AU2017320643A1 - Modular storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular, and ship including such a storage room - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a modular storage room (2) for storing and handling weapons in particular, characterised in that it comprises a floor (5) provided with means for securing stacks (6, 7, 8, 9) of elongate racks for receiving weapons made up of individual racks (10, 11), stacked upon one another, and means in the form of a gantry crane (12) for handling said racks (10, 11).

Description

Modular storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular, and ship including such a storage room

The present invention relates to a modular room for storing and handling weapons in particular.

The invention also relates to a ship such as a surface ship or a submarine including such a storage room that is integrated into a premise commonly called ammunition hold in this type of application.

Such a storage room may also be provided in land-based facilities.

It is known that ships or land-based facilities intended for this type of application include storage means making it possible to store weapons in complete safety.

Such means must present a certain number of characteristics, in particular for securing weapons and staff needing to intervene therein, while having a smaller bulk and lower weight.

Furthermore, and in some applications, such storage rooms must also make it possible to handle weapons for example to load or unload them and to bring them into corresponding launching means, such as torpedo launching tubes or missile launching tubes.

This then results, for example in ships such as submarines, in extremely complex structures of systems for storing and handling weapons, for example torpedoes, missiles, drones, mines, etc. These complex structures are heavy and large.

Additionally, they contribute major constraints in terms of integration into the ship.

In surface ships, it has also been proposed to produce the storage means in the form of racks for receiving torpedoes. These racks are then associated with handling means such as bridge cranes making it possible to handle the torpedoes by grasping them directly.

In any case, these storage means have frozen structures which therefore take up all of the space in the ammunition hold, even when there is nothing to store.

Different prior documents describe storage systems for this type of application.

Thus for example, documents US2008/156182 and US 5,445,104 describe storage rooms.

Document US2010/236945 describes an ammunition container.

Document GB 2,525,672 describes a vertical storage system for ammunition such as missiles.

One can see that all of these systems have a certain number of drawbacks, in particular in terms of the absence of configurability of this assembly and adaptation capabilities of these storage rooms to other applications, or for purposes other than storing weapons.

One can also see the absence of interoperability between the storage means of the ships.

The invention therefore aims to resolve these problems.

To that end, the invention relates to a modular storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular, characterized in that it includes a floor on which fastening means are provided for stacks of elongate racks for receiving weapons made up of individual racks stacked on one another and means in the form of gantry cranes for said racks, and in that the racks are collapsible while remaining stackable, to reduce their bulk when they are empty or to make them easier to place on board a ship, including when they contain weapons.

The storage room according to the invention may comprise one or more of the following features, considered alone or according to any technically possible combination:

- each rack includes a part in the form of an elongate cradle for receiving at least one weapon or the like, and on each side of said means, members in the form of stacking columns suitable for being stacked on one another and locked to one another to form the stacks of racks;

- the gantry crane-forming means include at least one gantry movable transversely in the storage room above the stacks of racks and provided with means for grasping the latter to handle them;

- the gantry crane-forming means comprise pusher-forming means making it possible to load and unload weapons in the rack and in the corresponding launch means;

- modular elements forming a gateway suitable for being arranged on the individual racks and on the stacks of racks to facilitate the movements of the operators in the storage room and to facilitate the accessibility to the racks stored heightwise and to their contents.

According to another aspect, the invention also relates to a ship:

- including at least one storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular as previously described;

- the floor of the storage room is associated with the rest of the structure of the ship through means for damping vibrations and impacts;

- one of the walls of the premise containing the storage room includes at least one weapon launching tube and the gantry crane of the racks is suitable for bringing a rack opposite a loading opening of a weapon into said tube and includes means for pushing and recovering the weapon in the tube;

- the ship is a submarine;

- the ship is a surface ship.

The invention will be better understood using the following description, provided solely as an example and done in reference to the appended drawings, in which:

- figure 1 shows a perspective view with cutaway portions, of a modular storage room for storing and handling weapons, in a ship such as a submarine, for example;

- figure 2 shows a perspective view of an individual storage rack for a weapon;

- figure 3 shows a perspective view of a set of stacks of storage racks for weapons, locked to one another, such that they form a rigid structure;

- figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 illustrate different views showing different configurations and uses of a storage room according to the invention;

- figures 9 and 10 illustrate the loading of a weapon in such a storage room;

- figure 11 illustrates a storage room configuration with the racks collapsed;

- figure 12 illustrates a storage room configuration with modular elements forming a gateway, placed on stacks of racks.

