfaces 71B and 71C, upper surface 71D, and protruding portion PJ7 of the split rail 71. The upper surface 82A, end surfaces 82B and 82C, and lower surface 82D of the split rail 82 respectively correspond to the lower surface 72A, end surfaces 72B and 72C, and upper surface 72D of the split rail 72.

[0066] In the split rail 81, a low melting point member 811 serving as a base is provided on the -Z direction side, and a high melting point member 812 that contacts the armature 2 is provided on the +Z direction side of the low melting point member 811. Thus, similar to the split rail 71, by providing the high melting point member 812, it becomes possible to improve the durability of the split rail 81 against the high thermal load due to contact resistance.

[0067] As described above, in this configuration, by providing a high melting point member at the portion of the split rail that receives a high thermal load and contacts the armature, it can be understood that the durability of the split rail against the high thermal load due to contact resistance is improved compared to Embodiment 1.

[0068] Also, since the armature 2 is made of a material having a melting point lower than that of the high melting point member of the conductive rail, when the armature 2 slides on the high melting point member and melts, a part of the Joule heat due to the contact resistance is offset by the latent heat, so it is also possible to reduce the thermal load on the conductive rail.

[0069] Other Embodiments Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be appropriately modified without departing from the spirit thereof. The armature is preferably made of a material having a lower melting point than the conductive rail, and can be made of a conductive material such as zinc, aluminum, aluminum alloy, and magnesium alloy, for example.

[0070] The configuration of the rail gun included in the injection device described above is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the conductive rail according to the above-described embodiment can be applied as the conductive rail used in rail guns having various other configurations.

[0071] Also in the above-described Embodiments 2 and 3, similar to Embodiment 4, a member made of a high melting point material may be provided on the surface of the conductive rail that contacts the armature.

[0072] Also in the above-described Embodiment 3, similar to Embodiment 2, the end faces 51B, 52B, 61B, and 62B may be inclined surfaces with respect to the Y direction. Further, in addition to making the end faces 51B, 52B, 61B, and 62B inclined surfaces with respect to the Y direction, similar to Embodiment 4, a member made of a high melting point material may be provided on the surface of the conductive rail that contacts the armature.

[0073] In Embodiment 4, the configuration in which high melting point members are provided on the split rails 71 and 81 has been described. Needless to say, high melting point members may also be provided on the split rails 72 and 82 as well as the split rails 71 and 81, if necessary.

[0074] In the above-described embodiments, an example in which a conductive rail is configured by connecting two split rails has been described. However, if necessary, a conductive rail may be configured by three or more connecting rails connected using the joint portions described in the above-described embodiments. In this case, two or more joint portions are provided, and the two or more joint portions may be any of the joint portions according to Embodiments 1 to 3, or the joint portions according to Embodiments 1 to 3 may be mixed.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0075] B magnetic field CON control signal F electromagnetic force Id pulsed current Id current L31, L32, L41, L42 lower side of the end PJ1~PJ8 protrusions U31, U32, U41, U42 upper side of the end f force 1 injection device 2 armature 3 flying object 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 conductive rails 11, 12, 21, 22, 31, 32, 41, 42, 51, 52, 61, 62, 71, 81, 82 divided rails 11A, 12A, 31A, 32A, 51A, 52A, 71A, 72A lower surface 11B, 12B, 31B, 32B, 51B, 52B, 71B, 72B end face 11C, 12C, 31C, 32C, 51C, 52C, 71C, 72C end face 11D, 12D, 31D, 32D, 51D, 52D, 71D, 72D upper surface 21A, 22A, 41A, 42A, 61A, 62A, 81A, 82A upper surface 21B, 22B, 41B, 42B, 61B, 62B, 81B, 82B end face 21C, 22C, 41C, 42C, 61C, 62C, 81C, 82C end face 21D, 22D, 41D, 42D, 61D, 62D, 81D, 82D lower surface 100 injection system 101 power supply device 102 switch 103 control device 511, 521, 611, 621 flat parts 512, 522, 612, 622 protrusions 711, 811 low melting point members 712, 812 high melting point members

Claims

1. A pair of conductive rails extending in the injection direction, which are arranged to face each other with a separation in a first direction perpendicular to the injection direction of the injection object so as to sandwich the armature to which the injection object is attached, and the injection object is injected by flowing a current through the armature to accelerate the armature, Each conductive rail comprises a first split rail which is a conductive member extending in the injection direction, and a second split rail which is a conductive member extending in the injection direction and is connected to the first split rail on the side in the injection direction, The end of the first split rail has a first surface extending along the first direction from a plane parallel to the first contact surface on the opposite side of the first contact surface with which the armature contacts in the first split rail, and a second surface extending from the end of the first surface on the side of the first contact surface and inclining by a predetermined angle smaller than 90° from the first direction toward the side of the second split rail and extending toward the first contact surface, The end of the second split rail has a third surface extending along the first direction from a plane parallel to the second contact surface on the opposite side of the second contact surface with which the armature contacts in the second split rail, and a fourth surface extending from the end of the third surface on the side of the second contact surface and inclining by an angle smaller than 90° from the first direction so as to be a plane parallel to the second surface and extending toward the second contact surface, The first split rail and the second split rail are joined by fitting the end of the first split rail and the end of the second split rail, Injection device.

2. The area of the first surface is equal to the area of the third surface, The area of the second surface is equal to the area of the fourth surface, The injection device according to Claim 1.

3. The first to fourth surfaces are planes parallel to the injection direction and a direction perpendicular to the first direction, The injection device according to Claim 2.

4. The first to fourth surfaces are planes inclined about the first direction with respect to the injection direction and a direction perpendicular to the first direction, The injection device according to Claim 2.

5. The first and second contact surfaces are planes perpendicular to the first direction, The injection device according to any one of Claims 1 to 4.

6. The first and second contact surfaces have protruding portions having the injection direction as the longitudinal direction and protruding from a plane perpendicular to the first direction toward the armature. The injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. The protruding portion is configured to have a smooth curved outer shape protruding toward the armature in a cross section perpendicular to the injection direction. The injection device according to claim 6.

8. The first split rail A first conductive member extending in the injection direction, A second conductive member extending in the injection direction, provided between the first conductive member and the first contact surface and made of a material having a higher melting point than the first conductive member. The injection device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. The second split rail A third conductive member extending in the injection direction, A fourth conductive member extending in the injection direction, provided between the third conductive member and the second contact surface and made of a material having a higher melting point than the third conductive member. The injection device according to claim 8.

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