Projectile braking and recovery device

Abstract

This presentation concerns a projectile braking and recovery device, comprising: - a support plate from which several tubes are suspended, the tubes being suspended by one of their ends on an underside of the plate; - a motor driving the plate in rotation around an axis of rotation; the tubes hanging from the plate, by gravity, along an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate, so as to absorb the energy of a projectile impacting at least one of said tubes. Figure for the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Description Title of the invention: Braking and recovery device projectiles Technical field

[0001] This presentation concerns the field of securing environments in which projectiles move and are stopped. More precisely it concerns a braking and recovery device for projectiles propelled by weapons direction of targets. STATE OF THE ART

[0002] — The practice of shooting with weapons, hand or shoulder, using air compressed, gas or gunpowder as propulsion energy, is a practice widespread. This practice is generally carried out in a shooting range, outdoors (or "outdoor" according to Anglo-Saxon terminology) or indoors (or "indoor" according to Anglo-Saxon terminology), in which the objective is to reach a target by means of of a projectile propelled by the weapon.

[0003] — For obvious reasons of security and available space, it is necessary to stop the projectile once it has reached the intended target. However, projectiles can present an energy ranging from a few joules to a few thousand joules. But since targets are generally consumables, they only have a very low obstacle to the projectile and therefore do not allow the function to be carried out stop sought.

[0004] It is possible to put in place mounds, or piles, of sand, or earth, behind each target in order to stop the projectile after it passes through the target. However These mounds are bulky, difficult to set up in certain stands and few modular. In addition, they do not allow easy recovery of projectiles once they have been arrested, since these are then buried in the mound, which is problematic in terms of pollution and recycling.