These figures, and in particular figure 1, show an example embodiment of a modular storage room for storing weapons in particular or the like, according to the invention.

In the example illustrated in these figures, this storage room is integrated into a ship such as a submarine, the submarine being designated by general reference 1 in this figure 1.

Of course, such a storage room may also be provided in a surface ship.

A premise including such a storage room in a land-based facility may also be considered.

The submarine 1 described in the example for instance includes several decks and is provided with at least one storage room for storing weapons designated by general reference 2.

As illustrated, this storage room for storing weapons in particular 2 is in fact the storage hold, for example for torpedoes or other types of weaponry or the like of the submarine 1.

Examples thus include missiles, drones, mines, etc.

The front wall of this storage room 2, designated by general reference 3, is provided with weapon launching tubes, for example torpedo launching tubes, similar to that designated by general reference 4 in said figure 1.

Traditionally, several torpedo launching tubes 4 can be provided in said front partition 3 of the thick hull of the submarine 1, to provide the launching of the weapons.

Indeed and according to the invention, this storage room 2 includes a floor, designated by general reference 5 in said figure 1, on which means are provided for fastening stacks of elongate storage racks for weapons and the like.

Several stacks of racks of this type are indeed illustrated in this figure 1, such as the racks designated by references 6, 7, 8 and 9 in said figure 1.

These stacks of racks 6, 7, 8 and 9 are formed by individual racks stacked on one another and locked to one another, as will be described in more detail hereinafter.

It will simply be noted, for example, that the stack of racks 6 includes different racks stacked on one another such as, for example, the racks 10 and 11.

These racks each for example contain a torpedo.

The storage room 2 also includes means forming a gantry crane for said racks 10,

11.

These gantry crane-forming means are designated by general reference 12.

As previously mentioned, the racks 10, 11 are individual racks for example for receiving at least one weapon, such as a torpedo, as illustrated in figures 2 and 3.

Figure 2 shows a rack, for example the rack designated by general reference 10.

This rack 10 is then an individual rack for example for receiving a torpedo designated by general reference 13.

This individual rack 10 then includes a portion in the form of an elongate cradle, designated by general reference 14, for receiving at least one weapon such as the torpedo 13.

This individual rack 10 also includes, on each side of the cradle-forming part 14, members in the form of a stacking column.

Thus for example, stacking columns, such as the end columns 15 and 16, may be regularly distributed on each side of said elongate cradle-forming part 14 and then make it possible to stack the individual racks on one another, to form stacks of racks.

Thus and as illustrated in figure 3, such racks 10 can be stacked on one another as needed.

Of course, such racks 10 can receive loads other than weapons.

One can then see that these different stacks 6, 7, 8 and 9 of stacked individual racks are locked on the floor-forming means 5, appropriately to avoid any risk of tilting thereof.

Another particularity of these racks is that they may be collapsible in particular to reduce their bulk when they are empty and make them easier to place on board.

Figure 1 for example shows, in the stack 6 of racks, aside from the racks 10 and previously described, three racks stacked on one another and collapsed in order to reduce their bulk.

These collapsed racks are designated by references 17, 18 and 19, respectively, in figure 1.

The gantry crane-forming means 12 of said racks then include a gantry that is for example motorized and movable transversely in the storage room 2, above the stacks of racks 6, 7, 8 and 9.

The movable gantry 12 is provided with means for grasping said racks to handle them for example from the top.

This is for example illustrated in figures 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.

In these figures, one can indeed see the submarine 1, the storage room 2, the front partition 3 thereof, the torpedo launching tube 4, the floor 5 and the means for damping impacts and vibrations inserted for example between the floor 5 and the rest of the structure of the ship.

These different means for example comprise elements or studs made from a damping material, regularly distributed between the floor 5 and the rest of the ship.

One of said elements is for example designated by general reference 20.

In these figures, one can also see the stacks of individual racks, as well as the gantry crane-forming means.

One can then see, as illustrated in these figures, that these gantry crane-forming means 12 make it possible to move the different racks to form stacks, for example symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal plane of the storage room 2, in one or several storage zones, and delimiting, for example as shown in figures 7 and 8, one or two corridors between these stacks of racks, in order to facilitate the circulation of people in the storage room.

