Non-lethal projectile comprising an internal impactor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a non-lethal projectile (10) comprising an outer shell defining an internal volume, a liquid or powdery substance (2) contained in the internal volume, and at least one solid internal impactor arranged inside the shell and movable within the substance, the internal impactor being configured so that, when the projectile hits a target (7), the inertia of the internal impactor causes it to hit an inner wall of the shell in order to cause it to rupture.

Description

Non-lethal projectile including an internal striker Scope of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of non-lethal munitions, and more particularly to a hollow, non-lethal projectile designed to rupture upon impact in order to release a liquid or powder active substance. The invention is notably applicable to projectiles such as paintballs or pepper balls. Previous art

[0002] It is known in the state of the art that non-lethal projectiles consist of a fragile shell containing a substance, such as a liquid (e.g., a dye or an odorous product) or a powder (e.g., tear gas). These projectiles are designed to be fired from a launcher and for their shell to break upon impact with a target, thus dispersing their contents.

[0003] In this document, non-lethal projectiles are defined as projectiles designed to be less lethal than traditional lethal ammunition. This designation, equivalent to "less-lethal projectile," does not guarantee the absence of lethal risk, depending on the circumstances and the intended use.

[0004] A major drawback of these projectiles is their unreliability. The casing does not always break upon impact, especially when the target is soft or flexible, such as a person wearing thick clothing. The impact energy is then absorbed by the target, preventing the casing from fracturing. Furthermore, the low mass of these projectiles limits their kinetic energy, making rupture even more unpredictable. The projectile may then fall to the ground intact, without having fulfilled its purpose.

[0005] To address this lack of reliability, existing solutions involve increasing the power of the launchers or making the projectile casings even more fragile. Both approaches create a second drawback: compromised safety. Increasing the firing power significantly raises the risk of serious injury to the target. Furthermore, ultra-fragile casings increase the risk of unintentional breakage during manufacturing, transport, storage, or handling, which can expose the user to the substance and render the device unusable.

[0006] There is therefore a need to provide a non-lethal projectile that offers reliable impact rupture, even on soft targets, while improving overall safety for both the target and the user.

[0007] The present invention aims to overcome these drawbacks of the prior art.

[0008] The invention relates more particularly to a non-lethal projectile comprising: an outer shell defining an internal volume; and a liquid or powdery substance contained in the internal volume, and at least one solid internal striker disposed inside the shell and mobile within the substance, the internal striker being configured so that, upon impact of the projectile on a target, it will inertly strike an internal wall of the shell in order to cause its rupture.

[0009] The presence of this internal striker provides an improved rupture mechanism, as its inertia promotes a violent internal impact on the hull, regardless of the nature of the external target.

[0010] According to one embodiment, the striker is made of a material with a density greater than that of the substance, the material being chosen from the group including metal, ceramic and glass.

[0011] The use of a high-density material maximizes the kinetic energy of the striker for a given volume, thus increasing the efficiency of internal percussion, while its spherical shape facilitates its movement within the substance.

[0012] Advantageously, the striking pin material is steel.

[0013] According to one embodiment, the internal striker is a ball.

[0014] Advantageously, the solid object has a non-spherical shape, including at least one edge or point configured to concentrate the impact force on the inner wall of the shell.

[0015] This shape allows the entire impact force of the striker to be concentrated on a minimal surface area of ​​the inner wall, thus facilitating hull fracture even with lower impact energy.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the internal striker is a spring.

[0017] This configuration allows potential energy to be stored during compression upon impact and released suddenly. This results in a fragmented rupture of the shell, while reducing the risk of penetrating injury compared to a solid mass of equivalent weight.

[0018] According to another embodiment, the internal striker consists of a plurality of projectiles, arranged in the internal volume.

[0019] According to another variant, the internal striker consists of a spring and a plurality of projectiles.

[0020] In contrast to a single-ball striker, these configurations, which use a spring and / or multiple secondary projectiles, offer a dual advantage. First, they maximize the dispersion of the liquid or powder substance by inducing more complete fragmentation of the shell, thus ensuring superior area coverage. Second, they reduce the risk of bodily injury to the target by avoiding the concentration of kinetic energy at a single potentially penetrating point of impact, instead distributing this energy over a wider area or dissipating it.

[0021] Advantageously, at least some of the projectiles are buckshot.

[0022] Preferably, the substance only partially fills the internal volume of the shell, so as to define a free space allowing movement of the internal striker.

