Container for jamming means

Abstract: A container (1) for jamming means (4), such as radar chaff or IR-burning bodies, comprising a box (3) provided with an opening, the box having a flat bottom section and a surrounding wall (13). Said box (3) or a frame (2) dimensioned to take up said box (3) is connectable to similar boxes (3) or frames (2), respectivily, in connection to the opening or bottom section of the boxes. In order to avoid waste of jamming means (10) and facilitate an optimal filling of the non-filled space in a container magazine, the container (1) is provided with a lid (5) applyable above the opening of the box in a way keeping the lid fixed, the lid not being releasable until the separation of the respective container (1) from an adjacent container (1).

Description: The present invent on relates to a container for jamming means, such as radar chaff, IR-burning bodies, and it tended to be brought with a craft and to be dispensed from the same for the purpose of diverting or other purpose, said container comprising a box provided with an opening, and having an essentially flat bottom section with a surrounding wall for receiving said jamming means, said box or a frame dimensioned to take up said box being connectable with similar boxes or frames, respectively, in connection to the opening and the bottom section of the box. Jamming means refer to both active jamming means, such as IR-burning bodies and passive jamming means, such as radar chaff. Other examples of jamming means are smoke delivering means and radar reflectors. A container according to the above is previously known from SE B 8700504-7. A similar type of container is also known from EP-A-0 127 218 which also discloses a dispenser suitable for dispensing said type of containers. A gear wheel arrangement in the dispenser is used to effectuate the separation of containers from a row of containers. Containers according to the above are commonly put together into long rows. The outermost container in one of the ends of such a row is not able to keep its contents of jamming means without special measures. This is not a great problem as long as the containers are kept together in long rows and the outermost open container is left unfilled. In certain connections; however, there is a desire to be able to divide the row into shorter rows, for example to optimize the filling of a container magazine in a dispenser. This situation may occur for example, when the standard length of the container rows or a multiple of said length is not adapted to the length of the container magazine of the dispenser or when container magazines are to be filled which are only partly emptied at a preceding activation of the dispenser. It is an object of the present invention to obtain containers intended for jamming means, facilitating optimal filling of the container magazine of the dispenser and the containers of which during the handling up to the release of the container from a dispenser keep the jamming means in position and thereby preventing unintentional spreading and unnecessary waste. The object of the invention is obtained by means of a container characterized in that a lid is applicable above the opening of the box in a way keeping the lid fixed in order to essentially cover the opening of the box, said lid being arranged to be fixed above the box by cooperation with a similar adjacent container. By arranging a fixedly kept lid, a row of containers may be divided into a number of shorter rows without that waste of counter means occur. Thereby the length of the rows may be adapted to the length of the container magazine. Unintentional dividing of standardized container rows does not either cause any waste. According to a favourable embodiment the container is characterized in that the lid is arranged to be fixed above the box by cooperation with a similar container in connection to the bottom section of the box. According to another favourable embodiment, the container is characterized in that the lid comprises locking means for locking the lid above the opening of the box. Preferably, the locking means is a locking strip and according to a special embodiment, the locking strip is provided with at least one bulge in each end. The locking strip enables a simple fixed keeping of the lid above the box and the bulges on the strip contribute to a simple and effectual fixed keeping. According to an embodiment, the container is characterized in that the surrounding wall of the box or the periphery of the frame is provided with loop means for cooperation with the locking means of the lid, the locking means and the loop means in cooperation keeping the lid fixed above the box when the box or the frame is connected to a similar box or frame in connection to the bottom section of the box. The loop means in cooperation with the locking means result in a very reliable fixed keeping of the lid of the container when it is connected to a container situated behind at the same time as the lid easily may be released from the container when the container has been released from the container behind. The invention will below be described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which; figure 1 shows a first embodyment of a container according to the invention in perspective view, firure 2 shows the container according to the first embodiment in an exploded view, figure 3 shows a part of the container according to the first embodiment in a front view, figure 4 shows a part of the container according to the first embodiment in a side view, figure 5 shows a section according 5-5 in figure 4 of a part of the container, figure 6 shows a section according to 6-6 in figure 4 of a part of the container, figure 7 shows a second embodiment of a container according to the invention in an exploded view, figure 8 shows an alternative lid and box included in a container according to the invention and figure 9 shows a number of containers according to the first or second embodiment connected into a row. A first embodiment of a container 1 is described below with reference to figures 1-6. The container comprises, as apparent from the exploded view of figure 2, a frame 2, a box 3 also called insertion box, jamming means 4 and a lid 5. The shown frame 4 is formed by essentially four angular like elements 6.1-6.4 which together with two cross beams 7.1, 7.2 are arranged to define a space dimensioned to take up the box 3. Loop means 17, 18 are provided on the outside of two parallel angular like element 6.1, 6.3 included in the frame 2. The task of the loop means will be described in more detail further on. On each side of the loop means 17, 18, the frame of the container is provided with coupling means 19-22 enabling coupling together of several containers 1. The coupling means 19-22 will as well be described in more detail further on. In the shown first embodiment the box is constituted by an essentially flat bottom section 8 having a rectangular shape surrounded by a surrounding wall 9. The box 3 is intended to contain jamming means 4 and in the present case radar chaff 10. The chaff is divided into a number of chaff packets by means of wrappers. The chaff packet may have different lengths and four different lengths are shown in figure 2. Due to that fact a wide frequency range may be covered. The lid 5 has a shape similar to the box 3, that is an essentially flat rectangular section 12 surrounded by a surrounding wall 13. On the upper side of the lid there is provided a locking strip 14. The locking strip 14 may be integral with the lid 5, but in the shown embodiment it is glued to the upper side of the lid. In each end 23, 24 of the locking strip 14 a bulge 15 or 16, respectivily, is shaped. The locking operation of the locking strip will be apparent from the description further on below. A complete container 1 is suitably put together according to the following. The box 3 is filled with chaff 10, possibly divided into packets by means of wrappers. Thereafter the box filled with chaff is inserted into the space defined by the frame 2. Finally, the lid 5 is applied above the box 3. It is thereby ensured that the ends 23, 24 of the locking strip 14 are introduced between the respective loop means 17, 18 and the two adjacent angular like element 61, 62. By means of the above measures the container 1 assumes the condition shown in figure 1. The bulges 15, 16 in the ends 23, 24 of the locking strip 14 in cooperation with the loop means 17, 18 keep the lid in position. A suitable embodiment of the loop means may result in that they furthermore cooperate with the loop means in adjacent containers. Such an suitable loop embodiment is shown in more detail in the figure 3-5. Below the embodiment of the frame according to the first embodiment will be described in more detail with reference to figure 3-6. A front view of the frame 2 is shown in figure 3. The loop means 17, 18 are provided on the outside of two of the parallel angular like elements 6.1, 6.3 of the frame as well as the coupling means 19-22 for connecting adjacent frames. The shape of the loop means is most evident from the side view according to figure 4 and the section shown in figure 5 according to 5-5 in figure 4. In its front section the loop means have a wedge shape 25, while the rear section have a deflection 26. The deflection 26' of the rear section of a loop means 17' of a frame connecting at the side of the opening of the frame 2 essentially coincides with the wedge shaped inclination of the front section. A narrow slot 27 is obtained between the two adjacent loop means 17, 17' and the locking strip runs through this slot. Due to the bulges 15,16 in the ends 23, 24 of the locking strip, the slot 27 prevents the locking strip and thereby the lid to be released from the container as long as the frame and thereby the container are connected to a frame positioned behind. Fig 6 shows a coupling means 19 for coupling together adjacent frames. The rear section of the coupling means shows a groove like opening 28 adapted to take up a pin shaped means 29. In the figure the pin shaped means situated behind has been indicated with broken lines and has been given the reference numeral 29' '. Each pin shaped means 29 has a projecting head 30 as well as each opening comprises a projection 31. By means of the described embodiment of coupling means 19, a reliable connection of adjacent containers is obtained. In order to obtain a favourable connection between adjacent frames, the frames have thinner front and rear section 32, 33. The thinner sections are somewhat displaced in such a way that two adjacent frames may be displaced somewhat into each other. Fig 7 shows a second embodiment of the container according to the invention. This embodiment differs from the previously described first embodiment in that the frame and the box have been replaced by a box 34 on the periphery of which loop means 17, 18 and coupling means 19, 20 have been directly applied. As to the rest the included element have correspondence in the embodiment described with reference to figures 1-6. The corresponding elements have been given the same reference numerals through out all the text. In a modification of the second embodiment it is possible to introduce a box 3 according to the first embodiment as an insertion box provided in the box 34. A lid 5 and a box 3 included in the container 1 may, as is shown in the embodiment according to figure 8, be connected to each other by means of a joint. A joint 37 is provided between one of the wall sections of the box 3 and a corresponding wall section of the lid 5. The locking means consist of two lugs 35, 36 emanating from the wall 13 of the lid. The two lugs are provided with bulges 15, 16. A number of containers 1 connected to a row are shown in figure 9. The container 1 may either be of the kind decribed with reference to the figures 1-6 or the the variant shown in figure 7. Independently of in what position such a row is divided, the lids of the containers are held in position above the container openings as long as at least two containers are kept together by means of the coupling means.