[0005] It is also possible to set up cages, called bullet traps, just behind each target. These bullet traps present a sufficiently large obstacle resistant to stop the projectile. They use a fixed wall for this, often me- metal, which hinders the trajectory of the projectile. However, such bullet traps can cause projectiles to return in dangerous directions, such as that of the shooter, which is problematic for safety. In addition, stopping the projectile causes it to crush against the wall and therefore release dust. However, the pro- commonly used projectiles are made of metallic material, such as for example lead, the dust of which is harmful to health and the environment. It is It is common for a projectile to lose a portion, of the order of 10%, of its mass when it is stopped by such means. This explains the fact that air pollution from shooting ranges can in certain cases be higher than the tolerated threshold of 100 ug / m* and that surface pollution can reach values ​​several hundred times higher than the tolerated threshold of 1,000 ug / m?. These bullet traps therefore present significant safety and pollution problems by dispersing lead dust into the air of the shooting range. Document FR 2865534 proposes the use of a system comprising vertical fabric tubes positioned in a casing supporting a target. These tubes are fixed to the upper wall of the casing and are intended to brake projectiles fired towards the targets. However, the concentration of shots at the center of the target causes significant wear on the central tubes and greatly reduces the lifespan of such a system. Such a system therefore does not allow for the reliable braking or recovery of a large number of successive projectiles without requiring maintenance or replacement of certain tubes. It would therefore be advantageous to remedy all or part of the problems set out above. GENERAL STATEMENT One aim of the presentation is to solve at least one of the problems mentioned above, for example by allowing the recovery of moving projectiles while reducing the release of polluting particles and the risk of the projectile returning in a simple and time-effective manner. For this purpose, according to one aspect of the present disclosure, a projectile braking and recovery device is proposed, comprising: - a support plate from which several tubes are suspended, the tubes being suspended by one of their ends on a lower face of the plate; - a motor driving the plate in rotation around an axis of rotation; the tubes hanging from the plate, by gravity, along an axis parallel to the axis of rotation of the plate, so as to absorb the energy of a projectile impacting at least one of said tubes. This device helps reduce pollution in a shooting environment caused by the dispersion of lead particles into the air when a projectile stops. In fact, this device gradually slows the projectile and thus prevents it from hitting a wall. This device improves the braking of projectiles by opposing a greater number of tubes at the level of the trajectories most often followed by projectiles, that is to say those crossing the center of the target. The number of tubes used is thus reduced by limiting to the strict minimum the number of tubes at the level of the trajectories least frequently traveled by projectiles, that is to say on the peripheries. It also allows wear to be distributed across all the tubes, despite the greater concentration of shots passing through the center of the device, by rotating them so that the same tube is not always behind the center of the target. The lifespan of the device before the first maintenance is therefore increased. Advantageously, but optionally, the disclosed device comprises at least one of the following characteristics, taken alone or in any combination: -the tubes are arranged in relation to the plate according to several concentric annular alignments; - neighboring tubes in the same alignment and neighboring tubes in neighboring alignments are spaced apart by a distance greater than | mm and less than the diameter of the tubes; - each straight line passing through the center of rotation of the plate intercepts at least one of the tubes of at least one of the alignments; - the plate is a disk and the axis of rotation of the disk is parallel to the axis of revolution of the disk; - the plate includes, for each tube: - a hole in which the tube can slide freely, and - a cap for fixing the tube to the plate, the cap comprising a head wider than the hole in the plate and a pin into which the tube fits; - the tubes are circular in section, hollow and made of a polymer material; - a housing defines a cavity inside which the disc and the tubes are positioned, the housing comprising an upper cover facing an upper face of the disc and a lateral opening parallel to the axis of rotation of the disc; - the motor is positioned on the upper cover of the housing and outside the cavity, the motor being connected to the disc by means of a connecting screw fixed to the disc on the one hand and to the motor on the other hand, and passing through the upper cover; - the disc is supported by the upper cover by means of: - the connecting screw and a pin, locking the connecting screw in translation relative to the upper cover of the housing and - a needle stop, on which the pin rests, allowing the rotation of the connecting screw relative to the cover. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES Other characteristics, aims and advantages will emerge from the following description, which is purely illustrative and not limiting, and which must be read in conjunction with the attached drawings in which: [Fig. 1] illustrates a perspective view of a projectile braking and recovery device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Fig.2B] [Fig.2A] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate sectional views of a plate on which tubes will be fixed, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Fig. 3] illustrates a section of a projectile braking and recovery device, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Fig.4] illustrates a schematic top view of a motor attachment to the connecting screw, according to an embodiment of the present invention. Throughout the figures, similar elements bear identical references. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In the remainder of the description, the term radial will be used to refer to that which is directed by a vector colinear to a radius and axial to that which is directed by a vector colinear to an axis of rotation. Furthermore, since the device which is the subject of the invention is intended to be positioned relative to the ground, the term lower part will be used to refer to the part of a part closer to the ground in the direction of gravity compared to a part, called the upper part, less close to the ground in the direction of gravity. A device 1 for braking and recovering projectiles P, as illustrated in [Fig. 1], comprises a plate 2, tubes 3 and a motor 4. The motor rotates the plate from which the tubes 3 are suspended. The plate 2, as illustrated by figures 2A and 2B, comprises a so-called lower face 2a, a so-called upper face 2b and an edge 2c. The plate 2 further comprises a barycenter O and an axis orthogonal to the lower 2a and upper 2b faces and passing through the barycenter O. Subsequently, and due to the geometry of the plate 2, the plate will be considered a single plane. The plate 2 comprises a maximum length and a minimum length in the plane orthogonal to the axis. The shape of the plate 2 is such that the difference between the dimensions of the maximum length and the minimum length is small compared to the dimension of the maximum length. In this way, the change in the length of the projection of the edge 2c, on a fixed plane orthogonal to the plate 2, during the rotation of the plate 2 around its axis, is small compared to the maximum length of the plate 2.Thus, the surface area presented by the tubes 3 suspended from the rotating plate 2 is relatively constant over time. Advantageously, the plate 2 forms a regular polygon or preferably a circle. According to a preferred embodiment, the plate 2 is a disc. The tubes 3 comprise an upper end 3b and a lower end 3a. Their upper end 3b is hooked onto the lower face 2a of the plate 2 and their lower end 3a is free from any movement. The plate 2 comprises for each tube 3 a hole 2d in which the tube 3 can slide freely. Each tube 3 comprises a cap 31. The cap 31 comprises a head 311 wider than the hole 2d of the plate 2 and a pin 312 extending from the head 311 and around which a hollow part 32 of the upper end 3b of the tube 3 is fitted. Each cap 31 therefore makes it possible to fix a tube 3 on the plate 2. Such a fixing makes it easier to replace a single tube 3 and to simplify the fixing of each tube 3 on the plate 2. The cap 31 is for example a fir-tree rivet. The tubes 3 are suspended from the plate 2 by gravity and are therefore all parallel to each other. Thus a pendulum movement is allowed for them so that they can absorb the energy of projectiles P by their deformation and by their movement. The tubes 3 are preferably cylindrical in shape and circular in section, so as not to present any angular parts to the projectiles P. In this way, when the projectile P comes into contact with a tube 3, this cylindrical shape promotes the lateral repulsion effect of the tube 3 and thus reduces the risk of it being cut. According to one embodiment, the tubes 3 are hollow, which makes it possible to improve the absorption of the energy of the projectile P by the tube 3. The tubes 3 are made of a flexible material, so as to be able to absorb the energy of the projectiles P. The tubes 3 may be made of polymer-type materials of fossil, recycled or biological origin, such as, for example, elastomer, polyurethane elastomer, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic, synthetic rubber or other similar materials. The tubes 3 may also be made of a flexible material of natural origin, such as, for example, natural rubber, leather or other similar materials. Thus, the tubes 3 absorb the energy of the projectile P by deforming and swinging, which makes it possible to avoid deformation of the projectile P itself. Advantageously, and as illustrated by [Fig.2A], the tubes 3 can be arranged on the lower face 2a of the plate 2 according to one or more alignments 5 having as their center the barycenter O of the plate 2. The different alignments 5 of tubes 3 are therefore concentric. The volume defined by all these alignments 5 of tubes 3 will subsequently be called cylinder C of tubes 3 and the axis of rotation X will be called the axis parallel to the tubes 3 and passing through the barycenter O of the plate 2. In addition, an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation X will be called firing axis Y. Preferably, the different tubes 3 of each alignment 5 are not all positioned on the same radii; in other words, each straight line passing through the barycenter of the plate 2 intercepts at least one of the tubes 3 of at least one of the alignments 5 of tubes 3 fixed on the lower face of the plate 2.According to one embodiment, the tubes 3 of the neighboring alignments 5 are arranged in a staggered manner between them, so that the trajectory of a projectile P does not . cannot cut two successive alignments 5 without encountering at least one tube 3. Advantageously, the tubes 3 are spaced apart from each other, that is to say between two neighboring tubes 3 in the same alignment 5 and between neighboring tubes 3 of two neighboring alignments 5, by a distance d of the order of half a diameter of tube 3. The diameter of a tube 3 can optionally be chosen according to the diameter of the projectiles P to be stopped, in which case the diameter of the tubes 3 will advantageously be of the order of one and a half times that of the projectiles P. This dimensioning allows the device 1 to be able to brake the projectile P progressively by means of several tubes 3 which will each capture a part of the energy of the projectile. Indeed, each tube 3 is sufficiently thick to oppose a certain resistance to the projectile P, without breaking, and sufficiently spaced from the neighboring tubes 3 to be able to move and allow the projectile P to impact other tubes 3. In addition, such an arrangement makes it possible to present a greater number of tubes 3 to the projectiles P passing through the center of the device 1 and therefore the cylinder C according to its diameter while making its rotation possible. The device is preferably adapted to brake projectiles P propelled by means of a weapon using the energy of compressed air. The device is therefore advantageously used for projectiles P having an energy of a few joules to a few tens of joules. The motor 4 is connected to the upper face 2b of the plate 2. The motor 4 makes it possible to drive the plate 2 in rotation around the axis of rotation X passing through the barycenter O thereof. The motor 4 is connected to the plate 2 by means of a connecting screw 10. The connecting screw 10 is preferably collinear with the axis of rotation X. The connecting screw 10 is fixed to the upper face 2b of the plate 2 on the one hand and to an output shaft 4a of the motor 4 on the other hand. The connection between the connecting screw 10 and the plate 2 is a fixed connection which allows the connecting screw 10 to drive the plate 2 in rotation; it can be of several types, such as, for example, a bolted connection. Motor 4 can be of any type such as DC motor, stepper motor, etc. The motor 4 rotates at a speed of between half a revolution per minute (0.5 revolutions / min) and five revolutions per minute (5 revolutions / min) so as to prevent two successive P projectiles from impacting the same tube 3. Thus, the P projectiles do not always encounter the same tubes 3 due to the rotation of the plate 2 