[0023] The presence of a free space ensures the internal striker has sufficient travel to acquire relative velocity before striking the hull wall, thus maximizing the effectiveness of the impact.

[0024] Preferably, the hull is made up of two half-hulls joined together.

[0025] The present invention also relates to a method of using a non-lethal projectile as described above, the method comprising the steps of: launching the projectile towards a target; and upon impact of the projectile on the target causing a deceleration of the hull, allowing the internal striker to inertly strike the internal wall of the hull to cause the hull to rupture and the release of the substance. Description of the figures

[0026] The invention will be better understood upon reading the following description of preferred embodiments, given by way of simple figurative and non-limiting example, and accompanied by the figures, among which: Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a prior art hollow non-lethal projectile. Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the action of a prior art projectile upon impact with a soft target. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of a non-lethal projectile according to one embodiment of the invention, comprising a solid internal striker. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of a non-lethal projectile according to another embodiment of the invention, comprising a spring. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view of a non-lethal projectile according to another embodiment of the invention, comprising several solid internal strikers. Figure 6 illustrates the filling of a half-shell with a powdery substance for a projectile with a solid striker. Figure 7 illustrates the positioning of the internal striker on the powdery substance in Figure 8.Figure 1 illustrates the final assembly of the projectile by adding the second half-shell. Figure 2 illustrates the positioning of the internal firing pin in an empty half-shell. Figure 3 illustrates the filling of the half-shell with a liquid substance. Figure 4 illustrates the final assembly of the projectile. Figure 5 illustrates a projectile according to the invention launched towards a soft target. Figure 6 illustrates the impact of the projectile according to the invention, showing internal percussion by inertia. Figure 7 illustrates the rupture of the shell of the projectile according to the invention and the dispersion of the substance.

[0027] Lamontre is a non-lethal projectile of the prior art. It is composed of a frangible outer shell 1 and a substance 2, which can be liquid or powder.

[0028] Figures 2 to 4 illustrate the inherent failure of this conventional projectile 6 when it encounters a soft target 7. After launch, the projectile 6 reaches the target 7. At the point of impact 8, the kinetic energy is absorbed by the deformation of the soft target, preventing the shell from fracturing. Consequently, the projectile completes its trajectory intact at the base of the target, its active substance remaining trapped and its mission unfulfilled.

[0029] Figure 1 illustrates an embodiment of the invention. The projectile comprises a frangible shell 1 which encloses a substance 2. A solid internal striker 3 is also disposed inside the shell 1, immersed or embedded in the substance 2.

[0030] The shell wall 1 has a thickness and mechanical strength calibrated to withstand the stresses of launch while being able to fracture under the concentrated impact of the internal firing pin 3. The shell 1 can be made of polymer, for example, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) or crystal polystyrene (GPPS). In one variant, biodegradable polymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) or corn starch, can be used to reduce the projectile's environmental footprint after use.

[0031] When composed of one or more solid objects, the internal firing pin 3 is made of a dense material. Possible materials include metals, such as steel or tungsten, or preferably ceramic or glass. The use of ceramic or glass offers the advantage of greater hardness than steel, promoting a clean fracture of the shell even with lower impact energy. Furthermore, their lower density compared to steel reduces the overall kinetic effect of the projectile on the target. This compromise optimizes the reliability of the shell rupture while mitigating the risk of injury to the target.

[0032] In the embodiment illustrated, the internal striker 3 is a ball.

[0033] The striker 3 is mobile within the substance 2, or at least has sufficient play to be able to move and acquire a relative velocity with respect to the shell 1 at the time of impact.

[0034] In the following embodiments, only the shape of the internal striker changes. The operating principle of internal percussion otherwise remains identical.

[0035] This variation in the shape of the striker allows, in particular, for the mechanical properties of the shell 1 to be adapted accordingly. For example, a striker generating a more violent or more concentrated impact can be associated with a slightly more resistant shell, while still guaranteeing breakage on impact.

[0036] According to a second embodiment illustrated in, the internal striker 3 is a spring.

[0037] This spring can be pre-compressed, configured to expand or move violently against the inner wall of shell 1 during the sudden deceleration of impact.

[0038] By occupying a larger volume than a ball of equivalent mass, the spring makes it possible to reduce the amount of substance 2 carried.

[0039] Upon impact, the spring can compress and expand, increasing the likelihood of a more fragmented rupture of shell 1 and better dispersion of the liquid or powder substance. This expansion effect reduces the risk of penetrating injury for an equivalent total mass, as its energy is primarily released through expansion rather than the impact of a point mass.