Claims: A container for jamming means (4), such as radar chaff, IR-burning bodies and the like, and intended to be brought with a craft and to be dispensed from the same for the purpose of diverting or other purpose, said container (1) comprising a box (3) provided with an opening, and having a substantially flat bottom section (8) with a surrounding wall (9) for receiving said jamming means (4), said box (3) or a frame (2) dimensioned to take up said box being connectable with similar boxes (3) or frames (2), respectively, in connection to the opening and the bottom section (8) of the box, characterized in that a lid (5) is applicable above the opening of said box (3) in a way keeping the lid fixed in order to essentially cover the opening of the box, said lid (5) being arranged to be fixed above the box (3) by cooperation with a similar adjacent container (1). A container as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the lid (5) is arranged to be fixed above the box (3) by cooperation with a similar container (1) in connection with the bottom section (8) of the box (3). A container as claimed in any of the claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the lid (5) comprises locking means (14) for locking the lid (5) above the opening of the box (3). A container as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the locking means is a locking strip (14). A container as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the locking strip (14) is provided with at least one bulge (15; 16) in each end (23; 24). A container as claimed in any of the claims 3-5, characterized in that the surrounding wall (9) of the box (3) or the periphery (6.1; 6.3) of the frame (2) is provided with loop means (17, 18) for cooperation with the locking means (14) of the lid (5), the locking means and the loop means in cooperation keeping the lid fixed above the box when the box or the frame is connected to a similar box or frame in connection with the bottom section (9) of the box (3). A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (5) consists of a deformable material. A container as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the lid (5) and the box (3) are connected by means of a joint (37).

Inventors: PETTERSSON SVEN, SCHNUERER MAGNUS, PETTERSSON, SVEN, SCHNUERER, MAGNUS, Schnürer, Magnus
Applicants: CELSIUSTECH ELECTRONICS AB
Application year: 1992
Main classification: F42B12
IPC codes: F42B12