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EP-4045865-B1 - ARRANGEMENT FOR FEEDING AMMUNITION TO A WEAPON

EP4045865B1EP 4045865 B1EP4045865 B1EP 4045865B1EP-4045865-B1

Inventors

  • ERIKSSON, CLAES

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20201013

Claims (17)

  1. An arrangement for feeding ammunition (A) to a weapon (20), the weapon (20) being mounted to an elevation device (30) arranged to allow elevation movement of the weapon (20) about an elevation axis (Z1), the arrangement comprising a feeding chute (140) configured to be connected at one end to the weapon (20), the feeding chute (140) comprising a set of elements (142) assembled together in a stacked configuration, wherein the set of elements (142) is arranged about a shaft (144) configured to be concentrically arranged relative to the elevation axis (Z1) so as to allow movement of individual elements of the set of elements (142) about said shaft (144) in connection to elevation movement of the weapon (20) about the elevation axis (Z1), the feeding chute being configured to provide at least one channel by means of said elements, through which at least one channel ammunition is configured to be fed, characterized in that the individual elements movable about said shaft (144) are configured to be arranged a certain distance relative to each other in the axial direction of said shaft (144), wherein the feeding chute (140) comprises a gliding arrangement (200) comprising a set of gliding members (210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280) arranged in connection to the individual elements (142A, 142B, 142C, 142D, 142E) and having a longitudinal extension configured to run in the feeding direction so as to facilitate feeding of ammunition through the respective individual elements of the feeding chute (140).
  2. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the feeding chute (140), at the end opposite to the end connected to the weapon (20), is configured to be fixedly attached to a guiding chute (50, 60) for guiding the ammunition (A) from a magazine (M) to the feeding chute (140).
  3. The arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the feeding chute (140) comprises a first end element (142A) configured to be closest to the weapon (20), the first end element being configured to be pivoted about the shaft (144) corresponding to the elevation movement of the weapon (20) about the elevation axis (Z1).
  4. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the feeding chute (140) comprises a second end element (142E) configured to be furthest away from the weapon (20), the second end element (142E) being configured to be essentially fixed so that it is at the same position independently of elevation angle of the weapon (20) thus connected to the feeding chute (140).
  5. The arrangement according to claim 4, wherein the elements of the set of elements (142) between the first end element (142A) and the second end element (142E) are gradually mutually displaceable.
  6. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-5, wherein the individual elements movable about said shaft (144) are configured to be rotated about the shaft (144) a certain angle relative to an adjacent element so as to allow feeding of ammunition (A) through the feeding chute (140) at all elevation angles of the elevation device (30).
  7. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-6, wherein individual gliding members of the gliding arrangement (200) comprises gliding rails overlappingly arranged in connection to individual elements so as to allow relative movement of said gliding rails for facilitating gradual mutual displacement of individual elements of the set of elements (142) when rotated about said shaft (144).
  8. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-7, the feeding chute having a connection side (140e) for connecting the feeding chute to the weapon (20), and an opposite receiving side (140f), the feeding chute having a front side (140c) essentially facing the firing direction of the weapon, when the feeding chute is connected to the weapon (20), and an opposite rear side (140d), wherein the arrangement comprises a rotation limit arrangement (300) arranged in connection to the front side or rear side of the feeding chute configured to limit rotation of the individual elements about said shaft (144), wherein the rotation limit arrangement comprises tracks in connection to individual elements of said set of elements, said tracks running in a direction essentially orthogonal to the extension of the shaft (144) so as to facilitate said limited rotation of the individual elements about said shaft (144).
  9. The arrangement according to claim 8, wherein the rotation limit arrangement comprises a set of distance members (J12, J23, J34, J45) configured to connect said set of elements (142) so as to limit the rotation of the individual elements about said shaft (144).
  10. The arrangement according to any of claims 4-9, when claims 6-9 depend on claim 4, wherein the second end element (142E) furthest away from the ]weapon (20) is configured to have an angle (β) within a range between the maximum elevation angle (α1) and minimum elevation angle (α2) of the weapon (20).
  11. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-10, wherein the set of elements (142) are pivotably journalled about said shaft (144).
  12. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-11, wherein the feeding chute (140) comprises an upper channel (C1) for feeding ammunition (A) and a lower channel (C2) for feeding ammunition (A), said shaft (144) being arranged between the upper and lower channel.
  13. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-12, wherein the feeding chute (140), in connection to said one end of the feeding chute (140), comprises a fastening arrangement for attaching the feeding chute (140) to the weapon (20).