and the uncertainty of the location of the impact due to the precision of the shooter. According to a first embodiment, the axis of rotation X of the plate 2 is co-linear with the axis of revolution of the plate 2. According to a second embodiment, the axis of rotation X of the plate 2 is angularly inclined relative to the axis of revolution of the plate 2. This second embodiment also makes it possible to distribute any impacts over a larger portion of the height of each tube 3. In fact, due to the angular inclination, the projectile P will be able to impact a tube 3 on its lower part at the start of its travel, and at the end of its travel, the last tube 3 on its upper part. Thus, such a device 1 for braking and recovering projectiles P makes it possible to brake a projectile P propelled in its direction while avoiding crushing of this projectile P. In addition, it guarantees a good lifespan of the tubes 3 due to the rotation of the plate 2 thanks to which two projectiles P fired following the same trajectory and with a time lag will not impact the same tubes 3. Advantageously, the device 1 for braking and recovering projectiles P may comprise a housing 6. The housing 6 comprises a side wall 14, an upper cover 8 and a lower face 15. The housing 6 therefore defines a cavity 7 inside which the plate 2 and the tubes 3 are positioned. The cavity defined by the housing is large enough to contain the plate 2 and the volume of the cylinder C. According to the embodiment illustrated by [Fig. 1] the axis of rotation X of the tube 3 passes through the center of the upper cover 8 and the lower face 15. The side wall of the housing 6 comprises a coaxial lateral opening 9 with a paper or electronic target arranged in front of it. The lateral opening 9 has a width and a height. The width of the cavity 7 is of a dimension less than or equal to the diameters of the concentric alignments 5 of tubes 3 and the height of the cavity 7 is of a dimension less than the length of the tubes 3. The cavity 7 is preferably centered on the axis of rotation X of the cylinder C. In this way, the device 1 allows a projectile P projected along the firing axis Y in the direction of the target to enter the cavity 7 of the device 1 and to encounter at least one tube 3. Such an arrangement also allows the matching between, on the one hand, the density of the number of tubes 3 and, on the other hand, the concentration of the projectiles P.Indeed, since the aim of a shooter is to hit the center of the target, it is more common for projectiles to pass through its center than on its periphery. However, since the center of cavity 7 is facing the axis of cylinder €, a projectile P passing through cavity 7 in its center crosses diametrically the cylinder C of tubes 3 and therefore encounters the largest possible number of tubes 3. Furthermore, the cavity 7 is advantageously positioned at mid-height of the tubes 3 in order to protect the plate 2 from possible impacts of projectiles P while opposing the projectiles P with the greatest possible moment by leaving the largest possible portion of the tube 3 free below the point of impact. The housing 6 therefore allows good positioning of the target relative to the cylinder € and therefore guarantees that the projectiles P impacting the center of the target pass through the cylinder C diametrically and in its center. Preferably, and as illustrated by [Fig.3], the cover 8 can support the motor 4 and the disc 2, independently of the motor 4. In other words, the weight of the disc 2 and of the cylinder C, therefore of the tubes 3, can be supported by the cover 8 of the housing 6 and not by the motor 4 itself, that is to say by its output shaft 4a, by means of the connecting screw 10. According to one embodiment, the connecting screw 10, fixed to the plate 2, passes through the cover 8 and comprises in a portion greater than the cover 8 a radial bore 16 opening into which a pin 11 is inserted. Such an assembly makes it possible to block the plate 2 in translation in the direction of gravity. In order to facilitate the rotation of the connecting screw 10 relative to the cover 8, it is possible to place around the connecting screw 10 and between the pin 11 and the cover 8 a needle stop 12. The pin 11 therefore rests on the needle stop 12 which itself rests on the cover 8.Thus, the plate 2 is supported by the cover 8 and is free to rotate relative to the cover 8. The cover 8 of the housing 6 makes it possible to support the motor 4. The motor 4 can be fixed on an omega-shaped part 18, itself screwed onto the cover 8, as illustrated in [Fig. 4]. Thus the motor 4 is positioned above the connecting screw 10. The connecting screw 10 connecting the plate 2 to the motor 4 passes through the cover 8, is supported in translation by the cover 8 and is fixed to the output shaft 4a of the motor 4. Advantageously, the connecting screw 10 and the output shaft 4a of the motor 4 are fixed to each other by means of an intermediate part 17. According to one embodiment, the intermediate part 17 is pinned to the output shaft 4a of the motor 4 and has a tenon at one end. The connecting screw 10 comprises a mortise so that it can be fixed to the intermediate part 17 by a tenon-mortise connection. According to another embodiment, the intermediate part 17 comprises a jaw coupling, an upper half of which is fixed to the output shaft 4a of the motor 4 and a lower half to the connecting screw 10. Advantageously, the housing 6 can comprise a drawer 13. The drawer 13 is positioned in a lower part of the cavity 7, under the tubes 3, to receive the projectiles P once their energy has been released. In this way, the projectile P entering the cavity 7 releases its energy to the tubes 3, is slowed down upon contact with them, then falls into the bottom of the casing 6 and is thus recoverable without it having encountered the side wall 14 of the casing 6 and therefore being crushed. According to a particular embodiment, the housing 6 is a rectangular parallelepiped whose width and length (in a plane parallel to the ground) are between 50 and 500mm and preferably between 200 and 250mm, and the height is between 50 and 600mm and preferably between 300 and 400mm. The lateral opening 9 of the housing 6 has a width and a height of between 20 and 400mm and preferably between 150 and 200mm. According to a particular embodiment, the housing 6 is a rectangular parallelepiped whose width and length are 210mm and whose height is 360mm. The lateral opening 9 of the housing 6 has a width and a height of 175mm. According to a particular embodiment, which may or may not be combined with the previous one, the diameter of the disc constituting the plate 2 is between 100 and 250 mm and preferably between 190 and 195 mm and the height of the tubes 3 is between 200 and 300 mm and preferably 280 mm. The box 6 can comprise from 10 to 300 tubes 3 with a diameter of between 2 and 20 mm and spaced apart from each other by 0.5 to 5 mm.