The gantry crane-forming means 12 also make it possible, as illustrated in figure 6, to bring a rack across from a loading opening of a weapon into one of the torpedo launching tubes, such as the tube 4.

These gantry-forming means 12 then also include means for pushing the weapon into said torpedo launching tube 4 in order to load the latter.

These pushing means then pass through the racks during the loading or recovery of a weapon in one of the torpedo launching tubes, like the tube 4.

Traditionally, the gantry crane-forming means 12 then include a pusher designated by general reference 21 in said figure 6.

Of course and here again traditionally, said storage room for storing weapons 2 can be provided with an access hatch allowing the passage of the racks, to load them and/or unload them in and from said storage room, in particular for example using an inclinable ramp integrated into the floor.

The loading and/or unloading of the racks is illustrated in figures 9 and 10, where one can see the submarine 1, the storage room 2, the front partition 3 thereof.

In these figures, the storage room for storing weapons 2 and the submarine 1 are then provided with an access hatch, designated by general reference 22, for example allowing a handling tool 23 to engage a rack, for example the rack 24, on an inclinable ramp, integrated into the floor of the storage room 2, in order to load said rack in said storage room.

Figure 11 shows an end view of such a storage room 2, showing a stack of racks like the stack 6, including the racks 10 and 11 in the deployed position and the racks 17, 18 and 19 collapsed, to save space.

Lastly and as illustrated in figure 12, modular elements forming a gateway may also be provided, suitable for being positioned on stacks of racks, also to facilitate the movements of staff in the storage room 2 and to access the racks heightwise.

In this figure 12, elements of this nature are for example arranged on stacks of racks 25 and 26.

The modular elements forming a gateway are designated by respective references 27 and 28.

These modular elements 27 and 28 are then arranged where one wishes to form a passage above the racks.

One can then see that such a structure has a certain number of advantages, in particular in terms of its modularity.

Indeed, racks can be stacked above one another and be placed on board or taken off board the ship to adapt the storage room to the various missions in which the ship must for example participate.

Thus, the number of racks for weapons and/or various equipment may be adapted to the mission and space may be gained in the warehouse to be used for other applications.

Of course, other embodiments may also be considered.

Claims (11)

1. - A modular storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular (2), characterized in that it includes a floor (5) on which fastening means are provided for stacks (6, 7, 8 and 9) of elongate racks for receiving weapons made up of individual racks (10, 11) stacked on one another and means in the form of gantry cranes (12) for said racks (10, 11), and in that the racks (10, 11) are collapsible while remaining stackable, to reduce their bulk when they are empty or to make them easier to place on board a ship, including when they contain weapons.

2. - The modular storage room according to claim 1, wherein each rack (10, 11) includes a part in the form of an elongate cradle (14) for receiving at least one weapon or the like, and on each side of said means, members in the form of stacking columns (15, 16) suitable for being stacked on one another and locked to one another to form the stacks of racks (6, 7, 8 and 9).

3. - The modular storage room according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gantry crane-forming means (12) include at least one gantry movable transversely in the storage room (2) above the stacks of racks (10, 11) and provided with means for grasping the latter to handle them.

4. - The modular storage room according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the gantry crane-forming means (12) comprise pusher-forming means making it possible to load and unload weapons in the container and in the corresponding launch means.

5. - The modular storage room according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it includes modular elements forming a gateway (27, 28) suitable for being arranged on the individual racks and on the stacks of racks (6, 7, 8 and 9) to facilitate the movements of the operators in the storage room (2) and to facilitate the accessibility to the racks stored heightwise and to their contents.

6. - A ship, characterized in that it includes at least one storage room for storing and handling weapons in particular (2) according to any one of the preceding claims.

7.- The ship according to claim 6, characterized in that the floor (5) of the storage room (2) is associated with the rest of the structure of the ship (1) through means for damping vibrations and impacts (20).

5

8.- The ship according to claim 6 or 7, characterized in that one of the walls (3) of the premise containing the storage room (2) includes at least one weapon launching tube (4) and in that the gantry crane (12) of the racks (10, 11) is suitable for bringing a rack opposite a loading opening of a weapon into said tube and includes means (21) for pushing and recovering the weapon in the tube.

9. - The ship according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the ship is a submarine (1).

10. - The ship according to any one of claims 6 to 8, characterized in that the ship

15 is a surface ship.