  14. The arrangement according to any of claims 1-13, wherein the arrangement is intended for a vehicle mounted weapon system (C), the weapon system (C) comprising the weapon (20) mounted to a turret (10) via the elevation device (30).
  15. The arrangement according to any of claims 2-14, wherein the arrangement comprising the feeding chute (140), and the guiding chute (50, 60) to which the feeding chute (140) is connected are configured to be arranged within a turret (10) of a vehicle mounted weapon system (C) for which the arrangement is intended, the weapon system (C) comprising the weapon (20) mounted to a turret (10) via the elevation device (30).
  16. A vehicle (V) comprising an arrangement for feeding ammunition (A) from a magazine to a weapon (20) of a weapon system mounted on the vehicle according to any of claims 1-15.
  17. A vehicle according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle is a tracked vehicle.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an arrangement for feeding ammunition to a weapon. The present invention also relates to a vehicle. BACKGROUND ART Combat vehicles such as infantry fighting vehicles or tanks may be equipped with a weapon system associated with a turret, wherein the weapon system comprises a weapon attached to the turret. The ammunition is normally configured to be fed to the weapon from an ammunition magazine via some kind of flexible chute, an example of which is described in US 4 416 184 A. Such a chute may be configured to provide both twisting and bending abilities in order to facilitate feeding of ammunition to the weapon. Space for weapon systems may be an issue, particularly for weapon systems associated with a turret configured to house parts of the weapon system including such flexible chutes requiring certain space. There is thus a need to provide an arrangement for feeding ammunition to a weapon. OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement for feeding ammunition to a weapon which facilitates a compact solution. Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle comprising such an arrangement which facilitates a compact solution. SUMMARY These and other objects, apparent from the following description, are achieved by an arrangement for feeding ammunition to a weapon and a vehicle as set out in the appended independent claims 1 and 16. Preferred embodiments of the arrangement are defined in appended dependent claims. Specifically an object of the invention is achieved by an arrangement for feeding ammunition to a weapon. The weapon is mounted to an elevation device arranged to allow elevation movement of the weapon about an elevation axis. The arrangement comprises a feeding chute connected at one end to the weapon. In an example not forming part of the present invention, the feeding chute comprises a set of elements assembled together in a stacked configuration. The set of elements is arranged about a shaft configured to be concentrically arranged relative to the elevation axis so as to allow movement of individual elements of the set of elements about said shaft in connection to elevation movement of the weapon about the elevation axis. By thus providing such a feeding chute with elements arranged about a shaft concentrically arranged relative to the elevation axis a compact feeding chute may be obtained. This is due to the fact that the individual elements of the feeding chute hereby only need to be pivoted about the shaft, i.e. only in a plane essentially orthogonal to the elevation axis in order to feed the ammunition through the feeding chute to the weapon. This facilitates having the individual elements tightly stacked together. Thus, the distance between the individual elements may be short since there is no need to bend the elements relative to each other. This also facilitates having the individual elements assembled together in a stacked configuration with the individual elements arranged a certain distance from each other in the axial direction of the shaft. This, further facilitates a feeding chute requiring low resistance in order to feed ammunition through the feeding chute within the entire elevation range of the weapon. According to an embodiment of the arrangement, the feeding chute, at the end opposite to the end connected to the weapon, is configured to be fixedly attached to a guiding chute for guiding the ammunition from a magazine to the feeding chute. Hereby feeding of ammunition from the end opposite to the end connected to the weapon, i.e. to the weapon, may be easily obtained independent of elevation angle of the weapon, in that the ammunition may be introduced to the feeding chute via e.g. a connected guiding chute being fixed. According to an embodiment of the arrangement, the feeding chute comprises a first end element configured to be closest to the weapon, the first end element being configured to be pivoted about the shaft corresponding to the elevation movement of the weapon about the elevation axis. Hereby feeding of ammunition to the weapon may be easily obtained independent of elevation angle of the weapon. According to an embodiment of the arrangement, the feeding chute comprises a second end element configured to be furthest away from the weapon, the second end element being configured to be essentially fixed so that it is at the same position independently of elevation angle of the weapon thus connected to the feeding chute. Hereby feeding of ammunition from the end opposite to the end connected to the weapon, i.e. to the weapon, may be easily obtained independent of elevation angle of the weapon, in that the ammunition may be introduced to the feeding chute via e.g. a connected guiding chute being fixed. According to an embodiment of the arrangement, the elements of the set of elements between the first end element and the second end element are gradually mutually dis