Claims

Claims

1. Device (1) for braking and recovering projectiles (P), including: a support plate (2) from which several are suspended tubes (3), the tubes (3) being suspended by one of their ex- ends (3b) on a lower face (2a) of the plate (2); a motor (4) driving the plate (2) in rotation around a axis of rotation (X); the tubes (3) hanging from the plate (2), by gravity, along an axis parallel to the axis of rotation (X) of the plate (2), so as to absorb the energy of a projectile (P) impacting at least one of said tubes (3).

2. Device (1) according to claim 1, wherein the tubes (3) are arranged in relation to the plate (2) according to several alignments (5) an- concentric rings.

3. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 2, in which the neighboring tubes (3) of the same alignment (5) as well as the tubes (3) alignment neighbors (5) neighbors are spaced apart by a distance (d) greater than | mm and less than the diameter of the tubes.

4. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, in which each line passing through the center of rotation of the plate (2) in- intercepts at least one of the tubes (3) from at least one of the alignments (5).

5. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the plate (2) is a disk {2) and the axis of rotation (X) of the disk (2) is parallel to the axis of revolution of the disc (2).

6. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the plate (2) comprises, for each tube (3): a hole (2d) in which the tube (3) can slide freely, and a cap (31) for fixing the tube (3) to the plate (2), the cap (31) comprising a head (311) wider than the hole @d) of the plate (2) and a pin (312) to which the tube (3) comes to fit together.

7. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, in which the tubes (3) are of circular section, hollow and made in one polymer material.

8. Device (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising a housing (6) defining a cavity (7) inside in which the disc (2) and the tubes (3) are positioned, the housing (6) comprising an upper cover (8) facing an upper face (2b) of the disc (2) and a lateral opening (9) parallel to the axis of rotation {(X) of disk (2).

9. Device (1) according to claim 8, wherein the motor (4) is po- located on the top cover {8) of the housing (6) and outside the cavity (7), the motor (4) being connected to the disc (2) by means of a screw connecting rod (10) fixed to the disc (2) on one side and to the motor (4) on the other part, and crossing the upper cover (8).

10. Device (1) according to claim 9, wherein the disc (2) is supported by the upper cover (8) by means of: of the connecting screw (10) and a pin (11), locking in translation of the connecting screw (10) relative to the cover upper (8) of the housing (6) and of a needle roller (12), on which the pin rests (11), allowing rotation of the connecting screw (10) relative to to the cover (8).