[0040] According to a variant illustrated in, the internal firing pin 3 consists of a plurality of secondary projectiles, such as shot or small balls, such as buckshot, also contained in the shell 1.

[0041] According to an unillustrated variant, the internal striker 3 is a combination of a spring and a plurality of secondary projectiles, such as shot or small balls, such as buckshot, also contained in the shell 1.

[0042] Upon impact, the release of the spring can cause a wide dispersion not only of substance 2 but also of said secondary projectiles, thereby increasing the area of ​​effect of the projectile.

[0043] Figures 8 to 10 illustrate a first assembly process, designed for the manufacture of a projectile containing a powdered substance 2.

[0044] The manufacturing process begins by filling a first half-shell 4 with said powdered substance 2, as shown in the figure.

[0045] Following this loading step, the internal striker 3 is positioned on the surface of the substance 2, as shown in.

[0046] The process concludes with the assembly of the second half-shell 5 onto the first 4, as illustrated in, which has the effect of sealing the internal volume and encapsulating the striker 3 and the substance 2 within the shell.

[0047] Figures 11 to 13 present a second assembly method, optimized for a projectile containing a liquid substance 2.

[0048] In this configuration, the sequence begins with the initial positioning of the internal striker 3 at the bottom of the first half-hull 4 while it is still empty, as shown in the diagram.

[0049] Subsequently, as illustrated in the figure, the liquid substance 2 is introduced into the half-shell 4 up to a predefined level, ensuring the complete submersion of the striker 3.

[0050] The final assembly, visible in, consists of sealing the projectile by fixing the second half-shell 5 onto the first, thus ensuring that the internal striker 3 is correctly encapsulated and immersed in the liquid volume.

[0051] Figures 14 to 16 illustrate the operation of the improved projectile 10 according to this description on a soft target 7.

[0052] In, the projectile 10, containing substance 2 and the internal striker 3, is launched towards the target 7.

[0053] At the point of impact 8, the shell 1 of the projectile 10 decelerates abruptly upon contact with the target 7, which deforms. However, due to inertia, the internal firing pin 3 continues its forward trajectory and violently strikes the inner wall of the shell 1.

[0054] In, this internal impact caused by the striker 3 causes the rupture or opening of the shell 1. The substance 2 is then released and spreads over the target 7 at the point of impact 8. The projectile has reliably fulfilled its function.

[0055] The shape, mass, material and number of internal strikers 3 can be adapted according to the caliber of the projectile, the power of the launcher and the desired effect, in order to optimize the ratio between breaking reliability and safety of use.

[0056] For example, several small balls could be used instead of one larger one. The amount of substance 2 can also be adjusted to allow more or less freedom of movement to the striker 3.

Claims

Non-lethal projectile (10) comprising: an outer shell (1) defining an internal volume; and a liquid or powdery substance (2) contained in said internal volume, and at least one solid internal striker (3) disposed inside the shell (1) and movable within the substance (2), said internal striker (3) being configured so that, upon impact of the projectile on a target (7), it will inertly strike an internal wall of the shell (1) in order to cause its rupture. Projectile according to claim 1, wherein said internal striker is made of a material of greater density than that of substance (2), said material being selected from the group comprising metal, ceramic and glass. Projectile according to claim 2, wherein said material of said striker is steel. Projectile according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said internal striker is a ball. Projectile according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the solid object has a non-spherical shape, comprising at least one edge or point configured to concentrate the impact force on the inner wall of the shell (1). Projectile according to claim 5, wherein the internal striker (3) is a spring. Projectile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the internal striker is constituted by a plurality of projectiles, arranged in the internal volume. Projectile according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the internal striker (3) consists of a spring and a plurality of projectiles. Projectile according to claim 7 or 8, wherein at least a part of said projectiles are buckshot. Projectile according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the substance (2) only partially fills the internal volume of the shell (1), so as to define a free space allowing movement of the internal striker (3). Projectile according to any one of the preceding claims, in which the hull (1) is made up of two half-hulls (4, 5) assembled together. Method of using a non-lethal projectile (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the method comprising the steps of: launching said projectile (10) in the direction of a target (7); and upon impact of the projectile (10) on the target (7) causing a deceleration of the hull (1), allowing the internal striker (3) to inertially strike the internal wall of the hull (1) to cause the rupture of said hull (1) and the release of the substance (2).

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